The best Bucharest 3 day itinerary for first-timers

Last Updated on September 17, 2025 by Ioana

I was born and raised in Romania, and I moved back here in 2024 after living in NYC for almost 14 years. Romania is one of the most underrated European countries. I recommend you spend only 2-3 days in Bucharest and then go explore the country. The best parts of Romania are outside of the capital city. In this blog post I will share the best Bucharest 3 day itinerary that I used on my Romania group trip and it was a hit. This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Find out more here.

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Day 1: Walking tour of the city center and the Palace of Parliament

The first day on this Bucharest itinerary is a packed day that will allow you to explore the best of Bucharest.

Bucharest Old Town

Bucharest’s nickname is Little Paris. That’s because it had gorgeous architecture that resembled the one in Paris.

Of course, communism happened, and the grey, depressive buildings started to appear and to reduce the esthetic beauty of the city. But the Old Town still preserves the beauty of pre-communism Bucharest.

You can find a lot of cafes and restaurants in this area where you can enjoy a traditional Romanian lunch or dinner. You can dine outside if you visit during the summer months.

This area has a lively vibe and the cobblestone streets add to the charm. The nightlife here is elite, so if you like to party, make sure to stop by one of the clubs here.

Carturesti Carusel Bookstore

Carturesti Carusel is a spectacular bookshop located in the heart of Bucharest. It is the most impressive bookstore in Romania and, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful ones in the world.

The building that hosts the bookstore was built at the beginning of the 20th century and it used to be a bank.

The inside has multiple floors linked through spiral staircases. The shop has an elegant white design. There are lots of windows and it’s very bright everywhere.

You can browse books, admire the architecture and design, or grab a cup of coffee at the cafe on the top floor. If you’re a book lover this is a great place for you. And even if you’re not a book lover, you would still enjoy the vibe of the place. It’s definitely worth visiting.

Stavropoleos Monastery

This monastery was built in 1724 by a Greek monk in the heart of the Old Town. He was the owner of an inn in the city center and to thank God for the inn, he decided to build this church. Then he left the inn behind and he became a monk.

It is a small, but special church that is full of history. It was built in the Brâncovenesc style. The church is still operational and it is well maintained. 

It has the largest collection of Byzantine music books in Romania. People from all over the world visit this monastery.

Macca-Villacrosse Passageway

The Macca-Vilacrosse Passageway is an arcaded street covered with yellow glass. It links Lipscani Street to Calea Victoriei.

There are plenty of restaurants and bars in the passage. And it’s also the place to smoke hookah at some of the cafes and bars here.

Even if you choose not to sit down at one of the cafes, you can still walk through here to admire the architecture.

Calea Victoriei

Calea Victoriei is one of the main avenues and the oldest avenue in Romania’s capital city. There are plenty of historic buildings, restaurants, shops and famous hotels here. It’s really nice to take a stroll here and explore different attractions.

Make sure you stop at the umbrella street. It’s a cute little alleyway with lots of colorful umbrellas where you can take pictures.

Then as you go towards the Romanian Atheneum you will also find the Memorial of Rebirth on Calea Victoriei. It’s this sculpture that looks like a potato on a spire. 

Romanians made fun of it ever since it was installed. Nobody understands what exactly it represents. But it commemorates the victims of the 1989 revolutions that ended communist rule in Romania.

The Romanian Athenaeum

Also on Calea Victoriei you will find the Romanian Atheneum, which is a concert hall. It was built in 1888 and it is an emblem of Bucharest. It is also home for the George Enescu Festival.

George Enescu was one of the biggest Romanian composers, and they have this music festival that has its name every year.

You can take a guided tour on the inside of the building to see the rooms and learn more about its history. And for great pictures outside, make sure you go to the lawn right in front of the Atheneum. 

Cismigiu Park

There are lots of parks in Bucharest, but the Cismigiu Gardens is my favorite one. I used to spend a lot of time here in high school when I was in Bucharest preparing for the International Chemistry Olympiad.

It is a park that’s in the heart of the city, next to the University of Bucharest.

It has a lot of trees, flowers, green spaces, and an artificial lake. There are plenty of benches along the park so you can sit down and take it all in.

It’s the perfect place for people watching, taking a stroll, and relaxing after a day of exploring the city.

The park also has multiple landmarks. One of them is the Writer’s Rotunda, which has stone busts of 12 important Romanian writers.

If you love to take walks in parks when you visit cities I also recommend you check out Herăstrău Park. It’s a much larger park than Cismigiu, but it’s a few subway stations away. 

Guided tour of the Palace of Parliament

The Palace of the Parliament was built during the communist regime at the orders of Nicolae Ceaușescu. It is one of the main attractions and the most famous building in Bucharest.

It is the heaviest building in the world, weighing about 4,098,500 tons (9.04 billion pounds), and it’s also the second largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon.

Nowadays the palace houses the Romanian Senate, the Chamber of Deputies, three museums and an international conference center. So it still acts as a workplace for the Romanian Parliament.

