Romania wildlife travel advice
Anne Smellie, from our volunteering holiday specialists Oyster Worldwide, spent several months volunteering at a bear sanctuary in Romania. She shares her thoughts on the region.
Roam-ania
“Largely, people go to Poland or Budapest – the bigger names on the scene in Eastern Europe – so Romania is a bit forgotten. It’s not unusual to see people on the roads in their horse and carts, just pottering along the side of the road. It’s part of the appeal and it’s also why Romania has got areas where they can have wild bears.”
Libearty bear sanctuary
“The main aim of the sanctuary is not to exist, because that means they’ve achieved their goal – and also that the world has become a better place where people don’t hunt bears unnecessarily or force them into horrible zoos. The sanctuary isn’t actively trying to scoop up all the bears they can find, but when there are cases where they can help then they will do everything they can.”
Pack your apron
“The food preparation is very hands on. There’s also a feeding round that we arrange for volunteers to join at least once a week. It’s a great opportunity to see the bears and learn more about them. Visitors at the sanctuary would never have the opportunity to do that. And pack rubber gloves! Maybe an apron.”
Bear journey
“You can volunteer for any length of time from a week and get to know the bears. They’ve got such different characteristics. I was lucky to be there when some bears had just been rescued. Initially they just paced up and down one side of the fence. And then each day they would pace further. And then they’d step away from the fence and realise that there are trees and pools. It was amazing watching them test the water with their paw to see what on earth you do with it.”
Simona Munteanu, from our Romanian wildlife holiday specialists Absolute Carpathian, shares her advice on seeing lynx: “Lynx tend to conserve energy, so if the weather is bad then you’re unlikely to see lynx. But as soon as the weather improves you have a very good chance of seeing them during March. Seeing lynx seems unreal at the beginning. You can't convince yourself it's happening, as it is a very difficult species to see.”
Our Romania wildlife Holidays
Romania holiday, the Beauty of Yesterday
Small group tour to rediscover enchanting rural Romania
From
£1795
12 days
ex flights
Carpathian Mountains holiday, conservation & culture
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£1649 to £1749
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inc UK flights
Wildlife holiday in the Isle of Mull, Scotland
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Kenya safari and Zanzibar beach holiday
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Grizzly bear watching holidays in British Columbia
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Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica cruise
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Health & safety on Romania wildlife holidays
HEALTH
SAFETY
Our top Romania wildlife Holiday
Romania holiday, the Beauty of Yesterday
Small group tour to rediscover enchanting rural Romania
From
£1795
12 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2023: 26 May, 8 Sep
2023: 26 May, 8 Sep
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Romania wildlife or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
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Romania wildlife holiday tips from our travellers
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travellers are often...other travellers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do – and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful Romania wildlife holiday travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday – and the space inside your suitcase.
We have selected some of the most useful Romania wildlife holiday travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday – and the space inside your suitcase.
Go to enjoy the long walks in beautiful surroundings and treat everything else as an excellent bonus.![]()
– Peter Underwood on a Carpathian Mountains holiday
“Be open minded and flexible. Wear old clothes, bring rubber gloves for food preparation and be prepared to get mucky. A lot of time is spent on food preparation, but this is important as bears need a lot of food.” – Suzanne Jones on a bear volunteering holiday
“If you want to have a holiday with lots of shops to visit and a wide range of entertainment then this holiday is not for you. The hotel was in a remote part of the national park with no shops, cafés or organised entertainment nearby.” – Alison Mitchell on a Carpathian Mountains holiday
“Make sure you dress in layers as you can get very cold when standing around, but you can also get warm when trekking through the snow. You need a decent level of fitness for the wildlife tracking, otherwise you probably won't enjoy the holiday. The hostess at our accommodation was very attentive and catered fantastically for our vegan diets.” – Tamara Lee on a wolf tracking holiday in Transylvania
“If you want to have a holiday with lots of shops to visit and a wide range of entertainment then this holiday is not for you. The hotel was in a remote part of the national park with no shops, cafés or organised entertainment nearby.” – Alison Mitchell on a Carpathian Mountains holiday
