46 707 443 105

info@transylvania.se

Experience Transylvania

& other exciting destinations...

JOIN OUR KNOWLEDGEABLE GUIDES ON TOURS to Transylvania and other exciting areas in Europe...

Our story

Experience Transylvania's story began in 2011, with a fairytale wedding in Transylvania, Romania. We are a family business headquartered in Sweden, with a branch in Romania, and partners and customers worldwide.

In the beginning, we focused on organizing trips to Romania, mainly for Swedish travelers with an appetite for meaningful cultural experiences. We soon discovered that travelers from other countries also wanted to join our exciting group tours. During our trips, new borderless friendships were forged, and memories for life were created.

Over the years, we have developed more destinations within Europe, at the request of our customers, who, after a first trip with us, wanted to come back and join us on new adventures. Our tour producers' previous experience as guides and cruise leaders laid the foundation for new, fantastic trips to wonderful places beyond Transylvania. Nowadays, we also organize trips to Austria, Slovakia, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Germany, Scotland, Ireland, and these are just some of our new exciting destinations.

Our team consists of experienced, knowledgeable and dedicated tour guides. We strive to plan trips that we would want to join ourselves as guests. We always choose hotels, activities and restaurants that we ourselves would like to experience.

We love experiencing local culture in its auhentic form, meeting the locals, hearing about their everyday life, beyond history books and media stereotypes.

Join us on an unforgettable journey!

Our travel philosophy

Travel with care

We believe in authentic experiences that protect nature, empower local people, and preserve cultural heritage and real history. Read more about our commitment to sustainable travel!

Meet the locals

To truly understand the essence of a nation, means meeting the people, talking to them. During our travels, we don't just want to be spectators of staged folklore shows or craft demonstrations. We help our travelers have a genuine encounter with the locals.

Nice & safe

We are out for adventure, but we want the hotels we stay in to be clean, safe and cozy. Additionally, we choose hotels with local charm and rich history whenever possible. Our itineraries are built in a smooth way, so you get to experience a lot, without feeling rushed.

Plant trees

We plant trees in the Attenborough Forest. We encourage our guests to carbon offset their travels by donating to our partner The Perfect World Foundation, to support their important work. We continue to do our small part to save the planet's biodiversity.

Local support

Supporting local communities is a natural prerequisite for them to maintain their authenticity. By donating directly to locally active organizations, like Meschendorfs Kinder, we participate in helping children in Romanian villages towards a better future.

every trip becomes a FANTASTIC MEMORY FOR LIFE...

"We celebrated my father's birthday by traveling to Transylvania and Bucharest. We had a fun and relaxed trip: we ate good food, drank a lot of good wine especially in Brasov and had a fantastic time everywhere we went, from Sibiu to Bucharest. The trip was so well and flexibly organized, we managed to see all the sights we were interested in without feeling the least bit stressed. Now we are looking forward to a golf trip to Transylvania."

Patrik Stoicescu, 2012

Meager
"Such a personal and generous treatment that we have received from you is unique. I would like to recommend Experience Transylvania as a contact for Romania to my friends and acquaintances. The stay in Romania itself was very positive: it is easy to travel, it is beautiful, the people we have met have been interested and friendly, the hotels have been very nice, especially in Sinaia and Sibiu. Thank you for letting us contact you as much as we wanted, beekeeping is fun!"

Annika and Anne-Marie Berglund, 2013

Meager
“After visiting more than 70 countries, most of them on my own, I wanted to experience something new and different. I was attracted by the nature experiences and the opportunity to visit Dracula's castle. The trip to Transylvania is one of the best tours I have been on in my entire life. A very well-organized trip, where everything worked perfectly. Gloria brought a fantastic energy and was a wonderful guide with her solid knowledge and big smile.”

Auli Kuivalainen, 2013

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"You might wonder why we chose Transylvania as a conference location. We at Novare have always been trendsetters, not only in the industry but also in how and where we hold conferences. We thought Transylvania offered a different environment to discuss how we can develop our corporate culture and strategy. The people who run Experience Transylvania are enthusiastic, committed and have a great sense of service, which was confirmed throughout the conference Romania, which offers many surprises."

Fredrik Hillelson, 2014

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“With our nice hotel as a base, we explored the best of Transylvania from our comfortable minibus. The guide Nora was an important part of our positive experience! Through her kindness and warmth, we got an insight into everyday life in Transylvania. One of the highlights for the whole group was being invited to dinner at Nora's family's home! I highly recommend Transylvania as a destination and Nora as a guide!”

