Mogoşoaia Palace

Enjoy a wonderful half-day tour from Bucharest and visit 2 of Romania's most fascinating sights. Begin the tour directly at your hotel, where will you be picked up by your guide and driver. Enjoy a short drive to the first stop on the tour, the stunning Mogosoaia Palace. Built between at the end of the 17th century in what is known as the Romanian Renaissance style or, alternately, the Brâncovenesc style, the palace comprises a unique combination of Venetian and Ottoman architectural and decorative elements. Explore the beautiful palace and its surroundings, including the Gheorghe Bibescu Chapel, St. George’s Church, and the Mogosoaia greenhouses. Continue the tour with a short drive to the spectacular Snagov Monastery an important medieval monument located on an island on the Northern part of Lake Snagov. Discover the stunning interior of the monastery and find the alleged final resting place of Vlad Tepes, infamously known in the international literature as Dracula. 

Your first stop on this tour, the Snagov Monastery, is located on an island in the Northern part of Snagov Lake. The monastery was built by Mircea the Elder (the grandfather of the famous Dracula) who also made the first documentary attestation of this church in 1408. During its history, the monastery was rebuilt by Vlad the Impaler and some other rulers of Wallachia. Snagov Monastery is one of the most popular tourist destinations - especially for foreign tourists coming to Bucharest - as they can see the place where the cruel voievod, known as Dracula, is  supposedly buried. The Caldarusani Monastery is located also on the shore of a lake surrounded by a beautiful forest. It was built in the XVIIth century by Matei Basarab and it represents one of the largest and oldest Orthodox Monasteries in Wallachia historical region. The church shelters an impressive collection of religious artifacts and books. The icons are very beautiful, six of them being painted by the most important Romanian painter, Nicolae Grigorescu. Next you will, travel to Mogosoaia and admire the beautiful scenery of the forest and the countryside on the way. After about 45 minutes of driving from Caldarusani Monastery, you will reach Mogosoaia Palace, a monumental building with a unique architecture called Brancovenesc style, which is a Romanian Renaissance architectural style consisting of a mixture of Venetian and Ottoman elements. The Palace was built by the ruler Constantin Brancoveanu in 1702 for his elder son. After more than 200 years, renovations began in 1912 by Martha Bibescu and it became a meeting place for the members of high level society. At the end of the Second World War, after 1945, the palace was nationalized by the Communist Party. Now, the palace hosts the Museum of Brancoveanu Art and is an important tourist attraction. After the visit to Mogosoaia Palace you will head to back to Bucharest to be dropped off at your hotel.

Escape from the busy, crowded streets of Bucharest for a half day and get to know the much calmer countryside that surrounds the city. Unknown even to some people born and raised in Bucharest, discover 2 hidden gems just a few miles outside of city limits: Mogosoaia Palace and Snagov Monastery. After pickup in Bucharest, you’ll leave the city and head straight to the Palace of Mogosoaia. This place used to be a retreat for the rulers of the Romanians, and was designed in a Brancovenesc style. This quiet and majestic place will give you the feeling of going back in time. Next, take a short drive to the Snagov Monastery, which is believed to be the resting place of the body of Vlad the Impaler, better known as Dracula. The monastery itself is on an island in the middle of the Snagov Lake, offering stunning views over the surrounding area.   With skip-the-line tickets for these attractions, this tour is the best way to get to know these off-the-beaten-path attractions in Romania.

At 08:00, you will start your journey towards the exciting surroundings of Bucharest city. Start your journey with the fascinating Mogoșoaia Palace, placed outside the city in a beautiful location. The palace is the best example of Brâncoveanu architecture, a style widely spread around the Wallachia region. The palace was built by the ruler Constantin Brancoveanu in 1702. After the execution of Constantin Brancoveanu in Constantinople in 1714, the palace continues to be owned by the family with renovations starting in 1912. In the present, the palace hosts the Museum of Brancoveanu Art and is an important tourist attraction. Then, move on towards one of the most famous sights in Romania and the place where Dracula is supposed to be buried - Sangov Monastery. The monastery is located on an island in the northern part of Snagov Lake. The monastery was built by Mircea the Elder (the grandfather of the famous Dracula), who also made  the first documentary attestation of this church in 1408. During its history, the monastery was rebuilt by Vlad the Impaler and some other rulers of Wallachia. It has been one of the strongest fortified churches and maybe the richest in Wallachia for a long time during the medieval period. After enjoying this great tour, it will be time to head back towards the capital city. The tour ends with a drop-off at your hotel in Bucharest.

