Ultimate Bucharest city break: 1, 2 or 3 days in Bucharest

Considering a Bucharest city break for your next Europe jaunt? Here’s all you need to know to plan the perfect 2 or 3 day Bucharest itinerary.

Romania’s captivating capital city offers an enticing combo of Parisian-style boulevards, hearty traditional cuisine and historical significance at a fantastically affordable price point. It’s one of the best city breaks in Europe in terms of bang for your buck!

Whether it’s a quick weekend escape because you found cheap flights, or it’s just one stop on a bigger Balkans itinerary, two or three days in Bucharest is enough to see the main highlights, get a basic understanding of its tumultuous past chapters, dip a finger into the gastronomic scene, and go home with spending money leftover.

If you want to know how to make the absolute most of your time and money in the ‘Paris of the East’, I’ve got you! I visited Bucharest on my first solo round the world trip and have since returned twice more, so I know exactly how to craft the perfect itinerary for a weekend in Bucharest.

So whether you’re drawn here by the historical intrigue, hearty cuisine, enchanting Old Town or simply because you want an escape that won’t hurt your wallet, here’s how to plan the perfect Bucharest city break.

A quick summary of the perfect Bucharest city break

✈️ Find cheap flights on Skyscanner

🛌🏼 Stay at T5 Social ($), Rembrandt Hotel ($$), HOLT Old Town ($$$) or the Marmorosch ($$$$)

🚶🏼‍♀️ Do the free walking tour to get your bearings

📸 See the National History Museum, Palace of Parliament, Stavropoleos Monastery, Macca-Vilacrosse Passage, Romanian Athenaeum, Cișmigiu Gardens and Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum

🧖🏼‍♀️ Soak your worries away at Therme Bucharest

🌄 Take a day trip to Transylvania’s castles, an incredible ethical bear sanctuary or the iconic Transfagarasan Highway

🍝 Eat at Caru’ cu bere or Restaurant Bucătărașul for traditional food, Maroon for fancy dishes, Haute Pepper for pasta, Herbs Organic Kitchen for vegetarian, Slow Restaurant for generous BBQ plates and Latin Pizza for cheap and cheerful takeaways

All you need to know to plan your Bucharest city break

Is Bucharest worth visiting?

Bucharest is like Vegemite, you love it or you hate it.

Some people see it as unpolished and worth no more than an overnight stop en route to the storybook castles and enchanting old towns throughout Romania, and others are captivated by its energy, mesmerised by its diverse architecture and hooked by its history. I’m firmly in the second camp.

I think Bucharest is absolutely worth it for a city break, it’s an affordable way to get an authentic travel experience in a city that’s not designed for tourists. The Old Town is seriously impressive, the food and entertainment scene is thriving, and if you’re keen to delve into Romania’s history and culture, there are walking tours, museums and galleries galore.

Let’s not beat around the bush though, it’s by no means a polished city! It has the same grit as most ex-Soviet capitals, certain neighbourhoods are very run down, and not all locals are friendly and welcoming to tourists. There has always been major inequality within Romania and corruption is still rampant in politics, so Bucharest’s rough edges aren’t exactly unexpected.

TLDR: Bucharest is totally worth it if you’re open to a genuine, gritty Eastern European city break.

How to get to Bucharest

✈️ By plane: Bucharest can be reached from many European cities as well as some Middle East travel hubs, with low cost carriers like Wizz Air, Ryanair, Eurowings and FlyDubai often offering cheap flights. I use Skyscanner to find the cheapest dates to fly!

🚂 By train: If you’re travelling around Europe by train, there are a couple of long but simple train journeys that connect Bucharest with other major cities:

• Sleeper train between Bucharest and Budapest in Hungary (about 15h)
• Sleeper train between Bucharest and Vienna in Austria (about 18h)
• Day train between Bucharest and Sofia in Bulgaria (about 9.5h, direct in summer and one easy change at other times of the year)
• Sleeper train between Bucharest and Istanbul in Turkey (about 20h, direct from mid-June to mid-October, 2 easy changes other times)

🚌 By bus: While buses are the best way to get around most other countries in this part of Europe, the trains from Hungary, Austria, Bulgaria and Turkey into Bucharest are generally more comfortable than the bus options. But if the trains are too expensive for you (P.S. see if a Eurail Pass would save you money) or you’re willing to compromise on comfort to save a few hours of travel, some popular bus routes to Bucharest are:

• Bucharest to Sofia (7h)
• Bucharest to Istanbul (11h)
• Bucharest to Belgrade (15h, change in Sofia)

You can find the best deals on bus tickets at Omio, and if you’re keen for a bigger Balkan adventure you should check out my no-fly Balkans two week itinerary.

