If you travel to Romania, head beyond Bucharest and discover the lovely town of Sinaia. Perfect for a day trip or even a longer stay, the mountain resort town has a lot to offer beyond the famous Peleș Castle. Keep reading for more things to do in Sinaia.
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About Sinaia, Romania
Sinaia is a small town and mountain resort in the Carpathian Mountains in Romania. Less than two hours north of Bucharest and one hour south of Brașov, this town makes for the ideal day trip destination from either city.
Maybe you’ve never even heard of Sinaia, but if you know anything about Romania, I’m sure you know about Peleș Castle. That is the highlight of this small mountain town. But trust me, there is so much more to do here than just visiting the castle – which is still a must, of course!
Day tours from Bucharest include a stop at Peleș Castle (along with Bran Castle and Brașov), but they don’t really allow you to explore the town much. So, if you’re looking to go beyond the usual tourist sites or are simply curious about what is there to see in Sinaia, I’ve got you covered!
If you’re wondering, the reason I’m so familiar with this small town in Romania is that I’m from Brașov. I was born and grew up there until the age of 14, and I go back regularly. I first visited Sinaia and Peleș Castle on a school trip, but I barely have any memory of that. However, I’ve gone back at least five times in the past four years, alone or with friends who have come to visit me. So, I know my way around.
Without boring you with more life details, let’s jump into this little guide on how to spend a day in Sinaia. The town is a perfect blend of stunning nature, history, and culture. Through castles, palaces, museums, and mountain hikes, you’ll get to experience one of Romania’s most beautiful towns.
Practical Tips for Visiting Sinaia
Before diving into the best things to do in Sinaia on a day trip, let me give you some practical information.
- Best time of year to visit: Sinaia is a great destination year-round. Shoulder seasons are usually best to avoid the crowds, while summers and winters, especially the holiday season, see lots of visitors. But the town has a lot to offer in every season, so you can hardly go wrong! Plus, many things are indoors, so even if the weather is not ideal, you’ll still have plenty to do.
- How to get there: You can reach Sinaia by train from both Bucharest and Brașov. Most trains are operated by CFR Călători (the state operator), but there are a few private trains as well. You can check all the train timetables here. The train ride takes 1.5 hours from Bucharest and 1 hour from Brașov. Alternatively, you can rent a car and enjoy driving around the region at your own pace.
- Getting around: You can easily walk around the center of Sinaia and to most attractions. Peleș Castle is a bit farther away and uphill. However, Sinaia also has four bus lines that connect the whole town. Lines T1 and T3 will get you close to Peleș Castle. You can buy bus tickets online, through the app (links to download it here), or on board with contactless payments. A one-way ride is 3 RON, so roughly 0.60€/0.70$.
- How much time to spend in Sinaia: You can check out the main sights on a day trip if you start early in the morning. Just make sure to plan your museum entries according to the opening hours. However, if you want to go for longer hikes in the Bucegi mountains, I recommend spending at least one night in Sinaia.
Fun fact: Sinaia’s Royal Train Station is one of the filming locations of the Netflix show Wednesday, along with Cantacuzino Castle in the nearby town of Bușteni. I have a whole post dedicated to visiting Cantacuzino Castle.
Recommended Sinaia Itinerary
Your Sinaia itinerary will look slightly different depending on the season you visit and whether you plan to hike in the Bucegi Mountains.
If you visit between April and October and don’t plan to go hiking, I recommend this order: Peleș Castle > Sinaia Monastery > Dimitrie Ghica Park > Lunch > Sinaia Casino > Știrbey Castle. If you still have time and feel like it, you can take the gondola up to enjoy the view for a while in the late afternoon.
If you visit in the winter and still want to take the gondola up, you should do it earlier in the day. My recommended order would be: Peleș Castle > Gondola Ride > Știrbey Castle > Lunch > Dimitrie Ghica Park > Sinaia Casino > Sinaia Monastery.
If you want to go for longer hikes, you have two options. Split your day into two, spending half a day hiking and the other half checking out two or free attractions. Alternatively, spend a night in Sinaia and dedicate a full day to hiking and the other to cultural activities.
I would highly recommend staying in Sinaia for two days if you have time. It’s the perfect stop between Bucharest and Brașov, and such an underrated destination among foreign visitors. Plus, as you can see, there are lots of things to do in Sinaia! Now let’s check them all out!
