Day 1 Helsinki – Istanbul – Odessa
Meeting at Helsinki Vantaa Airport. Flight via Istanbul to Odessa. Arrival in Odessa at 20.40. local time. Transfer to Alexandrovsky **** hotel. Dinner at the hotel restaurant.

Odessa is a relaxed, traditional tourist town with a rich cultural offer, a mild climate and beautiful sandy beaches. There are also spas in the vicinity that attract tourists. Not only food lovers but also art and culture lovers will enjoy the city. The locals are very humorous and hospitable.

Day 2 Odessa (A, L)
Breakfast at the hotel. In Odessa, we explore a variety of sites: the historic city centre and the famous Odessa Potyomkin Stairs, made world famous by Soviet film director Sergei Eisenstein’s film Battleship Potyomkin. The film tells the story of the crew of the Taurian battleship Potyomkin, which mutinied in 1905. A crowd scene was filmed on the stairs, where soldiers sent to put down the rebellion shoot at civilians. The stairs are twice as wide at the bottom as at the top and 142 metres long. Other destinations include the Seaport, the Opera House and the French Boulevard, the Town Hall, the Boulevard of Arts and others as time permits.

Lunch at a local restaurant. At 14.30 transfer to the train station, departure by train Odessa – Chisinau at 16.00-20.15. Transfer to Jolly Alon**** hotel and accommodation.

Day 3 Moldova Wine Festival
After breakfast, a guided walking and bus tour of Chisinau lasting about 2 hours. Free time after lunch. Experience a unique wine festival, even named “National Wine Day”, which has been held since the 15th century. The event includes wine tasting and the country’s winemakers put only their best on the table.

Day 4 Cricova Underground Wine Cellar, departure for Bucharest
Buffet breakfast. Drive and visit to the underground wine cellar of Cricova, guided tour and wine tasting. Cricova has interesting underground galleries: more than seventy streets on almost 53 hectares. Each street has its own name: Sauvignon, Cabernet, Cahor. One of the oldest bottles of wine in Moldova, dating back to 1902, can be found here. A funny story about the place is related to the Russian pilot Yuri Gagarin: in 1966, while visiting Cricova, the man got lost in the cellar network after a hip tasting. Only the next day, after spending the night in the tasting room, did he emerge from the cellar. Today it is named after him. Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrated his 50th birthday here.

Return to Chisinau around 12.30 pm. Free time until 15.00, transfer to the train station. At 16.45 departure by train to Bucharest. There is a café car on board.

Day 5 Bucharest (A, L)
At 06.05 the train arrives in Bucharest. Transfer to the Vogue Boutique Residence Hotel. Morning relaxation at the hotel.

In the afternoon, we take the metro in Bucharest to avoid the traffic jam. We will visit the second largest building in the world (330 000 square metres) and the Romanian Parliament House, more commonly known as Ceausescu’s Palace. The palace was built by Romania’s old dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu in 1997. Made of marble and decorated with crystal chandeliers, it is the heaviest building in the world. Romanian dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 6 Bucharest – Sinaia – Bran – Brasov (A, I)
After breakfast, we meet in the hotel lobby and head towards the mountain town of Sinaia, where we visit Peles Castle. The castle was built in 1914 by Carol 1 who fell in love with the mountain scenery. We then head to the legendary Castle of Dracula, located in the Bran area. Dracula was created by the Irish writer Bram Stolkerin in 1897. After a tour of the castle, we move on to Brasov, one of the largest cities in Transylvania, surrounded by mountains. A walking tour of the old town will give us a taste of its atmosphere. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 7 Brasov – Viscri – Sighisoara – Brasov (A)
After breakfast, we meet in the hotel lobby and head to the beautiful Transylvanian village of Viscri, formerly a strong German settlement. The village is home to Viscri Church, once built to defend the country during the war. From here we continue to Sighiosara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the birthplace of Vlad Tepes, the mythical figure who inspired Dracula. In addition to the town’s charming houses, there are several churches to visit, one of which is climbed up a flight of steps inside a wooden tunnel. At the end of the evening, we return to Brasov for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 8 Brasov – Bucharest – Ruse (A)
Breakfast at the hotel. Free time in the morning. Transfer to Bucharest train station, departure to Ruse at 12.45. The city of Ruse is one of the most important port cities in Bulgaria and the most important river port in the country. It is also home to the only bridge connecting Romania and Bulgaria. On arrival in Ruse, overnight in hotel and dinner.

Day 9 Ruse – Veliko Tarnovo (A, I)
After breakfast, we depart for a 30-minute boat cruise along the Danube. The Danube is the second largest river in Europe. After the boat trip we will experience the beauty of Ruse with a city tour. From here we head to the train station for the journey to Veliko Tarnovo. Veliko Tarnova was the capital of the second Kingdom of Bulgaria. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Veliko Tarnovo.

Day 10 Veliko Tarnovo (A, I)
After breakfast we explore the charming town of Veliko Tarnovo, whose architecture attracts tourists from all over the world every year. We will also visit the Tsarevets Fortress. The fortress was built in the 1100s and was the headquarters of the main troops. Transfer to the train station for departure to Sofia. Dinner at a restaurant and overnight at the hotel.

Day 11 City tour of Sofia (A)
After a buffet breakfast, meet your local guide in the hotel lobby. We will visit the city to explore local attractions such as Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and Boyana Church. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was built between 1894 and 1900. According to legend, the church is the burial place of Estonia’s national epic, the original Kalevipoeg. Boyana Church is famous for its murals, which depict 89 historical scenes and 240 human figures. Lunch and dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at hotel.

Day 12 Sofia – Istanbul – Helsinki (A)
Early breakfast. Transfer to the airport, flight Sofia – Istanbul 10.00 – 12.25. Connection to Helsinki 14.40 – 18.05.