Central Europe Express | Eid Journey Across Moldova, Romania & Hungary

Join us as we pack our bags this Eid and set out to discover three of Europe’s most underrated gems! We’ll travel through picturesque countryside, storybook villages, and lively capitals, discovering age-old traditions and even a place where the Soviet era feels alive and well.

Sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, the small, mysterious Republic of Moldova blends the charms of unspoiled nature with a unique history and even more intriguing present. A short distance outside its capital of Chisinau is Milestii Mici, a vineyard with the world’s largest underground wine cellar – more like an underground city, with endless kilometers of tunnels best explored on a bike! Also nearby is the ancient city of Orheiul Vechi, with eroded limestone rocks and the archaeological vestiges of the Trypillian civilization. Inhabited since ancient times to this day, Orthodox monks still guard the churches and grottos of this natural fortress.

Transnistria, officially the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, is a breakaway state, recognized as part of Moldova but under military occupation by Russia. To enter Transnistria is to take a time machine back to the Soviet days – you’ll think you’re in a Cold War-era geopolitical no-man’s land, with strange flags, statues of Lenin, vodka for a dollar, and more hammers and sickles than you’ll see anywhere else!

Often overlooked but rich in history and fairy tale charm, Romania is a traveller’s delight – where else can you go from visiting Dracula’s castle to exploring imposing Soviet monuments in the same day? We’re all familiar with the lore of Vlad the Impaler, and the spooky, heavily forested region of Transylvania, surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains. But Romania’s appeal is much more than Dracula’s legend.

Home to seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, here we’ll find colorful, perfectly preserved medieval and Baroque towns, ancient churches, clifftop fortresses and castles out of a storybook. Bucharest, the country’s capital, is where the old and modern collide. Reminders of the communist era are around every corner, most notably in the world’s second largest government building: Palatul Parlamentului, built under the command infamous former dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu.

Neighboring Hungary’s turbulent past has seen conquering and occupation by everyone from the Romans and Celts through to the Ottomans Habsburgs. To this day, Turkish and Roman influence on Hungarian culture includes the popularity of mineral spas – reflected in the country’s large number of spa towns and hot springs, including at Lake Hévíz, the second largest thermal lake in the world.

Its grand capital Budapest is one of Central Europe’s jewels, with impressive neoclassical buildings along Pest’s wide boulevards and Buda’s architectural landmarks including the medieval Castle Hill. The famed Danube River looms large, bisecting the city and flowing out into countryside dotted with grasslands, fortified towns and villages where time seems to stop.

Ready for an unforgettable adventure? Let’s go!!

DAY 1 // 31 May // Arrival in Moldova

Arrival in Chisinau in the afternoon. First we’ll stretch our legs on a walk through the greenest capital in Europe, passing by Cathedral Park and Bell Tower, Victory Arc, neoclassical monuments and quaint bookstores. Then it’s time for dinner and our first taste of Moldovan cuisine. Check into hotel for overnight.

Day 2 // 1 June // Moldova: Orheiul Vechi & Milestii Mici

After breakfast we’ll head to Orheiul Vechi, exploring the ancient monasteries and cave complexes filled with grottos, churches, and hermitages in this open-air museum. Along the way we’ll discover the best of the Moldovan countryside. Within this small area are many of the typical elements of this country: traditional rural culture, picturesque churches, meandering rivers, white cliffs, and lush green steppes.
In the afternoon, we’ll hit the road to Milestii Mici for an underground bike ride through the world’s largest wine cellar! After a few tastings, we’ll have a leisurely lunch before returning to Chisinau. In the evening you can check out local nightlife.

Day 3 // 2 June // Transnistria

After early breakfast of brânzoaice and strong coffee, we start our journey to Transnistria, the self-proclaimed independent republic with its own currency, border guards, and government. First stop will be the 16th century Tighina Fortress on our way to Tiraspol, the capital of Transnistria, founded by the Russian general Alexandr Suvorov in 1792. We’ll pass by his statue in the square as we walk around the city, with stops at monuments, theatres, parliament houses and all manner of curiosities.

In the evening we’ll head to the airport to catch our flight to Bucharest, where we’ll spend the night.

Day 4 // 3 June // Romania: Bucharest & Bears

We’ll start our day with a city tour of Bucharest, a capital which offers a fascinating blend of the old and new. Modern steel-and-glass buildings and lively cafes and restaurants sit among the city’s ancient monuments, palaces and museums of the Old Town, and grey, brutalist structures of the communist era.[DD1]
After lunch we’ll head out of the city towards the dark forests of Transylvania, where in the late afternoon we’ll take a short nature trek and attempt to spot the famous Carpathian Brown Bear in its natural habitat. Other wildlife in the area includes wild boar, roe deer and red deer, wolves and various bird species.

