Sibiu Day Trips by Car, Bus and Train

October 30, 2026

How you travel decides which trips work. A car opens the Saxon villages, buses cover the nearest hills, and trains reach only the larger towns. Distances below are road estimates from route planners, so add time for traffic and weather.

Short hops by car or taxi

Cisnădioara sits about 12 km south of Sibiu, with a Romanesque church-fortress on the hill above the village. Entry to fortified churches in the area has historically run from about 10 to 20 RON, so carry small notes.

Rășinari, about 12 km south-west, is the birthplace of Emil Cioran and Octavian Goga. It is a village of wooden gates and a pleasant place to stop for lunch.

Sibiel lies about 20 km west and holds the Priest Zosim Oancea Glass Icons Museum, a parish collection of several hundred glass icons. Opening hours and the entry fee are reported differently from one listing to the next, so phone ahead.

By bus: Păltiniș

Păltiniș is a mountain resort at 1,440 m, about 35 km from Sibiu, founded in the 1890s by the Transylvanian Carpathian Society. Tursib route 22 runs there for about 11 to 12 RON each way, and a bicycle ticket costs 10 RON, space permitting. In winter the Arena Platoș ski area has about 3.5 km of pistes, and prices for the new season are normally announced in November at arenaplatos.ro . In summer, walkers follow trails toward Vf. Cindrel, a peak of about 2,244 m. The Tursib fare page lists current tickets and seat limits for groups.

By car: the fortified churches and Sighișoara

Valea Viilor is about 48 km away, a drive of about 45 minutes, and its fortified church belongs to the UNESCO group. Confirm opening before you set out.

Biertan is 67 to 70 km north-east, a drive of 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 35, and has been a UNESCO site since 1993. Visits are reported at 10 to 20 RON, with a lunch break in the opening hours. A popular story says the church kept feuding couples in a small room until they reconciled. Without a car, take the train to Mediaș (about 1 hour 15) and then a taxi, roughly 2 hours 15 in total. The UNESCO entry covers the whole group of villages.

Sighișoara is about 90 km away, around 1 hour 30 by road. The citadel streets are free to walk, and the historic centre is a UNESCO site. The Clock Tower museum is reported at about 20 RON but its roof was being restored, so check before you go. Tradition gives the covered Scholars’ Stairs 175 steps. Train journey times vary between 1 hour 30 and 2 hours 15, so check CFR Călători.

Seasonal: Transfăgărășan and Bâlea Lake

The high section of the Transfăgărășan (DN7C) opens roughly from late June or July to late October, depending on weather. CNAIR closed it from 27 October 2026, and it may stay shut until next summer, so check CNAIR and Infotrafic first. In season, Bâlea Lake is roughly 1 hour 30 to 2 hours from Sibiu by car. When the road is shut, a cable car runs from Bâlea Cascadă to Bâlea Lac in good weather, daily 09:00 to 17:00, at about 60 RON one way and 120 RON return for adults (some sources quote more), so call the station between 08:30 and 09:00 to confirm it is running. See the cable car guide .

Bears live along this road, and feeding them is illegal: a tourist who fed one in 2026 was fined 20,000 RON. If you meet one, remain inside the vehicle, and never leave food out.

Too far for a relaxed day

Brașov, with the Black Church and Council Square, is about 114 km away, 2 hours by road or 2 hours 45 to 3 hours 30 by train. Viscri is about 116 km and 1 hour 50 each way, so it suits an overnight stay. The Libearty bear sanctuary at Zărnești is in Brașov county, a better fit for a Brașov stay.

Browse organised trips: Sighișoara and Biertan tours on GetYourGuide .