Please let me know if you want to get in contact with some of my previous travelers.
Romania is a beautiful country! My memory will always be of the green forests and high mountains and the many castles. I do not know quite what we were expecting from Romania… Maybe lots of leftover communist housing, packs of dogs, bad roads and crumbling cities and sour people but we saw none of that. We started in Bucharest with its tree lined boulevards, clean parks, beautiful buildings and a lively old town full of colorful restaurants with good food and excellent Romanian wines. The Bucharest Symphony was playing in one of the city squares.
We stayed at the Europa Royal which was an excellent hotel with friendly helpful staff very near the old town just minutes from pedestrian streets filed with restaurants and shops.
Our most important decision was to hire a guide with a car to drive us from Bucharest to Transylvania and on to Maramures. From our research and blogs, we discovered that a guide and driver in Romania is very inexpensive. Our guide took out all the guess work out of our trip. No wrong turns, no bad hotels or restaurants, no tourist traps and no wasted time. Our guide knew the best places to see and took us to small unique villages. Our route was from Bucharest to Brasov to Sighisoara to Sibiu to Cluj Napoca then crossing the Gutai Mountains to Vadu Izei – a village in Maramures. Then onto Sighetu Marmatiei stopping to see the oldest tallest wooden churches in the world and the Merry Cemetery. Our final stop in Romania was Satu Mare before our guide drove us into Hungary to Eger. Our guide was Daniel Gheorghita who spoke excellent English and gave us an excellent history of Romania.
Darla and Jane
Trip to Eastern Europe. A must for anyone looking for a different challenge experience and story to tell!
My personal tour guide was Daniel Gheorghita who was “THE BEST”. He was very knowledgeable and knew all the history of the area and found us very unique places to stay and visit. He organized all visits and entry fees to UNESCO and historical sites. Daniel has a great sense of humor (needed at times) and was very kind and helpful. He also was a good driver which was very necessary on the rugged and often snowy mountain roads we sometimes travelled. Daniel is also a very good photographer and very patient to teach us new angles to capture the beauty around. While traveling the highways we discussed various subjects and shared many stories!
Memories of Eastern Europe for me:
Magical, simplistic, serene, startling, soul stirring, historic, haunting, rolling mist over surrounding farmland, shepherds and sheep, horse-drawn carts, cattle on highways, air crisp with scent of smoke from fireplaces, sunrise and sunsets over mountains and valleys, twisting cobblestone alleys with gingerbread homes all colors orange, lime, pink. A warm and inviting people and even time to soul search!
Negatives: I encountered small in comparison to the positives – smoking in bars and restaurants and lack of accessibility for the handicapped.
We travelled from Budapest, Hungary, through Bucharest and many parts of Romania and finished in Sophia Bulgaria.
Maramures, Moldavia, Transylvania – what beautiful and spectacular scenery!
Highlights included:
Budapest (parliament building) cross Danube on chain Bridge to Buda Castle.
Eger – medieval town with Baroque style architecture.
Merry Cemetery, village of Sapanta, Romania.
Painted Monasteries of Bucovina (elaborate frescoes inside and out, Orthodox nuns and monks sweeping snow in the courtyard).
Peri Convent (highest wooden structure) workmanship unreal.
Sighisoara – best preserved fortified town in Transylvania.
Bran Castle fairy tale like on border of Wallachia.
Peles Castle of Sinaia (simply the most beautiful castle I have ever seen).
Visit with Gypsies ( friends of guide).
Veliko Tarnova fortress and Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sophia, Bulgaria.
*** Carpathian Mountains – retreat in a 100 year old renovated home. This was a surprise offered by my tour guide Daniel Gheorghita and it was magnificent untouched landscape nestled in the mountains. I still envision the crackling fire, the plum schnapps (palinca) warm mulled wine and the warm apple cake the host delivered. The sunset, the sunrise, the tranquil surroundings unsurpassed! True authentic charm!
With the death of communism, Romanians have come a long way and though some of regime still exist I feel the warmth of the people and the stunning beauty of their country.
Noroc (Cheers) to all of you!
Kathleen
Daniel Gheorghita is the best tour guide we have ever had. He is friendly, knowledgeable and courteous. Not only does he know Romania but he also gets to know his clients. He became aware of what we wanted to see before we did. He showed us a broad swath of his country from castles to monasteries to folk culture to amazing scenery. He was easy to talk with and before the trip was over, we felt that he was like a member of our family.
We would recommend him with unreserved enthusiasm.
