Private Tour
Bear Sanctuary and Dracula's Castle, 1-day Private Tour
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Step into the heartwarming world of Bear Sanctuary, a haven for rescued bears nestled in the Carpathian Mountains. Witness the transformation of once-captive bears as they roam free in vast natural enclosures. Experience compassion in action, where every visit supports their rehabilitation. Join us in creating a better future for these magnificent creatures.
Discover the mystique of Bran Castle, perched atop the Carpathian Mountains. Renowned as "Dracula's Castle," it combines medieval history with Gothic charm. Wander through secret passages, explore eerie chambers, and absorb the breathtaking views. Unveil the truth behind the legend in this iconic fortress, where history and myth converge.
Please note: between 31st Oct - 1st Apr, Bran Castle is closed on Mondays
Additional Info
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Please note that the Bear Sanctuary visit takes approx. 1h, involving hill climbing on dirt road.
Comfortable shoes (trekking sneakers or boots) and mountain clothes are recommended.
Visiting Bran Castle requires a slope climbing and several floor.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Libearty Bear Sanctuary Zarnesti
The day will start early as we want to enjoy the best tour of the Sanctuary and see bears having their breakfast. The visit will take approx. 1 hour and you can take as many pictures as you want with your mobile phone. During the tour, you will hear the happy ending story of many bears who were rescued from unimaginable conditions they had to endure for years.
Bran Castle
Second on our list is the famous Dracula's Castle. It was built in the 13th century by the Teutonic Knights and then strengthened by the Saxons in the following century. The fortress was overseeing the border between Wallachia and Transylvania during the entire medieval period. After the Great Union, in 1918, the fortress was offered as a gift to Queen Mary and remained in the property of the Romanian Royal Family ever since.
What‘s Included
Certified local English-speaking guide
Comfortable SUV/car or minivan transportation
Hotel pick-up and drop-off
Meals
Other personal expenses/gifts/souvenirs
Libearty Bear Sanctuary Zarnesti
Pickup points
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Bear Sanctuary and Dracula's Castle, 1-day Private Tour
Pickup included
Reviews
19 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Amazing day out
Charlotte P,Jan 16, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.0010/10 for this tour with Daniel! He was amazing and was able to answer all of our questions and tailor the day to suit us. Would absolutely recommend a trip with Daniel!
What a fantastic tour by Catalin
gjtravels26,Sep 21, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Collected by Catalin outside our Hotel at the time arranged and greeted us with a smile and a hand shake. On the trip to The Bear Sanctuary , Catalin offered us water and told us about Bucharest and the areas that we were travelling through. He welcomed our questions and his knowledge made our experience both entertaining, stimulating and educational. At The Bear Sanctuary he helped us obtain entry tickets and what to expect on entry to the sanctuary, whilst he waited for us to return. Driving through the Carpathian Mountains he gave us more details of the area, finally arriving at Dracula's Castle. Again he helped us purchase our tickets to the castle and gave us a guided tour, that was full of historical facts, of the Castle and its history around it. One of us was a bit disappointed as was excepting more to do with the story of Dracula but this was blown out of the water by the full fact information given by Catalin to us that showed the true story of the Castle and how Bran Stoker took parts of history etc to make the characters in the his book. After the tour of the Castle we had some traditional Romanian food such as Romanian meat ball, chicken skewer and some Polenta - without his help we would maybe of not have tried them. He drove us back to the hotel, still giving us helpful information and answering our questions as he did from the start of the trip at 7 am, despite it being a long day, with lots of driving by him, finally arriving at our Hotel just after 6.30 pm. Prior to this day, Catlin messaged us to confirm pick up time as well as potential weather forecast which allowed to be prepare for this. We would definitely recommend this private tour and to do both visits as one trip due to the distant from Bucharest Old Town. If your lucky your guide will be Catalin and hopefully have the experience that we had.❤👍
Excellent service and beautiful places to visit
Amigaali2,May 30, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Excellent service They picked us up at the hotel and Alex, our guide, was very friendly and very informative. They made the tour to our liking. We had an incredible time and saw two very impressive castles. Peles Castle is very beautiful on the outside and inside it is maintained exactly the same as in its time. It is a palace that is well worth visiting. The other is Bran Castle, which is the one from the legend of Dracula. We also liked it a lot but it is more rudimentary. The bear sanctuary is a highlight of Romania. They explained to us how they have rescued the bears that live there. It is super cute, you can see the bears very close and they allow themselves to be photographed and recorded.
Fantastic trip to Transylvania
Ana G,Apr 11, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00We totally recommend this day trip to Transylvania with Daniel, he is very knowledgeable about Romanian history and made the visit to this interesting sites a unique experience .
Superb tour to Transylvania
RuthRebekah J,Feb 15, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00The visit to Libearty bear sanctuary was the highlight of the tour for us. Learning about their stories and seeing the amazing work at the sanctuary was incredible. There’s even lots of dogs, cats and wolves to see too! Florin was punctual, provided lots of excellent information on the history of Romania and even took us to see Peles castle too on the way back. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone considering it.
Great trip
Kay M,Dec 11, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00Great day. Daniel communicated with us before the trip about times, pick up locations etc and was very informed about areas, history, facts. The car was comfortable, with water and breaks where we needed.
Recommended day trip from Bucharest
Patricia S,Dec 1, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00We went to the bear sanctuary (would definitely recommend to visit this place!), the bran castle and brasov in a day trip from Bucharest. Daniel was very kind and polite and told us a lot about Romania. He even waited in the morning when we wanted to have a little breakfast in the hotel first. It is a great place to visit and I wouldn’t miss this trip. Would definitely do it again.
Amazing Tour - Bears a real highlight!
Darcey P,Oct 24, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00Alex was a great tour guide - helpful and chatty when we wanted - quiet when not! We had a LONG time together in the car as traffic was pretty bad on the way back, but his driving was excellent (as we know Romania is a bit crazy at times!!) and we felt very safe. Comfort breaks were built in to the drive, which was very welcome. Water provided. Alex's English was very good and we discussed many things on our long drive! He also gave us some great recommends for our remaining time in Bucharest with restaurants, museums, things to do in a message after our tour - such a lovely afterthought! The Bear Sanctuary was the absolute highlight, what a special place - we loved it so much. Not very well known but they deserve all the publicity they can get - really an amazing experience. Bran Castle is veeeeery touristy but an impressive sight for sure - we went on a Saturday so that's on us! Brasov was beautiful - thank you to Alex for the excellent lunch recommendation. Overall - a great experience and whilst it seems a bit pricey - the time / hours travelling make it very reasonable for what you actually get! Seeing so much of the beautiful landscapes was an added bonus. The trees in Autumn are so beautiful - thank you Alex for a lovely day!
Daniel was fantastic and...
Charlotte B,Aug 5, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00Daniel was fantastic and very informative. The day trip was everything that we hoped. The bears especially was an incredible and heartwarming experience.
Highly recommend this tour!
Denise C,May 30, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00This was a great tour and way to experience a small sampling of what Romania has to offer. Daniel was an excellent guide and incredibly knowledgeable about all the places we went and things we saw. He even added in a quick stop by a castle we wanted to take pictures of. Highly recommend this tour and Daniel as your guide.
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