Bears and Dracula tour from Bucharest: Private full day

Climb 1,480 stairs to Dracula's fortress and watch brown bears from the roadside

A private full-day tour from Bucharest combines two of Romania's most storied sites: Curtea de Arges Monastery, where Romanian kings are buried, and Poienari Castle, the real fortress of Vlad the Impaler, reached by climbing 1,480 stairs. The tour includes a private car and licensed English-speaking guide for the entire day, with flexibility to adjust the itinerary as you go. Wild brown bears appear near Vidraru Dam, a 166-meter arch dam on the Argeș River. Entrance fees to the sites are your choice to add at checkout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Curtea de Arges Monastery45m
2. Poenari Castle2h

Explore Curtea de Arges and Dracula's Fortress

• Visit Curtea de Arges Monastery
• Climb 1480 stairs to Poenari Castle
• Observe wild brown bears near Vidraru Dam

The experience

You're picked up from your Bucharest hotel or meeting point and driven into Wallachia to Curtea de Arges, the first capital of Romania. The monastery there holds the tombs of Romanian kings and dates to the 13th century. Your guide walks you through the ruins of the old princely court and explains the history the stones carry. It's a quieter stop than the castles, but it grounds the day in the real weight of the country's past.

The drive to Poienari Castle takes you through the landscape where brown bears roam. Near Vidraru Dam (a 166-meter structure completed in 1966 that holds back a reservoir 28 kilometers around) you'll watch for bears waiting by the roadside. Then comes the castle itself: 1,480 stairs climb up to Poienari, the actual fortress where Vlad the Impaler ruled. The climb is steep and real, but the view from the top and the fact that you're literally walking in Dracula's footsteps makes it the centerpiece of the day.

Your private guide speaks English and handles all driving, parking and road tolls. The car stays yours alone for the full 10 to 11 hours, so you set the pace at each stop and can ask to linger or move on. If the day unfolds differently than planned (you want more time at one site or less at another), your guide adjusts on the fly. Food and drinks are on you, but the flexibility to eat where and when you choose is part of what makes a private tour work.

What’s included

• Private car reserved for your group alone.
• private licensed guide in your choice of English, Spanish, Italian, French or five other languages.
• all fuel, parking and road tolls.
• full flexibility to adjust the itinerary during the day.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day9 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 10:00

Book up to4h before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Romanian and Russian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 14 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcome

Operated by Romania Private Guide

Is this one for you?Pickup from your Bucharest hotel means you don't need a rental car or local transport to reach these sites. Your guide handles the driving and knows exactly where the bears appear and which routes take you through the best of Transylvania's history.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Chinese, Japanese and Romanian.

What is Curtea de Arges Monastery and why do people visit it?

Curtea de Arges Monastery is a 13th-century religious site in the old capital of Wallachia where Romanian kings are buried. The tour includes the ruins of the princely court and the Royal Church, and your guide explains the history and significance of the place as you walk through it.

How many stairs does it take to reach Poienari Castle?

Poienari Castle sits at the top of 1,480 stairs. The climb is part of the experience. You're literally following the path to Vlad the Impaler's real fortress, and the view from the top rewards the effort.

Where do you see the brown bears on this tour?

Wild brown bears appear near Vidraru Dam, a large arch dam on the Argeș River. You watch for them from the car as you drive through the landscape. They often wait by the roadside, and spotting them is one of the memorable moments of the day.

How long does the full tour take, and what costs extra?

The tour runs 10 to 11 hours from pickup to drop-off. Your price covers the private car, fuel, parking, road tolls and the guide's time. Entrance fees to Curtea de Arges Monastery and Poienari Castle are optional and added at checkout if you want them. Food and drinks are your own expense.