My parents and I were delighted to be guided by Daniel Gheorghita throughout Transylvania and Moldova, Romania. Daniel was our host and guide during our stay there. His knowledge, flexibility, and hospitality were above all expectations. From helping to build a custom itinerary, navigate through Romania’s amazing sites, Daniel did everything with a great attitude and attention to detail. His breadth of local knowledge, professionalism, and friendliness make him the perfect guide.
I would highly recommend him! Thanks so much for everything.
Daniel,
Thank you for being a great tour guide and for sharing with me your amazing country, it’s history, traditions, cuisine and of course the sights. Your knowledge, itinerary, local personalities and accommodation choices really made the trip.
Among my favourite moments of the trip in Romania were the cottage near Bran, the pension, traditional food and music at Vadu Izei as well as the chance to meet local craftsmen and women and see how they live and work.
Once again thanks for being a great guide and I am also glad to have a friend in Romania now.
Nadia
Dear fellow Travelers,
If you are ever planning on traveling to Romania let me highly recommend Daniel Gheorghita to be your personal tour guide.
I just finished up my second tour (in 4 years) with Daniel and it was amazing!
My first tour with Daniel was a one day tour to Sinaia, Brasov, Rasnov and Bran back in 2007. That trip was the first time I met Daniel and experienced what an excellent tour guide he is. Daniel is knowledge, personable, and funny. Daniel is willing to let you venture around and stop to see what you want to see…and not be stuck to a point “a” to point “b” tour.
After my 2007 tour in Romania Daniel and I have kept in contact. I told Daniel I loved Romania and wanted to come back sometime and see more of the country. After a couple of year I was able to go back to Romania and once again met up with Daniel for another amazing tour.
This time Daniel designed a tour especially for me and for what he knows I have an interested. I love churches, architecture and countryside scenery…as well as I love to take photos. So Daniel designed a tour that would take me to some of the most fascinating places in Romania! The first day was spent sight seeing around Bucharest and seeing the many things I had missed in the city during my last stay, when I was venturing out on my own to sight see.
The next day we head off to our first travel destination…the Painted Monasteries in the Bucovina Region. The first day was spent mostly on the road driving through rural area, small towns, and larger cities on the eastern side of Romania. Along the way Daniel was imparting great knowledge of the area, history and culture of the region. We stopped along the way to get some local grapes from a roadside vendor. Let me tell you those were the best grapes I have ever had!
Once in the Bucovina area Daniel took me to all the famous Painted Monasteries. He has great knowledge about the history and art of these monasteries. He can provide you with architectural information, founders history, renovations, and most noticeably a very through knowledge and understanding of the painted Iconography (frescoes) on the exterior, as well and the interior, of the Churches.
Daniel was always helpful with pointing out, going to, or stopping for just the most perfect photo shots along the way!
The next stop was Sighisoara. A great Citadel with lots to see and do. Daniel has a great taste in accommodations and found some wonderful places to stay along the way. In Sighisoara we stayed in the House with Stag (Casa cu Cerb). This hotel was centrally located, very historic… and of such great quality that the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, stayed in this very hotel.
The following day was off to Sibiu. Along the way, Daniel pointed out many interesting places. He took a 30 minute detour off the normal route to stop in a small Hungarian Village so I can buy some very nice hand made and hand painted pottery that I had mentioned in passing that I really liked. We then stopped at a great Hungarian restaurant where I had some great wild boar! Once in Sibiu we settled into yet another great small hotel…this time in the oldest building in Sibiu. This is the first time I have ever slept in an 800 year old building. The room was great….large, well decorated, had great views of the old city, and even came with a 500 year old fresco they were able to keep during the restoration of the building.
Sibiu was filled with lots to do and see. Great architecture, beautiful churches, and wonderful food, and Daniel knew exactly where to go and what to do to make the most of our time there.
Once again, Daniel went out of his way to find some great places to take night photos of all the historic buildings in Sibiu while they were lit up. Not only did he know of all the good places and angles to take photos…but after telling him that I wished my camera took better night photos he showed me how to do all the proper settings manually on my camera to capture professional quality night photos. Amazing!
The next morning was our trip back to Bucharest. This took us through some amazing country scenery in Transylvania. The crowing part of this last leg of the trip was our drive up and over the Transfăgărășan Road, the second-highest paved road in Romania, and what I would consider to be the most dramatic. All along the way Daniel would stop so I could capture yet another great photo to add to my growing photo collection of places in Romania!
