Top Ieud Car Tours: See Romania Like Never Before

Alright, so you’re planning a trip to Romania and thinking about seeing Ieud? Excellent choice! It’s almost a place where tradition and amazing scenery meet. Now, if you really wanna experience everything Ieud has to offer, exploring by car is the way to go. Here, I’ll let you know about my picks for the top five car tours that’ll actually make your trip memorable.

1. The Wooden Churches Tour

First off, very much near the top of the list is the Wooden Churches Tour, which takes you to some that are absolutely stunning and iconic churches of Maramureș. That are actually UNESCO World Heritage sites! These churches, you see, they’re not only places of worship yet are also incredible examples of folk architecture, all hand-built from timber. I mean, you can almost see the history within the timber.

Starting in Ieud, so it’s arguably best to map out a route that includes Poienile Izei, Bârsana, and Bogdan Vodă. At the Ieud Deal Church, one of the oldest, you’ll almost get a sense of what the architecture in the area is really like, it’s truly the feel of Maramureș tradition. The interior paintings, well they might be showing different ages than you expect, yet that just adds another depth. The Bârsana Monastery, very unlike the other stops, so its architectural style is actually newer, yet very welcoming. Then there’s Bogdan Vodă, rather just a small village. Yet it does offer an authentically local experience.

As a matter of fact, expect a solid day’s drive for this, and in a way the roads can get quite twisty, specifically if it has rained recently. See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Maramureș Church Tour Details) and our full review: Maramureș Church Tour Details and Review.

2. The Merry Cemetery of Săpânța and Surrounding Villages

Okay, you looking for something quite different? You might be heading northwest to Săpânța, actually that is the home of the world-famous Merry Cemetery. What’s actually cheerful about a cemetery? This place, rather than mourn death, they’ve decided to celebrate life with funny, very colorful tombstones that almost show different scenes from the lives of people that died. The stories told through the artwork there really bring to life memories of the person that it is placed for. This trip offers a lot.

Getting to Săpânța from Ieud usually takes a couple of hours by car, you see, which allows for actually flexible planning to stop at local places that aren’t typically seen by tourist groups. Actually visiting small workshops for artists or seeing other less visited landmarks makes it unique. This, actually, makes the drive just worth the trip. Anyway you go you’ll also drive past some really small villages which, frankly, do allow people to actually experience local village life. We actually always advise people to actually try to eat local here because many places, so their dishes taste the best.

Also, as a matter of fact, give at least a half-day to Săpânța itself because there’s more there than just the cemetery. Read our full review: Merry Cemetery Full Review and Details. See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Sapanta Cemetery Details)

3. The Breb Village Experience

Alright, so you want a dive into rural Romanian life? This experience to the very scenic and well preserved Breb is probably up your street! This is the Romania, like your imagination. The village has, still now, almost got that medieval feel to it, what with its old homes and slow pace. As I was saying it has very gorgeous views of the Gutai Mountains, and that is what seals the deal.

What you do when you get there, really it’s down to what you like, you see; some people go just to do photos! The village itself has kind of winding lanes. Very much perfect for strolls, yet really that’s an excuse to appreciate the old architecture and that slow pace of life, basically. Speak with the villagers. As a matter of fact, this makes it easier to peek into everyday lives there. For some, the mountain is the big deal, but whatever, the view really can be just something else. There’s very few hotels yet there’s actually Airbnbs for actually staying. These places really help make the visit just special and one that many won’t forget. See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Breb Village Experience Details) and read our full review: Breb Village Full Review.

4. Exploring the Rodnei Mountains National Park

For someone really into, very big outdoors, The Rodnei Mountains National Park does allow that scenic escape, basically. What is just so striking about this is the park? It features various flora and wildlife, challenging peaks, that is something. You can almost breathe easier being here, in a way. And I was saying this park gives people, yet almost the freedom to actually explore, on their own terms.

Driving from Ieud to reach the park’s edges at Moisei or Borșa actually offers people access, still it needs people to consider if they have off roading set-ups if they want to just experience everything there, almost like. The drive from the town offers fantastic places for taking images of what nature does, which I think should interest almost everyone, you know, right? The landscapes here aren’t like ones, alright, anywhere else. Now for those who really love mountains it’s just paradise, yet very well for any outdoor fanatic that wants to switch off. Now you’ll likely do hikes here. At the end of the day you do need proper set up and so being ready for changing moods, seriously. See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Rodnei Mountains Tour Details). Also, read our full review: Rodnei Mountains Full Review

5. The Waterfall Circuit: Horses’ Waterfall and Surrounding Cascades

If you actually wanna hear a fantastic place of sound in nature the Horses’ Waterfall (Cascada Cailor), may almost well interest many visitors to the zone because it’s a local gem and almost definitely something to rave about for social media. It’s a bit away yet almost gets many coming back every season it feels, at the end of the day.

Just a tad south of Borșa and basically an enjoyable drive to get to, the falls almost get better the closer you go to it. There are various things to be aware of for travel and walking around, however what most people that are experienced here advise are so being actually physically ready, using shoes what don’t make them just slip, at the end of the day, almost like. It is in a way all actually up to visitors to work with the locale. Just walking past, it does feel and is so good. As I was saying in this tour one might just, I mean just experience nature. It really gets everyone to just switch off and at the end of the day this locale makes people have one thing: happiness. Read our full review: Horses’ Waterfall Full Review and See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Horses’ Waterfall Tour Details).