Capture unique traditions and snowy landscapes
During winter Romania becomes a magical land as people display their fascinating traditions and nature dresses in a white blanket. During this New Year & winter photo tour in Romania you’ll get to celebrate the passing into the New Year and photograph imposing castle, rolling hills covered in snow and locals dressed in bear skins to preserve a millennia old tradition.
Yearly dates: December 29th – January 2nd.
- Capture intriguing scenes at the Winter Festival of Customs and Traditions
- Soak in the festive atmosphere at the Christmas Market in Brasov
- Celebrate the New Year with a fireworks show!
- Photograph the mountainous landscape of the Carpathians
- Explore a traditional village, a UNESCO World Heritage site
Day 1 29th of December
This New Year & winter photo tour in Romania starts in Comanesti, a small Romanian town in the region of Moldova. The nearest airport is in Bacau, 1h away with flights from several European cities. We can help you get there.
You’ll be transferred from the airport to the hotel. In the remaining time of the day you can have dinner and relax or have a walk in the city center.
Accommodation in Bacau/Comanesti.
Drive time: 30’
Day 2 30th of December
We will spend the first part of the day in Comanesti, attending a very interesting event, the Winter Festival of Customs and Traditions.
People from all over the country take part in the festival and present their unique customs. You’ll be able to see them dressed in traditional clothes or singing carols, but what steals the spotlight is “the dance of the bear”. Men and women alike put on bear skins and dance through the town, displaying an impressive performance. Plenty of opportunities for unique shots will arise during the events.
Later that day we will head towards Brasov, travelling through a mountain pass. We might stop a few times along the way to capture the beautiful natural surroundings.
Accommodation in Brasov.
Drive time: 3h 30’
Day 3 31st of December
We will wake up early today for a sunrise photo shoot in the mountains near Brasov. Dominated by rolling hills, scattered wooden barns and tall mountains in the distance, the landscape is perfect for practicing your composition skills.
Next on the list of attractions you will see during this New Year & winter photo tour in Romania is the famous Bran Castle. Mostly known for its ties to Dracula, it actually has a very interesting history, which you will find out during the inside visit. You will also get to shoot it from a distance, as it has a spectacular location, built on top of rocks.
Following lunch, we will spend a few hours in the mountains and capture the picturesque natural landscape of Transylvania. If the weather allows it, we will have a sunset shoot in the mountains, otherwise we’ll get back to Brasov to get ready for the celebration.
At night we will gather in the main square and count down to the New Year, enjoying a concert and the fireworks show!
Accommodation in Brasov.
Drive time: 3h
Day 3 1st of January
In the late morning we will head towards Viscri, a traditional German Saxon village in Transylvania. Viscri is known for being one of the best places where you can learn about and photograph rural life in Romania. You’ll have the chance to capture the imposing Fortified Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to admire the colorful houses specific to the German Saxons and taste the delicious local food. It is also a favorite place of HRH Prince Charles of Wales who owns a house here and visits almost yearly.
Along the way you will enjoy the quaint landscape and if lucky, we might even meet a shepherd and photograph him with his sheep.
In the second part of the day we’ll have a blue hour shoot in Brasov, trying to photograph the beautiful architecture and the festive atmosphere of the Christmas Market.
Accommodation in Brasov.
Drive time: 3h
Day 5 2nd of January
On the last day of your New Year & winter Photo Tour in Romania you will be transferred to Bucharest, travelling through Sinaia. We might stop along the way if interesting photo opportunities arise especially as we travel through the mountains. From the airport in Bucharest you will take the flight back home.
Drive time: 3h
Daniel is a Romanian tour guide since 2011 and the very first tour he organized was for photographers. Since then he ran tours for several international photo tour leaders including a Pulitzer Prize winner so he became very aware of the specific needs of photographers.
He really loves the rural areas and people practicing traditional occupations and helps photographers interact with them. Previously he worked for Microsoft, Soros Foundation, Ecosistemi, Deloitte and AIESEC, lived in 4 different countries and traveled to another 30 on 4 continents.
This is a cultural tour which focuses on photography by putting you in contact with interesting locals and also planning visits around interesting events and the good times of the day to take pictures. This means that on some days you might wake up early for sunrise or stay up late for sunsets and the blue hour, it is up to each participant though.
It also means that the tour plan is flexible and can be changed depending on weather conditions and photography opportunities found on the way.
Besides the planned visits at places of interest and people we’ve also planned time for 2-3 stops/day as we drive around the countryside as there are always unplanned very interesting photo opportunities, especially focused on people. It will be the tour guide who will make the call where and when to make those additional stops.
This tour is not meant to be an intense photography workshop with non-stop shooting, editing and image reviewing. The pace will be moderate so you can actually enjoy it as a holiday and learn about the culture you are visiting.
The tour guide leading this photo tour has good knowledge of photography but he is not a professional photographer or teacher. So you will be able to have interesting discussions about composition and some technical aspects but you will not be able to have very in-depth technical discussions.
- Trip planning and assistance before and during the tour
- English speaking tour guide services throughout the program (accommodation and meals are included)
- Accommodation for 4 nights in standard double/twin rooms with breakfast (B) included
- 1 night in Bacau or Comanesti at 3* hotel.
- 3 nights in Brasov or nearby at 3*hotel
- Transfer by 4 wheel drive car (Dacia Duster or similar) on the itinerary mentioned above.
Services which are not included in the tour price
- Entrance tickets to tourist sites. Per person you are likely to spend up to 10-20 EUR
- Meals, except the ones mentioned above. On average you can pay for a meal 10-15 EUR
For prices, please send an inquiry for details.
