We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Transylvania
Milk Street on the Road: Transylvania
June 25 - July 02, 2025
September 17 - September 24, 2025
Where
Transylvania
Group Size
8-12 Travelers
Duration
8 Days, 7 Nights
When
June 25 - July 2, 2025 September 17 - 24, 2025
Price
5,550 USD per person
Seated inside the arc of the Carpathian Mountains, Transylvania is a bucolic landscape of meadows, horse-drawn carts, ancient forests and alpine peaks. Culturally, it’s where Romanian, Hungarian, Saxon and Ottoman influences overlap to form today’s Transylvanian cuisine. The resulting food is deliciously striated – featuring apples and plums from Roman times, rich stews from Hungary, native herbs and wild caraway, and corn, vanilla and baking technique from the Ottomans and Saxons. We’ll taste and use them all on this exclusive-to-Milk Street trip that follows Christopher Kimball’s footsteps on a memorable trip he took with Milk Street friend, teacher and TV guest Irina Georgescu, who is also our guide for the week.
A James Beard award winning author and expert in Romanian food, Irina has designed a trip defined by the contemporary practices of traditional Transylvanian crafts. Expect a farm-to-table sensibility, fruit in your savory foods, herbs in your sweets, many kinds of pickles and an introduction to Romanian winemaking and brewing. We’ll visit renowned cheesemakers and homesteaders on a series of visits to Gastro Locals, a network of slow food restaurants and cooking schools in people’s homes; learn about Romanian wine, beer and brandy, and cook with Irina, one of our favorite cooking teachers. We keep the tour focused on food and culinary traditions, but we won’t miss the local landmarks everyone needs to see, like the region’s famous frescoed fortified churches, forests and working self-sufficient Saxon villages. Accompanying Irina will be her long time colleague Szabolcs Tyukodi and, on the first departure in June, Milk Street’s April Dodd.
Cook
Learn
Eat
Stay
Immerse
Your itinerary
Day 1
Experience urban Transylvania
Welcome to Brasov! Founded in the 13th century, Brasov’s well-preserved medieval roots coexist with a vibrant contemporary culture. Get settled in at the Shuster Hotel and then stretch your legs walking streets lined with Gothic architecture and modern coffee shops. Back at the Shuster, we’ll meet our guides and fellow travelers in the lobby before heading to Ograda where we’ll have our first three-course Romanian feast, with a twist. With a week of traditional food ahead, tonight you can expect a modern menu designed by the restaurant’s renowned chefs.
Day 2
Transfer to Viscri
After breakfast in our hotel, we hit the road. Viscri is our destination and where we’ll be based for this week of cooking, exploring, eating and resting, but we’re making two stops along the way. First, we’ll tour Hărman Fortified Church, a rare frescoed 13th century church. Nearby is HOF Hărman, our first Gastro Local of the week. There we’ll meet friends Ioana and Corina who will lead us in a hands-on cooking class using local products to make Clătite Brașovene, mushroom-filled pancakes to sit with homemade desserts and local wine. After lunch, we depart for Viscri, a UNESCO World Heritage site and self-reliant Saxon village. Our lodging here, Viscri 125, is a traditional Saxon farm with every modern amenity. The complex was originally a fortress that includes a main house, out buildings and a large wooden barn all built around a central courtyard. Behind the barn, we’ll find a vegetable garden, orchard, and running creek. It’s an oasis of tranquility and greenery. After exploring the grounds on our own, we’ll have dinner together at Viscri 125.
