Bran Castle (Dracula's Castle)

Bran Castle (Dracula's Castle)

Bran Castle (Dracula's Castle)
4
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Bran Castle is one of the most famous landmarks in Transylvania, and is known as the home of Count Dracula. The 14th-century hillside castle and fortress, however, actually houses a collection of furniture and artworks that once belonged to Marie, Romania’s last queen. Tour the eerie castle—including the infamous torture room—and decide for yourself what's fact or fiction. Located about 120 miles away from Bucharest, the castle and Transylvania are a great day trip from the capital, especially for lovers of medieval history and vampires. While you're there, don’t forget to get a few spooky souvenirs from the gift shops at the castle's entrance. – Tripadvisor
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  • eardley_towers
    41 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Bran Castle
    Bran castle is a very rustic castle, nothing like the grandeur of Peles, but u can see why it would be suitable for myths. There are a lot of steps and walking invoved. The castle is not far from the town of Brasov.
    Visited April 2023
    Written 30 April 2023
  • Pernille Olsen
    Frederiksberg, Denmark12 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    A must see, but…
    Overall good experience, however, not so much to see. The history behind the castle is better than the looks of it, and there is not much to see inside. If it were between this and the Peleş castle, I wouldn’t choose this one. However, that being said, it’s still a must see, if you have the time.
    Visited May 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 3 May 2023
  • Michelleandray
    California50 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Loved it!
    Our family loved the visit to this castle with all of its history. You cannot compare it to Peles Castle, as they are two completely different types. We would’ve liked to have spent more time reading the signs, but it was so crowded with school kids and tourists alike. The grounds are beautiful and make for an amazing family picture looking from the bottom to the top of the castle. My teens also bought some T-shirts in the little market there. They also did the haunted house in the market. If you have time, it is worth driving the Transfagarasan to see the real Dracula‘s castle called Poenari Castle. It sits way up on the summit of the mountain and you can see the heads impaled on stakes. It is closed as they are renovating, but still worth the drive we thought. Some people still hiked to the top, but we did not want to chance it as we have heard the bear stories and actually saw a Mother bear with three cubs.
    Visited May 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 22 May 2023
  • vip_foodie
    Bengaluru, India1,374 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Old Ancient Castle also known as Dracula Castle
    The castle was built during 1200s and have been possession under different people over the time. Although it is known as Dracula castle but Vlad - The Impaler whom the Dracula character is inspired from is believed to have never stepped or stayed here. The castle gives the old charm vibes. It is currently under possession of Royal family. Princess Ileana was the last one to stay here during World War II before the palace was seized by communist regime. There is also an underground tunnel and a torture museum inside the castle which has extra entry fees. The base price is 55 Lei which covers different artifacts from the royal family. The castle is situated close to town city of Brasov. I took a one day group tour to here which covered this and the Peles Castle.
    Visited May 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 26 May 2023
  • Louisa H
    Staffordshire, United Kingdom235 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Visit of a life time
    I didnt go here because I like Dracula, this is only a small part og this castles history, I went to see the craftsmanship though the ages and to earn its history and I was not disappointed, from the wood work the the stone craft, this castle is truly beautiful. The views from the windows are amazing. I took photos of the write ups to read later as there was just so many. It looses a point for the extra charges to see areas that are not that big and you have to pay for extra tours, there seems to be no other access to the wine cellar. Note that with my health you climb and climb (but that is the nature of the building).
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 13 June 2023
  • Jotum
    Knoxville, Tennessee1,544 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Got to see it
    This is an impressive castle. Dracula was a fiction story and did not live here, but the castle resembles the one described in the book so the area has marketed that idea. There is also a tie to Vlad the impaler who ruled the area and inspired the book some, but he was never here either. The castle is worth the trip and is one to see. There is a moderate walk up on cobblestones to get to the castle and some stairs in the castle.
    Visited June 2023
    Written 22 June 2023
  • C F
    50 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    interesting but a little disappointing
    we took a day trip from bucharest and we thought the castle/fortress was interesting but not amazing- and it definitely doesn't have anything to do with dracula. there was a line to get in (we went in august), and there were a lot of tour groups and each tour guide wanted to stop to talk in every other room. the things you see in each room are interesting as is the story of the fortress. be aware that there are a fair amount of stairs and some narrow passages. at the foot of the hill is a market with mostly souvenirs, leave some time for shopping.
    Visited August 2022
    Written 1 July 2023
  • TTW103
    Madrid, Spain73 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Busy but worth a visit
    Having read how busy this place can get, we bought our tickets on line and arrived just before the castle opened to try and beat the big crowds. Some passages are narrow, there are a good few stairs and it does get busy in places. We had also tickets for the (5) torture rooms which showed an interesting, albeit gruelling, collection of various torture devices; this section was far less busy than the rest of the castle.
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 11 August 2023
  • DeJWal
    12 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Like a real life Disney castle
    This place was less like Dracula’s castle and more like living in real life Disney! Absolutely loved visiting Bran Castle. It was stunning and very interesting. Reasonably priced and would definitely recommend to friends and family. The only thing that let it down was the traffic from our hotel there and back. The journey should have taken 1.5 hrs and it took closer to 3 hrs each way so bare this in mind.
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 13 August 2023
  • zuv
    Bucharest, Romania27,166 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Extremely crowded!
    The castle is beautiful but... The visit is as pleasant as a subway trip at rush hour. You can't stop to examine an exhibit longer or take a picture without being pushed from behind by the flow of visitors. Solutions for decongestion would be: to get in into groups of 20-30 people, at intervals of 5-10 minutes; guided tours, at 10-minute intervals; visits scheduled online, with time slot, etc. But all this would mean a decrease in the number of tickets sold. And they don't want to lose money... The visit, without the time spent standing in line, takes less than an hour. The time tunnel has nothing amazing/out of the ordinary or really spectacular, it's not really worth the extra price paid. The room of torture instruments is interesting.
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 22 August 2023
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4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles6,233 reviews
Excellent
1,985
Very good
2,172
Average
1,337
Poor
480
Terrible
259

