Real Traveler Experiences

City guide / Romania

Bucharest, verdict by verdict

Bucharest is big, loud and oddly compelling. Our verdicts cover Bran Castle, food tour in Bucharest and Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, the airport route and where to stay.

All 10 verdicts What to skip in Bucharest
Central Bucharest seen from above
Photo: Gabriel from Bucharest, Romania, CC BY 2.0 (source)

Explore the decisions

Sights and tickets

4 verdicts
The Stavropoleos monastery in Bucharest's old townIs Bucharest old town worth it?Go
Photo: Neoclassicism Enthusiast, Public domain (source)
The Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, one of the largest buildings on earthIs the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest worth it?Go
Photo: Mihai Petre, CC BY-SA 3.0 (source)
A wooden church at the Village Museum in BucharestIs the Village Museum in Bucharest worth it?Go
Photo: Nenea hartia, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)
The glass halls of the Therme Bucharest spa complexIs Therme Bucharest worth it?It depends
Photo: Daniele Napolitano, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)

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Tours

1 verdict
Mici, Romania's grilled minced-meat rolls, on the grillIs a food tour in Bucharest worth it?It depends
Photo: Nicubunu, CC BY-SA 3.0 (source)

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Day trips

2 verdicts
Bran Castle on its rock in TransylvaniaIs a Bran Castle day trip from Bucharest worth it?It depends
Photo: Asurnipal, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)
Peles Castle in SinaiaIs a Peles Castle day trip from Bucharest worth it?Go
Photo: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 3.0 (source)

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Big choices

3 verdicts
The terminal at Bucharest Otopeni airportBucharest airport to the city: which way?Our pick: Bus 100 express to Piața Unirii
Photo: Cristian Bortes, CC BY 2.0 (source)
The Hungarian Parliament lit across the Danube at duskBucharest or Budapest: which city to visit?Our pick: Budapest
Photo: Godot13, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)
The Romanian Athenaeum lit up at duskWhere to stay in Bucharest: which area?Our pick: Calea Victoriei and Piata Romana
Photo: Mister rf, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)

The review

Bucharest in short

Bucharest is big, loud and oddly compelling: the gargantuan Palace of Parliament, a Lipscani old town rebuilt into a nightlife district, Belle Epoque villas beside communist blocks, and Therme, Europe's biggest thermal spa, a short ride out. Prices stay low, the cafe and cocktail scene is real, and day trips reach Peles castle and Bran in Transylvania.

It is an acquired taste: beauty is scattered rather than concentrated, traffic is relentless, pavements crumble, and the old town runs touristy and rowdy after dark. Travelers who want elegance on every street or a consistently pretty, walkable historic centre should look at Budapest, and anyone whose Romania trip is mostly mountains and villages can route around it.

Two to three days covers the city plus a day trip to Sinaia, Peles and Bran; the metro handles the centre and the station, and cheap reliable ride-hailing beats the taxis. April to June and September to October give warm walkable days, while winter is cold but cheap and Therme argues for the cold on its own. It suits travelers curious about a rawer, cheaper, more surprising capital.

Go if

  • The Palace of Parliament: the world's heaviest building is jaw-dropping
  • Cheap, lively nightlife and a serious cafe scene in Lipscani
  • A base for Transylvania's castles and the Carpathian foothills
  • The [Village Museum](/bucharest/village-museum-bucharest/) and the city's strangest contrasts

Skip if

  • You need a consistently pretty, walkable historic centre
  • Traffic noise and post-communist concrete would wear on you
  • Your Romania trip is mostly mountains and villages anyway
When to go
April to June and September to October for warm, walkable days. Summers are hot; winters are cold but cheap, and Therme makes a cold-weather argument on its own.
How long
2 to 3 days in the city, plus a day trip to Sinaia, Peles and Bran.
Getting around
The metro covers the centre and the train station; ride-hailing is cheap and reliable where taxis are not. The airport train and express bus reach the centre; see [getting in](/bucharest/bucharest-airport-to-city/).

Where to stay

Hotels that fit this trip in Bucharest

We are checking our Bucharest hotel picks against live rates. Meanwhile: Search Bucharest hotels on Expedia partner site

In pictures

Bucharest, frame by frame

Bran Castle on its rock in Transylvaniaa Bran Castle day trip from Bucharest worth it
Photo: Asurnipal, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)
The terminal at Bucharest Otopeni airportBucharest airport to the city: which way
Photo: Cristian Bortes, CC BY 2.0 (source)
Mici, Romania's grilled minced-meat rolls, on the grilla food tour in Bucharest worth it
Photo: Nicubunu, CC BY-SA 3.0 (source)
The Stavropoleos monastery in Bucharest's old townBucharest old town worth it
Photo: Neoclassicism Enthusiast, Public domain (source)
The Hungarian Parliament lit across the Danube at duskBucharest or Budapest: which city to visit
Photo: Godot13, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)
The Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, one of the largest buildings on earththe Palace of Parliament in Bucharest worth it
Photo: Mihai Petre, CC BY-SA 3.0 (source)
Peles Castle in Sinaiaa Peles Castle day trip from Bucharest worth it
Photo: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 3.0 (source)
The glass halls of the Therme Bucharest spa complexTherme Bucharest worth it
Photo: Daniele Napolitano, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)

Keep exploring

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