“Make sure you dress in layers as you can get very cold when standing around, but you can also get warm when trekking through the snow. You need a decent level of fitness for the wildlife tracking, otherwise you probably won't enjoy the holiday. The hostess at our accommodation was very attentive and catered fantastically for our vegan diets.” – Tamara Lee on a wolf tracking holiday in Transylvania
Be prepared for all weathers – one day blazing sunshine, next torrential downpours and mud everywhere.![]()
– Diane Rowe on a Carpathian Mountains holiday
“I admit I was nervous travelling solo and a little wary of travelling to an unknown country. However, the people were great. The operator takes you through every step and tweaked the trip to make sure I got the most out of my time. Castle Dracula was great to visit and I also recommend extending your stay to see a little of Bucharest which is a fascinating city.” – Nathan Cresswell on a bear volunteering holiday
“Take every opportunity you can to make the most of this experience, it’s a beautiful country with lovely people. Go on every trip, excursion, walk you can fit in. I was taught a lot of things I didn’t know about both the bears, laws and way of life of the country both past and present, making me more understanding of it all.” – Angela Nunn on a bear volunteering holiday
“Bring proper walking boots, good waterproofs and warm fleece – it rained for four days during the holiday. Didn't spoil it at all, but you need to prepared! Take insect repellent as well, no-one else seemed much affected but my legs were eaten alive. Binoculars would be handy as you do spend some time animal watching. A lot of the activities are based around animal watching so it's flexible, don't expect to follow the printed itinerary exactly – you'll still get to do everything listed in the holiday but maybe not in the order expected. There is a 2.5-3 hour transfer from the airport, but that's the price you pay if you want to spend the week in a beautiful, remote area.” – Mary Devine on a Carpathian Mountains holiday
“Local people will certainly appreciate you coming to admire their country. Local tour guides certainly benefit. Taking part in voluntary work or trying to be involved in a local project I think is essential as most locals couldn't afford not to work and do these things.” – Rowena Dark on a bear volunteering holiday
“Take every opportunity you can to make the most of this experience, it’s a beautiful country with lovely people. Go on every trip, excursion, walk you can fit in. I was taught a lot of things I didn’t know about both the bears, laws and way of life of the country both past and present, making me more understanding of it all.” – Angela Nunn on a bear volunteering holiday
“Bring proper walking boots, good waterproofs and warm fleece – it rained for four days during the holiday. Didn't spoil it at all, but you need to prepared! Take insect repellent as well, no-one else seemed much affected but my legs were eaten alive. Binoculars would be handy as you do spend some time animal watching. A lot of the activities are based around animal watching so it's flexible, don't expect to follow the printed itinerary exactly – you'll still get to do everything listed in the holiday but maybe not in the order expected. There is a 2.5-3 hour transfer from the airport, but that's the price you pay if you want to spend the week in a beautiful, remote area.” – Mary Devine on a Carpathian Mountains holiday
“Local people will certainly appreciate you coming to admire their country. Local tour guides certainly benefit. Taking part in voluntary work or trying to be involved in a local project I think is essential as most locals couldn't afford not to work and do these things.” – Rowena Dark on a bear volunteering holiday
More about Romania wildlife
Wondering when to go on a wildlife holiday to Romania? It all depends on the changeable weather, and if you're after lynx, wolves, bears or birds.
Wildlife holidays to Romania smuggle you into the forests and mountains of the Carpathians, where regular folk live alongside creatures straight out of a fairytale.
Read our guide to discover where to go wildlife watching in Romania, depending on whether bears, wolves, lynx or birds are your bag.
Joining an expert tracking guide or volunteering are the best ways of taking part in a bear watching holiday in Romania. Find out how in our guide.
You’ll find yourself in the company of wolves in Romania, where thousands of the carnivores flicker through the Carpathian Mountains. Discover how to track them responsibly.
Read why a trip led by conservation experts is your best chance at seeing lynx in Romania. Wildlife holidays don't get much more exciting than this.
Home to wolves, bears and the elusive lynx, holidays to the Carpathian Mountains offer wildlife watching in abundance, alongside some seriously underrated walking country.
Take a trip through Transylvania and you'll be surprised as to what you might find, including the Carpathian foothills, wildlife-filled woods and Saxon villages.
Fancy getting close to the biggest concentration of carnivores in Europe? Read our guide to find out what a responsible wildlife holiday to Romania looks like.