Top Things to Do in Sinaia
Before I get started, it’s worth mentioning that it can be tricky to do this all in one day. It’s not impossible, but you do need a full day to cover all the things I mention in Sinaia. If you want to enjoy a slower pace, feel free to pick the things that resonate with you the most.
Peleș Castle & Pelișor Castle
Peleș Castle is the reason most people have even heard about Sinaia, so of course, it’s the first thing we’re going to talk about. The Neo-Renaissance castle nestled in this valley of the Carpathian Mountains is among Romania’s best-known landmarks. Alongside the main castle, there is also a smaller palace known as Pelișor Castle, initially intended as a hunting estate.
Built between 1873 and 1914 as a summer retreat for King Carol I of Romania, Peleș Castle is awe-inspiring. Not only does it stand amidst the lush greenery of the Prahova Valley, but the elaborate architecture mixing Neo-Renaissance and Gothic Revival elements makes it a unique building. Plus, it’s surrounded by beautiful gardens on multiple levels with stairways, fountains, and sculptures.
You can access the castle grounds free of charge, while the interior has an entry fee. Visiting rules have changed in the past year, so you now need to purchase the ticket either online or at the ticket machines outside the castle. Moreover, there are specific time slots for visiting that you need to respect.
I highly recommend buying tickets online a few days ahead, especially if visiting on a weekend! The entry fee for Peleș Castle is 100 RON (20€/23$) and for Pelișor Castle it’s 30 RON (6€/7$). If you want to follow this itinerary, I recommend picking the first entry slot available, which should be 9.15 AM. This one is often the first to sell out, so I mean it, book ahead of time!
I have a whole article dedicated to visiting Peleș Castle in the works. If you want to read more about it and all the different options for visiting, consider signing up for my monthly newsletter, where I send the latest blog updates.
Sinaia Monastery
Roughly halfway between the train station and Peleș Castle, Sinaia Monastery is probably the second-best known attraction in town, after the castle, of course. Founded in 1695, the monastery was named after Saint Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai. In fact, the town was basically built around the monastery and named after it.
There are now two churches in two adjacent courtyards: Biserica Veche (the Old Church) is the one built in 1695, while the larger one, aptly named Biserica Mare (The Great Church), dates to 1846. Furthermore, there is a small museum dedicated to the monastery, housing religious art and artifacts.
You can enter the churches for free every day, but the museum is not always open. Last I knew, from April to October, the museum opens daily except on Mondays. In the wintertime, it only opens on request for large groups. But even if the museum is closed, it’s still worth checking out the beautiful courtyards and churches! This is an ideal stop before or after visiting Peleș Castle.
Dimitrie Ghica Park
It’s almost impossible not to walk by Dimitrie Ghica Park when you visit Sinaia. The quaint little park in the town center is a lovely spot for a relaxed walk or even a picnic in the summer. If the weather is nice, pack your lunch, bring a towel, and sit on the grass near the fountain in front of the Caraiman Hotel.
While the park is the perfect spot to enjoy the shade of the trees in summer, it becomes a fairytale place in the winter. There’s always a small Christmas market along with lots of beautiful decorations. Sinaia is particularly beautiful during the winter holidays, and there’s even an ice-skating rink here.
If you visit in the fall, you may catch the Sinaia Forever festival, with live music, arts and crafts displays, food, and local traditions. The festival usually takes place in early September.
Sinaia Casino
Most people don’t even know you can visit the Sinaia Casino. I was one of them. I only heard about it a few years ago and visited for the first time in 2024. But now that I’ve seen it, I must say it’s one of the coolest things to do in Sinaia.
You probably wouldn’t tell, but the Sinaia Casino was once among the most prestigious casinos in Europe. Built in a record time of 7 months between 1911 and 1912, the Casino was said to be a replica of the Monte Carlo one. In reality, the main thing they had in common was one of the investors.
Unfortunately, the casino immediately got a bad reputation. Only two days after opening, the Loebel brothers, friends of the casino’s investor, gambled away their entire fortune and committed double suicide. That would be only the first of the many deaths linked to the casino, which later became known as the Devil’s House. In fact, gamblers who lost their fortunes would take their own lives on the very grounds of the casino.
The Sinaia Casino closed after World War II and was briefly used by the Red Cross for humanitarian purposes. It later became the Trade Union Culture House of Sinaia and housed various cultural events. Nowadays, it’s an event venue and a tourist attraction.
