4 Days in Bucharest: The Castle Run

Four days is where this trip stops being a round-trip slog. Do Sinaia from Bucharest, then relocate to Brasov for a real overnight instead of racing Bran and Brasov in one exhausting day. Only have 3 days? See the 3 day version . Want Sighisoara too? Jump to the 6 day or 7 day routes.

Book these before you go

Day 1: Arrival and the Old Town at night

Land at Henri Coanda Airport (OTP), take Express Bus 100 (about 3 RON) or the direct rail shuttle to Gara de Nord (20-25 minutes). Skip any metro plan, Line M6 does not reach the airport yet in 2026. Check into a central hotel, then walk Lipscani’s Old Town for sarmale and mici. One night here, then you’re heading for the mountains.

Day 2: Peles and Pelisor, Sinaia

Train from Gara de Nord to Sinaia takes roughly 1.5 to 2 hours. Peles Castle, built for King Carol I between 1873 and 1914, is carved walnut paneling and stained glass, a genuine royal residence rather than a marketing invention: the full tour costs 100 RON adult / 25 RON student, or 50 RON / 12.5 RON for ground-floor-only. Pelisor next door adds about 30 RON adult / 7.5 RON student. Book your timed slot before you leave, both castles cap daily visitors since June 2025. Return to Bucharest by evening for a last night in the capital.

Day 3: Relocate to Brasov, then Bran Castle

Train to Brasov, roughly 2.5 to 3 hours, and check into a hotel there instead of doing a same-day round trip. That frees up the afternoon for Bran Castle, only 30-45 minutes from Brasov by bus or taxi rather than the 2.5-3 hour haul from Bucharest. Bran’s “Dracula” branding is a 1970s tourism invention, Stoker never visited Romania and Vlad the Impaler’s link to the building is thin at best, historians point to Visegrad in Hungary for any real imprisonment. Go anyway, the hilltop fortress and Queen Marie’s rooms hold up on their own, standard adult entry runs about 120 RON. Spend the evening in Brasov’s old town: the Black Church, Council Square, dinner somewhere with a view of Mount Tampa.

Day 4: Rasnov Fortress, then back to Bucharest

Morning trip to Rasnov Fortress, a hilltop medieval stronghold a short bus ride from Brasov, then ride the cable car up Mount Tampa for a last look at the Carpathians before you leave them behind. Afternoon train back to Bucharest (2.5 to 3 hours), evening free for a final Old Town dinner before your flight.

Why relocate to Brasov instead of day-tripping Bran?

A same-day round trip from Bucharest to Bran and Brasov runs 10 to 12 hours door to door once you add the local hop out to the castle. With a fourth day available, staying the night in Brasov cuts that transit time roughly in half and adds Rasnov Fortress, a genuine extra sight the round-trip version has no time for. The only cost is packing a bag for one night away from your Bucharest hotel.

Is Rasnov Fortress worth adding to a Bran and Brasov trip?

Yes, it’s a working hilltop fortress rather than a restored showpiece, with views over the Carpathian foothills that Bran’s crowded courtyard doesn’t offer. It sits close enough to Brasov that fitting it in alongside Bran only costs a couple of hours, and the ticket price is a fraction of either castle’s.

Day Focus Travel time Rough daily cost (RON)
1 Arrival, Old Town dinner 20-50 min airport to center 200-300
2 Sinaia: Peles and Pelisor 1.5-2h each way by train 300-380
3 Relocate to Brasov, Bran Castle 2.5-3h to Brasov, 30-45 min to Bran 350-450
4 Rasnov Fortress, return to Bucharest 2.5-3h back to Bucharest 250-350

Pack one small overnight bag for Brasov, dragging a full suitcase up cobbled Council Square is the one avoidable mistake here.