After breakfast, we will leave Cluj-Napoca and begin our journey toward Maramures, a region known for its rich traditions and serene landscapes.

Our first stop will be Bánffy Castle, often called the “Transylvanian Versailles,” which is a striking Baroque and Renaissance-period aristocratic residence. Its grand façades, layered history, and ongoing restoration make it a compelling subject for photography.

Along the way, we’ll stop in a small village off the tourist grid, where you’ll meet a young local woman who has the keys and cares for a centuries-old wooden church, a place tied closely to her family’s history, as her grandfather once served there as priest. She’ll prepare a delicious homemade picnic, which we’ll enjoy in the peaceful setting of the churchyard. It’s a quiet, meaningful stop, one that offers the chance to capture the contrast between history and present day, between sacred architecture and rural life. She’ll be wearing traditional clothing, leading to a wonderful photographic opportunity.

We’ll also explore the Roma (Gypsy) communities in Baia Mare, which offer compelling opportunities for intimate portraits and environmental storytelling, where individuals are photographed within the context of their daily lives. Expressive faces, traditional dress, and handcrafted surroundings—wooden homes, tools, animals, and village lanes—create layered, authentic imagery. These encounters emphasize connection and respect, allowing photographers to capture portraits that reflect both personal character and the enduring cultural identity of Roma life.

From there, we’ll continue the drive toward Breb, with opportunities along the way to pause for photos, be it wide landscapes, village scenes, or spontaneous moments with locals. If time permits, we may also visit a UNESCO-listed wooden church in Șurdesti or Plopis, simple, beautiful examples of the region’s wooden heritage.

A day shaped by landscapes, soft encounters, and glimpses of living tradition. At the end of the day, we’ll settle in at a traditional and charming bed and breakfast, rich with history. (B) (L)

The morning takes us to Desești to visit its wooden church, one of eight in the region inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We aim to arrive quietly, spending time alone with the dark, close frescoes before stepping back outside to the churchyard, where the steep-roofed silhouette against the hillside makes for some of the day’s best frames.

From there we continue to Săpânța and the Merry Cemetery for an incredible experience, with its blue-painted crosses and carved, half-comic epitaphs — unlike any cemetery elsewhere in the country (or the world). We slow down here, reading the inscriptions with help from our guide, since the humor and bluntness of the writing is as much the story as the color of the crosses themselves.

Before heading back, we stop at the workshop where the crosses are still hand-carved and painted by descendants of the cemetery’s original artist, watching the process behind the postcard image or the environmental portrait, then settle in for a well-earned dinner back in Breb. (B) 

After breakfast we sadly say goodbye to Breb, loading up for the drive toward Bârsana. There we take in both the older 18th-century wooden church and the much larger, newer monastery complex nearby, its wooden spire rising dramatically above the valley.

From Bârsana we continue to an opinci maker, watching the traditional hand-cut, laced leather moccasin come together — an unhurried craft conversation, hands working, questions in between. Along the way we may have a serendipitous encounter for a sheep herder or farmer.

By late afternoon we arrive in Botiza and check into our hotel, settling in before meeting the weavers who work in natural, plant-derived dyes — walnut husk browns, onion-skin yellows, madder reds — where we photograph the carpets mid-process on the loom as well as finished and folded. We close the day with a lovely dinner, just steps from where we’ll be sleeping for the next stretch of the trip. (B) (D)

This morning we give ourselves fully to Ieud, beginning at Ieud-Deal, up on the hill — the oldest wooden church in Maramureș and part of the UNESCO listing, also known as the site where the oldest surviving text in Romanian was discovered. From there we walk down to Ieud-Șes, the village’s quieter second church.

In between, we wander the village without a fixed agenda — Ieud is larger and more spread out than Breb or Sârbi, and it’s here that some of the trip’s most unplanned encounters tend to happen: someone splitting wood, children walking home past carved wooden gates, the everyday rhythm of the village opening up around us.

As the light softens, we climb the hillside above Ieud-Deal, where a wide view over the rooftops and surrounding ridgeline gives us the day’s closing landscape frame, before heading back to Botiza for another wonderful dinner. (B) 

We set out after breakfast for Rozavlea, to see its wooden church, crowned with one of the tallest spires in the region, built in the early 1700s.

From there we continue to the local market in Bogdan Vodă, our best chance for unstaged, everyday interaction — produce, dairy, wool goods, and the ordinary back-and-forth of people who aren’t there for tourists. We slow all the way down here and let the frames come to us.

Our final stop of the day is Săcel, with a pottery workshop and a traditional mask maker, whose winter solstice and New Year masks are among the strangest and most striking pieces we’ll see on the trip — and we mark the end of our time in Maramureș with one last, wonderful dinner together. (B)

After breakfast, we’ll check out and say farewell to Botiza. We’ll then drive to Cluj-Napoca, taking in the rolling hills and forests of Maramureș one last time, before arriving and boarding our flight to Bucharest. The day closes with the quiet satisfaction of a journey steeped in culture, craft, and connection—memories and images that linger long after the final shutter clicks.

In Bucharest, we’ll check into our hotel, settle in, and head out for a wonderful dinner in the beautiful and sophisticated city of Bucharest. (B)

After breakfast, we’ll set out to explore the beauty and energy of the old city. We’ll enjoy a privately guided walking photo tour by a local artist and photographer through the heart of Bucharest, a perfect introduction to the city known as the Little Paris of the East. Street photography, portraits, architecture, and travel photography await.

This discovery photography tour reveals the fascinating layers of Bucharest’s past and present. We’ll stroll through the historical center, where echoes of the Ottoman era mingle with the elegance of Belle Époque architecture and the grandeur of the former Royal Palace. Learn how the city transformed during the interwar years into a thriving European capital, then delve into the stark contrasts brought by the communist period, symbolized by the colossal Palace of Parliament. As the day unfolds, you’ll experience the energy of today’s Bucharest: vibrant, creative, and full of life. This immersive tour offers more than sights; it offers a true sense of place.

In the evening, we will have a drink at a local bar followed by another wonderful dinner. (B)

We’ll begin with an early morning stroll through the streets of Bucharest, followed by breakfast. After that, we’ll do a photo walk into a different Bucharest. Far from the usual tourist routes, today is about exploring the city’s lesser-known neighborhoods and places where daily life unfolds quietly and authentically. life. As you’ll wander through the culturally rich mahallas (a traditional neighborhood), you will have the chance to observe and photograph the subtle rhythms of local life. At times, we’ll travel by the metro so you’ll get a better sense of the way Romanian’s commute.

We’ll continue on to one of Bucharest’s largest and most vibrant markets, where colors, faces, and voices mix in a dynamic scene that invites both curiosity and creativity. Along the way, you’ll sample a few local bites; simple, traditional foods that speak to the city’s roots, and maybe even pause for a shot of țuică, Romania’s strong homemade brandy, shared in good spirits. It will be a day of slow discovery, ideal for those looking to connect with Bucharest not just through sights, but through its people, its textures, and its quiet authenticity.

In the evening, we’ll enjoy a wonderful “Farewell Dinner” at the iconic Caru’ cu Bere restaurant. Set in a beautifully restored building rich in Neo-Gothic charm, it’s the perfect spot to soak in the interwar ambiance that once defined Bucharest. A favorite among travelers and locals for over a century, the atmosphere is lively, the architecture impressive, and while the cuisine may not be Michelin-starred, the traditional Romanian dishes (including vegetarian options) offer a flavorful and memorable end to your day. (B) (D)

After a lovely breakfast and photo review, we will check out of our hotel and bid each other farewell. Airport transfers will be arranged for you. (B)