Day 3
Learn about Saxon Transylvania
Transylvanian Saxon cooking is practical, local and delicious, an ingenious cuisine that we’ll spend today exploring. After breakfast, we’ll visit a dairy farm where we’ll get around via horse-drawn carriage, a mode of transportation still often used in Transylvania, learn about local cheesemaking and get a lesson in making bulz, a cheese-stuffed polenta dish. For lunch, we’ll meet Oana and Adrian Udrea. Adrian is a cheesemaker, supplying some of the best restaurants in Bucharest, Brasov and Sibiu. His herd grazes on the Transylvanian meadows that still have some of the oldest wildflowers and plants in the Carpathians. Oana will cook us a Saxon meal in her charming converted barn, where we will learn how to make traditional Transylvanian pies, including lichiu, the famous Saxon dessert that Irina says “gives Portuguese custard tart a run for its money.” After that, we can keep exploring the nearby villages or return to Viscri to rest before heading to Criț. Here, we’ll visit another traditional home in a Saxon village for dinner and meet our host, Rozi, who is famous for her jams, which are sure to make an appearance in the dessert course.
Day 4
Walk, cook and relax in Viscri
After three days of travel we spend today in Viscri. We’ll have time to explore and relax. Our only planned activity is a lunch time outdoor cooking class with Irina. We’ll make Romanian mici, a meat dish similar to kofte, and langosi, a Hungarian flatbread served with a variety of savory and sweet toppings. We leave the rest of the daylight hours to serendipity before our hosts at Viscri 125 make us dinner.
Day 5
Explore Hungarian heritage
Today we learn about the Hungarian side of Transylvania through its food, nature and agriculture. We’ll sample local charcuterie and make kurtos kalacs, spirals of sweet, yeasted dough rolled in sugar. We’ll visit the oak groves of Mercheașa, an important and impressive site of cultural history that includes a 900 year-old oak tree so grand that four people holding hands cannot ring its circumference. For dinner, we’ll enjoy a traditional Székely Hungarian dinner at a local guesthouse.
Day 6
Picnic under ancient oak trees
After a leisurely morning we’ll visit Sighisoara, another UNESCO World Heritage village. Sighisoara is an outstanding example of a small medieval fortified city of richly colored buildings and one of the most beautiful of the Saxon Siebenbürgen, meaning Seven Saxon Towns of Transylvania. Dating to the 13th century, it remained for centuries a strategic and commercial hub with merchants and artisans from all over Central Europe settling here. After touring the town by foot we’ll picnic – glamorously – in the Breite Ancient Oak Tree Reserve. We’ll rest back in Viscri before bidding farewell to the countryside with a group dinner. It will be our last evening in beautiful Viscri and our last chance to enjoy local traditional dishes.
Day 7
Return to Brasov
We’ll depart early for Brasov so you have time to explore the city on your own, shop and pack. We’ll join back up for our farewell dinner at Pilvax, a Transylvanian bistro that boasts a deep cellar of local wines. We’ll have a true Transylvanian feast featuring meat from animals the chef raises herself. We’ll start with a selection of small dishes such as curd cheese with paprika and caramelized onions, duck paté, Szekely mutton sausages and smoked cured pork loin. The main course will be duck legs with plum sauce followed by dessert of Vargabeles, noodle pudding wrapped in filo pastry served with rhubarb compote.
Day 8
Say Goodbyes & Depart
We wish you safe travels and continued adventures.
Meet the Crew
We are firm believers in the power of local knowledge. Our guides and the culinary masters and other artisans who are part of our trips all deeply reflect that. Meet some of our local heroes:
Irina Georgescu
Szabolcs Tyukodi
Iona and Corina
Adrian and Oana
Where you'll stay
Shuster Hotel
This trip’s focus on deeply local experiences and places is also well reflected in our choice of accommodation. We always select boutique and independent places, ones inspired by international standards while staying loyal to the area’s local heritage – that’s the balance we seek for more than a good night’s rest.
