8 Days Legendary Transylvania Horse Riding Holiday in Romania

On the first morning, you will leave your horse riding base in the village of Kiskede, and travel every day to a new location. Usually you will spend 4-6 hours on horseback, with a midday break and picnic lunch, riding around 30 kilometers a day. You will spend the nights at selected partner guesthouses, the rider’s luggage is transported by service car to the next point.

The riding

During this vacation, you will ride EquiTransylvania’s well-trained, fit and forward going Hungarian purebred sport horses (Shagya-Arabs, Gidrans, Kisberi half bred, and Lippizainers). The horses are trained and used to the varied terrain condition.

The horses are ridden in English tack. EquiTransylvania have custom-made saddles, fitting individually for each horse, produced by a saddler manufacture. You’ll spend four to six hours in saddle. On day five, you’ll let the horses rest and an excursion is organized for you.

Riding level

The riding is a mix of paces to suit the actual terrain condition and is fast in places. This ride is only suitable for good intermediate to experienced riders who are confident in all paces.

You must be confident handling a horse at speed in a group situation and comfortable riding over varied terrain. Some natural obstacles also need to be negotiated. You also need to be healthy and physically fit. For security reason, EquiTransylvania recommend wearing hard helmets.

Activities / events

In addition to the horse riding, you will meet the local people, explore the Transylvanian dances and part of local culture. Also, some traditional hand craftsman will be visited.

After arriving to the actual guesthouse, every evening, you’ll have some activities organized. In some cases, folk show, in some cases just relaxing on the bathtub.

On the rest day for horses, you’ll experience the history and natural beauty of Transylvania and an excursion is organized.

Itinerary

Please note that the following itinerary is EquiTransylvania base line, depending on weather conditions, unpredictable natural or built obstacles can change the route. Also, the order of locations you visit might change.

EquiTransylvania have the distances and riding times measured and scheduled. Based on the riders’ abilities, for your best interest, the guide can decide for shortening the initial trail or change the route.

Day 1: Arrival day

Arrive at Cluj Napoca Airport (CLJ) or Targu Mures Airport (TGM) (or arrive with personal car), where you will be collected mid-afternoon. Transfer to EquiTransylvania riding base / partner guesthouse is a journey of about four hours.

After arriving at partner guesthouse, you get to know each other, have a dinner, and a short briefing also takes place.

Day 2: Ridding base to Firtosváralja

After breakfast, you will be picked up and transferred to the horse riding base (approximately 5 minutes), where you will be introduced to the horses. Every rider gets the best suitable horse for the week. You’ll spend some time here, usually, a short ride in arena is also needed.

After preparations, you’ll head to your first destination: Firtosváralja, to be reached by evening. Midday, you have a lunch break at a barn guesthouse, where the food is to be prepared by local ladies.

You’ll spend the night here in a nice, traditionally built guesthouse. Through your way, you cross several villages and also you spend some time in some of them. Locally produced food and drinks will be tasted, traditional craftsman and some monuments will also be visited.

The view is extraordinary: the Transylvanian landscape and the endless hills. You will not see cars, hear no noise of traffic or city. You might see though: deer and rabbits, also maybe foxes. Also, you’ll meet sheep herds and cow flocks, part of the local traditional agriculture. For the evening, locally produced dinner and some folk program is awaiting you.

The ride is a mix of walk, trot, and occasionally canters. During the day, you’ll spend approximately 4 - 4,5 hours in saddle, riding around in total 25 kilometers.

Day 3: Firtosváralja to Székelyvarság

It is the second day of riding and also the longest riding day of the week. After breakfast, you tack up and head to Székelyvarság, the biggest scattered settlement in the county, its area is 76.69 square kilometers.

The name Varság was first mentioned in 1598. In 1888, it was recorded as Varság-tisztás but the place was not inhabited until the end of the 19th century when summer dwellings for villagers were built here.

Sixty percent of its area is covered in forest with a great biological diversity. Local fauna includes rabbits, foxes, bears, wolves, lynxes, and a lot of species of birds. During the summer, raspberries, bilberries, blackberries, wild strawberries, and several species of mushrooms can be picked. It is a great place for horse riding. After a long day of riding, local food at guesthouse is awaiting.

Day 4: Székelyvarság with short rides

You’ll spend the day at Székelyvarság, short rides, visiting local landmarks, such as the ruins Tartód castle and the Csorgókő falls.

There are plenty of places to visit, the natural beauty of the region is extraordinary from horseback.

Day 5: Székelyvarság to Ivó

After an easy day to rest the horses, you are heading for Ivó today. The trail moves along the forest roads, vast meadows, and horse cart paths.You are surrounded by the untouched nature and the endless sky. The ride is a mix of walk, long trots, and only occasionally canters.

The highlight of this day is the ride through the Wildlife Park of Ivó, where the guests can see the life of red deer, fallow deer, mouflons, and wild boars in their natural habitat. The tour is conducted by experienced tour guides. The 320 hectares park nestles between rolling hills and river valleys at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains.

The tour ends with the tasting of special locally prepared products. For the evening, usually they also organize some events, like wine tasting, or something like that.

Days 6 - 7: Heading towards Kiskede (the riding base)

From the morning of day 6 on, you are heading back to Kiskede. The next two days you will ride through hills, small villages, and forest tracks in order to get back to the starting point, the horse base camp. Both days you will have lunch breaks, and for the evenings you will have guesthouses reserved with bathrooms and toilets.

Usually, you will also visit local people, watch their crafts or just learn their story.

On day 7, in the late afternoon, you will arrive at Kiskede, the place where you started the tour a few days ago. You will say good bye to horses and thank them for the work during the week.

A festive “good bye” dinner will be a great way to spend your last evening together and to share all the adventures of those past days.

Day 8: Departure day

Based on your flight schedule, after breakfast, you will be transported back to Cluj Napoca Airport (CLJ) for your journey back home.

You will visit Transylvanian beautiful villages : Firtosváralja, Székelyvarság, and Ivó including more interesting places.

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The meals are prepared from local vegetables, grown by small farmers in the village. Meat and milk also usually comes from regional farms. During the tours, you will take your breakfast at the guesthouse, lunch is served along the way. This can be the from saddle-bag, or if possible, they organize lunch at guesthouses or interesting places where local specialties are served. Dinner is your main meal, back at the guesthouse.

Vegetarians and vegans are welcomed, please let the organizer know your requirements at reservation.

Excursion with traditional horse cart is also good fun. Wildlife viewing and bear watching are also popular and needs to be organized in advance.

• All the riding
• Tour guide in English or Hungarian
• Full riding equipment
• Transfer from Cluj Napoca Airport
• Full board meals with wine and beer at dinner
• One excursion during the rest day for the horses
• 7 nights accomodation

• International flight
• Any kind of insurance
• Riders equipment or helmet
• Does not include tips
• Extra alcoholic beverages
• Tickets for visiting museums or other entry tickets

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• A reservation requires a deposit of 20% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.