Romania
Treasures of Romania: Enchanting Castles and Painted Monasteries
Program No. 19208RJ
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Treasures of Romania: Enchanting Castles and Painted Monasteries
Treasures of Romania: Enchanting Castles and Painted Monasteries
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Participant Reviews
Based on 26 Reviews
SHOWING
The Treasures of Romania program was a lifetime memorable experience. If you are even considering it, just GO!
— Review left October 19, 2025
Our expectations were relatively modest and vastly exceeded by my experience highlighted by our outstanding group leader Viktaria.
— Review left October 2, 2025
Friends and family asked me before I went, "Why Romania?". I explained my desire to see the "enchanting castles and painted monasteries," (and perhaps a gypsy or two), but what I was given in this trip was far more than any of these. Yes, Peles Castle was fabulous (tho Bran Castle a disappointment) and the painted monasteries were breathtaking, but as I have found on other RS trips, what makes any trip really stellar is the quality of the guides and the warmth of the country's people, and in both of these "Treasures of Romania" excelled. Both Arpad and Orsolya were tremendous guides--knowledgeable, humorous, always ready with smiles and kindness. Romania itself is a gorgeous country, possessing a startling amount of green! The vistas--even on the most lengthy of drives--were always engaging. And the old towns of the cities and towns visited were charming. The tour is well organized to introduce participants to both the central and northern parts of the country--starting in Bucharest, moving north through Brasov (Transylvania) to Bucovia, ending in Cluj. The tour including two excellent lectures about the past and present of Romania. Perhaps the Romanian Orthodox churches with their frescoes of Byzantine-style art were my favorite of "things"; however, it was the warmth of the people I met--not only those in the tour group itself but also the waiters, hotel receptionists, dancers, etc. in addition to our guides--that made the trip so memorable. I had the good fortune at the end of the trip to also spend time with another RS guide--Attila Szikszai--and he, as with Arpad and Orsolya, was a remarkably funny, informative, and kind individual. All of the above GREAT reasons to return to Romania!
— Review left June 26, 2025
Book the trip. You won’t regret it! Beautiful country with a fascinating history. Our guides, Arpad and Orsi, were top notch. Memories to last a lifetime.
— Review left June 14, 2025
The Treasures of Romania is an excellent program that helps to understand the past and current issues facing the country. The journey provided educational sessions about the past, architecture, music, food, and diverse cultures. The landscapes in the Transylvania region and Carpathian Mountains was breathtaking. The tour is well organized to expose participants to different regions of the country, to see charming villages, and to understand their folklore, traditions, and unique foods.
— Review left May 22, 2025
Romania is a rich stew of ethnicities, languages, delicious flavors, folk traditions, and a complicated and fascinating history. The painted monasteries were magnificent, the rides through the Carpathian Mountains in autumn were gorgeous (and included a gorge), the castles were fun, and each city was unique. The visit to the salt mine was a hoot. Our leaders Arpad and Viki were absolutely superb in their knowledge and ability to convey the complexities of their country, as well as being warm, good-humored and considerate. Top-notch! So glad we listened to other Road Scholars who had enthusiastically recommended this trip.
— Review left October 18, 2024
Excellent trip with an exceptional group leader!!
— Review left October 5, 2024
My husband (M, 38) and I (F,41) went in our first Road Scholar program this October. Treasures of Romania: Enchanted Castles and Painted Monasteries. It was AMAZING Our trip was a 10 educational tour across the country of Romania. Starting in Bucharest and traveling to end in Cluj-Napoca. Stopping at beautiful UNESCO world
Heritage Sites, Castle’s like Peles and Draculas Castle in Bran, Transylvania, Beautiful monasteries in Moldovita, Sucevita and Voronet and more. Our guides Viktoria and Attila were amazing. We traveled with a group of 25 people and everyone was friendly and welcoming as they had been on many trips before. We were younger than everyone as this company is traditionally known for retirees and over age 55 I believe. I actually won the trip on Wheel of Fortune and it was the best experience I could ask for. The accommodations were very nice, breakfast lunch and dinner daily with local foods, wines, and even some local entertainment. We traveled by coach bus to different cities and the rides were comfortable. The trip is meant to keep you active and learning constantly. They do provide some off time in the evenings if you’d like to explore the city on your own and the guides will give you suggestions. It was truly an eye opener to an amazing part of the World as it was our first time in Europe. Road Scholar booked our flights which were great, Hotels accommodations in each city and all of our transport. It was a stellar experience .
