Ialomita · Polovragi · Comarnic · official fares
Which cave do you visit?
Three caves with officially published programs and fares: Ialomita, Polovragi and Comarnic. Below: the verdict by what you want, the fare comparison and the measured drives.
The quick verdict
Pick by what you want: the Bucegi classic, the minimum budget or the wild adventure. Fares are as published by the administrators.
| The Bucegi classic | Ialomita Cave | At 1,660 m, in the Ialomita gorge. Daily: summer 9:00–17:30, winter 9:00–16:00. Adult 30 lei, reduced 15; under-6 free. |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum budget | Polovragi Cave | Adult 20 lei, child and pupil 10. Daily 9:00–17:00, Monday–Sunday. About 800 m to visit, with Geto-Dacian legends. |
| The wild adventure | Comarnic Cave | Apr–Oct only, with guide: Sat–Sun min group 5, Mon–Fri by 24 h request. Under 5 people you pay 5 tickets: 35/20 lei. |
| With kids | Polovragi Cave | The cheapest child ticket: 10 lei to age 18. An easy visit, no booking announced. At Ialomita, under-6s enter free. |
| Winter | Ialomita Cave | The only one with a published winter program: 1 Oct–30 Apr, daily 9:00–16:00. Comarnic is Apr–Oct only; Polovragi shows no season split. |
| Cave + monastery | Polovragi | Next to Polovragi Monastery and Polovragi Forest — all three on the operator page. Adult 20 lei, daily 9–17. |
Access, measured by road
The three caves sit in the Bucegi, Gorj and Banat; below, the drives from four cities.
Method: OSRM car routes on OpenStreetMap, measured on 17 September 2026. Times are continuous driving, no stops, one way.
| From | To | km | min |
|---|---|---|---|
| București | Polovragi | 252.8 | 293 |
| București | Peștera Ialomiței | 167.0 | 164 |
| București | Iabalcea (Comarnic) | 498.3 | 441 |
| Cluj-Napoca | Polovragi | 349.6 | 382 |
| Cluj-Napoca | Peștera Ialomiței | 356.4 | 369 |
| Cluj-Napoca | Iabalcea (Comarnic) | 350.3 | 271 |
| Timișoara | Polovragi | 358.3 | 412 |
| Timișoara | Peștera Ialomiței | 485.5 | 432 |
| Timișoara | Iabalcea (Comarnic) | 110.9 | 125 |
| Craiova | Polovragi | 123.5 | 211 |
| Craiova | Peștera Ialomiței | 258.7 | 256 |
| Craiova | Iabalcea (Comarnic) | 267.3 | 290 |
Shortest drive on the list: Timisoara–Iabalcea (Comarnic), 110.9 km / 2 h 05 (measured).
The caves, one by one
Official fares, compared
Published by the three administrators. At Comarnic you enter only with a guide and a group of 5; at Ialomita, fares come from HCJD 531/2025.
| Cave | Fare | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Polovragi | adult 20 · child/pupil 10 | daily 9–17 |
| Ialomita | adult 30 · reduced 15 | daily; winter 9–16, summer 9–17:30 |
| Comarnic | adult 35 · pupil/student 20 | Apr–Oct; min group 5 |
At Ialomita, under-6 free; reductions need documents. At Comarnic, under 5 people you pay 5 tickets.
Polovragi the cheapest
- Adults 20 lei; children and pupils to age 18 10 lei.
- Daily 9:00–17:00, Monday–Sunday. About 800 m to visit.
- The Zamolxe legend; next to Polovragi Monastery and Forest.
Visiting: Walk straight in, no booking announced on the site.
Ialomița all year
- Daily: summer (1 May–30 Sep) 9:00–17:30; winter (1 Oct–30 Apr) 9:00–16:00.
- From 1.01.2026 (HCJD 531/2025): full 30 lei; reduced 15 (pupils, day students with documents, pensioners with coupon).
- Under-6 free; published disability exemptions. Contact: 0753022125.
Visiting: In Moroeni, Dambovita, at 1,660 m; daily entry, no booking announced.
Comarnic Apr–Oct, min 5
- April–October season. Sat–Sun guide for min group 5; Mon–Fri by 24 h request only, still min 5.
- Under 5 people, you pay 5 tickets: 35 lei/adults, 20 lei/pupils and students.
- The dry level, 1,750 m of 6,201; about 10 C. The park gives helmet and headlamp; mountain clothing required.
Visiting: From Resita on DN58 to Anina, km 9 left to Iabalcea, on to the Padina Seaca forestry canton; then 45 min on foot or by car.
Scarisoara and Meziad have no officially published fares; the Ursilor site is down; Muierii and Dambovicioara appear only in agency offers — so they are not in the comparison.
Practical
Tickets
Polovragi 20/10 lei, Ialomita 30/15, Comarnic 35/20 — all from the official pages. At Ialomita, reductions need documents.
Bookings
Only Comarnic needs arranging: Mon–Fri 24 h ahead, min group 5. Ialomita and Polovragi take visitors daily, no booking announced.
Money
No administrator publishes how to pay — bring cash. At Comarnic, a small group pays 5 tickets.
Bases
Timisoara is closest to Comarnic (110.9 km); Craiova to Polovragi (123.5); Bucharest to Ialomita (167.0). From Cluj everything is a long drive: 349–356 km.
Questions
Which cave should I pick?
The all-year classic: Ialomita. Minimum budget and kids: Polovragi. The helmet-and-headlamp adventure: Comarnic, April–October only.
Do I need a booking?
At Comarnic yes, on working days: 24 h request, min group 5 — and under 5 people you pay 5 tickets. Ialomita and Polovragi announce no required booking.
What gear do I need?
At Comarnic the park requires mountain footwear and clothing (about 10 C, damp) and provides helmet plus headlamp. The other two publish no gear requirements.
Can I pay by card?
No official page says how to pay — bring cash. The fares above are as displayed by the administrators.
Is it open in winter?
Ialomita publishes a winter program: 1 Oct–30 Apr, daily 9–16. Comarnic is April–October only. Polovragi shows daily 9–17 with no season split.
How long is the drive?
Measured examples: Timisoara–Iabalcea 110.9 km / 2 h 05; Craiova–Polovragi 123.5 / 3 h 31; Bucharest–Pestera 167.0 / 2 h 44; Cluj–Polovragi 349.6 / 6 h 22.