Sinaia

About Sinaia

Sinaia is a town and mountain resort in the Prahova Valley, at the foot of the Bucegi Mountains, at altitudes between 767 and 860 m. It grew up around the monastery founded at the end of the 17th century, which gave it its name, and from 1866, when Prince Carol I arrived here, it became the summer residence of the royal family; Peleș Castle was built between 1873 and 1883. The villas, hotels and buildings around the park date from the time when Sinaia was the elegant resort of the Kingdom.

Today the town lives from tourism all year round. In summer it is a starting point for the Bucegi plateaus, and in winter it has a ski area that climbs from Cota 1000 to Cota 2000, with 22 runs. Snow usually settles in November and melts between March and April.

Information verified on 29 October 2026.

Good to know before you go

Getting there

By car: Sinaia is on the DN1, between Ploiești and Brașov, along the Prahova Valley: ~64 km from Ploiești (~1 hour), ~140 km from Bucharest (~2 hours) and ~44 km from Brașov (~55 min). The DN71 to Târgoviște branches off in the town.

Public transport: trains on the Bucharest–Brașov main line stop at Sinaia station, a few hundred metres from the park. Local buses link the station, the centre and the lower station of the gondola; a ticket costs 3 lei per journey.

Where to park

The town has 8 public car parks, all paid: 6 lei per hour or 30 lei per day for cars. The Gondola car park, at the lower gondola station, has 450 spaces and costs 30 lei per day; the Cuza Vodă and Octavian Goga car parks are in the centre, close to the park. On busy winter days the spaces in the gondola car park can fill up.

Fees & discounts

Entry to the resort is free. Cable lift fares, for adults: 44 lei for a single ascent or descent on one section, 75 lei for ascent plus descent on one section or a single ascent or descent on two sections, and 119 lei for ascent plus descent on two sections; children aged 5–12 pay 34, 50, 44 and 75 lei respectively, and children under 5 ride free when accompanied. A one-day ski pass costs adults 210 lei on weekdays and 230 lei at weekends, and the 2-hour pass costs 90 and 100 lei; there are also point cards and 2–3 day passes. At the Casino the full tour costs 50 lei for adults and 40 lei for pupils, students and pensioners; the combined ticket with Știrbey Castle costs 90 lei and 70 lei respectively.

Rules

On the runs, follow the markings and the skiers' code of conduct; outside operating hours the runs are closed to the public, because the machines work with winch cables. The Casino can be visited only on a tour, at fixed times, and tickets are bought at the Royal Café 15 minutes beforehand. In the Bucegi area trees must not be felled and alpine plants must not be picked, and camping is allowed only in designated places. The weather in the mountains changes quickly, so bring warm clothes and suitable footwear even in summer.

Facilities

Hotels, guesthouses and villas · restaurants, cafés and terraces · local buses · 8 public car parks · cable car, gondola and chairlifts · mountain rescue in the mountains