Craig I
13 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Couples
So, first of all this is not Draculas castle at all, which we knew, and was emphasised every 5 minutes by the tour guide. Vlad Tepes who was Vlad the impaler is apparently buried on some small island miles away. I personally would save your money, it was crap. If you struggle walking avoid completely as it is a steep climb and then narrow steep steps everywhere. We paid extra for the Dungeon and torture chamber. What a waste of time, the toture chamber was just a collection of items thrown together with no apparent thought. The dungeon is literally the tunnel out of the castle. The town is like some 1 horse town in the middle of nowhere, the trinket stalls sell crap made in china. There is a haunted house attraction on the walk up to the castle which we didn't manage to use as the tour guide gave us very little time to do anything. If this is what you come to Romania for, save your money...
Written 15 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

M S
1 contribution
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Friends
I enjoyed it very much. The scenery is absolutely amazing and the castle is full of history. I strongly recommend it to anyone who goes to Romania.
Written 10 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Noleen
Antrim, UK15 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Couples
Enjoyed my time at bran castle or as I call it Castle Dracula only thing I didn’t like was the steep narrow stone secret stair case it’s a very basic castle but like I said I’m only here because of Bram Stoker ..price is good 70 lei n there’s a wee gift shop ..there’s also stalls at the bottom of the castle selling all sorts of stuff
Written 8 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MissHK2009
Hong Kong, China3,914 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Solo
I was rather disappointed. It's so especially I visited here after the Peles Castle and made comparison inevitably. There are 3 aspects of my disappointment:
1) the vampire story and vibe are only fictional and marketing skills, originated from the Irish author's Gothic horror novel Dracula;
2) rather touristy with loads of souvenir and snack stalls (don't buy at the castle's official souvenir shop which is much mire expensive than these stalls); and
3) I was attracted to the postcard picture of the outlook of the castle. But during my visit, I realised there's no accessible place from where visitors can take the same angle and picture. I could only see the grey facade. Those iconic pictures are only done by drone I suppose.

