Bear watching in the wild near Brașov: what a hide trip involves
4 min read
The short answer
Two trips from Brașov take you to a hide in the forest to watch wild brown bears: the Bear Watching in the Wild tour and the Carpathian Wilderness wildlife experience. Both run in the late afternoon and evening, both drive about 40 to 45 minutes each way, and both are different from visiting the rescued bears at a sanctuary (see Bran, the sanctuary and Râșnov).
The two trips side by side
| Bear Watching in the Wild | Carpathian Wilderness | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | €96.35 | €79 |
| Rating | 4.9/5 from 123 reviews | 4.7/5 from 299 reviews |
| Length | 3.5 hours | 4 hours |
| Group | small group, up to 8 | small group, up to 12 |
| Guide | licensed guide, English, German or Romanian | forest ranger, English |
| Start | afternoon, meeting point in the old town | between 16:00 and 18:00 depending on the month, at the county library on Bulevardul Eroilor |
| Walking | none, the page says there is no hiking | about 20 minutes, a few hundred metres through the forest |
What the pages say about the evening
The first page says the drive takes about 40 minutes, the bear session lasts between 1 hour 15 minutes and 2 hours depending on how fast the bears show up and how much daylight is left, and rain does not affect it. It says other operators may also bring visitors to the same hide, especially in peak season. Pickup from the old town is included; for pickup from outside the old town it names an extra fee and says it depends on availability.
The second page says the operator tells you the exact start time two to three days before the tour, that you wait quietly in the hide for wildlife to appear, and that boar, roe deer, red deer, wolves and forest birds are also possible.
Can they promise bears?
They say different things. The first page advertises a “100% success rate for bear sightseeing in the last three seasons”. The second says there is a very good chance, but that a sighting of a wild animal cannot be guaranteed. Both are statements by the operators, so treat the sighting as likely, not certain, and the free cancellation up to 24 hours before as your only guarantee.
What to wear and bring
The first page recommends a dark top and offers a blanket if you have none, and asks you to avoid strong perfume. The second asks for no perfume, no bright colours and no food. Binoculars are listed as shared on the first page.
Who it does not suit
According to the pages, the first tour is not suitable for wheelchair users or babies under one year, and the second is not suitable for children under 12 or pregnant women. If someone in your group is under 12, the sanctuary is the alternative: it admits children from five (see the bear tour category).
Our recommendation
For most people the Bear Watching in the Wild tour is the simpler choice: shorter, a smaller group, no walk and pickup from the old town included. Choose the Carpathian Wilderness trip if you want a forest ranger and do not mind walking to the hide.
