Nibiru is the latest, coolest, most hyped private resort on Romania’s Black Sea coast and the first to open in 30 years.
You can imagine that, as soon as I had the chance, I booked a day trip to Costinesti – where Nibiru is located, just 30 kilometers away from Constanta – to check it out.
And today I am here to tell you everything you should know about this massive entertainment complex, from how to get there to prices, ticket hacks, and my unfiltered opinion of the experience – with plenty of photos.
How to get to Nibiru
The easiest way to reach Nibiru is from Costinesti. This is a popular resort on the Black Sea, mainly for younger people – although families are welcome too.
From any place in Costinesti, you can walk to Nibiru in around 15 minutes, depending on your hotel’s location.
Booking your hotel tip: I recommend against staying right next to Nibiru itself to avoid potential noise issues. Instead, get a room at the more budget-friendly Vila Georgiani (still close), or the more upscale Hotel DaMar (in a very silent spot).
My approach was a bit more strategic – and you can do the same. My family and I took the train from Constanța instead. Returning to the coastal city always brings a welcome wave of nostalgia since we used to live there for a couple of years.
During the summer season, train connections run frequently and the hour-long trip costs around 5 to 6 Euros. You can check all train schedules here.
The train is the easiest and most straightforward way to get there, although I strongly suggest spending the night in Costinesti, as Nibiru is a place that gets more interesting after dark (and requires at least a few hours to fully experience it).
If you stay in other southern resorts, you can catch the dedicated Nibiru shuttles. These organized microbuses run from Constanța, Eforie, and Mangalia directly to the venue starting at about 20 lei per ride (but, as it is the case I talk about below, they can take a lot longer than you’d like them to).
IMPORTANT: You can also get a taxi (or Uber/Bolt) from Constanta to Costinesti/Nibiru, but I strongly suggest it as a last resort.
The one-way trip is close to 50 Euros, but our taxi driver said that during very crowded times – as it was during the Beach Please festival that takes place right next to Nibiru – he spent 4 hours in traffic for the 30 kilometers.
The smartest move is to spend the night in Costinești or catch a late train back to Constanța after 10 PM. We chose the latter.
Did you know? Costinesti also has one of the best beaches in Romania, so you have another top reason to visit!
Nibiru: Tickets & Other Useful Information
There are two entrances. The Emil Costinescu street gate is the easiest to reach on foot from Costinesti. The alternative entrance across the train tracks requires a bit more effort to access. I have marked the entrance we used here on Google maps.
Nibiru operates from July 16th until August 30th, from 6 PM during weekdays and 5 PM during the weekend.
There is one important thing you should know: buy your Nibiru tickets online! Even more so, buy them on your arrival day (before 5PM) or one day before arriving – this way, you will get the best price/value ratio for the entire area.
Here’s how tickets work (and how much they cost):
- 25 lei (~5 Euros) if you buy them online before 5 PM on your day of arrival or one day in advance. This includes a 25 lei drink voucher.
- 25 lei (~5 Euros) if you buy online after 5 PM on your day of arrival, but no drinks voucher.
- 35 lei (~7 euros) if you buy it from the physical ticket booths (again, no voucher).
IMPORTANT: Children under 5 and University students in Romania can visit for free. The latter must visit this page to claim their free entry ticket.
Additionally, you can spend an extra 49 lei (around 10 Euros) for the fast lane entry ticket. We didn’t get one and still got in in a couple of minutes, but we got there early – probably on important festival days and on later hours lines might be longer.
Finally, there are multiple events organized within the Nibiru grounds: daily concerts, events and much more, with most requiring the purchase of individual tickets. To see the full list of events and buy your tickets, visit the official website here.
Must know: There are plenty of restrictions in terms of things you are allowed to bring in, as you can see in the sign above: from obvious ones (like knives, weapons, fireworks or drugs) to less obvious ones like professional cameras, any type of food item, drinks, bottles, umbrellas and even pets.
Since we had traveled from Constanta and weren’t aware of these restrictions, we had various items that were not allowed.
We left our bags at a nearby hotel’s reception for a nice tip for the lady working there. It was still much cheaper than throwing our belongings away.
The Nibiru Experience: We LOVED It!
Our evening almost ended in disaster. Heavy clouds gathered over the coast just as the gates were supposed to open. We were told that they were delaying it until 8 PM because a Code Red warning for a storm had been issued.
We had a train a 9:20 PM, and thought we were not going to make it, especially since the clouds didn’t look like a short storm was coming.
On the bright side, we headed back to Costinesti and found an amazing place to eat at, called Wei Ramen – I strongly recommend it as a stop if you have a chance:
While we were there enjoying the ramen (and I was fuming over the lost opportunity to visit), the rain stopped at exactly 7:50 PM.
We sprinted back to Nibiru and managed to squeeze in a short visit before our train departure.
Of course, it was way too little – Nibiru is a place where you should have at least a few hours to spend and ideally wait at least until sundown when all the lights are working and the concerts begin playing.
Also, some of the attractions were not open yet (like the slides, they were still being cleaned after the rain).
Despite the rush, the experience blew me away. There’s plenty to do here, as you can see in the photos I’m sharing.
Immediately after security(they were very thorough with it, which I appreciate), you are next to the Hype Play area. This zone is packed with adrenaline-pumping attractions, slides, arcades, VR setups, and more.
These all work on a token system:
- 50 lei (~10 Euros) for 50 tokens
- 100 lei (~20 Euros) for 110 tokens
- 200 lei (~40 Euros) for 278 tokens
That is the first place I plan to spend at least a couple of hours at during our next visit!
Early on, there are entertainment options and events for children, with mascots walking the Nibiru streets, giving balloons to children, cracking jokes and keeping the little ones entertained.
There are plenty of food and drinks options, with some of the best known and most appreciated brands in Romania being present there, offering the same prices as in the rest of the country (so don’t expect to pay a premium simply because you are in this private resort).
You can also wander down the beautiful Solar System alley, which is a visual treat that only gets better after dark when the planets light up – but which is, as you can see below, pretty amazing even during the evening.
There are various stages scattered around Nibiru, where the various events take place: from themed concerts to stand up comedy, various other events and even mini-festivals. The area is huge, ready to accommodate tens of thousands of people.
I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by Nibiru. There is plenty to do here besides the concerts, it is a family-friendly place without a doubt – at least earlier in the day.
The prices are fair to say the least, you have plenty of food options, bars for various drinks, spots to rest a bit and even free charging stations for your phone/devices. Entertainment is available everywhere, everything is organized and working well.
All in all, we only had one regret when leaving Nibiru: that we didn’t get a chance to spend more time. A few hours is the minimum you should schedule for it. But hopefully, as the sign at the exit says – “See you tomorrow.” We definitely plan to come back sooner rather than later.
Wrapping up
Nibiru is proof that smart private investments in Romania can and will work. While it is not THE thing that will revive Romania’s tourism as a whole, it manages to push the needle in the right direction and offers something fun and amazing to do on the Black Sea Coast.
No matter your age, you will have fun here and find this place amazing. But especially if you’re on the younger side – and ready for a white night – Nibiru is THE experience you’re looking for. So get your friends and head over there ASAP!
I am a journalist and local expert who has been documenting life in Romania since 2013. Based in Constanta (after living in Bucharest and Drobeta Turnu Severin), I provide up-to-date, on-the-ground advice for expats and travelers. My articles are based on real life experiences and plenty of research – from paying Romanian bills to exploring the wild “Rawmania” countryside.