Carpathian Walking & Bears

• Accommodation: 7 Classic nights (Villa Hermani)
• Five days of walking
• Group normally 4 to 16, plus leader. Minimum age: 16
• Altitude maximum: 5,941ft (1,811m); average: 4,265ft (1,300m)
• Option to travel by train to your adventure

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.

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.

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.