8 Best Day Trips From Bucharest According to Travel Experts

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Fellow travel experts share their recommended day trips from Bucharest, featuring castles and coastlines ideal for couples. 

1. Sinaia

Sinaia is probably Romania’s most famous mountain resort, given its easy accessibility from Bucharest, only 120km away.

This makes it the perfect escape from the hectic capital, which can easily be done in just one day.

There is no shortage of castles near Bucharest, but Sinaia is famous for the Peles Castle, the most impressive castle in Romania.

Even though Bran Castle gets all its fame thanks to Dracula, Peles draws many tourists due to its Neo-Renaissance architecture and location on a vast green complex, secluded from the town centre.

Its construction was finalised in 1883, and it became home to the Romanian royal family.

The castle is definitely worth a visit, although there are long queues at the entrance during summer.

Peles Castle is closed on Mondays during the summer months.

Sinaia is filled with restaurants and bistros where you can try the Romanian staple sour soup made of beans and served on bread; just be wary of the beans if you visiting Romania with your partner for the first time, ha!

Bucharest to Sinaia

You can take a bus or, even better, a train to get to Sinaia. Both regular buses and trains go to Sinaia, but the 90-minute train is more romantic and smoother. 

By Andra from Our World to Wander 

2. Peles Castle 

One of Romania’s true gems, Peles Castle in the leafy town of Sinaia, was once the summer residence of the Romanian Royal Family.

The magnificent castle houses over 160 extravagant rooms with exquisite chandeliers, fine arts, frescoes, and stained glass windows.

Exploring the castle feels like entering a fairytale world.

Access is by guided tour only, and there is a fee for photography, which is worth it to capture the majestic castle.

Many visitors combine a visit to Peles Castle with a stop at the nearby Sinaia Monastery, home to Orthodox monks.  

Bucharest to Peles Castle

Peles Castle is located in Sinaia, a 90-minute train journey from Bucharest or by group tour.

It’s a lovely uphill walk from Sinaia Train Station to Peles Castle, accessible via a forest path or along the main road.

Taxis are also available outside the train station. If you have a rental car, the journey between Bucharest and Sinaia takes about 2 hours by road.

By Elaine and Dave from Show Them the Globe

3. Bucharest to Transylvania, Brașov

The Transylvanian city of Brașov is quite small; if you get there early enough, you can see all of the main attractions in a day.

Several companies run walking tours, some of which are free, and these can be a great way to immerse yourself in local Romanian history and see all of the main sights within a few hours.

These attractions include the old medieval walls and churches, such as the Black Church, the Church of Bartolomeu, and the Orthodox Church of Saint Nicolae.

Walking to the top of nearby Mount Tampa is definitely recommended, as it gives you some fantastic views of the city and the chance to see the famous Hollywood-esque sign up close. If you’re short of time or uncomfortable walking, there’s also a cable car.

Finally, before heading back to Bucharest, be sure to stop for some traditional Romanian food, such as Ciorba in paine (soup in a bread bowl), Sarmale (cabbage and pork spring rolls), and Papanași (Romanian doughnuts).

Bucharest to Transylvania

Situated about 170 km from Bucharest, the small Transylvanian city of Brașov is one of Romania’s most popular tourist destinations.

Getting there takes around 2 hours and 30 minutes, just within the realms of a feasible day trip from Bucharest.  

Bucharest to Bravos

There are three main ways to get to Brașov from Bucharest: train or bus, tour bus, or car.

Driving gives you more freedom to set your own timetable and allows you to stop off at attractions like Bran Castle and Snagov Forest.

Most importantly, driving in Romania is just a fun experience in itself.

By James from This Travel Guide 

4. Bran Castle 

Bran Castle is famously known as the location of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Technically speaking, the castle doesn’t have much to do with Dracula, but it is still an interesting piece of architecture, perfect for visiting during a day trip out of Bucharest.

When in Bran, the first and most important thing to do is visit the castle.

Perched on a small hill, the castle is open all week except for public holidays.

The tours offered by the castle administrators are really interesting.

The castle is perfect for children and adults – there is something to do there for everyone.

Most importantly, visitors have to make a wish in the castle’s garden well.

Who doesn’t want their wish to be fulfilled as soon as possible?

Although most visitors expect to see Dracula in the flesh, that will not happen.

The only appearance might be made by local actors trying to keep the legend alive.

The inhabitants of Bran understand that people come to the castle for Dracula, but they might get offended if you only talk about vampires.