Schuster Boarding House welcomes guests to their hidden gem in the heart of the countryside. Set in a quaint farmhouse surrounded by scenic beauty, this cozy retreat offers comfortable accommodations and personalized service. Wake up to the sounds of nature, savor farm-fresh breakfasts, and unwind by the fireplace in the common area. With its serene ambiance and tranquil setting, Schuster Boarding House provides the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Viscri 125
Experience the essence of rural Transylvania at Viscri 125, a hidden gem in the historic village of Viscri. Set amidst rolling hills and traditional Saxon architecture, this guesthouse offers an authentic Romanian experience. Stay in rustic-chic rooms, explore the picturesque surroundings, or discover the nearby UNESCO-listed fortified church. With its warm hospitality and immersive ambiance, Viscri 125 invites guests to discover the timeless beauty of rural Romania.
Hear what travelers are saying
Once you cross the Carpathian Mountains from Bucharest, Romania goes back in time a few hundred years. It is one of the last places in the world with great local food and traditions that have not been wiped clean by the 21st century.
Christopher Kimball
I am such a huge admirer of Irina Georgescu... [Her books are] a must-have for those interested in the context and evolution of culinary culture.
Nigella Lawson
Although I had zero familiarity with Romanian cuisine, I LOVED the recipes I made it's so lovely to experience travel to somewhere new from home via my kitchen.
Amanda G. (student of Irina)
Know before you go
PRICING AND ACCOMMODATION
The total cost of this trip is $5,500. For travelers wishing to have single accommodations during the trip, an additional $750 supplement will be due at the time of the final payment. A $500 non-refundable deposit per traveler is required to secure space on the trip. The balance is due 90 days prior to the start of the trip.
ACTIVITY LEVEL
Travelers should feel comfortable walking two to four miles each day and remaining on their feet for periods of time. There are a couple of hikes on uneven ground. Be prepared to roll up your sleeves and get hands-on during a couple cooking workshops.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
Brasov is accessible via non-stop flights from European gateways, or by regular train (~3 hours) service from Bucharest. For flights in and out of the Brașov airport (GHV), or trains to Brașov station, we suggest you arrive anytime before 3 p.m. on Day 1 and depart anytime on Day 8. We’ll provide the option of booking additional nights at our group hotel before and/or after the tour, and are more than happy to provide suggestions for things to do and see in the city on your own.
INCLUSIONS
• All accommodation throughout the trip in stylish, boutique hotels. • Professional guides throughout the entire experience. • All meals and drinks included in the above activities. • Admission to all proposed activities, locations, and events. • Private coach for visits inside and outside the center city • A hungry group of Culinary Backstreets and Milk Street travelers, excited to explore and learn all Translyvania has to offer!
EXCLUSIONS
• Private individual arrival & departure airport transfers • Airfare and transportation to/from the start and end destination • Meals beyond those specified in the itinerary above • Alcoholic beverages other than those served at the table • Accommodations outside those noted, including pre- or post-trip hotel nights • Activities, tours & entry fees not included above • Personal purchases and incidentals at hotels
DIETARY RESTRICTIONS
We encourage an adventurous palate! We try our best to accommodate dietary restrictions, though ingredients cannot always be substituted or omitted from particular dishes. This trip can easily feature plentiful vegetarian options although it cannot accommodate gluten-free and dairy-free diets. If you have other food allergies or intolerances, please contact us to find out if this is the right trip for you.
NOTES ON ITINERARY
Itineraries and daily schedules are subject to change. We expect to do everything listed in the itinerary, though the order may be rearranged based on weather or other local conditions.
SAFETY AND SUSTAINABILITY
We have reinforced our commitment to sustainability and safety with new guidelines to assure maximum safety of our guests on our trips while maintaining the quality of the experience. All of our experiences are designed to have minimal impact on the community and environment. For more details on our precautions, read here.
CANCELLATION POLICY
You may cancel 90 days before the start of the trip and receive a full refund minus a $500 per-person service fee. If you cancel on or after 60 days before the start of the trip there is a 50% cancellation fee. On or after 30 days there is a 100% cancellation fee. We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance as we are not able to make exceptions to this policy in cases of family/medical emergency or cases of the trip being canceled (see our Terms and Conditions for full details).
As Featured In