Once back in Bucharest it was time to part after an awesome journey through some amazing areas of this beautiful country, made ever more special by Daniel’s professional guidesmenship!
Again, I would highly recommend Daniel Gheorghita to be your tour guide on your next trip to Romania! He is friendly, knowledgeable, funny, easygoing, flexible, professional, caring, and will do everything in his power to make your trip a memorable one!
Daniel, thanks for another great tour around Romania! I look forward to going to Romania again sometime soon and will look forward to having you as my guide once more.
Best wishes to all who will travel to Romania,
Michael Laven
Choosing to tour Romania with Daniel Gheorghita as our private guide and driver took all the stress out of travelling in this amazing country. His driving and knowledge of the roads was especially good – we always felt safe and having now been driven around Romania, we are very glad we didn’t attempt it ourselves!
Daniel’s knowledge of Romanian history is impressive – it’s a topic he is obviously passionate about and he will happily tell you stories throughout the tour, often drawing in characters from European history and making you feel as though you are almost following them from town to town through the pages of time. He is like a walking history book!
Daniel also consistently chose excellent hotels and restaurants, and was happy to leave us to our own devices now and then when we felt like going out as a family – but was always on hand when we needed his input or advice. We stayed at some lovely hotels and were very impressed at the care he took in choosing them, and the level of service he expected from them.
Prior to the tour, I had many emails back and forth with Daniel, asking questions, making requests, changing things. I even added two more people to my group making the one person tour suddenly a three person tour, and he instantly shuffled things around, found the hotels we needed and rearranged the tour to suit my new requirements. The amount of time and effort he must have put into planning it was evident, and it was truly a customized tour.
I have now been to Romania both alone, and with a tour guide, and I have to say I got far more out of the experience with Daniel. Having someone to take care of all the logistics while we just enjoyed the experience was worth every cent.
Thank you Daniel Gheorghita for all your time and effort in making our trip memorable!
Kara O’Halloran
I just wanted to say a heart-felt thank you for everything you did for my mom and me to make this ‘back to our roots’ vacation in Romania so memorable and special. The program you put together was wonderful – from the first night in Maramures. All the way through Transylvania to Bucharest we saw things I know we would have never seen on our own or with a traditional tour. Also your deep knowledge of Romania’s history and culture really helped us to put into context all of the places we visited. I learned so much on this trip!
Your hotel choices and restaurant recommendations were excellent throughout; I wouldn’t change any of them. But most of all I want to thank you for the countless times you went beyond the program and beyond our expectations to make us more comfortable and to make the trip more memorable. In particular when you were able to figure out that there was a Jewish cemetery in Reghin, then find it(!) and then help us to discover that we have possibly relatives buried there, I can’t tell you how much that meant to us, especially to my mother. Also your help once we were on our own in Bucharest (even though it was after the tour and on your day off) was again way beyond what we could have expected and shows how much you cared about making our visit to Romania as carefree and enjoyable as possible. As I was describing it to someone the other day, it felt like we were being taken around Romania by a really knowledgeable friend!
I hope you and your family can come visit us in America one day so I can repay the favor. So thanks again for everything and I know that if we visit Romania again (as I hope we will) we’ll be calling you again to guide us.
Best Regards,
Steve Korn
Many thanks for all you hard work and patience. We have all enjoyed our trip to Romania. We have learnt a lot from an excellent guide.
We’ll never forget the time spent with you and the tour around your beautiful country. Thank you very much.
John Hayes
Simply the best!!! I spent 2 1/2 weeks with Daniel Gheorghita on a Photo Tour of Romania and enjoyed every second of it. Daniel is not only knowledgeable of the local history and the best locations to take photos, he is also extremely personable. I feel comfortable telling anyone I now think of him as a friend. I hope to return to Romania soon, and would not consider going with anyone but Daniel.
Daniel not only provided us with detailed and interesting history about each area, but he was able to tell us funny stories and interesting trivia that would have never been part of your standard tour. He was happy to spend time doing what we wanted to do rather than worrying constantly about an impersonal, time-constraining schedule. We did impromptu hikes and enjoyed evenings running about the cities, laughing hysterically, while trying to catch the blue-hour and the best of the city lights.
He is simply the most accommodating and enjoyable guide anyone could ever have. The pace is always your own. After traveling with Daniel, you can honestly say you not only have gone to Romania, you have experienced it.