It's one of the spots of my one-day tour from Bucharest. There's no ticket counter but just several machines, cash 70 leu or credit card acceptable. Our tour guide left all the guests to wander on their own which is fine and appropriate

At the end, I only wanted to quickly go through the interior of the castle and get back to the coach.
Written 6 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Derek L
Dundee, UK6 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Family
Pretty disappointing. Neither one thing or the other - i.e. not really of much historic interest if that's your bag (and the association with Dracula is tenuous at best) , nor a particularly exciting 'Dracula' experience.
Peles castle which you would normally visit on the way, e.g. if coming from Bucharest, was a much more interesting (and genuine!) attraction.
Written 6 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

stephens473
Nottingham, UK360 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Friends
A little bit underwhelming but if you are into Dracula at least you can say you have been. The castle is quite a walk from the coach drop off points , long ques to get in and really not worth it when you can take lots of photos fro outside.
The multiple market stalls in the courtyard in the town are very interesting with all manner of souvenirs from a machete to a bears head !! There are lots of things to choose from, cashmere scarves were particularly nice as were the t shirts and so much cheaper than the shops in Bucharest.
There are plenty of restaurants offering delicious food .
Written 6 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Aphelia
England, UK16 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Family
Me and my mum flew all the way to Romania from England to see this castle. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for years.

Dracula/brans castle was definitely more of a historical monument rather than a creepy, vampire castle. There’s loads to do, if you want to pay a little extra on top of the fee for the castle. Which was very reasonable. There’s a torture chamber, which shows all the old mediaeval devices used. There’s a lift that takes you down an old well which has been developed into a tourist site. The rest of the castle is all very historical and factual, par the few rooms there is about the supernatural and Dracula. There is also a souvenir market outside before you go into the castle which is great. In between the indoor market there is also a scare maze this is another thing you’ll need to pay extra for along with the torture chamber and the well lift.

The castle is located in bran village and once you’re at the top of the castle or even at the steps leading up the view is breathtaking. You will NOT be disappointed.

My only problem with the castle was the amount of people in there. The majority of the hallways are very narrow and they let lots of people into the castle therefore it’s pretty over crowded. You’ll have to wait behind people to get into different rooms and go up the stairs. There were also lots of little children running about and screaming which was distracting when I was trying to read or even just talk or walk.

However, this is not a reason to not visit the castle. It’s an amazing, beautiful, historical site and definitely something people should see in their lifetime.
Written 3 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Em J
Leeds, UK18 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
Go early to avoid the crowds! We arrived between 10am and 11am and walked straight in with no queues. The castle is amazing. It’s quite touristy inside with lots of information on Dracula/ghosts/werewolves etc which I really enjoyed but appreciate it’s not for everyone. For the price, if you can get there early it’s worth the visit.
Written 21 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Annemarie S
Breda19 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Friends
The castle is beautiful from the outside. Nice on the inside but really too expensive for what it’s worth. Especially when they take out twice the amount and they don’t respond to any of my emails.
Written 18 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Florin H
4 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Family
We went a family of 5, very dissatisfied! A piece of national heritage and history transformed in business, there are images projected into walls with ghosts and werewolves, vampires and loud horror noises! It is transformed into a house of horror, there is almost nothing about Vlad Țepeș, how manny reigns he had, how did it die? etc. There are rooms of the royal family, but you don’t come for that, it is overcrowded, you can move or enjoy the vue! In case of fire there will be no way out! Too many people at once, the best vue it is from down below! Don’t waste your money and expectations!
Written 13 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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BRAN CASTLE (DRACULA'S CASTLE): All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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