# Scărișoara Ice Cave

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Transylvania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/transilvania) › [Alba County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/alba) › [Ghețari](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/ghetari)

> A cave in the Apuseni Mountains with the Scărișoara Glacier (Ghețarul Scărișoara), one of the largest underground glaciers in the world: a block of ice over 10,000 years old, reached by stairs down a 60 m wide shaft.

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**At a glance:** Caves in Ghețari, Alba County. Opening hours: daily 10:00 – 16:00. The visit takes 45 min. Information verified on 28 September 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** daily 10:00 – 16:00 — The hours above are those listed by the Apuseni Natural Park Administration (daily, 10:00–16:00), which refers visitors to Gârda de Sus town hall, the cave's operator, for confirmation. Several recent accounts mention summer hours until 18:00; the town hall does not publish up-to-date hours, so ring ahead, especially in winter and on public holidays.
- **Visit duration:** 45 min — descent and guided tour
- **With kids:** Yes — steep stairs; around 0 °C
- **Best season:** All year round — icy stairs in winter
- **Address:** At the end of the paved road that climbs ~10 km from Gârda de Sus (DN 75) to the village of Ghețari, Ghețari, Alba County
- **Coordinates:** 46.4899, 22.8105
- **Phone:** +40 258 778 141
- **Website:** https://www.parcapuseni.ro/turism/obiective-turistice/63-pestera-ghetarul-scarisoara
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sc%C4%83ri%C8%99oara_Cave
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q775801
- **Categories:** [Caves](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/caves), [National parks and reserves](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/national-parks-and-reserves)

## About Scărișoara Ice Cave

At 1,165 m, on the edge of the karst plateau by the village of Ghețari, the forest suddenly gives way to a round shaft 60 m across and almost 50 m deep. At its bottom a portal 24 m wide and 17 m high leads into a huge chamber whose floor is a block of ice rather than rock. Cold air sinks into the cave in winter and stays trapped there, so the ice does not melt even in midsummer.

The cave has been known since the mid-19th century and was studied by, among others, Emil Racoviță in the 1920s. It has been protected as a natural monument since 1938 and is part of Apuseni Natural Park. The ice block holds more than 100,000 cubic metres (a ground-penetrating radar survey in 2016 put it at over 120,000 m³; older measurements gave 75,000 m³), and recent drilling has dated the layers at its base to about 10,500 years, which makes it the oldest known underground glacier. From 2019 to 2021 the cave was closed while its access stairs were rebuilt. The current melt rate is the highest in the 100 years since research began: in a single year the ice surface can lose 20–25 cm, against an average of 2–3 cm a year over the previous two decades.

### What you can see

The way down is by metal and wooden stairs on the moss-covered wall of the shaft; snow lies at the bottom for most of the year. Beyond the portal you enter the Great Hall, where a railed walkway crosses right over the smooth surface of the ice. On the right, the ice drops steeply towards the area known as the Church, with ice stalagmites that grow each spring from meltwater dripping from the roof. The remaining galleries, the Great Reserve and the Small Reserve, are closed to the public and kept for research.

### Good to know

Inside, the temperature is around 0 °C in summer and drops below freezing in winter, and the stairs and walkways are wet or icy: bring warm clothes and shoes with good grip. Visits are only with a guide, in a group.

## Don't miss

- The descent by stairs into the shaft, 60 m across, with the forest overhead and snow lying at the bottom for most of the year.
- The portal, 24 m wide and 17 m high, through which you pass from the shaft into the Great Hall.
- The walkway in the Great Hall, which runs right over the smooth surface of the ice block.
- The ice stalagmites in the area known as the Church, built up by water dripping from the roof.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** from the DN 75 (Câmpeni – Arieșeni), in Gârda de Sus take the signposted paved road up to Ghețari, ~10 km of hairpins (~20 minutes), to the car park by the cave. From Câmpeni it is ~40 km (~1 hour), from Alba Iulia ~120 km (~2h45), from Cluj-Napoca ~160 km via Turda and Câmpeni (~3 hours), from Oradea ~140 km via Beiuș and the Vârtop pass (~3 hours). In winter the road to Ghețari can be snowbound: make sure the car is fitted for winter.

**Public transport:** there is no scheduled service to the cave. Minibuses along the DN 75 from Câmpeni reach Gârda de Sus; from there it is ~10 km uphill, on foot or with a lift arranged through the local guesthouses.

### Where to park

Car park at the end of the paved road, from where it is a few minutes' walk, past houses and through the forest, to the mouth of the shaft. Recent accounts mention a small fee at the laid-out car park; on summer weekends it fills up by midday and people park along the road.

### Fees & discounts

Gârda de Sus town hall does not publish current prices online. Accounts from recent years give different prices for an adult ticket, from ~11 lei (2024) to ~25 lei (2026), with reductions for pupils and students and free entry for young children; check at the ticket desk and bring cash, as card payment is not guaranteed.

### Rules

Visits are only in groups accompanied by a cave guide. Do not step off the walkways or onto the ice: the block is a natural monument and under continuous study. The stairs in the shaft are steep and icy in the cold season; you need shoes with good grip and warm clothes even in summer. Professional filming and photography require the consent of the Apuseni Natural Park Administration.