You can join a guided tour taking place every hour. The complete tour is 30 RON (6€/7$) for adults, or you can pair it with the entrance to ȘtirbeyCastle (which I will cover next) for 50 RON in total (10€/11.5$). There’s also a small art gallery that you can check out before or after your guided tour.
Știrbey Castle
Știrbey Castle is a much lesser-known place in Sinaia, so much so that I was the only visitor when I went in November 2024. Despite being located right in the center of Sinaia, few visitors add this stop to their itinerary. I’m here to tell you not to skip this one.
Dating to the late 19th century, Știrbey Castle is the oldest civil building in Sinaia. It houses a small museum dedicated to the town of Sinaia, a café, and even tourist accommodation! If you plan to spend the night in Sinaia, this makes for a unique stay!
What I want to tell you about is the town museum. The 13 thematic rooms showcase Sinaia’s history, from its establishment as a luxurious town where aristocrats could build their summer houses to the Communist regime and the 1989 Revolution. Learning about the city at this small museum will give you a whole new perspective on what seems like just any other mountain resort town.
The museum is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm, and there’s a 30 RON (6€/7$) entry fee. You can also purchase the combined ticket with the Sinaia Casino, which I’ve already covered.
Cable Car to Bucegi Mountains & Hiking
If you want to explore beyond the city center and immerse yourself in nature, I’ve got you covered. Catch the cable car (gondola) up to 2000 meters of altitude and experience the striking landscapes of the Bucegi Mountains.
The ascent up to 2000 meters is divided into two stages. First, you’ll get the cable car up to 1400 meters. Then, there’s a second cable car that goes up to 2000 meters. For the first stage, you have two options: an old-style, Communist-era cable car from the center of Sinaia, just behind Știrbey Castle, or a more modern version that starts farther uphill. There are buses to the new gondola station if you want to avoid the walk up.
Once you’re up in the mountains, there are plenty of hiking trails, including one to the famous rock formations, Sfinxul și Babele. The hike to Babele takes around 2.5 hours, but there are shorter trails as well. You can easily spend a whole day hiking in this area, but it’s also a nice experience to just take the cable car up and enjoy a couple of hours of fresh air and sweeping views.
In the winter, this whole area is a ski resort, which makes Sinaia the perfect destination for winter sports. But it’s also a beautiful place to explore in the summer, where you can escape the heat and enjoy the refreshing mountain air. The return ticket for the cable car costs 119 RON, which is roughly 24€. You can buy your tickets directly at the gondola station or online. Make sure to dress appropriately, as it can be significantly colder at 2000 meters compared to the center of Sinaia.
Where to Eat in Sinaia
Sinaia is quite the tourist destination, so there’s no shortage of restaurants to enjoy either a traditional Romanian meal or international cuisine. Here are my recommendations:
- Crama Rina for traditional Romanian food & vibes
- Umami Burgers & More for delicious burgers, including vegetarian/vegan options
- Cafenea Caramello for coffee and cakes
Where to Stay in Sinaia
Lastly, if you choose to turn your day trip to Sinaia into a 2-day adventure, here are some great, central accommodation options:
Or browse for more options below:
If you’re planning a longer trip around Romania, and specifically Transylvania, I recommend checking out these articles too:
Travel Resources
| Website/App | Category | Description | Book Here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booking.com | Accommodation | My favorite website for great accommodations for different budgets. | Find a Place |
| Kiwi.com | Flights | My new favorite platform for finding affordable flights. | Find Flights |
| Omio | Transportation | You can book everything from buses and trains to ferry rides. | Transportation |
| SafetyWing | Insurance | One of the best travel medical insurances for frequent travelers. | Get Insured |
| Manawa | Activities | A great platform to book activities and adventures with local hosts. | Find Activities |
| GetYourGuide | Activities | My go-to platform for tours and experiences with lots of options. | Experiences |
| Viator | Activities | A great alternative for activities all over the world. | Experiences |
| GuruWalk | Free tours | A great platform for free walking tours (tipping is recommended). | Book a tour |
| DiscoverCars | Car rental | My go-to platform for car rental anywhere in the world. | Rent a Car |
| Airalo | eSIM | My favorite app for buying digital SIM cards when traveling abroad. | Get an eSIM |
| Saily | eSIM | A great alternative to Airalo, with cheaper plans in some destinations. | Get an eSIM |
| Xe | Currency | A currency converter showing real-time rates. Website or app. | Get Xe App |
| Maps.me | Navigation | My favorite navigation app for hiking trails and remote areas. | Get Maps |
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