📸 On a group tour: Want to see more than just Bucharest without spending too much time planning? I recently embarked on an adventure with Travel Talk Tours that took me to Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia. Phew! You can read my full Amazing Balkans & Transylvania tour review or check out the tour details here.

How to get around Bucharest

The Old Town and nearby landmarks are very walkable, or hiring a bike for a day can speed up your trips and help you maximise your time.

Bucharest’s public transport system is an efficient and affordable way to get from A to B if it’s not walking/biking distance. You can get metro tickets at the station, and for trolleys/trams/buses you can get a card from an RATB kiosk and load it with however much you expect to spend.

Uber and Bolt are both available in Bucharest and are super cheap, avoid local taxis as they’re known for ripping off tourists.

How many days in Bucharest is best

I’d say three days in Bucharest gives you time to dig a bit into the history and culture, enjoy some fantastic food and venture out for a half day trip to Therme Bucharest without feeling rushed.

If you only have two days in Bucharest then you can still tick a lot of things off this list if you don’t mind a fast-paced weekend away, and if you’ve got 4+ days I’d recommend escaping Bucharest to experience the castles further afield.

When is the best time to visit Bucharest?

As always, this one really depends on your travel preferences.

☀️ Bucharest in Summer (June to August): 

Summer (particularly July and August) in Bucharest can be hot, hot, hot! The city isn’t too crowded because many locals go on holiday to escape the unbearable heat. Tourist spots like Transylvania and day trips near Bucharest will likely be busy.

❄️ Bucharest in Winter (December to February): 

December has festive charm but the temps can be bitterly cold. If you don’t mind the chill, January and February are some of the most affordable and quiet months to visit Bucharest.

🍂 Bucharest’s shoulder seasons (March-May and September-November): 

I’m a shoulder season traveller through and through, and the spring and autumn months are my top pick for the best time to visit Bucharest, particularly April/May and September/October.

How much to budget for a weekend in Bucharest

Accommodation: Budget travellers can find hostel dorms little as €10-15 per night, there are simple private rooms from €25-30 a night and there are 4* hotels from €50-70 per night.

Food and drink: €8-12 per day would cover cheap eats like bakery, supermarket and street food, and a sit-down restaurant meal ranges from €5-12 at most places (and they’re very generous with their portions!).

Activities: Not much, there are free or cheap walking tours and affordable museums to fill your Bucharest itinerary. If you want to do a day trip out of the city or visit Therme Bucharest that will push your costs up.

Transport: Again, not much. Buses/metro/trams are super cheap, bike rental is very affordable, and Uber is cheaper than most European cities.

Where to stay during Bucharest city break

Best area to stay in Bucharest

• Old Town: Historic, walkable, easy access to iconic landmarks and buzzing nightlife
• Piata Unirii: A tourist hub, lots of affordable hostels and chain hotels, good public transport connections and some great rooftop bars
• Piata Romana: Higher end hotels and restaurants but lots of traffic, cheap accomm might be noisy if it’s not well-insulated
• Floreasca: Trendy, modern neighbourhood with boutique hotels, innovative eateries and a beautiful park

Best Bucharest hostels

• Hostel Sport (basic but clean backpacker hostel, 9.1/10 from 600+ reviews)
• Nest Boutique Hostel (another simple hostel, 8.4/10 from 250+ reviews)
• T5 Social (super social hostel with loads of events without being a party hostel, 9.1/10 from 160+ reviews)

Best Bucharest hotels

• Nobel Boutique (tasteful boutique hotel near Piata Romana, 9.5/10 from 490+ reviews)
• Tempus (comfortable and affordable small hotel near Piata Unirii, 9.5/10 from 30+ reviews)
• Rembrandt Hotel (cheap and cheerful hotel in the middle of Old Town, 8.6/10 from 1120+ reviews)
• Radisson Blu (top-rated stylish chain hotel, 9.5/10 from 700+ reviews)
• The Marmorosch Bucharest (absolutely lush 5* hotel, 9.1/10 from 5100+ reviews, worth a splurge!)

Best Bucharest apartments

• ⭐ HOLT Bucharest, they have a variety of apartments and studios around Bucharest, all with stunning interior design. The photos below are from my gorgeous HOLT studio in Old Town!
• NOVOS ApartHotel (modern, well-equipped apartments, 9.7/10 from 50+ reviews)
• Elysium (great value apartments near Piata Romana, 9.5/10 from 600+ reviews)

Things to do during a 1, 2 or 3 day Bucharest itinerary

Discover Bucharest with a walking tour

A must-do for any weekend in Bucharest! I love walking tours because they let you get your bearings without getting lost, give you an overview of the destination’s background, and the local guides often share extra tips like the best places to eat and drink.

