Villa Hermani, a private guesthouse in Magura

We spend seven nights in Villa Hermani, a private guesthouse in the remote village of Magura. It’s ideally situated for our adventure, sitting at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains and within Piatra Craiului National Park.

The property has twin and single rooms in a range of sizes and styles, almost all of which have private facilities (there are two rooms that share one bathroom). There is free wifi at the guesthouse.

Our friendly hosts, German couple Hermann and Katharina Kurmes, possess a wealth of knowledge on Transylvania, wildlife conservation and serve delicious homemade food.

All breakfasts, five packed lunches and six dinners are included.

Meals are a mixture of fresh local produce and Romanian/Transylvanian specialities.

Transylvanian cuisine is influenced by several traditions and cultures (German, Hungarian and Romanian cuisine) but maintains a distinct character with a love for homemade cooking. Soups are a staple, main meals tend to be hearty with a strong focus on local produce, while desserts are varied and plentiful.

Breakfasts are usually a small buffet including an egg dish, cold cuts, cheeses, boiled eggs, vegetables, spreads, bread, yoghurt, cereals, jam, juice, herbal teas and coffee.

Lunches included on this trip will usually be self-made sandwiches; you can choose your own fillings from the morning buffets.

Each evening there is a choice between a meat or vegetarian dish. Dinner on the first evening is typically a light snack (cold platters with local food and bread) due to the late arrival of the group.

On one evening, we enjoy dinner in a typical Romanian restaurant in Brasov. This meal is not included, allow approximately 120 Romanian lei (US$25) – without drinks – for this.

Vegetarian and special diets can be catered for, but options can be limited throughout Romania – please inform the office of any specific requirements upon booking.

— Daypack (25 to 30 litres capacity should be sufficient)
— Strong walking boots with good ankle support and sturdy soles
— Large refillable water bottle
— Waterproof jacket
— Warm jacket/jumper
— Some lighter clothing for the summer months (T-shirts, shorts etc)
— Torch (flashlight)
— Sunglasses, sun hat and sunscreen
— Walking poles
— Lunchbox for packed lunches
— Ear Plugs

— Explore the wilds of central Romania, home to brown bears, Saxon villages and the Carpathian Mountains
— Visit the largest brown bear sanctuary in Europe and opt to join a bear-watching evening with a forester
— Hike through the spectacular landscape: meadows, forests and mountain trails
— Visit Vlad the Impaler’s Bran Castle, the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula
— Enjoy an authentic Carpathian welcome at Villa Hermani in the remote village of Magura

Key details
Guesthouse: Villa Hermani, Sat Magura 130, Magura 507133
Phone: +40 740 022 384
Recommended arrival time: You can arrive at any time today. There will be a welcome briefing in the evening, but if you miss it the leader will update you separately
Airport: Bucharest (OTP)

Getting to the guesthouse
Villa Hermani is approximately a 3hr 30min drive from the airport. Your options for this journey are:

Take an Exodus transfer
Exodus provides one group arrival transfer from the airport, which is timed to coincide with the arrival of a chosen flight from London, UK. You may join this transfer at no extra cost, provided you can be at the airport before the transfer leaves. Speak to your sales representative for the group arrival transfer times or to arrange a private transfer.

Make your own way
It’s not possible to reach Villa Hermani by public transport. We therefore highly recommend joining the group transfer where possible. If not, a cab from the airport costs around €200. On arrival, please make the staff aware that you are part of an Exodus group and they will have more details on meeting with your leader and group

If you would like further information on joining this trip, please speak to your sales representative.
Catching your return flight
There’s a group departure transfer to Bucharest Airport (OTP) for customers who Exodus booked onto a chosen flight to London, UK. Please speak to your sales representative if you wish to join. If the group departure transfer does not suit your flight time, speak to your sales representative to arrange an alternative transfer.

— Travel insurance
— Single accommodation (available on request)
— Visas or vaccinations

— Daypack (25 to 30 litres capacity should be sufficient)
— Strong walking boots with good ankle support and sturdy soles
— Large refillable water bottle
— Waterproof jacket
— Warm jacket/jumper
— Some lighter clothing for the summer months (T-shirts, shorts etc)
— Torch (flashlight)
— Sunglasses, sun hat and sunscreen
— Walking poles
— Lunchbox for packed lunches
— Ear Plugs

— Accommodation: 7 Classic nights (Villa Hermani)
— Travel by minibus
— Group normally 4 to 16, plus leader. Minimum age: 16

Drinks are not included but the guesthouse has a bar from which you can purchase drinks. Payment can be made at the end of the week by cash or card, however cash is preferred. Villa Hermani accepts euros, British pounds or Romanian lei.

Snacks are not included and you may wish to buy souvenirs. Allow approximately 120 lei (US$25) for dinner and 50 lei (US$10) for lunches on days when these are not included (see itinerary). Please note that prices regularly change in Romania.

Optional excursions

— Brown bear hide visit: The bear hide visit is approximately 250 lei (€50) per person and subject to availability. This is organised and paid for locally in cash or card at Villa Hermani.

Please be familiar with your camera settings. You will need to turn off the flash and illuminator. Please also mute any camera noises. We do not want to disturb the bears when we are in the hide.

The cost of the bear sanctuary is included in your tour package. Please note, there is a charge of 50 lei (US$11) to use your camera. You can take pictures using your phone for no extra charge.

— Brasov mountain cable car ride: Take a cable car to the viewpoint in Brasov for approximately 35 lei (€7) per person. The cable car is not bookable in advance, and can be paid for locally in cash at the entrance, subject to availability.

Tipping is entirely at your discretion, but is customary in Romania. Our leader will offer guidelines on appropriate tipping. In restaurants, it is usual to tip 10 percent of the bill.

Although optional, a tip for the leader at the end of the trip is greatly appreciated. As a guideline, we recommend a contribution of 25 lei (€5) per person, per day. It is also customary to leave a tip for the driver and Villa Hermani staff. This can be handed to your leader at the end of the week. For local staff, we recommend approximately €10-€15 per person.

Transfers between Bucharest Airport and the guesthouse will normally be by Mercedes Sprinter bus. Local transport will be by minibuses. During the week, we sometimes use local low-impact transport, such as horse-drawn cart.

The trip is rated Activity Level 3 (Moderate) and has a Wildlife Rating of Three. For more information on our trip gradings please visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to contact us.

Walking times will vary from half to full days. There are numerous uphill sections on paths and tracks with walking distances up to 12mi (20km). Optional longer walks are sometimes available. The trip goes up to altitudes of almost 6,560ft (2,000m), so good fitness levels are required. The exact trails, lengths and difficulties may be adapted according to the weather, trail conditions and group fitness.

Seeing brown bears

The chance of seeing brown bears from the hide is good; our groups have also seen wolves, beavers and other wildlife here too. Our leaders are knowledgeable about the local wildlife but, as with all wildlife viewing, we cannot guarantee which animals you will see.

Baiting is a common practice in attracting wildlife around the world, which has led to discussions on the ethics of feeding wild animals. In some circumstances, we are strongly against baiting. However, in this area, the bears are wild animals that forage freely in their natural habitat, and are not reliant on the small quantities of maize left at the hide. Because of this, we believe the practice can have conservation benefits, including increased understanding and protection of the species in this area.

We ensure our clients do not have direct contact with the bears and only watch from the hide. We also make sure our clients are not just seeing the brown bears but learning about them. This helps to raise awareness of the issues and importance of conserving the wildlife. Growing support locally to protect the wildlife is important in Exodus taking this stance.

The itinerary may be followed in a different order due to various reasons such as weather and local conditions, but we will still do all these activities even if on different days.

Romania has warm summers and snowy winters. Rainfall is usually quite low except in the mountains; spring and summer are the wetter seasons. The weather changes abruptly from winter to summer and spring is generally short. The Carpathian Mountains can be blanketed in snow until mid to late May at higher altitudes. Summer days are often long and warm with 10 to 11 hours of sunshine, while nights can range from pleasantly warm in the lower valleys to cold at higher elevations. September temperatures tend to be lower than those in July and August but changeable weather with cloud, rain and chilly daytime temperatures can occur at any time of the year. Expect temperatures in the village to be lower than Bucharest.