The palace was nicknamed the People’s House after the 1989 Revolution that led to the fall of communism.

You can get tickets for a guided tour to see the inside of the building. I’ve done this recently on my Romania group trip and it was amazing to see the magnitude of the place. All the travelers who joined my trip from all over the world loved this tour.

Eat at Caru’ cu Bere

Caru’ cu Bere is one of the best restaurants in Bucharest that serve traditional Romanian food. The restaurant is located in the Old Town and it has a beautiful decor with wood panels and stained glass windows.

It has been operating for about 130 years in the same location. They have live music and dances both during lunch and dinner.

Stopping by Caru’ cu Bere is a must when you’re in Bucharest. They are open every day from 9am to midnight. Make sure you make a reservation since it’s a very popular spot.

It is not a tourist trap. Many Romanian people eat here as well. The restaurant serves tasty food and they have a nice atmosphere, so it’s guaranteed you’ll have a great time here.

Here are my recommendations for local food to try. Sarmale are top of the list. They are our pickled cabbage rolls that have meat inside. A staple of Romanian cuisine that families cook for every major holiday. They are served with polenta and sour cream. 

You should also try mici. They are little kebabs, very similar to cevapi. They are always served with mustard and you can eat them with bread or fries.

For dessert you should try papanasi. They are cottage cheese donuts served with sweet cream and either blueberry or sour cherry jam.

Day 2: Take a day trip to Bran Castle, Peles Castle, and Brasov

If you don’t have that much time in Romania, then you should use this second day to take a day trip to Dracula’s Castle, Peles Cstle and Brasov.

However, if you can spend more time in Romania, I highly encourage you to at least fully explore Transylvania. I promise you, the best parts of Romania are outside Bucharest.

​Dracula’s Castle

The legendary Bran Castle is popular because of Bram Stoker. In his novel about the fictional character Dracula, he describes a medieval castle that looks exactly like the Bran Castle. This castle in Romania was his inspiration for his novel.

Since Dracula is well-known all over the world, a lot of tourists come to visit the infamous Bran Castle. The castle has no connection with the real Dracula, Vlad the Impaler. He never lived there. 

But it’s a really incredible castle and I recommend you visit it. 

Peleș Castle

Peleș is my favorite castle in Romania. It was built at the beginning of the 1900’s for King Carol I in a Neo-Renaissance style. 

He also commissioned Pelișor Castle, translated as “little Peles” for his nephew, the future King Ferdinand. It was also a very expensive project. It cost the equivalent of 120 millions USD today.

But for good reason. It truly is an architectural gem that you must visit at least once in your lifetime. Every single detail in that palace is incredible.

And it’s location in the Carpathian Mountains makes you feel like you’re in a Hallmark movie. In 2006 both castles became museums and tourist attractions.

Brasov

Brasov is of the most famous cities in Transylvania, right in the heart of Romania. It’s also the closest one to Bucharest, so many visitors make a stop here when they visit Romania. And let me say it is absolutely worth visiting. It’s a stunning medieval town in the mountains.

Day 3: Relax at Therme Bucharest

Therme Bucharest is Europe’s largest wellness center. It has multiple thermal water pools, mineral water pools, saunas, water slides, infrared light beds, and even a botanical garden with 800,000 species of plants.

There are plenty of bars and restaurants where you can grab a bite in between swims and massage sessions.

Therme is the best place to relax while in the capital of Romania. You can easily spend a day here, it’s that big of a place, and it has everything you can dream of. It’s also a very affordable place. The entry fee is only about 30 euros for a full day stay.

I loved my experience here. It’s very well organized. Once you buy your ticket or redeem your online ticket they give you a bracelet. This bracelet has a number and that’s the number of your locker.

You lock and unlock the locker with your bracelet. After you change and leave your stuff in the locker you take a shower. And then you go to the indoor pool area. From there you can explore everything on your list.

If you want to buy food and drinks you just tap your bracelet at the bar or restaurant you’re buying from. And once you leave Therme they have these automatic machines where you scan your bracelet and pay for what you ordered using a credit card.

Then you give them the bracelet back and leave.

FAQs about Romania and Bucharest

I highly encourage you to read this article I wrote about stereotypes about Romania and what my honest opinion is of them. It will help you understand our history and learn how things evolved and how the country developed over the last 35 years.

How can I get to Bucharest city center from Henri Coanda International Airport?

Bus

If you’re a fan of public transportation, you can take Bus Line 100. It has stops everywhere in Bucharest city center: Piata Unirii, Piata Romana, Piata Victoriei, Universitate. This bus runs every 15 minutes during the day and every 30 minutes during the night.

You can pay by card on board (a one way trip costs less than a euro). The bus station is outside of the Arrivals terminal. Just follow the signs when you get out of the airport.

Taxi / Uber / Bolt

This is the most convenient option since it leaves you right in front of your hotel. Uber and Bolt both operate in Romania, so if you’re coming from Europe or the US you can use the same apps to get a car in Romania as well.

Alternatively you can also schedule a private transfer.

