Special Fully Inclusive early booking rate for 2013 = £390 per person (min 2 people booking before 31st August 2012)
Prices are fully inclusive of all meals, both in-house and restaurants (unless otherwise stated) and drinks with meals (including local wine, beer, spirits and mixers), all accommodation, transfers, guides, cable car lift pass and entrance fees into stated activities.
Meet, greet and transfers from Turges Mures Airport to Cisnadioara village, via Sighisoara, birth place of Count Dracula.
Enjoy a delicious lunch in the house where Dracula was born. The meal is completely 'a la carte' ..... but it's probably best not to ask for a stake!
Time to explore the spooky old citadel. Visit the museum of torture and the ancient gate-keepers tower. Climb the famous covered wooden stairs to the Graveyard and Hill Top Church, which houses the only Crypt in Transylvania.
A 3 course (minimum) dinner, including local wine, beer and spirits in our traditional bread oven dining room.
Drinks in the Lancaster Pub or complimentary transfers into Sibiu.
Choice of Full English or Continental Breakfast.
A morning visit to the Astra Museum.
Set in over 80 acres of beautiful forest, surrounding two lakes and with a snowy mountain backdrop. The Astra Museum has 360 reconstructed dwellings from every era and area of Romania and is the jewel in the crown of tourism in Sibiu.
Lunch in the dining room at the main house.
Afternoon Transfer to the Transfagars Cable Car.
Enjoy a wide range of Winter WonderLand activities.
Dinner either in the Ice Hotel or nearby in the comfortable Balea Lac Chalet Restaurant.
After a nightcap or hot wine an unforgettable, yet surprisingly comfortable night sleeping on ice and furs!
Please note - dinner and optional afternoon activities are not included on Day 2.
Continental style breakfast in the Balea Lac Chalet Restaurant.
Mid morning collection from the Ice Hotel.
Hot lunch (and hot wine!) in the dining room at the main house.
An afternoon to relax in Cosmopolitan Sibiu before dinner in Hermania, the best Traditional Saxon Restaurant in the centre of town.
After dinner a visit to the Atrium bar to enjoy live piano or Jazz music (the Atrium advertises live music nightly, however Secret Transylvania cannot guarantee this).
Transport back to Cisnadioara village.
Choice of Full English or Continental Breakfast.
Bran Castle and Rasnov Tour.
A whole day visit to Rasnov, medieval fort and Bran Castle, often referred to as Dracula's Castle. Originally built in 1212 by the Teutonic knights Bran castle is the stereotypical vampires lair. Perched high on a rocky crag the castle watches over Bran village and the bustling craft market at it's base. Time permitting a chance to visit Sambata de Sus Monastery on the return journey.
Fast food lunch 'Romanian style'.
Dinner in the Traditional Dining Room.
Late night lantern lit walk to legend creating 'Frog Rock'. Hear the legends told en-route but all quiet on arrival for a chance to hear wolves howling in the surrounding forests.
Drinks in The Lancaster Pub or complimentary transport into Sibiu.
Early morning transfer to Turges Mures, with packed breakfast.
Drum Bun! (Good Journey!)
Please note, we strongly advise guests take SUN GLASSES with them to the Ice Hotel. After a hot and satisfying lunch in Cisnadioara village it's time to set out by LandRover for 'The Transylvanian, Balea Lac, Ice Hotel Experience'. Just 40 minutes from home we turn onto the mountain road that will take us up to the Cable Car. 'The TransFagaras Highway', made famous as the ultimate driving road 'in the World' by the T.V programme 'Top Gear', affords us spectacular views as we climb.
During the winter months the Cable Car is the only way to reach the Ice Hotel which is located at over 2000m above sea level. At the base of the cable car we pause at the 'Christmas Market' style cabins which sell local arts, crafts and hot mulled wine.
Once on the cable car look out for 'The Balea Cascade', the beautiful frozen waterfall that runs the length of the pine clad valley below. We reach the summit. As one 10 year old guest said 'Stepping out of the cable car is like stepping out of the wardrobe into Narnia'. Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the complex. Snapping pictures of the surrounding Carpathian Mountains, enjoying some of the activities on offer (listed below) and of course visiting the amazing Ice Church… well, this is Transylvania after all!
The atmosphere is truly unique. The last cable car of the evening descends as the winter sun sets the ice and snow aflame. The remoteness of your destination becomes tangible. Dinner can be taken actually in the Ice Hotel (please see menu and booking criteria below) or in the nearby Balea Lac Chalet Restaurant. A variety of drinks, cocktails and hot mulled wine are also available from the ‘Bar Sub-Zero’. The perfect place to have a nightcap to round off a truly Amazing day.
With little light pollution the show of stars is spectacular as night draws in. Guests will be shown to their individually designed and hand crafted room and will be given comfy sleeping bags to place on top of the reindeer skins. Many of our guests comment on how surprisingly warm and comfortable their night has been. Coffee and Continental Breakfast is served in the Balea Lac Chalet Restaurant. Then a final chance to enjoy the snow and ice before taking the cable car down to your waiting transport.
Activities at Balea Lake Ice Hotel
Snow Mobiling (per 15 min.) £20
Ice Sculpting lesson (per hour) £25
Ice Skating (per hour) £7
Sledges are available free from Secret Transylvania.
*prices, activities and menus are correct for Jan/Feb 2012 but may differ slightly for 2013
(Please note: Secret Transylvania cannot guarantee availability of activities)
The Balea Lac Chalet Restaurant serves a full range of delicious a la carte meals, snacks and drinks at incredibly reasonable prices.
However for a truly unique experience or for that special occasion why not eat actually in the Ice Hotel, off an Ice Table with Ice Platters (on appropriate courses!).
Typical Ice Hotel Menu
(£50 per person - must be booked in advance)
Smoked salmon egg cream, dijon mustard sauce and toast
*****
Cream of carrot soup with croutons
*****
Medallion of beef, in a white wine sauce, peppers, sprouts and mashed potato with rosemary
*****
Ice Hotel special desert
Typical Ice Hotel Vegetarian Menu
(£40 per person – must be booked in advance)
Pasta salad with vegetables
*****
Cream of Carrot soup with croutons
*****
Potato Gratin with tomato, nuts and rosemary
*****
Ice Hotel special desert
Prices are fully inclusive of all meals, both in-house and restaurants (unless otherwise stated) and drinks with meals (including local wine, beer, spirits and mixers), all accommodation, transfers, guides, cable car lift pass and entrance fees into stated activities.
Please note: flights, personal toiletries, snacks, cafe coffees and 'pub' drinks are not included but there really are no hidden extras.
These are some sneak peak photos:
