Romania
Nature Adventure in Transylvania
Departures
2nd – 9th June 2027
Per person
£2,800Two sharing
A journey built around the wildlife of Transylvania, with as little travel between places as possible and as much time as we can spend in the landscape itself. Over a hundred species of birds, some of the most biodiverse flower meadows in the world, unspoilt cultural landscapes, and the chance of bears, wolves and lynx.
We stay in the village of Nucet and travel out from there — on foot wherever we can — with the rhythms of village life and Saxon Transylvania threaded through the week.
Itinerary
Day 1 — Sibiu & Nucet
We meet in Sibiu at lunchtime, eat in a local café and visit the Natural History Museum, then walk the city park looking at the biodiversity held within the town itself, before transferring to Nucet.
Day 2 — Mosaic Landscapes
A gentle 7km walk through the mosaic landscape and forest around the village, getting our eye in for the common Romanian species while watching for lesser spotted eagle, river warbler and bear. We learn to read the tracks and signs of the mammals living here, with a picnic out in the field.
Day 3 — The Hosman Line
A leisurely 4.5km walk downhill to the neighbouring village and the single-line train to Hosman, with good chances of lesser grey shrike and lesser spotted eagle. Lunch from local produce, a presentation from local conservation activists, and a guided walk through the village with an eye out for little owl.
Day 4 — Wetlands & the Old Oak
Our first wetland birds, driving the next valley with views of the Făgăraș mountains and the Olt river, stopping for black stork and white-winged black tern. On to Gherdeal, an isolated village nestled in mature forest, and a 2km walk to an 800-year-old oak — the sixth largest in Romania — watching for wryneck, red-breasted flycatcher and honey buzzard. We stop at a fortified church on the way back for roosting bats, including horseshoe.
Day 5 — Meadows, Orchids & Lakes
A remote village named for the geological formations beside it, and a walk into that fairytale landscape to explore some of the richest wildflower meadows in the world. We climb the mounds for special orchids and the panorama, then take a 4km circuit of one of the lakes for purple heron, little crake, bittern, whiskered tern, bearded tit and great reed warbler — otters live here too. Dinner within the walls of a fortified church nearby.
Day 6 — Flea Market, Coppersmith & Night Drive
A cultural day: the flea market for the sights, sounds and smells of Transylvania, lunch in Mediaș, then a coppersmith whose family has kept the trade for generations, with stories, demonstrations and the chance to buy a unique piece. Dinner at a small guesthouse, then a scenic route home after dark with good chances of bear, wildcat, boar, jackal, red deer and Ural owl.
Day 7 — Oak Pastures & Shepherds
A 4km walk from Hosman through oak pastures to the shepherd’s hut for a warm local lunch, then back down to the village in the afternoon — another leisurely day of birds and tracking. We finish with a Romanian party alongside the local collective, and perhaps a dance.
Day 8 — Farewell
A last breakfast in Nucet, goodbyes to our hosts, and back to Sibiu for a tour of the city and a final lunch together.
What's Included
Accommodation throughout in the village of Nucet
All meals, including picnics in the field and the shepherd’s hut lunch
All transport within Romania, including the Hosman train
Expert wildlife guiding throughout
All listed visits — Natural History Museum, conservation talk, flea market and coppersmith
Nataliya as your host throughoutNot included: international flights and travel insurance. The nearest airport is Sibiu (SBZ).