Hike to an isolated hide in the Carpathians – home to 60% of Europe’s brown bear population – to see these incredible creatures in the wild
Visit a pioneering sanctuary which rehomes and rehabilitates formerly captive bears in a beautiful and inspiring setting
Bed down in a characterful boutique hotel in the bustling town of Brasov and explore Bran Castle, the medieval stronghold also known as Castle Dracula
The perfect adventurous long weekend combining hikes, history and memorable wildlife encounters
Day 1
Arrive in Brasov and be transferred to your boutique hotel in the heart of this beautiful city. Brasov is a fantastic base for a trip, a cosmopolitan and lively place with an alluring blend of ancient and modern.
Day 2
Grab an early breakfast today before taking a short drive through the scenic Transylvanian countryside to the base of the Piatra Craiului mountains. Set off for a hike, and take in wonderful views over the Carpathians. Head back to Brasov and tuck in to some tasty lunch before a little free time to explore or relax before heading off bear watching. You'll drive to a remote trailhead at the edge of a forest and hike in (for around 20 minutes) to reach an elevated bear hide, tucked away on the edge of a clearing. Settle in and keep your fingers crossed for bears entering the clearing. The hide is ethically run by the local wildlife authority and is similar to a treehouse, so you are in the perfect spot to view the bears from the best and safest vantage point, should they show up. If you’re lucky you might even see cubs! Head back to Brasov for a late dinner to toast an epic day.
Day 3
This morning, you'll drive to Zarnesti, the site of an inspiring animal welfare project – Europe's largest of any kind. The Libearty Bear Sanctuary has been a beacon for change over the past two decades, as the founders campaigned to end bear captivity across Romania and to re-home and rehabilitate formerly captive bears. Many of these bears had been kept in awful conditions, but are now living in 70 beautifully forested hectares at the foothills of the Carpathians. You'll take a private guided tour around the sanctuary, walking the trails between enclosures and watching the bears swimming and playing together a short distance from you (the sanctuary is fenced). The sanctuary limits visitor numbers to give the bears space and peace for the majority of the day; your visit offers financial support and helps the sanctuary continue their important work. Afterwards, you'll head to the trailhead for your second hike of the trip in another part of the Carpathian Mountains. Postavaru Mountain is another stunning natural setting where you can take in the lush green valleys, fresh mountain air and sweeping views of the Carpathians. You'll be back in Brasov in the late afternoon, where you could grab a beer in the square to watch the light fade before sampling another restaurant for dinner.
Day 4
You'll have some free time this morning before you head to the legendary Bran Castle, better known as Dracula’s Castle, with its blood-red turrets, eerie rooms and creepy reputation. Enjoy a farewell lunch here before your trip comes to an end. Your host will transfer you to Brasov Airport in time for your onward flight later today. Those leaving on afternoon flights will head to the airport straight away and those leaving later in the evening can soak up a few more sights in Brasov before the adventure ends.
All your meals are provided for the duration of the trip. This includes:
Our trips do not include flights, trains or other travel to the start point and back from the end point.
Tipping is not mandatory but often expected in Romania. We suggest the below as a guideline per person:
Of course, you are free to tip more or less, and the amount should be reflective of your perception of service and quality – a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.
You know your own spending habits best, so please budget an appropriate amount for things like optional meals and drinks, shopping, optional activities, and laundry.
Travel insurance is compulsory for all of our adventures and you are required to provide your policy information before departing. Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure. We also strongly recommend it includes cancellation and curtailment insurance, should you be unable to join your trip for specific reasons such as illness. Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine (opens in new tab), as their insurance offers all of the above.
Visa requirements often change, and you are responsible for obtaining any required visas for this trip. Please check with your nearest embassy or consulate for up-to-date advice.
Looking for a private room? See Optional Extras for details and pricing.
Romanian food is hearty, flavourful and heavily influenced by its neighbouring countries. Most traditional meals start with a soup, often made with meat, vegetables or fish. Sausages are also popular, as well as meat and vegetable pies, goulash, stuf…
For solo travellers looking for their own space, an optional private room can be booked for an extra charge – see Optional Extras for the price. Please request this at the time of booking (this is subject to availability).
To request any extras, message your host via your Much Better Adventures account once you have booked your trip.
All extras must be paid before your trip starts.
Ideal for new adventurers or those who enjoy a more relaxed pace
This trip is suitable for anyone in reasonably good condition and capable of hiking for 3-4 hours a day. The hikes are no longer than three hours in duration, and the hike to ...
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Friday 5th June 2026
to Monday 8th June 2026
Last minute - Host approval required
Friday 12th June 2026
to Monday 15th June 2026
Friday 19th June 2026
to Monday 22nd June 2026
Friday 26th June 2026
to Monday 29th June 2026
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Know before you go! Some stuff we'll provide, other things you'll need to bring.
In the event of poor weather such as heavy rain, strong winds and/or storms, it is possible that conditions may become unsuitable to complete the planned hikes on this trip. Your guide will assess the conditions and weather forecasts and make a decision with your safety and enjoyment in mind. If it becomes necessary to make a change to the planned itinerary, an adapted hike will be offered.
This trip takes place in environments where wild animals are present in their natural environment, where protections and controls on their movement may be limited or non-existent. Some species may be dangerous, venomous, or unpredictable. Sightings are a privilege – but safety is key. Always follow your guide’s instructions and any posted signage.
We recommend considering your comfort around wildlife and discussing any concerns with your host before travel, particularly if you have allergies, phobias, or related health conditions.
Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.
Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers are familiar with the practical information provided on the Government’s FCDO website, where current travel advice can be found by searching for the applicable destination(s).
For customers joining this trip from other international destinations – please also read the official travel advice applicable to your country of residence/origin, as this may differ.
We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. You must be over 18 to join one of our trips.
You're always in good company on one of our adventures.
Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.
Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.
It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.
Don't just take our word for it:
See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.
This trip is offered from April to October (peak bear-watching season). In Brasov, the temperature usually ranges from 15–25°C during the day and cools off to 3–12°C at night between May and September. Most days are sunny with beautiful blue skies. In April and October, the weather can be more unpredictable and the temperature varies between 10–20°C during the day and 3–10°C at night.
We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 93kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
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