Sheila Smith
Our tour with Daniel Gheorghita was the easiest, most stress-free, fun vacation ever. From the very beginning, we knew we were in good hands. Daniel is capable and clever, knowledgeable and witty, eloquent and spontaneous. After making the initial plan for our 9-day tour, we chatted a bit via e-mail to discuss some of our likes and dislikes. Then we simply showed up and everything else was taken care of for us. Even when things did not go as planned, Daniel was able to improvise and make the day great. From impromptu stops on the road to pet sheep and meet a Shepard or take pictures of storks nesting on chimneys, to treks through a pitch-black ice tunnel to reach Wallachia, Daniel made sure that our trip was an adventure full of non-stop laughter.
He knows every delicious place to eat (try the Shepard’s Bag and a Bear meat lunch or Melon & Ice Cream with Potato pancakes on the road) and always drives the most beautiful, picturesque roads. They may be a bit longer, but they are worth it. We learned a lot about the real history of Romania, including personal accounts of Daniel’s childhood in a changing political landscape. He also kept us informed on local flora and fauna. This trip was personal and not the sort one would experience on a 20+ person bus tour. We didn’t just take a wonderful trip, we made a wonderful friend.
Take our word for it, book with Daniel and REALLY see Romania.
Sarah and Stacey
I recently had the pleasure of spending a week with Daniel Gheorgita as guide and driver in some less-travelled parts of Romania.
I wanted to visit the Moldavian city of Iasi, where my grandmother had come from, and I particularly wanted to see the extraordinary “painted” churches and monasteries in the province of Bucovina. I had been to Romania in 2006 (Bucharest and Transylvania) and knew that once off the beaten track, it is much better to have someone with you who knows the terrain and the language – not to mention the history and culture. I found Daniel through the Internet, and from the very first communications, I felt that he would be the right person to travel with. And indeed he was. Highly personable, highly knowledgeable, extremely considerate, an excellent driver and with a highly-developed sense of humor, Daniel quickly became a good friend in the time we spent together (often 12-15 hours each day). He is extremely flexible in planning and in changing situations, and while he performs his job with great skill, the feeling is more like travelling with a good friend who also happens to really know what he’s doing and who is very much there for you at all times.
I would also recommend a private tour, such as we did – yes, it costs more than a group trip, but having the flexibility of being in a normal car and minus a group, you can really get to see and know a country from a much more personal point of view. Romania is fascinating and not yet over-developed for tourism, your dollar (or euro) goes far, and Daniel is really the perfect person to guide you through this unique experience. I can’t recommend him highly enough, and hope you will enjoy your trip as much as I did.
Dear Daniel,
It was a great pleasure to travel with you a week in Romania. Your knowledge, your clear and detailed explanations, your patience and your total service attitude, made our tour to Romania an unforgettable experience.
We were very pleased from the accommodations that you have picked for us, and your recommendations about restaurants proved to be very valuable.
We must praise your driving, before coming we were a bit worried about the experience to sit in a back of a car and having someone else driving us. It felt very safe and comfortable in your car.
Last but not least your good spirit, your friendliness and your good sense of humor made the long time we spent together very pleasant and enjoyable.
We are going to recommend you and Romania to all our friends, and as we have already mentioned, we plan to come again next year to see more of Romania with you.
Eti and Gad
My family and I just recently travelled to Romania and had the pleasure of having Daniel Gheorghita as our tour guide. We travelled into the mountains and we were able to see Romania thru his eyes and with his immense knowledge. He was so friendly he made our trip just wonderful. There was nothing he didn’t know and nothing was too much to ask.
Because we only had 2 days to spend in the mountains, we had a tight schedule to see and do everything we wanted. However, we never felt pressed to leave anywhere and were never rushed by him. If we wanted to spend more time somewhere he allowed us to spend the time at our leisure but we somehow made it to the next location and we were able to see everything and do everything there as well. He maximized the time well and truly was part of our group. He was a joy to spend time with and our only regret was that we couldn’t spend more time with him touring his beautiful country.
We never saw him putting gas in the van and he handled the hotel rooms with ease. In other words, he handled his administrative duties without our knowledge. He has a rare gift in that he kept us moving, we were never bothered with details and he was a true pleasure to spend time with.
Also, he took the most wonderful pictures of our group and gave them to us on a CD. He has a true gift as a photographer. Pictures create memories and make the entire tour more enjoyable. He really is a wonderful asset to any tourist group and an entirely pleasant person.
If we get back to Romania, we would not hesitate to use Daniel as a guide.
