Get ready to discover and explore the smallest national park in Romania, Buila Vanturarita, with a guided hiking tour from Outdoor Activities in Romania! Part of Oltenia from under the mountain, Buila is the perfect place for adventure! If you want to wander through forests with tales to tell, walk on narrow paths above the gorge, see the beautiful monasteries hidden in quiet places… this is the thing!
Where: Buila Vanturarita National Park
Highlights: Buila refuge, gorges, hidden monasteries, adventure, meadows, scrambling, aerial view points
Available: May – November
Type of activity: hiking, visits at cultural objectives
The hikes are rated as: difficult
Recommended for: small groups up to 4 people with a very good physical condition, adventure seekers
Customizable: yes
Detailed program for guided hiking tour Buila Vanturarita National Park
Day 1: Early departure from Bucharest and heading to Ramnicu Valcea and then Pietreni village. The first stop is Costesti. Here we will see the famous rocks that seem to grow from nowhere, called trovanti. After that we’ll drive and then stop in the picturesque village of Pietreni. Situated at the foot of the mountains, the village is known for the beautiful St. Nicholas Monastery and the beautiful natural landscape. From Pietreni we’ll follow the route that will finally lead us to Cheia hut, deep in the heart of the forest.
The first stop is the beautiful and quiet Scarisoara meadow. From the meadow we will enter the forest again and march our way to another viewpoint from where the high peaks of Buila begin to unveil. After a strenuous climb we will be rewarded with beautiful meadows full of flowers and limestone rocks, scattered everywhere. Take your time and enjoy the views because there is plenty to see. Highlights include Parang Mountains , far in the back, and the Parson’s chimneys. Speaking of the chimneys, soon we will descend through them! Straight down, no doubt about it.
Further on, at the foot of the chimneys, we will see the Buila refuge, situated in a large meadow. From there you have a glimpse of the wild and untamed Buila ridge. Check out this drone video from October!
The landscape will change soon, as we go down through the forest, through 3 awesome meadows. The scenery looks like a place lost in time. As we move on, we get to see the limestone ridge, that looks very imposing.
We are close to the hut now. The final section of the route will take us down, through the thick forest, all the way to Cheia hut.
Accommodation at Cheia hut.
Day 2: The menu for today…is long! The first highlight is Cheii Gorge. The adventure (and they don’t call it adventure for nothing) will take us on suspended and narrow trails, above the gorge. The trail will offer amazing viewpoints that will take your breath away! After a hike through the forest we’ll get to the next point, Pahomie Monastery. The unique construction of the church is an attraction for many tourists.
Moving on, we get to the next beautiful monastery, called Patrunsa. Situated in a beautiful meadow, at the foot of the mountain, the place is very quiet and perfect for day dreaming.
The day is not over yet. From Patrunsa we still have a long way to go and things to see, before we get back to Pietreni village. The route will take us through the forest, up and down, and soon we will reach Scarisoara meadow. From Scarisoara we will slowly descend back to Pietreni village.
End of program.
,,I met up with Dan for another of his day tours. It had unexpected snowed (a lot!) just before I met up with Dan meaning our original plan needed to be reworked. Fortunately Dan knows the Romanian countryside and can anticipate the on-the-day trip conditions really well, and so he was able to take me to another area where the snow was manageable, and with some poles and gaiters he had lent me, we were able to walk and safely enjoy the conditions. Dan and I had walked together before in 2015 and he understood my (good) fitness and ensured our hike was appropriate to my expectations. (Don’t worry if hiking is not your thing, Dan knows his way around flatter and the cultural parts of Romania.) We had a great day. Everything was well organized including transport there and back, as well as some snacks for our time together and a stop over at a good quality (and being Romania) inevitably good value restaurant on the way back. Dan also helped me arrange my post-trip taxi and was a great host and a great representative for his country. I recommend his trips and will be back.” Tim, from the UK, about this tour
IMPORTANT: The program can be altered on the spot, depending on weather conditions and other relevant aspects such as the physical condition of the participants.
Price upon request.