### Facilities

Ticket desk and toilets at the entrance · car park by the cave · guesthouses and places to eat in Ghețari and Gârda de Sus · the route has steep stairs and is not pushchair- or wheelchair-accessible · weak mobile signal in the shaft and the cave

## Details

- **Protected area type:** natural monument
- **Part of:** Apuseni Natural Park
- **Total length:** 720 m
- **Inside temperature:** 0 °C
- **Altitude:** 1,165 m
- **Developed and lit:** Yes
- **Guided visits only:** Yes

## Frequently asked questions about Scărișoara Ice Cave

**What are the opening hours of Scărișoara Ice Cave?**

Opening hours at Scărișoara Ice Cave: daily 10:00 – 16:00. More under “Opening hours”.

**How long does a visit to Scărișoara Ice Cave take?**

A visit to Scărișoara Ice Cave takes about 45 min (descent and guided tour).

**Can you visit Scărișoara Ice Cave with kids?**

Yes, Scărișoara Ice Cave is suitable for children (steep stairs; around 0 °C).

**How do I get to Scărișoara Ice Cave?**

Scărișoara Ice Cave is located at At the end of the paved road that climbs ~10 km from Gârda de Sus (DN 75) to the village of Ghețari, Ghețari, Alba County. More under “Getting there”.

**When is the best time to visit Scărișoara Ice Cave?**

The best season for Scărișoara Ice Cave: All year round (icy stairs in winter).

## Nearby attractions

- [Poarta lui Ionele Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/poarta-lui-ionele-cave) — Caves · Gârda de Sus, AB · 45 min · 4 km
  A show cave in the Ordâncușa Valley near Gârda de Sus, with a 22 m high entrance portal, a stream that runs through it all year and small tufa cascades right at the entrance.
- [Ascension of the Lord Wooden Church in Arieșeni](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/ascension-of-the-lord-wooden-church-in-arieseni) — Churches · Arieșeni, AB · 30 min · 6 km
  A wooden church of 1791, plastered and roofed in sheet metal, with rare peasant stucco decoration on its façades, a west bell tower and old painting in the nave.
- [Coiba Mare Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/coiba-mare-cave) — Caves · Casa de Piatră, AB · Free · 8 km
  An undeveloped cave in the Bihor Mountains near Casa de Piatră: a huge portal, 54 × 45 m, through which the Gârdișoara stream vanishes underground.
- [Vârtop Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/vartop-cave) — Caves · Casa de Piatră, AB · 15 lei · 8 km
  An undeveloped cave in the Bihor Mountains, with ice at the entrance and white formations, where a Neanderthal footprint at least 62,000 years old was found in 1974.
- [Transursoaia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/transursoaia) — Scenic roads · Alba County · Free · 2½ – 3 hours · 10 km
  National road DN1R, 80 km through the Apuseni Mountains between Huedin and Albac: past Lake Beliș-Fântânele, through the Moți villages and over the Ursoaia Pass, at about 1,320 m.
- [Vârciorog Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/varciorog-waterfall) — Waterfalls · Arieșeni, AB · Free · 2 – 2½ hours · 12 km
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## Featured in the guides

- [Caves in Romania: the ones you can visit, by area, with a map](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/caves-in-romania) — 37 caves in Romania you can visit, by area: Bears' Cave, Scărișoara, Women's Cave, Ialomița, Polovragi. What is open now, tickets, map, what to bring.
- [Ice caves and underground glaciers in Romania: Scărișoara, Focul Viu, Vârtop, Borsec](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/ice-caves-in-romania) — Four ice caves can be visited: Scărișoara (the largest underground glacier, over 10,500 years old), Vârtop, Focul Viu and Borsec. Tickets, season, melting.
- [Apuseni caves: a 2–3 day route through Bihor and Alba](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/apuseni-caves) — 13 caves to visit in the Apuseni Mountains, ~350 km from Oradea to Gârda de Sus: Meziad, Bears' Cave, Padiș, Scărișoara. Order, distances, what is closed.
- [The largest cave in Romania and the other records: the longest, the deepest, the oldest show cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/largest-cave-in-romania) — Longest: Wind Cave, over 42 km. Deepest: Avenul de sub Vârful Grind, −815 m. Largest halls: Humpleu. Plus the oldest show cave and the ice cave record.
- [The nearest cave to Bucharest, Brașov, Cluj, Sibiu, Oradea and Timișoara: distances for a day trip](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/nearest-cave-to-bucharest-brasov-cluj) — Ialomița Cave is 160 km from Bucharest, Valea Cetății 18 km from Brașov, Vadu Crișului 55 km from Oradea, Românești 100 km from Timișoara. Distances, times.
- [Famous caves in Romania you cannot visit: Movile, Topolnița, Vântului, Coliboaia, Peștera cu Oase (and what to see instead)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/caves-you-cannot-visit-in-romania) — Movile, Coliboaia, Cu Oase, Cloșani and Piatra Altarului are closed; Topolnița and Tăușoare need a permit; Wind Cave is open with a caving guide.
- [Stalactites and stalagmites: what they are, how a cave forms and where to see them in Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/stalactites-and-stalagmites) — Stalactites hang from the ceiling, stalagmites grow up from the floor. They usually grow less than 10 cm in 1,000 years. How caves form and where to see them.

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Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/scarisoara-ice-cave
Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/pestera-ghetarul-de-la-scarisoara.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/eishoehle-scarisoara.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/grotta-scarisoara.md · Français: https://peplaiuri.ro/fr/grotte-glaciere-de-scarisoara.md · Español: https://peplaiuri.ro/es/cueva-de-hielo-de-scarisoara.md · Magyar: https://peplaiuri.ro/hu/aranyosfoi-jegbarlang.md
Last updated: 28 September 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania