Private Full Day Trip to Peles & Bran (Dracula’s) Castles &Brasov

Rush rush rush - too much in one planning.

The tour guide was capable and did a good job handling issues we had on the bus with different cultures and verbal arguments. The bus driver talked really noisy the ENTIRE ride to and from. The guide, the bus driver and a friend in front were so noisy the entire way. Not sure who does the planning for this tour but it wasn't well planned. Too much packed in one day. First stop: Cantacuzino castle - half of us did not purchase tickets to enter but we had to wait one hour outside of the castle (nothing there). They could have dropped us off in the town nearby and given us 45 min there instead. Way too long a stop consider how much time we had left at other locations. Second stop: Peles Castle. Packed as warned. But not enough time here. After a quick guide we had less than 30 min to get back to the bus. We rushed through the rest of the castle, toilet lines in all locations were packed which caused delay and we didn't have enough time to even see the yard. 30 min extra would have still been rushed but at least allowed us to "rush" and go down to the gardens. Third stop: Basov. Beautiful but little town which is why I wanted to come. We had one hour. We had to run down to the other side of this small town and back, make a quick bathroom stop (no time for eating though we were all starving) just to walk down a tiny street to see the highlights. 1.5 hours would still been rushed but allowed time to not run. Fourth stop: One hour at the dracula castle. For those of us that didn't go inside the castle, we had time to sit and grab a quick bite though places were closing. Lot's of tourist trap booths here. We got home 3 hours later, one hour was due to accident which is not the tour's fault. But 2 hours later was because it was too rushed. And we rushed. I've been to many tours all over the world, these were the worst planned. There was also a lot of traffic but that should be in the planning?

Response from the operator: Thank you for taking the time to share such detailed feedback. We are sorry to hear that the tour you describe did not meet your expectations. However, we have a small mystery to solve: we have serious doubts that this review is actually for a TravelMaker tour... The biggest clue is Cantacuzino Castle. Our small-group Castles Tour does NOT INCLUDE CANTACUZINO CASTLE, and it is certainly not our first stop. Our itinerary normally includes Peleș Castle, Brașov and Bran Castle. There are a few other differences from our usual program. At PELES CASTLE, WE NORMALLY ALLOCATE AROUND 2 HOURS , allowing enough time for the castle visit, gardens, toilets and bazaar. In BRASIV, WE USUALLY HAVE A 30-MINUTE GUIDED WALKING TOUR FOLLOWED BY APPROX. ONE HOUR of FREE TIME, including time for lunch, before continuing to Bran Castle. Regarding the noise on the bus, our drivers are specifically instructed to keep conversations with the guide to a minimum while driving, precisely so that our guests can relax and enjoy the journey. That said, this IS A LONG DAY WITH A LOT TO SEE, and traffic between Bucharest and Transylvania can sometimes make it even longer. We always recommend that guests booking this tour come prepared for a full and busy day—but certainly not for the rushed itinerary described here. If this review was indeed intended for TravelMaker, please contact us with your booking details. We would genuinely like to investigate what happened. Thank you!

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Transylvanian Day Trip

My wife and I had an exceptional day trip to Bran Castle, Peles Castle and the town of Brasov in the Transylvanian mountains. Our guide, Serban Riga, was very knowledgeable and knew how to avoid the traffic jams in Bucharest and the crowds from the other travel companies at the attractions. We hit Peles Castle first and we were able to skip the line due to our guides relationship with the castle staff. He gave us a personal tour of the castle which was exceptional. Later we visited the town of Brasov first where we had a very good lunch at a restaurant that he recommended. Incidentally, we went to Brasov instead of Bran Castle so we could dodge all of the thunderstorms that were traveling through the area. After lunch, he took us to Bran Castle, which again, was well timed because we missed most of the tour buses that had already visited the castle earlier in the day. Along the way, Serban gave us a lot of very interesting history and details of the area. Back in Bucharest, he dropped the other passengers off at a restaurant they wanted to try and brought us back next to our hotel. Had a great day and would highly recommend asking for Serban to be your guide.

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Excellent Day Trip to Brasov!

Great day excursion from Bucharest! Our guide, Serban was knowledgeable and entertaining. He kept us on schedule but also provided the freedom for us to explore each stop on out own. He also provided more context to the Bran Castle over and above the Dracula myth. The driver and tour van were top notch and got us to our destinations efficiently. Thanks Serban!

Response from the operator: Thank you very much for your kind feedback! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the tour and that Serban’s knowledge and guidance added so much to your experience. It’s great to know the van, driver, and itinerary met your expectations. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you again soon!

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I’d come again!

We went to Peleş, Bran and Braşov with Laura as our guide and Peter as our driver. Laura puts the word aur (Romanian for gold) in Laura. She was very sweet and accommodating. If someone had slippery shoes, she’d accommodate. If someone got carsick, she would do as much as she could; which is very admirable. She was also a very honest person. You see, Peleş has very beautiful rooms that are nice to visit, but the owners of the castle could have organised it better. Laura didn’t lie about this saying that Peleş would be 10 out of 10, but she was honest. She was a little stressed, but it’s not her fault how the traffic went that day (when it was a snow storm), and I have very good associations with her. She was punctual and efficient; and very kind. Our driver was named Peter. I didn’t get the chance to talk to him as he was more in the background and behind the scenes, but he drove us as well as he could according to the weather, and I’m sure that he was very nice. It also took him some patience to sit in that bus for as long as he did that day, which is very admirable. I wouldn’t have had the patience to do that. All in all, it was an experience that I could recommend if you like history and want to see Transylvania; you’ll also learn about some old Romanian kings and certain fun mythological creatures.

Response from the operator: Thank you for your kind words! Laura is truly a friendly guide, always ensuring comfort and honesty in every experience. We also appreciate Peter’s patience and safe driving. So glad you enjoyed Transylvania’s history and myths—hope to see you again! 😊🏰🚗

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Best guide in Romania

Serban the guide made our day in the best possible way. He planned the things with his long experience and avoided long waiting times. He was helping us with the correct fuel stations where we can find clean restrooms and guided to nice restaurants. 10 out of 10 for guide and the company. God is Romanian ..

Response from the operator: Thank you so much for your glowing review and for sharing your wonderful experience with Șerban! We're thrilled to hear that he made your day unforgettable with his expertise, thoughtful planning, and attention to detail. We look forward to welcoming you again for another 10/10 experience!

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