Karen Brakel
We had a great guide experience with Daniel Gheorghita. We were on a driving holiday and had plans to visit Romania, but had not worked out any details or reservations. We contacted Daniel six days before arriving in Romania. He responded quickly, proposed an excellent itinerary and gave us a great sense of confidence for our upcoming trip.
Our itinerary was perfect. A mixture of culture, sightseeing, scenic landscapes, history, and interaction with local folks left us with a sense that we received a good picture of Romania – both current-day, as well as its past. The lodging accommodations were a pleasant mixture of family-run pensions and hotels. His dining choices were good and he made sure we were aware of local specialties.
Daniel remained flexible, always asking if we wanted to alter the itinerary in small ways. He was very knowledgeable about the places we visited and was able to give us an overview of Romanian history and culture. Whether we were visiting small towns, cultural places, churches or hiking, he was a great companion. He was always punctual and reliable. Daniel’s English is excellent and he has a witty sense of humor.
We brought our own car and, because of insurance restrictions, had to drive it ourselves. Daniel, not used to being a backseat guide, adapted beautifully. He became not only a guide but a Romanian driving instructor, and that became a memorable part of the trip.
We would highly recommend Daniel as a guide. He is courteous, informative, flexible and altogether professional.
Anita, Vinnie and Bernie
My trip to Romania all started when an old friend of mine called me with the question, “do you want to go to Transylvania for Thanksgiving holiday?” It sounded just crazy enough to be interesting and so I said with a shoulder shrug, “sure, why not!” Well, I have been back home now for several weeks and have not stopped talking about how amazing and beautiful this country is to just about anyone who will listen.
My friend Carol and I realized early on that all the places that we would want to visit in Romania were quite remote or simply just far away from the next place we would want to go. Carol then found Daniel Gheorghita, a recommended, Romanian tour specialist, who was to become driver and guide for our first three days in the country. From the moment Daniel picked us up from the Bucharest airport, he was kind, considerate, fun, and so full of interesting information.
We saw many awesome things in those first three days and already this holiday was going so well! We then had to decide what the next step would be… where to go AND how to get there. On our last day with Daniel, he shared with us his beautiful photos from all over Romania and started to talk about a place called Maramures, referring to it as the, “true Romania.”
“I want to go there!!!” I decided with much certainty, but it would be another place “off the beaten path.” Daniel offered to take us and Maramures was by far the most fantastic part of the trip! The original plan was to spend only a few days in Romania, and then move on to other countries. Romania turned out to be so incredible, thanks to Daniel, that we spent most of our time there and I am so happy that we did! We never would have been able to see so much and to get around so efficiently without Daniels help.
Daniel was a great driver, magnificent guide and just a fun person to be around. Carol and I were in Romania during the off-season, and even though some areas we wanted to visit were deemed “closed,” with Daniel as our guide and translator, we were still able to get in to see these places. Also, there was quite a bit of snow in the mountains which Daniel traversed with much competence. It was nice to be able to just hang out as a passenger and take in the scenery as we drove from place to place. He was very helpful in communicating our special dietary needs when we went to the various and exceptional restaurants that he recommended. He really did an excellent job with balancing our experiences, enabling us to be both tourist as well as a blended part of the local culture. I left our Romanian tour thinking of Daniel as a friend as well as trustworthy guide.
I would definitely recommend to anyone and everyone to visit Romania on your next European adventure, and when you do, contact Daniel who will most certainly refine and better your travels with both his wisdom and presence.
Sandra Becka
Daniel,
Thank you for being our guide to Romania. We had a great time and your knowledge of Romanian culture, history and locations was invaluable. Your willingness to adapt to our needs for sights that could accommodate a wheel chair was appreciated and your car’s trunk was spacious enough to hold the chair. It may have seemed odd that we asked to visit grocery stores and mini-marts but it gave us the opportunity to pick up lunch snacks, unique souvenir gifts and it was insightful into local culture. Your camera equipment and artist’s eye as a photographer will provide us with many high quality memories.
Of all the places we spent the night, the highlight was the pension in Vadu Izei. I’ll never forget the plum brandy or the genuine friendliness and entertainment of our hosts. The Bicaz Gorge and cable car trip at Sinaia were breathtaking natural wonders that we could have spent several days exploring.
I particularly enjoyed stopping to visit local people doing the same type of work that I do.
Again, thank you for a wonderful trip and we would be happy to be a referral if any prospective clients have questions.
Becky and John Minor