How to get cell phone data when visiting from abroad?

The cheapest and most convenient way to get data while visiting from abroad is to buy an eSIM. An eSIM is a digital SIM that lets you activate a data plan from a provider without having to use a physical SIM card. They are super easy to use.

I use Airalo. You can go to their website, select the country you’re traveling to, select how many GB of data you want, and how many days you want the eSIM to be active for. After you pay you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to activate the eSIM.

You can activate it on your phone and the process takes under 1 minute. Once the eSIM is activated you don’t have to do anything else. When you’re at your destination you will automatically get data.

Is Romania safe for a solo female traveler?

Yes, Romania is safe for solo female travelers. This is probably the number one question I’m being asked about Romania, so let me give you the full answer here.

One of the stereotypes about Romania is that it’s not a safe country. A lot of people still avoid visiting because of this.

This was true in the first 10-20 years after the fall of communism (1989 – 2009). 

After the 1989 Revolution everyone was trying to make money and stop living in scarcity. And because there was so much corruption and no systems put in place to help people, some people had to resort to scamming and stealing.

Back in the day pickpockets would steal money from you at the airport, on the street, literally anywhere. There is even a song by Romanian rapper Puya saying something like “when you land in Romania, make sure to keep your money close to you”.

Taxi drivers used to scam tourists as well. They would always ask for more money than what the price actually was.

But things have evolved so much and are so different now. We are part of the EU and Schengen. The country developed tremendously and the economy has been growing consistently. 

So these things don’t happen anymore because people don’t need to resort to scamming and stealing to live a decent life. That’s why debunking myths about Romania is so important. 

I live in Romania again after being in NYC for 14 years and traveling all over Western Europe and I feel safer in Romania than I felt in Western Europe or the US.

Should I visit solo or join a small group tour?

It depends on how you like to explore. Romania is a safe country, so you can definitely visit solo. But you’ll have more stress since you have to plan everything yourself.

I am hosting a Romania group trip every year. The tour date is the last week of August – first week of September. Except for 2 days in Bucharest, all other days are spent in Transylvania and the itinerary includes everything listed in this blog post.

It’s a great choice if you’re mid 20’s – mid 40’s and would like to explore with a like-minded group of people.

When is the best time to visit Bucharest?

All seasons are great, but it depends what types of activities you’re looking for. 

The spring and summer months are great if you want to prioritize exploring the outdoors. Fall is perfect if you want to also see the leaves changing color. And winter is a good choice if you want to see the Christmas market, ski, and snowboard in the resorts about a 3 hour drive from Bucharest.

What is the currency in Romania?

While Romania has been part of the European Union since 2007, it is not in the Eurozone yet. Our currency is the Romanian leu. 1 euro = 5 lei.

Do I need cash for my trip to Romania?

Yes, you do. While you can pay with a credit card in every city in Romania, places in the countryside or smaller mom-and-pop businesses are still cash-only.

So if you want to eat at a traditional local eatery that’s not in the city, or if you want to buy souvenirs or tip your tour guides make sure you have cash.

Pro tip: always get cash from an ATM in the airport instead of going to an exchange place. Your bank will always have better exchange rates when taking out cash in a foreign currency from an ATM.

Do I have to tip in Romania?

Tipping is not mandatory, but it is highly encouraged. I usually leave 5-10 lei (the equivalent of 1-2 euros) as tip when I eat out. They highly appreciate it when you do this.

Do I need to book tickets for attractions in advance?

You can book tickets online in advance of your trip if you want to have peace of mind, especially for activities that have limited spots and can sell out, like bear watching.

You can buy entry tickets to castles and other attractions from the ticket office on the day you visit. The chance of them being completely sold out is very small.

What language do people speak in Romania?

The official language in Romania is Romanian. Contrary to popular belief, Romanian sounds nothing like Russian.

Romanian is a romance language. That means that it has Latin roots, and it is very similar to Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and Catalan. For example, the word “good” is “bun” in Romanian, “bueno” in Spanish, “buon” in Italian, and “bon” in French. Do you see the resemblance?

Romanian has some Slavic influences, so there will be words that don’t sound anything like their Spanish or French counterparts. One example is the word for “snow”, “zăpadă”. This is a Slavic word, and it is quite different from “nieve” in Spanish or “neige” in French.

However, overall, Romanian is very similar to its romance language cousins, and it sounds nothing like Russian.

Do people speak English in Romania?

Yes, they do. Pretty much everyone speaks English in Romania nowadays, especially the younger folks.

Most people also speak a little Spanish because Latin-American soap operas were very popular in Romania at the beginning of the 2000’s. And since Romanian is similar to Spanish we all picked up Spanish. 

That’s how I learned Spanish. And I am also able to understand bits and pieces of all other romance languages.

What Romanian words should I learn before my trip?

• Buna (pronounced boo – nuh) = hello 
• La revedere = goodbye
• Multumesc = thank you. But you can also say merci (the short form of multumesc, pronounced exactly like the French word).
• Da= yes
• Nu = no
• Card = credit card

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