Jeremy Clarkson, the famous Top Gear show host, after shooting one of the episodes on the Transfagarasan road called it “the best road in the world”. Located at about 2000 m altitude (6500 ft) in the Carpathian Mountains, the road and the view are totally astonishing. Hence, we invite you to enjoy a fun Transfagarasan summer road trip!
There are many characteristics that contribute to a great driving road, particularly, a string of great corners, probably draped over a mountain, breathtaking views, a nice, remote location to ensure you’ve got it mostly to yourself. Last but not least, changing weather that makes the experience even more authentic.
Of course, driving the road is a great challenge but your attention will also be taken by the amazing views: high rocky mountains, fresh springs, a spectacular waterfall, a beautiful glacier lake. The road has more tunnels and viaducts than any other road in Romania.
Adventure, nature and a bit of culture
Shortly, the Transfagarasan Highway has everything a great drive in the mountains should have but, above everything, fascinating views. We suggest you a great day trip up in the mountains where we’ll enjoy the winding road views, a stroll around the Balea Lake and, why not, a hike in the mountains.
The tour combines the experience of exploring one of the first Cistercian Abbeys in Transylvania and the breathtaking view of the famous Transfagarasan road.
At Carta we’ll learn interesting things about the Cistercian monks who came from France, in the 13th century, to built monasteries in Transylvania. There are so many great, fascinating stories about these monks and their way of living.
Regardless the season, the landscape, the views are just breathtaking. From November till July, a part of the road is accessible only by cable car.
The summer road trip on the Transfagarasan highway is available, as suggested on our page, from July 1st till November 1st!
This is a day trip that normally starts and ends up in Sibiu. But, we can easily customize it, with departure and/ or arrival also in Brasov. The start hour and the meeting location are always set together with our guests.
Departure Time
This is a flexible day trip, the meeting location and the departure are set according to our guests’ requests.
The tour is about 7 hours.
Price Includes
Tour Guide Services
Transportation (small car or mini-van)
Entrance fees (Cisnadioara and Carta Abbey)
Price Excludes
Cable Car Tickets
Any Private Expenses
Complementaries
Umbrella/ Waterproof gear
Sunscreen
Comfortable warm clothes adapted to the season
Trekking shoes/ Trekking sticks for the hike
What to Expect
During our day trip, we’ll enjoy the nature and all the great places to explore.
Along the drive on the Transfagarasan winding road we’ll stop indifferent place to admire the views and take great pictures (one of the stops will also be at the Balea Waterfall).
Up, a the Balea Lake, we’ll park the car and have a stroll around. In wintertime, we can even visit the Hotel of Ice built there – check our Transfagarasan Winter Road Trip. For those who love hiking, we can go on a hike, up above the lake. Later, we’ll take the car and cross the Transfagarsan tunnel (about 1 km) to reach the Southern part of the mountains – we’ll enjoy great views there, too.
On our way back, we’ll stop for a visit at Carta, a former Cistercian Abbey from the 13th century. It is a great place to discover the local history and old architecture. Last, but not least, we’ll end of tour with a hidden gem we really love – the fortress of Cisnadioara. We’ll climb the little Michelsberg hill and enjoy the village and mountain views while learning about the local community and its story.
During our visit, the main topics we’ll talk about are:
the Communist times and the megalomania of the former dictator
the construction of the Transfagarasan Road
the life of the Cistercians in Transylvania
World War 1 and its impact on the region
So, get ready for a fun Transfagarasan Summer Road Trip!
Fun drive on the Transfagarasan winding road (up to 2000 m or 6500 ft altitude)
Different photo stops including the Balea Waterfall
Balea Lake stroll
Balea Peak Hike (optional*)
Visit at the Carta Cistercian Abbey
Visit at Cisnadioara Fortress
Itinerary
Stop 1Transfagarasan Road Views
Along our drive, we’ll have several stops to enjoy the views and take lovely pictures. We’ll also stop above the Balea Waterfall, a great place to admire the whole valley.
Stop 2Balea Lake
We’ll park the car on the parking lot next to the glaciar lake and from there we’ll have a walk around the lake – a great moment to enjoy the views and take pictures.
Stop 3Fagaras Mountains Hike (optional*)
If the weather allows us and you have good hiking shoes, we can enjoy a great hike up in the mountains, just above the lake. We can pick several trails, depending also on your condition and time left. It’s a great occasion to view the astonishing road from above and take the impressive rocky peaks.
Stop 4Transfagarasan Southern Part
We’ll take the car and drive through the tunnel till we reach the south part of the Transfagarasan road. The landscape is a little different here, brighter and with softer peaks. We’ll get till the Capra Waterfall.
Stop 5Carta Abbey
Carta Abbey was built in the 13th century by the Cistercian monks arriving in these areas. During the centuries the construction changed its aspect, its architecture being, nevertheless, quite unique. It’s a great place to talk about the Cistercians, the Saxon Community, the First World War and the local community.
Stop 6Cisnadioara Fortress
Cisnadioara village is a real hidden gem in the region of Sibiu. It is a tiny, former Saxon village with a beautiful Romanic basilica on the top of the hill guarding the local community and the surroundings. We’ll have a rest on the top of the hill where we’ll talk about the local stories, Cistercians (again), admire the surroundings and … pet the local cats :).
Stop 7Lunch break (optional*)
We can have a lunch break either at the Balea Cabin, on the lake or at Albota Trout Farm. Food lovers can choose the option of a street food experience at the food stalls by the lake.
Long Summer Transfagarasan Road Trip
The tour we suggest is the shorter version till the Balea Lake and tunnel. For those who would like to enroll on a longer adventure, we can extend the tour following the itinerary:
Sibiu – Transfagarasan Road – Balea Lake – Vidraru Lake and water dam – Curtea de Arges Monastery – Sibiu In case, in 2024, the Poienari Fortress reopens (Dracula’s citadel), we could also include it on our itinerary!
Please let us know what tour you’d like and we can customize it for you. The quote is set accordingly.
Did you know?
In 2009, I was honored to join the Top Gear cast (Including Jeremy Clarkson) on their adventure filming the amazing show on the Transfagarasan road. It was an unforgettable experience but I’ll tell you more about it here, while enjoying the views!
Me and James May filming with Top Gear on Transfagarsan Road Top Gear filming on the Transfagarasan Road Jeremy Clarkson filming with Top Gear on the Transfagarasan Road James May filming with Top Gear on Transfagarasan Road
Some extra information!
The Transfagarasan road is entirely open for road trips from July 1st till November 1st. In the rest of the year, because of the big layer of snow, the acces from Balea Waterfall till Balea Lake is done by the cable car (about 15 minutes for the ride). So, we can organize the same tour in winter-time, as we can drive till Balea Water Fall and from there we can take the cable car till Balea Lake and ice hotel.
The hiking trails are open only in summer time!
Sometimes, we might meet the bears on the road, yet we don’t make any promises :).
When you book with an account, you will be able to track your payment status, track the confirmation and you can also rate the tour after you finished the tour.
