How to Spend a Long Weekend in Transylvania
Brașov and Sinaia are two of the most popular tourist destinations in Romania, and for good reason! Brașov is a charming city with a historic Old Town, while Sinaia is a mountain resort town with stunning views of the Carpathian Mountains. We recommend visiting these two spots together because of their close proximity and because they provide a great balance between city and mountains.
This blog post will outline a possible four day itinerary for visiting Brașov and Sinaia, including some of the most popular attractions in each city. I definitely recommend spending more time in these spots or exploring more of Transylvania if you can, but this itinerary covers the best spots to hit if you’re on a bit of a time crunch!
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Day 1: Brașov
Exploring Downtown Brașov
Your first day in Brașov will involve exploring the city. The Old Town is stunning and a great way to kick start your time in Transylvania. This historic district is home to many well-preserved buildings, including the Black Church, the Council Tower, and the Tanners’ Quarter. Take some time to wander through the narrow streets and alleyways, and admire the architecture.
In the afternoon, take the cable car up Tampa Hill for stunning views of the city. The hill offers panoramic views of Brașov and the surrounding mountains. You can also visit the Tampa Park, which is a popular spot for locals and tourists alike.
Traditional Romanian Dinner
For dinner, enjoy a traditional Romanian meal at Ceasu Rau restaurant. This restaurant serves authentic Romanian dishes, such as sarmale (stuffed cabbage leaves) and gulaș (a stew made with beef, onions, and spices). If possible, try to get a table in the courtyard, it’s a beautiful place to enjoy a great meal!
Where to Stay in Brașov
There are tons of options for all price ranges for where to stay in Brașov. We recommend staying as close to old town as you can – that’ll be easy for exploring and transportation!
Brașov Accommodations
How to Get to Brașov
There are airports in Bucharest and Brașov; both are good options for getting to this region (book your cheap flights here!). If you fly into Bucharest and are going straight to Brașov, hop on the train in station right next to the airport, take it to Bucharest North train station, and there should be frequent trains heading to Brașov.
Read about the Best Things to Do in Bucharest!
Day 2: Bears, Bran, and Râșnov
Zărnești’s Libearty Bear Sanctuary
Start your day with a visit to the Zărnești’s Libearty Bear Sanctuary. This sanctuary is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2005 to provide a home for bears that were rescued from circuses, zoos, and other places where they have been mistreated. The sanctuary currently houses over 100 bears, and they all have their own spacious enclosures.
Visitors to the sanctuary can take a guided tour to learn about the bears and their rescue stories. They offer tours in the morning hours only; for more information, schedules, and tickets, visit their website.
Bran Castle
After the bear sanctuary, head over to Bran where you’ll visit Bran Castle, also known as Dracula’s Castle. Nestled in the Carpathian Mountains, this medieval castle is said to be the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula.
The castle is open to the public and you can explore the interior, including the dungeons and torture chambers. There may be a line if you happen to be visiting during a busy time of year, but it usually moves pretty quickly.
You can check hours and ticket prices on the Official Bran Castle Website.
Râșnov
On your way back to Brașov from Bran, stop in Râșnov to explore the town’s medieval fortress. This fortress is located on a hilltop and offers stunning views of the surrounding area.
How to Get from Brașov to Zărnești
This is a bit trickier to do with public transportation. There is a train that runs from Brașov to Zărnești, so taking that followed by a taxi is probably your best bet if you haven’t rented a car for the day. Another good option is doing an organized tour to get here!
How to Get to/from Brașov to Bran and Râșnov
The easiest way to get to/from Bran and Râșnov from Brașov via public transportation is to take the bus. There’s a bus that goes frequently from Autogara 2 in Brașov that goes to Bran and stops in Râșnov on the way back. This bus is how we got to Bran from Brașov as well as to Râșnov from Bran. Just a warning that this bus can get very crowded, so try to take one of the earlier buses if you can. If you’re trying to get back to Brașov from Râșnov, you can take either that bus or take the train. We found the train to be a bit more reliable in terms of timing, so we took that back to Brașov.
If you don’t want to deal with transportation, check out this full day tour that will take you to the Bear Sanctuary, Bran Castle, and Râșnov!
Day 3: Hiking in Sinaia
A Day in the Carpathians
Today you’ll be leaving Brașov to spend the rest of your time in the beautiful mountain town of Sinaia. Take the train to Sinaia from the main Brașov station as early as possible; this is about an hour ride, and the trains run very frequently. Once you get to Sinaia and are all settled in, take the cable car up to the Bucegi Mountains. This ride will yield stunning views and bring you up to the beginning of some great hiking trails.
Two of the best options from here (and what we did for our hike here) are hikes to Omu Peak or the Heroes Cross (or both!). Omu Peak is the highest peak in the Bucegi Mountains, while the Heroes Cross is a memorial cross built in honor of the Romanian soldiers who died in World War I. The hike to Omu Peak is challenging, but the views from the top are worth it.
In terms of timing, a round trip to Omu Peak should take around 4 hours, to Heroes Cross should take about 2 hours, and doing both should take around 5.5 hours. After your hike, take the cable car back down and rest your legs for the night!
If you’d prefer to hike with a tour guide, check out this full day hiking tour that leaves from Brașov.
Where to Stay in Sinaia
Sinaia is a bit more expensive to stay in than Brașov, but I promise it’s worth it to stay in this cute little town. When we were there, we stayed in Bucegi View Apartaments and I highly recommend them, the room was huge and the view from the balcony was incredible!
Sinaia Accommodations
How to Get from Brașov to Sinaia
Sinaia is between Bucharest and Brașov, so you’ll just want to get on one of the trains heading to Bucharest (which run super quickly).
Day 4: Peleș Castle
Peleș Castle
To round off your Transylvanian trip, you’ll visit Peleș Castle – the former summer residence of the Romanian royal family – and explore Sinaia. We recommend starting your day at Peleș as it can get quite crowded. While over here, you can also visit Pelișor Castle, which is basically a smaller version of Peleș.
You can check hours and ticket prices on the Official Peleș Website. Note that both Peleș and Pelișor are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays!
To get to and from Peleș Castle from downtown Sinaia, take Aleea Carmen Sylva street. This road is pedestrian only and has a number of shops along it selling souvenirs. It’s a beautiful, charming walkway connects Peleș to the Sinaia Monastery, which is another notable building worth popping into!
Downtown Sinaia
The town of Sinaia is quite small, but it’s very beautiful. Spend some time wandering around its picturesque streets and its beautiful park. When it’s time, you’ll take a quick train to either Brașov or Bucharest, where you’ll fly home or your journey will continue!
This itinerary includes a mix of activities, so you can experience the best of what Brasov and Sinaia have to offer. You can tailor the itinerary to your own interests and preferences, but I hope this gives you a good starting point.
How to Get Around Romania
Once you’re in Romania, we recommend using public transportation to get around. The railway network connects all major cities in Romania as well as some smaller towns and villages, and the tickets are extremely cheap. The one downside to the trains is that they’re unfortunately pretty slow, which is why buses are also a good option.
If you have the budget, we highly recommend renting a car to explore Transylvania. This will make it immensely easier to visit everything you want to without wasting a ton of time on public transportation.
Tip: While in Romania, we found this website really helpful because it shows train schedules of all operators.
Best Time to Visit Transylvania
Romania is a stunning place to visit year round, but the best time to visit is definitely during the summer months, from May to September. These months boast great temperatures that are perfect for exploring beautiful Transylvania and doing some hiking! It can get hot during the summer, but it’s usually not uncomfortably hot in Romania.
If you happen to be visiting during Halloween weekend, you’re in for a special treat! Each year there’s a Halloween Party at Bran Castle that is definitely worth doing if you’re there at that time – who doesn’t want to dress up and party in an iconic castle??
Keep Exploring Romania….
- The Best Things to Do in Sibiu, Romania
- Therme Spa: The Ultimate Guide to Bucharest’s Luxury Oasis
- The 10 Best Things to Do in Bucharest
- Sighișoara: A Charming Transylvanian Town with a Rich History
- Salina Turda: The World’s Most Exciting Salt Mine
Our Favorite Travel Resources
Accommodations: We use Booking.com for hotels and HostelWorld for hostels. We also use VRBO or TrustedHousesitters for longer stays.
Flights: We recommend using Skyscanner to find the cheapest and best flights.
Ground Transport: We use 12Go and Omio for buses and private transfers, and rentalcars.com and Discover Cars for rental cars.
Activities: GetYourGuide and Viator are the best websites for booking organized tours.
International Medical Insurance: We highly recommend SafetyWing for Digital Nomads and HeyMondo for those not traveling full-time, or who frequently engage in higher-risk adventure activities.
eSIM: We recommend Airalo or Holafly for getting data internationally.
Check out our Travel Resources Page for more of our favorite travel-related products and services!