Day 5 // 4 June // Romania: Mountain Villages Tour

Today we’ll get a closer look at traditional Romanian country life, visiting the mountain villages of Peștera and Măgura within Piatra Craiului National Park in the Southern Carpathians. We’ll take advantage of the stunning scenery with a hike through verdant forests and meadows carpeted with wildflowers.

After, we’ll enjoy a delicious, home-cooked lunch at a traditional guesthouse, made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. We’ll learn more about rural Romanian life, and how the people of these villages have maintained an exceptionally healthy lifestyle for generations, with no recorded cases of cancer or heart disease. Their secret? A life of hard work tending the land, raising animals like sheep and cows, and consuming only homemade, organic food from their own farms—fresh meat, eggs, and dairy. They also drink pure spring water and enjoy "țuică," a traditional homemade fruit brandy crafted from apples, plums, or pears.
Day 6 // 5 June // Romania: Transfăgărășan Highway & Poienari Fortress

This morning we hit the road for a thrilling and unforgettable experience: a journey along the famed Transfăgărășan Highway, often called "the Road to the Clouds" and "the Best Driving Road in the World". Built in the 1970s as a strategic military route, this remarkable feat of engineering is Romania’s second-highest paved road. With its sharp switchbacks, hairpin turns, and breathtaking panoramas, it has rightfully earned a reputation as one of the world’s most exhilarating drives.
As we wind our way up the highway, we’ll take in stunning views of towering peaks, deep valleys, and cascading waterfalls. Upon arriving at Poienari Fortress, we’ll uncover the fascinating history of Vlad Țepeș and dive into Romania’s medieval past, while admiring the fortress’s dramatic location atop a sheer cliff.

Day 7 // 6 June // Romania: Seven Ladders Canyon

Today we’ll stretch our legs and flex our muscles with a short hike and a climbing experience in Seven Ladders Canyon, famous for its rugged karst formations, impressive ladders and cascading waterfalls. The canyon was once a cave, but its roof collapsed over time, revealing the dramatic rock walls that now define the gorge.

A scenic walk through forest and meadows will bring us to the canyon, where we’ll navigate the metal bridges and near-vertical ladders that wind through the rock passage. As we climb, we’ll have incredible close-up views of the rushing waterfalls and towering cliffs surrounding us.
Afterwards we’ll head back to the city to catch our 17:15 flight to Budapest. On arrival we’ll transfer to our hotel in Buda, where we’ll be based for the rest of the trip, and then head out for an evening tour of the city.

On arrival we’ll transfer to our hotel in Buda, where we’ll be based for the rest of the trip, and then head out for an evening tour of the city.

Day 8 // 7 June // Hungary: Danube Bend

Today we’ll head out and enjoy the fresh air of the countryside on a day trip to the Danube Bend area, visiting a few of the small waterside towns situated along the twists and turns of the river. Interestingly, the U-shaped loop we see today is the result of a volcanic eruption some 15 million years ago.

This is an area of great natural beauty, with the Danube flanked by the Transdanubian Mountains on the right bank and the North Hungarian Mountains on the left. Although “mountains” is a bit misleading…really they are just forested hills, but beautiful nonetheless! We’ll spend our day leisurely visiting the picturesque and historic towns of Szentendre, Visegrád and Esztergom, getting our fill of cobbled streets, Baroque architecture, grand basilicas, walled citadels and crumbling castles.

Day 9 // 8 June // Hungary: Hollókő

This morning we’ll set out another day trip, going back in time with a visit to the village of Hollókő, a living example of rural life before the agricultural revolution of the 20th century. The origins of Hollókő go back seven centuries, when the castle which overlooks the village was built in response to a Mongol invasion in the mid-1200s. The first written record of the village itself dates back to the 14th century, referencing the village church.
While the town has modernized and adapted to an extent, many long-gone traditional forms of rural life are maintained to this day, preserving its traditional wooden architecture, farming methods, and layout of buildings, farms, and orchards.

Day 10 // 9 June // Departure

Free time before saying to bye-bye to Budapest and heading to the airport for our flight at 12:55. Landing back at AUH at 20:35.

Grade: Easy, available to everyone.
Activities: Trekking, leisure cycling, immersion in mountain village life, wildlife encounter, travel back to the Soviet era (Transnistria), sightseeing, cruising.
Accommodation & meals: 3 and 4 star hotels (double sharing rooms), meals excluded.

Cost: AED 10,300 incl. 4 international flights, valid until APRIL 22.

Specifically excluded: Any costs related to visas, meals, insurance.
Visas: Schengen visa. Support available via third party agency.

See yah in Central Europe x

Trekkup Crew
Whatsapp 050 4848238
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