Sharen Jarder, 2016

Meager
"The days in Bran and especially the wedding day were absolutely perfect! We and our guests were super happy with the whole arrangement. Many of our guests bragged to Nora that she had given such a good and interesting guided tour of the castle. She was there all day and evening to take care of the little one too, Gloria kept in close contact to make sure everything went as planned. You can't find more dedicated people in their way... It was truly a day to remember for both ourselves and our guests."

Nina Salonen, 2017

Meager
"Who would have thought that smoked or pine bark-aged cheese could taste so good? After a short trip to the market below Bran Castle, to buy cheese of course, we set off for a bear safari. In the neighboring village we met the guide and the other tourists who would be coming, all with binoculars and the largest camera lenses in full swing. The nervousness of going out into the wild where there are proven bears was mixed with an attempt to dampen hopes. There was no guarantee that the bears would show up. But those fears turned out to be completely unfounded. There were 9 bears in total! A fascinating sight to sit safely up in the lookout cabin and observe the wild bears. An unforgettable weekend, full of experiences and new experiences and such nice people. Already looking forward to the next visit."

Caroline Beijersten, 2017

Meager
"Charming, beautiful small towns/villages with both old and new buildings. Visited a sheep farmer's family and a priest's family and were very well looked after. There were interesting encounters! Surprised by very beautiful nature. Forests, parks and agricultural landscapes. Many beautiful old churches, monasteries and castles. Nice restaurants with usually very good food. A fun and interesting trip with our nice guide Gloria Andersson and her sister Nora. I recommend this trip."

Ewa Malmlund, 2018

Meager
"We would like to thank you for an educational and enjoyable trip with the DN card last week. We are very experienced travelers and have done many group trips. This one outshines most. It gave us exciting insights into Transylvanian society, both in terms of present and history, as well as city and countryside. Our group also became well-knit. We have never before experienced everyone in the group embracing each other at Arlanda, as an expression of a successful trip and fond memories. Many thanks!"

Gunilla and Åke Dahlberg, 2018

Meager
"There were very satisfied participants who got off the bus in Bålsta. We would like to extend a big thank you for a rich and very well-planned trip to Gloria Vintila Andersson at Experience Transylvania. In my opinion, Gloria is perhaps the best tour guide I have ever met, with her enormous historical knowledge and outstanding storytelling skills. Good standard at the hotel and included meals guided the bus through cities and countryside in a smooth and pleasant way. Read the full travel story here."

Lennart Olofsson, 2019

Meager
"We knew we were in for a wonderful hike in Transylvania, but this exceeded our expectations. The scenery was beautiful and varied, rolling hills, walks along the river with impressive caves, mysterious large beech forests and the Carpathian Mountains. It was all perfectly managed by Gloria and Nora with their knowledge of history and culture and generous smiles. There were a number of delays to the trip, due to the pandemic, but Gloria, through hard work and patience, finally gave us the thumbs up because we were nine people and could not have asked for a more relaxed, fun and at the same time engaging trip together.

Johan Bjurström, 2021

Meager
"Thank you for a well-organized, well-executed and very enjoyable trip!"

Birgitta Hedblom, 2022

Meager
"It has been an intense and experiential trip to Scotland. Many thanks to the perfect tour leader and guide Gloria, who informed and taught us a lot about Scotland in an exemplary way."

Kerstin Anestedt, 2023

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Our team

Our tour leaders and tour producers work with passion to create genuine travel experiences to some of Europe's most fascinating places. We focus on getting to know the local culture through authentic encounters with the locals, by exploring the genuine local cuisine and by seeing the historical whole anchored in the present. Join us on our enriching adventures!

Gloria Anderson

CEO & travel director

Born and raised in Transylvania, Gloria founded the travel company Experience Transylvania together with her husband in 2011. She usually commutes between Sweden and Romania, so you could say that her lifestyle resembles that of the iconic storks, who inhabit the picturesque nests adorning almost every Transylvanian village. Working as a tour guide in Europe since 2004, Gloria designs our tours in a service-oriented way, aiming for genuine experiences.