— Review left October 2, 2024
5 stars. This was an absolutely terrific trip and I recommend it to anyone. I had high expectations but the trip exceeded them. Our guides Arpad and Vicki were wonderful in every aspect but their ability to inform and enlighten made this trip truly memorable. Romania is a beautiful country with much to see and it was interesting to note its differences from Bulgaria. I recommend reading a bit of some of the recommended books on the reading list -- it was enlightening since I new very little about Romania before this trip.
— Review left May 17, 2024
What a wonderful introduction to a country in the middle of transition. Romania is not yet a highly visited country and it was special to see the sights before the country is “discovered” by tourists. There was so much to learn and the diversity of activities was fun. Our tour guides - Arpad and Viki - were outstanding. I would follow them anywhere…they were that good.
— Review left May 10, 2024
Go! Fun, surprises and interesting programs. Paired it with the Bulgaria trip and the comparison/ contrasts added to seeing the uniqueness of each country. Victoria and Attila were great leaders/ companions and made every day east and exciting.
— Review left November 14, 2023
Go to Romania !! If you've been to "usual" Europe too many times, try this slightly out-of-the-way experience. It was an eye-opening grand tour.
— Review left November 2, 2023
Treasures of Romania was exceptional. I could not imagine better leaders than Victoria and Attila. The itinerary was jam-packed, interesting and educational. We happened to also have perfect weather too. I would highly recommend.
— Review left October 2, 2023
Amazing trip. The tour team was excellent. I particularly enjoyed Viktoria's knowledge of the art and history of Romania. Very fun trip.
— Review left September 28, 2023
Treasures of Romania was the most incredible tour. Our tour leaders were phenomenal and so knowledgeable about all things Romania. I learned so much and had the best experiences. I most highly recommend Road Scholar and this tour in particular.
— Review left May 18, 2023
Arpad and Vicki were awesome leaders. We learned so much about the people, the culture, the languages, the food, architecture, and history of Romania. Lots of sites and experiences.
— Review left May 16, 2023
This program was insightful, great learning experience, met some nice participants, educational.
— Review left May 13, 2023
Excellent program! Wonderful leaders!. So many new and interesting places & historic events to learn about.
— Review left May 12, 2023
I'm sorry I waited so long to review this - I took this trip in September 2022. This was an exceptionally well-planned and well-executed trip. The local guides were very friendly and knowledgeable. I learned a great deal about this relatively obscure European country, and it has a rich and fascinating history. All of our guides, and others with whom we came in contact, all seemed very proud of their country. My traveling companions were pleasant and fun to travel with. It was nice traveling with a group of others who were interested in traveling and learning. I highly recommend this trip - I don't believe it will disappoint.
— Review left March 1, 2023
The Romania tour is great, and combined with the Bulgaria tour it is outstanding. The two went together seamlessly. Came away with a better appreciation and understanding of the beauty, history, and culture of these two countries than most other countries I have visited.
— Review left November 12, 2022
Great trip to a country with stunning mountain scenery as well as beautiful old towns, not to mention unique things like painted monasteries and the black pottery workshop in Bucovina. There were the 2 castles in the mountains and fun folk dancing and folk musicians as well. Another highlight was the awesome lunch in a small village with a huge sampling of local wine. On top of all that the farewell dinner was unforgettable (more great food, wine, folk dancing and local musicians). Our guides, Arpad and Viktoria, were outstanding, always approachable and willing to share insights and tips. All in all, a pretty incredible experience and highly recommended!
— Review left October 24, 2022
A great program for understanding Romania and its Communist past. Meals and entertainment were top notch. Experienced guides and a fun group of participants. We did Bulgaria and Romania together with the same group and enjoyed the group camaraderie. Definitely recommend to those seeking a quality experience off the beaten track.
— Review left October 23, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this trip. There was a nice mix of castles, historic churches and towns. A good overview of the country, its' history, culture and physical attributes was provided.
The days are busy but not exceedingly so. I enjoyed the pace but if you prefer lots of rest/free time, this might not be for you. The guides we had were knowledgeable, open to questions and friendly.
I left the tour with a much better understanding of Romania and its' role in history.
— Review left October 9, 2021
A great trip both guides Viktória and Arpad knew there country well . A great trip at a great price you will see and learn a lot.
— Review left October 6, 2021
excellent way to experience the area which is unfamiliar and maybe never even considered.
— Review left October 2, 2021
This is an exceptional trip to a little known but beautiful part of Eastern Europe. I highly recommend it for people curious about the cross-section of history, religion, architecture and ethnic influences.
— Review left June 9, 2019