There are a range of walking tours to choose from depending on your interests and preferences:

• This top-rated free walking tour, 2.5-3h wandering between the main city highlights
• This communism-focused 3h walking tour that goes into more depth in that specific chapter of Bucharest’s history
• This alternative Bucharest tour that gets you off the beaten path and shows you a different side of the city
• This perfectly-rated Sites & Bites walking food tour through the Old Town
• This Dark History tour for a look at the history of Bucharest’s underbelly

Caru’ cu bere

Caru’ cu bere is more than just a restaurant, it’s a Bucharest institution that’s been serving authentic Romanian fare since 1879 😱

It’s touristy, yes, but it’s genuinely worth it. The interior is exquisite with stained glass windows and a vaulted ceiling, the home-style food is hearty and delicious, and there’s live music and traditional entertainment daily.

Book in advance, especially on weekends.

Cărtureşti Carusel

Often mistaken as a public library, this Wes-Anderson-esque bookstore found fame in the early days of Instagram.

Across multiple storeys it holds thousands of titles spanning all genres, in both Romanian and English, as well as knick-knacks and souvenirs. The shop welcomes visitors just wanting to take photos too, just don’t disrupt customers.

I’d recommend going first thing in the morning to avoid the busy hours, it opens 10am every day of the week (check their website for any changes to their opening hours).

Therme Bucharest

Add some self-care into your Bucharest itinerary with a visit to one of Europe’s largest thermal spa complexes, Therme Bucharest.

Located on the outskirts of Bucharest (accessible by 40-50 min bus, 25-30 min taxi, or a shared transfer), this giant wellness centre features three sections:

• Galaxy: A family-friendly section with waterslides, a wave pool, steam rooms, water playgrounds and indoor and outdoor pools
• The Palm: The home of Therme’s main attraction, a massive 33ºC pool surrounded by palm trees, with a pool bar, jacuzzi and a connecting outdoor pool with water massage cannons. There’s also a variety of saunas, steam rooms, mineral pools, hydromassage beds and more. Kids over 3 aren’t allowed.
• Elysium: The fanciest section, with themed saunas including a movie theatre one (!!!), an ultra-hot one and a Moroccan-themed one, comfy lounge beds, an invigorating shower room where you stand under thundering streams of water, steam infusions and more. No kids at all in this bit.

When you buy your ticket you can choose just Galaxy, Galaxy + the Palm, or all three sections (which I recommend).

Therme Bucharest is close to the airport and they have a dedicated luggage room, so if you’ve flown in on a long-haul flight you could come straight here for some chill time before hitting the city.

See the major landmarks

If you’re doing one of the tours I mentioned above you’ll probably see a bunch of the main landmarks, but if you prefer to go at your own pace, here’s a quick hit list of the top tourist sights to include in your Bucharest city break itinerary:

• National History Museum
• The grandiose Palace of Parliament, a symbol of Ceaușescu’s dictatorship and the seat of the Parliament of Romania (seeing it from the outside is sufficient, but if you’re a history/politics buff you can book a guided tour)
• Royal Palace of Bucharest and the National Museum of Art of Romania
• Cișmigiu Gardens
• Manuc’s Inn, the oldest operating hotel in Bucharest
• Stavropoleos Monastery, a small but exquisite monastery in the Old Town
• Piata Unirii, the most famous square in the city
• Macca-Vilacrosse Passage, a beautiful covered passageway
• Zlatari Church
• Arcul de Triumf, a symbol of unity
• The Romanian Athenaeum, stunning from the outside or you could book a ticket to an orchestra show for the full experience
• Ceauşescu Mansion, former residence of the last dictator of Romania
• The Memorial of Rebirth, a controversial monument supposedly honouring the victims of the Romanian revolution, sometimes referred to as ‘the potato on the stick’
• Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum, an open air display of more than 300 buildings showing you rural Romania through the ages

Dig into the culinary scene

I don’t think Bucharest stacks up on my list of the best foodie cities (Sofia, Copenhagen, Bologna and Paris take the top spots), but there’s no doubt that you do get fantastic value for money no matter your food budget. Here’s are some of the places I love to eat and drink:

• Latin Pizza for cheap takeaways
• Twenty Eight for brunch
• Restaurant Bucătărașul for traditional food
• Slow Restaurant for succulent BBQ meats
• Maroon for fancy food
• Amethyst Sky Bar for rooftop cocktail
• Haute Pepper for truffle pasta yummmmmm
• Herbs Organic Kitchen for delicious Nepalese, good vegetarian options (which can sometimes be hard to find in Romania)

Explore beyond Bucharest

If you’ve got more than a weekend in Bucharest, you could add a day trip on to your itinerary. The most popular day trips are:

• The castles of Transylvania (4.8/5 from more than 3200 reviews, option to choose a bus tour or small group)
• Libearty Bear Sanctuary Zarnesti, a superb ethical sanctuary that looks after bears rescued from captivity
• A winery day trip
• The iconic Transfagarasan Highway (this one is on my bucket list!)