Enjoy the beautiful landscape around Bucharest as you drive out of the center and leave the city behind. Visit Mogosoia Palace, built in 1702 by Constantin Brancoveanu, the prince of Wallachia. Nowadays, it hosts the Museum of the Aulic Tradition with its collection of medieval and contemporary art, the British Park, St. George’s Church, the former palace kitchen and the former d’Elchingen Villa. Afterwards, continue you trip with a visit to the Snagov monastery, a place made famous by the legend of Dracula. This monastery dates back to 1408 and it is believed that Vlad Ţepeş, also known as Vlad the Impaler and a brutal ruler of Wallachia in the 15th century, is buried here. Curious about the man who inspired Bram Stocker to write his famous novel, Dracula? Come see the reality behind the lore. Afterwards, relax in the biggest covered thermal park in Europe, the Therme București. It is not only a thermal water park, but also hosts the biggest botanical garden in Romania. Enjoy some quality time here and let your soul unwind in one of the 9 pools, 6 saunas, 4 wet saunas, or 16 water slides, before being brought back to your hotel in the evening.

Discover Bucharest, a charming city full of contrasts. Admire impressive 17th-century churches, well-preserved traditional houses, and imposing French style palaces alongside communist era buildings and glass office towers. Get picked up at your accommodation in central Bucharest, then head to the Parliament Palace. There, take a tour inside the second-largest building in the world and the seat of the Romanian Parliament in the post-communist years. Next, move on to the Village Museum (Muzeul National al Satului "Dimitrie Gusti"), an open-air museum situated on the shore of the scenic Herastrau Lake. Explore a micro-universe of the traditional Romanian village with houses representing all regions of Romania. From there, head to Bucharest Old Town for a walking tour, the former quarter where the merchants and craftsmen lived and worked that is now the entertainment center of Bucharest. Wander along the quaint, narrow cobblestone streets filled with restaurants, cafes, and pubs. Then, it's time for some panoramic sightseeing. Pass by Victory Avenue, one of the oldest streets in Bucharest that features majestic palaces, art museums, former residences of the aristocracy, and old churches. Then, see Revolution Square, the place where Nicolae Ceausescu held his last speech and where the protests that ultimately led to the fall of communism took place in December 1989. After, move on to discover Mogosoaia Palace, the former residence of Wallachian princes in the 18th century that combines Byzantine-Ottoman elements with Baroque and western Renaissance architectural styles. Finally, visit Snagov Monastery, the final resting place of another Wallachian prince, Vlad the Impaler, also known as Dracula. Admire this monument of medieval art before returning to your accommodation.

Make your escape for a half day from the busy streets of Bucharest. Unknown even to some people born and raised here there are some hidden gems just a few miles outside city limits. Leaving Bucharest you travel to the Palace of Mogosoaia. A retreat made for the rulers of the Romanians, in a pure Romanian style called Brancovenesc. It is a quiet and majestic place where you will feel like going back in time.  Next you take a short drive to the Snagov Monastery which is believed to be the resting place of the body of Vlad the Impaler, better known as Dracula. The monastery itself is on an island in the middle of the Snagov Lake offering great views over the surrounding area.

Start your day in the morning and discover together with your professional guide the wonders of Bucharest, also called The Little Paris of the East. This panoramic city tour includes stops and history lessons at three very important sites: Revolution Square, Constitution Square and equally impressive Military Academy. Discover the history of the Romanians from the time of the Roman Empire, Middle Ages and Vlad the Impaler and walk your way through Monarchy and the dark Communist times of recent history. Drive by sites like: Romanian Arch of Triumph, House of Free Press, Kiseleff Avenue with beautiful French style villas, Embassy Row, Romanian Peasant's Museum, Victory Square, Officer's Club, Cismigiu Garden, Medical School, Opera Square, Fountains Avenue and Military Academy. Next you see the open air Village Museum which will provide you with a unique experience and will give you a glimpse in the life of the Romanian peasants from more than 100 years ago. This museum is particularly impressive because all the houses were taken from their original locations and rebuilt here in Bucharest almost one century ago. In the afternoon you leave crowded Bucharest behind and visit Mogosoaia Palace. Imagine that one of the wealthiest families in Romania managed to spend almost all their fortune in order to restore this wonderful place. Take a trip back in time to a more elendant era and find all the secrets of this place together with your guide. From here you are driving north from the city in order to see a place surrounded in myth and history. The Snagov Monastery is the supposed burial place of a famous Romanian ruler: Vlad the Impaler, also known as Dracula. The monastery is on a small island in the middle of a beautiful lake.