Overview
From the top station of the Bușteni-Babele cable car, this easy plateau walk crosses open, gently rolling ground past the Babele, a cluster of sandstone and conglomerate towers carved into strange shapes by wind, frost and rain, before reaching the Sphinx, a natural rock outcrop whose profile resembles a human face when viewed from the west. The path threads along the eastern rim of the Bucegi plateau, where the terrain suddenly falls away in a bare limestone and conglomerate escarpment dropping more than 1,300 metres to Bușteni and the Prahova Valley below, with the forested ridgelines of the Baiu Mountains rolling away toward the horizon on a clear day. Because the cable car does the climbing, the walking itself covers little elevation and mostly follows gravel and packed-earth paths across the plateau, though the ground can be uneven and puddled near the Babele in wet weather. Both landmarks sit inside Bucegi Natural Park, one of Romania's most visited alpine plateaus, and are usually busy with day-trippers in summer given how accessible they are.
At a glance
- Distance
- 3.4 km
- Time
- 1 hr 15 min
- Elevation
- ↑ 90 m · 2178–2216 m
- Route
- Out and back
Route and directions
Numbered markers trace the waypoints from the trailhead. Use the buttons to open the trailhead in an external map app for driving directions. Links open in a new tab.
Access, season, and cautions
Access
From Brașov, drive south on DN1/E60 through Predeal to Bușteni, about 37 km and 45-50 minutes. Park in the pay lot at the Bușteni cable car (Telecabina Bușteni-Babele) base station on the edge of town, then ride the cable car (about 4.35 km of line and roughly 1,235 m of ascent, around 15 minutes) directly to the Babele top station at approximately 2,200 m. The walk to the Sphinx and back starts right at the upper cable car platform; no additional driving or approach hiking is needed.
No permit required. The route lies inside Bucegi Natural Park, so stay on the marked paths, do not climb on or deface the Babele or Sphinx rock formations, do not light fires, and pack out all rubbish per park rules.
Season: Best from June through September, when the plateau paths are dry and clear of snow. Snow and ice can linger from October to May and occasionally into early June in shaded dips, when the path requires proper winter gear and crampons in places. The cable car itself sometimes suspends service in high wind or icing at any time of year, so check operating status before driving up. Shoulder months (May, late September, October) can bring fog and sudden temperature drops within minutes even on an otherwise clear morning.
Cautions
- Fog and sudden weather changes can drop visibility to a few metres within minutes, even in summer, making it easy to wander off the marked path near the rim.
- Near the Sphinx and the eastern rim viewpoint the plateau ends in a steep, unfenced drop toward the Prahova Valley; keep back from the edge, especially in wind or on wet rock.
- Wet or icy rock, common outside July and August, is slippery underfoot; wear sturdy, grippy footwear.
- Strong wind can suspend cable car operation, potentially stranding visitors at altitude with no easy way down before dark.
- Lightning risk is significant on the open, exposed plateau during summer afternoon thunderstorms.
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Babele (cable-car top) — Top station of the Bușteni-Babele cable car at about 2,200 m; snack bar, toilets, and the start of the marked plateau paths.
- Babele rock formations — Wind- and frost-eroded sandstone and conglomerate towers known as the Babele (Old Women); the closed Babele cabana sits just beyond.
- Junction toward Peștera / Caraiman ridge — Signposted crossroads where a red-stripe ridge trail splits off toward Peștera Ialomiței and the Caraiman Cross.
- Eastern rim viewpoint over the Prahova Valley — Unfenced plateau edge with a sheer drop of over 1,300 m to Bușteni; sweeping views across the Prahova Valley to the Baiu Mountains.
- Plateau saddle before the Sphinx — Gentle grassy dip crossing back toward the Sphinx formation.
- The Sphinx (2216 m) — Iconic anthropomorphic rock silhouette and the turnaround point of the walk.
Gallery
Babele Bucegi Romania by VIOREL1974, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
Sources
- Sfinxul din Bucegi (ro, retrieved 2026-07-02)
- Telecabina Bușteni-Babele (ro, retrieved 2026-07-02)
- Bucegi Plateau Circuit, Self Guided Hike from Sinaia to Bușteni (en, retrieved 2026-07-02)
- Distanța Bușteni Brașov (ro, retrieved 2026-07-02)