Mountain camping: “Transylvanian Skies 2023” – 6 fantastic days and nights in the Romanian mountains from July 9th to 14th, 2023!

If you have even a little bit of a traveler and adventure seeker spirit in you, it’s impossible for Romania to not appeal to you. And to make the adventure even more magical, in addition to the “hotel tour”, we invite you to enjoy Transylvania by camping in the mountains, close to nature! In partnership with the Latvian company “Overland Ready,” there will be the opportunity to rent rooftop tents and also enjoy dinners and breakfast prepared on-site in the mountains!

In Romania, history and modernity blend together in a magical way, with mountains, castles, cottages, livestock and carts on the road, dirt roads, uranium and salt mines, abandoned railway stations and tunnels, ancient cities, exceptional rural landscapes, people’s lives in the countryside, and more… But above all, the sense of vastness and freedom. And it is these last two that we want you to experience and feel the most in our 6-day 4×4 tour of Romania “Transylvanian Skies” organized by “4×4 Centrs.” Especially by living in comfortable rooftop tents in nature! You will simply be in awe of each day spent here!

The route offered by “4×4 Centrs” in Romania is designed using several exploratory trips to the best sites, landscapes and off-road areas. Each of the 6 days of the tour will be special and unique, with its own charm!

Romania is a big country, where it is impossible to see all of the “must-see” sights in one trip, let alone one week’s long trip. But we have compiled what we believe to be the most interesting places and mountain roads to show you, so you can get a taste of Romania’s unique “flavor”. If after this trip you wish to return here again, then we will be happy and consider our mission accomplished!

One of the main components of the 4×4 tour “Transylvanian Skies” will be mountain roads and mountain passes. Fantastic views, vastness and untouched nature – you will see and feel it all. However, to fully enjoy it, you will need a suitable off-road vehicle – with low gear ratios and mud or rough all-terrain tires. “Pavement Jeeps” will not do here. Breakfast and dinner will be prepared by our cook, while lunch will be at a café or in the wild. One night during the trip is planned to be spent in a hotel near the Danube river.

Preview Video HERE!

Photo Album 2022 HERE

When, where, and how will the “Transylvanian Skies 2023” expedition: mountain camping take place?

The 4×4 expedition “Transylvanian Skies 2023” mountain camping is a 6-day expedition that will take place from July 9th to 14th, 2023.
To participate in the expedition, you will need an off-road vehicle with low gear ratios, transmission protectors and mud or All Terrain (AT) tires (such as BFG AT, General Grabber AT3, Cooper STMaxx, etc.). The size of the wheels, the presence of a winch and the lift of the car is not decisive. We can also rent a Toyota Land Cruiser 120 (3.0 TD, 5 doors, 5cm lift, mud tires) – if interested, please contact us by writing or calling!

“James Baroud” rooftop tents with all necessary mountings can be rented (or purchased) from Overland Ready – call (+371) 22412653 (Kaspars). If you already have a rooftop tent or a campervan, then of course, you can join the tour and use your own!

• Vehicles: It is recommended to use off-road vehicles equipped with rooftop tents for expeditions.
• Maximum number of cars: 8. Everyone drives together – friendly behind each other. The organizer will provide radios in all vehicles.
• Route: highways, roads, mountain roads, off-road trails. The approximate total distance of the route in Romania is 1100 km. The road from Riga to Oradea in Romania (the starting point of the tour) is 1400 km.
• Every day there will be visits to shops and gas stations.
• Along the way, we will also visit sights worth seeing (see below).
• Accommodation 5 times in the mountains, once in a hotel.
• Lunch every day: picnic in nature or at a cafe, if there is one on the way.
• Dinner and breakfast will be prepared by the certified chef Kaspars Virsnītis from Overland Ready.
• The expedition will be led by the route designer Edvins Bauers (4×4 Centrs).

Expedition program:

(only the main sights are listed here; the program may be adjusted without affecting the goals and feel of the trip)

1st day: Oradja – Brada (~200km)
11:30 Meeting in Oradja (RO). (1400 km from Riga). Each can choose the route and time to reach the starting point. We can help with accommodation reservations!
Main thing in the day program: off-road ride through Bihor mountain massif, ascent to the summit (1840m), picnic in the mountains, ride on a former railway bridge and through a tunnel.
2nd day: Brada – Deva – Petroshani (~220 km)
Program for the day: Visit to Corvin Castle, “Vulcan” mountain passage, Densus Church (13th century), small but very beautiful behind.
3rd day: Petroshani – Targu Jiu – Orshava (~160 km)
Program for the day: Exquisite road along the Danube, “Iron gates” (20-minute climb on foot) and/or walk through a large, wild canyon to the Danube exit (about 1 hour), impressive Decebal cliff sculpture, beautiful off-road section through lower mountains (~600m above sea level). Accommodation in a hotel.
4th day: Orshava – Transalpina mountain pass (~170km)
Program for the day: Baile Herculane resort, ancient watermills, “Devil’s Bridge”, picnic by a mountain river, Transalpina pass (highest road in Romania, 2145m above sea level). In our opinion, Transalpina pass is more impressive than the popular Transfagarasan pass.
5th day: Transalpina – Sibiu – Medias (~170km)
Program for the day – the climax of the trip: Strategic mountain (off-)road, picnic in the mountains. Visit to Sibiu old town, shops etc.
6th day: Medias – Turda (~150km)
Program for the day: Beautiful off-road section through lower mountains, ancient church – fortress, brasli, “Salina Turda” salt mines (optional). Farewell around 5 pm. We can help with accommodation reservations on the way to Riga…, but we recommend staying in Romania if possible!

Mandatory and recommended equipment

Mandatory equipment:

• Passport or ID card!
• Car documents, third party liability insurance (OCTA).
• 4×4 off-road vehicle
• All equipment for living and camping in the wilderness.
• If necessary, use offline navigation on a phone or tablet (such as maps.me).

Recommended equipment:
Weather-appropriate clothing and shoes, off-road driving accessories, as well as food for outdoor lunch breaks.

Registration and participation fee for 6 days.

The participation fee includes:

• A specially designed route for the 4×4 expedition.
• Overnight stay and breakfast in a hotel for 1 night.
• Dinner and breakfast in the mountains.
• Radio in the car.

The fee for participation from each team, by filling out the online application form and within five days of submitting the application, transferring the advance payment of 140 EUR x the number of participants in the car to the account below:

• If registering more than 30 days before the chosen trip date – 1150 EUR per car + 140 EUR per person.
• If registering less than 30 days before the chosen trip date – 1250 EUR per car + 140 EUR per person.

• *The remaining payment must be made no later than 15 days before the trip.
• **For regular participants of events organized by the “4×4 Centrs” association, the option to make the remaining payment on the day of the event, upon registration before the trip.
• Please note in the application notes and comments section:
  -preferred bed size (single/double),
  -number of beds/rooms needed.

Rental of “James Baroud” roof tent for the entire trip duration from Overland Ready – 400 euros.

To ensure maximum quality of the event, the number of participants is limited – no more than 8 cars! The minimum number of cars required for the expedition to take place is 4.

Payment details:

Association “4×4 Centrs”
Reg. No. 40008185318
Bank: A/S Swedbank
Account: LV61HABA0551031829178

In the payment order, indicate: “Participation fee for Transylvanian Skies 2023”

Additional information

Any additional information or questions about the “Transilvania Skies 2023” mountain camping expedition can be asked by phone at (+371) 29 424 541 (Edvins).

Photos: 4×4 Centrs and overlandready.eu

Registration for expeditions

Application for the expedition from July 2nd to 7th, 2023