Suggested Bucharest city break itineraries

1 day in Bucharest itinerary

• Brunch at Twenty Eight
• Free walking tour from 10am-1pm
• Lunch at Caru’ cu bere
• Visit the National History Museum
• Dinner at Latin Pizza or a concert at the Athenaeum

2 days in Bucharest itinerary

Day 1 as above

Day 2:

• Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum
• Therme Bucharest

3 days in Bucharest itinerary

Days 1 and 2 as above

Day 3:

• Option 1: Day trip to the Transylvanian castles
• Option 2: Day trip to the bear sanctuary (usually includes Bran Castle too)

Bucharest city break FAQs

I hope this Bucharest city break guide has given you some good ideas for your Bucharest itinerary.

Whether you’re just spending a day here as a mid-travel stopover, or have found cheap flights for a weekend in Bucharest, or are using it as a jumping off point for a bigger Balkans tour, I have no doubt that you’re going to love the charming Old Town, fascinating history and rich cuisine.

Happy travels!

MORE EUROPE CITY BREAKS AND SHORT ITINERARIES:

• 1, 2 or 3 days in Sofia itinerary
• 2 day Budapest itinerary
• 24 hours in Florence itinerary
• 2 day Milan itinerary
• 2 day Porto itinerary
• 5 day Switzerland itinerary
• 4 day Iceland itinerary
• 4 day Norway itinerary
• 2 day Marrakech itinerary (I’m absolutely aware this isn’t in Europe, but it’s an easy place to reach from most European hubs!)

SOLO TRAVEL CITY GUIDES

• A guide to solo travel in Porto, Portugal
• A guide to solo travel in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
• A guide to solo travel in Marrakech, Morocco
• A guide to solo travel in Edinburgh, Scotland

MORE BALKAN TRAVEL INSPIRATION:

• A tour review of the Travel Talk Amazing Balkans tour
• A guide to sailing in Croatia
• Medsailors Croatia sailing tour review

MY GO-TO TRAVEL PLANNING RESOURCES

Flights ✈️ I use Skyscanner to find the best flights for my trip and then I’ll always book direct with the airline to protect myself from having to deal with dodgy third parties if anything goes wrong.

Trains 🚂 If I’m travelling through Europe, I try to travel by train wherever possible! For an extended trip (2+ weeks) I’ll calculate if a Eurail Pass is worth it, or I’ll book point-to-point tickets through RailEurope or the local train operator.

Accommodation 🛎️ I book almost all of my accommodation through booking.com, they have a user-friendly website + app and many of their options are free cancellation, easily cancelled with a simple click of a button.

Activities 🗽I use GetYourGuide, Klook and Viator to look for activities in the places I visit, or I just Google ‘things to do in [city]’! P.S. If you book anything on Klook you can use the promocode FINDINGALEXXKLOOK to get 10% off

Travel cards 💳 I’m a Wise gal through and through, they’ve been my chosen travel card for more than five years now. You can easily top up your card from your bank account or through Apple Pay, convert your money to local currency, and spend money with minimal fees and the best exchange rates around.

Travel insurance 🩺 I use Cover-More NZ travel insurance for my own trips, I have a comprehensive policy and I’ve only had good experiences with them. Cover-More also has an Australian company, but if you’re from elsewhere then two popular insurance options for global travellers are SafetyWing (cheaper policy, lower coverage) and World Nomads (more expensive but significantly better coverage).

Luggage 💼 I travel with Samsonite Cosmolite suitcases, one 75cm check in bag and a 55cm carry on bag, and I absolutely adore them and will never travel with anything else! They are SUPER lightweight (2.8kg and 1.9kg respectively) so I have much more space for my actual stuff.

Camera gear 📸 I use a iPhone 15 Pro Max for phone photos/videos, and my camera kit includes a Lumix S9 (incredible lightweight full-frame camera, a game changer for travel creators!) with a 20-60mm lens, a Lumix G9 with an 8-18mm and 12-60mm lens, a DJI Mini 3 Pro drone and a GoPro Hero 10. I do all my writing and editing on my ASUS Zenbook 14, it’s lightweight but powerful enough for photo editing and intense blogging sessions.