Dacre Stoker

Author & tour leader

Our Dracula expert and Romania enthusiast from Canada, residing in the United States. Dacre is a descendant of author Bram Stoker. As literary genius seems to run in the family, Dacre is a best-selling author of both fiction and non-fiction publications. His research has revealed many interesting details about the iconic gothic novel Dracula. Dacre leads our travels in the footsteps of the fictional figure Count Dracula, based on a thorough study of his ancestor's work.

Nora Vintila

Tour guide & singer

Our language talent and certified local guide in Romania, with over 20 years of experience in tour leadership throughout Europe. For Nora, even a walk in the park is almost impossible without her sharing spicy facts about the surroundings. Nora is an experienced cruise director on European waterways, fluent in English, German and Swedish. A walk with Nora can often be rounded off around the fireplace, with a guitar and a repertoire of happy songs, over a warm glühwein or a cold beer.

Peter Anderson

Marketing & finance

Co-founder, sales master, marketing expert and on the barricades from the very beginning. With his education in economics and his entrepreneur passion, Peter has been an anchor in the development of our business. He was sold on Transylvania himself the first time he visited the area in 2008 and since then you could literally say that he has been "married to the destination". Peter often joins the conference trips and impresses the guests with his sense of service.

A Journey Through Transylvania: GENUINE Experiences Await...

Facts about Transylvania

Transylvania is a province that stretches across central and western Romania. The name originally comes from Latin and means "the land beyond the forest". Today, Transylvania is characterized by mystery, largely thanks to the myth and legend created around Dracula. In reality, Transylvania is a region full of history and culture, where man and nature live together in a unique symbiosis. You will find out many more fascinating details and stories when you get here, but for now, here are some good to know details. This is our favorite destination, the one we started our story with. And even thouh now we have more exciting destinations waiting to be explored, this is our favourite "child".

Weather

Temperate continental climate. Spring-summer temperatures: 20-30° C. There is something exciting to do in all seasons (hiking or experiencing small towns in spring and autumn, enjoying seaside resorts in summer, skiing in winter).

Language

Romanian is the official language. Some minority languages: Hungarian and German. As a visitor you can easily manage if you speak English, German, Italian, Spanish or French. Romanians are friendly and helpful, just ask for directions.

Currency

1 RON = 0.2 €

Romania's currency is RON (Lei). You cannot trade with € here, except at the airport and in some other special cases. ATMs are easy to find, credit cards are accepted in most shops, restaurants, hotels and museums.

Pass

Romania is part of the EU, and recently also part of Schengen. However, a valid passport is required for most non-EU visitors. EU citizens can enter with a valid passport or with a national ID card. Contact us for questions regarding travel documents.

DISCOVER ICONIC LANDSCAPES & HIDDEN GEMS

The dream trip in pictures

Check out some pictures from our travel destinations, for your inspiration.

For more photos from our travelers and travel stories, follow us via the social media buttons further down the page!

Romania's rural idyll
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Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest, Romania
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Black Church in Brasov, Romania
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The Arch of Triumph in Bucharest
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The Citadel of Alba Iulia, Romania
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Romania, Europe's 6th largest wine producer
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Main Square in Sibiu, Romania
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Bran Castle, Romania
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Contact us

Experience Transylvania GV AB

Sibiu, Romania

Stockholm & Uppsala, Sweden

info@transylvania.se

GDPR

Org. No. 556883-5101

Travel guarantee placed with

Kammarkollegiet.

Experience Transylvania

& other exciting destinations...

JOIN OUR KNOWLEDGEABLE GUIDES ON TOURS to Transylvania and other exciting areas in Europe...

Our story

Travel with care

Meet th﻿e locals

Nice & safe

Plant trees

Local support

"Thank you for a well-organized, well-executed and very enjoyable trip!"

"It has been an intense and experiential trip to Scotland. Many thanks to the perfect tour leader and guide Gloria, who informed and taught us a lot about Scotland in an exemplary way."

Our team

Gloria Anderson

CEO & travel director

Dacre Stoker

Author & tour leader

Nora Vintila

Tour guide & singer

Peter Anderson

Marketing & finance﻿

Facts about Transylvania

Weather

Language

Currency

Pass

The dream trip in pictures

Romania's rural idyll

Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest, Romania

Black Church in Brasov, Romania

The Arch of Triumph in Bucharest

The Citadel of Alba Iulia, Romania

Romania, Europe's 6th largest wine producer

Main Square in Sibiu, Romania

Bran Castle, Romania

Travel inspiration in your inbox

Sign up for our newsletter

Contact us

Meet the locals

Marketing & finance