The people of Bran really need to be kept happy so they can prepare the wonderful traditional dishes, such as polenta with sour cream, beef sour soup, or kürtőskalács (a Hungarian spit cake sold everywhere in Transylvania), that the visitors must definitely try. Love Halloween? There are parties in Transylvania to celebrate. 

Bucharest to Bran Castle

In order to get there, there are many options, including expensive offers from various travel agencies. 

If you’re on a budget, the cheapest way to get to Bran is to take the train from Bucharest to Brasov and then the bus from Brasov to Bran.

It rides every 30 minutes and is a 40-minute trip.

It all depends on the type of adventure people are looking for!

Read the full details about how to get to Bran Castle here.

By Iulia from The Traveling Tulip | Facebook

5. Sibiu (/Hermannstadt

Bran Castle and Brasov certainly have a charm and are worth visiting.

However, Sibiu has a splendid mix of Romanian culture and German traditions that tourists shouldn’t miss when in Romania.

Wandering in the streets of the Lower Town is definitely one of the best things to do in Sibiu, given the colourful German houses and the lovely Medieval atmosphere. It’s also where the oldest church in the town is, the Asylum Church.

Like Amsterdam and many other cities in the Old Continent, Sibiu has achieved the title of European Cultural Capital, and as a result, multiple cultural events take place in the town.

On days when the weather is good (and even on the bad days, too), the Brukenthal Museum is an interesting place to go.

This complex in Mare Square has one library, two art galleries, and five museums showcasing European art from different schools, including the Romanian.

Alternatively, discovering Sibiu by bike is also a fun way to get around, even though everything can be reached on foot.

The Bridge of Lies in the historic centre is another place worth visiting, not only because of its beauty but also because of a good restaurant right next to it.

It’s said that when somebody tells a lie on this bridge, it starts moving and making weird noises, which is where its name comes from.

For couples who love food, Sibiu offers some delicious traditional foods, such as salted pretzels (covrigi) and polenta with cheese (bulz or mămăligă).

Bucharest to Sibiu

Sibiu can be reached by train from Bucharest, and it takes around 5 hours and 30 minutes to get there.

However, renting a car and going on a road trip in the region of Southern Transylvania is the best option since the town is 279 km away from Bucharest, and the landscapes along the way are breathtaking!

By Bruna |  Maps ‘N Bags | Facebook 

6. Transfăgărășan and Romanian Mountains

If you’ve exhausted the castles, your next stop could be the Fagaras Mountains (Transylvanian Alps), but not before driving the crazily winding Transfăgărășan road.

Notable tourist spots around the mountains include Curtea de Arges monastery, cable car rides at Balea Lake and, of course, another castle, Poenari Citadel.

Couples that hike may want to base themselves in this area for one-day and multi-day treks.

Bucharest to Fagaras Mountains

It is best to travel by car (four hours) or by with a tour like this one.  

7. Vama Veche

If you want to continue the party outside the city, head to Vama Veche village on the Black Sea.

This beach town is where the old-school hippies have settled in Romania and attempted to continue their nudist traditions.

The northern side of the beach is where the hotels have moved in and built upwards.

Bucharest to Vama Veche

Buses leave from the city and take 3-5 hours. 

8. Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo, Bulgaria

Due to its close proximity, day tours from Bucharest are not limited to Romania—visitors can easily hop the border to Bulgaria!

Please be aware that Romania uses the Romanian leu and Bulgaria the Bulgarian lev, two different currencies.

The stunning rock-hewn churches of Ivanovo are hilltop churches and monasteries cut right into the rock above a valley in northern Bulgaria.

They are known for their stunning frescoes.

It’s a steep climb from the car park to the church complex, and if the vigorous climb doesn’t take your breath away, the stunning Bulgarian medieval art frescoes most certainly will!

Despite dating back to the 13th Century, the frescoes are extremely well-preserved.

The churches were inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1979.

Many visitors combine this day tour with a visit to Veliko Tarnovo, a beautiful hilltop city surrounding the medieval Tsarevets Fortress.

Bucharest to Ivanovo

A rental car is a cost-effective way to get to Ivanovo from Bucharest.

It’s a two-hour drive from Bucharest, and the border crossing into Bulgaria is relatively easy.

You can also join a guided tour of Ivanovo. Whichever way you choose to travel, remember your passport for the border crossing!

By Elaine & David from The Whole World is a Playground  

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