Old Town (Lipscani)
NightlifeThe historic core: bars, clubs, restaurants and most hostels. Loud until dawn at weekends.
Bucharest city guide
Things To Do In Bucharest
Big, loud, green and cheap: the heaviest building on earth, an old town that does not sleep, and belle époque boulevards between the concrete.
17
Hostels in the city
7.4
Average, from 13,750 reviews
1989
The revolution that ended Ceausescu's rule, started in part here
~4 million t
The estimated weight of the Palace of the Parliament
~5 lei
To the euro, roughly
Once called the Paris of the East, then rebuilt by a dictator
Bucharest earned the nickname Little Paris before the Second World War for its boulevards, its belle époque villas and its Arc de Triomphe, and a good deal of that city survives in the streets north of the centre.
Then, in the 1980s, Nicolae Ceausescu demolished around a fifth of the historic centre to build the Palace of the Parliament and the boulevard leading to it. The palace is one of the largest administrative buildings in the world and is often described as the heaviest. It is obscene, fascinating, and toured daily.
The revolution of December 1989 ended that regime within days, and Revolution Square, where Ceausescu gave his last speech, is marked plainly.
The old town, Lipscani, is the nightlife centre and runs all night. The parks are large and genuinely good. The food is cheap and heavy.
It is not a pretty capital and does not pretend to be. Two or three days, and most people move on to Transylvania.
Where to stay
A sprawling city with a compact old centre and a better-looking north.
Piata Romana and Universitate
Central and transportAround the main boulevards: metro hubs, shops and a short walk to the old town.
Cotroceni and the Palace area
Quiet and residentialSouth-west: villas, the botanical garden and the palace down the road.
Dorobanti and Floreasca
Parks and restaurantsNorth: belle époque villas, the lakes, the Village Museum and a calmer feel.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 12 top-rated hostels. Map © MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Bucharest
Tour the Palace of the Parliament. Ceausescu had around a fifth of the historic centre demolished to build it, it has over a thousand rooms, and guided tours of the portion open to visitors run about 60 to 80 lei (€12–16). Book ahead and bring your passport, which is checked. It is a monument to a particular kind of madness and it is essential.
The Village Museum in Herastrau park, about 30 lei (€6), is an open-air collection of wooden houses, churches and mills moved from villages across Romania, and it is one of the best of its kind in Europe.
Carturesti Carusel is a restored nineteenth-century building turned into a six-level bookshop with white spiral balconies, free to walk into.
Stavropoleos Monastery, a tiny eighteenth-century church in the old town, is free and beautifully carved.
Revolution Square, where Ceausescu made his last speech on 21 December 1989 before fleeing by helicopter from the roof, is free and plainly marked.
More on things to do in Bucharest
Free things
Free things to do in Bucharest
Revolution Square, the old town and Stavropoleos Monastery all cost nothing.
The parks are large and free: Cismigiu in the centre, Herastrau around its lake in the north, and Carol Park with its mausoleum on the hill.
Calea Victoriei, the grand old boulevard, is free to walk and holds most of the surviving belle époque architecture, including the Romanian Athenaeum.
Carturesti Carusel is free to browse.
Watching the Palace of the Parliament from the end of Unirii Boulevard is free and gives you the scale, which is the point, even without the tour.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Bucharest
Cheap and substantial. A main is 35 to 60 lei (€7–12) and lunch menus less.
Mici are the thing to order: small skinless grilled sausages of mixed meat, served with mustard and bread, around 5 lei (€1) each, and eaten everywhere.
Sarmale — cabbage rolls stuffed with pork and rice, served with polenta and sour cream — are the national dish.
Ciorba, the sour soup, comes in many versions and is the Romanian starter. Ciorba de burta, tripe soup, is the one locals swear by.
Papanasi are fried doughnuts with sour cream and jam, and one portion is dessert for two.
A beer is 10 to 18 lei (€2–3.50), and Romanian wine is seriously underrated — Feteasca Neagra is the local red to try.
Nightlife
Going out in Bucharest
The old town is dense, loud and runs all night — dozens of bars and clubs in a few streets, busy every night at weekends, and a good deal of it aimed at visitors and stag groups.
The better scene is elsewhere: the courtyard and garden bars in villas around the centre and north, which open in summer and are the most Bucharest thing about the city's nightlife.
A beer is 10 to 18 lei (€2–3.50) and cocktails 30 to 50 lei (€6–10).
Clubbing is serious and runs very late — Bucharest has a respected electronic scene and some venues open until morning.
Summer moves everything outdoors, and the garden bars are where to be from May to September.
More on nightlife in Bucharest
Getting around
Getting around Bucharest
The metro is the fastest way around, and metro plus buses run on contactless or a card at around 3 lei (€0.60) a trip.
Use Bolt or Uber for taxis. Street-hailed taxis, particularly at the airport and Gara de Nord, have a long record of overcharging visitors.
From the airport, the train to Gara de Nord or express bus 100 to the centre takes about 40 minutes for 5 to 10 lei (€1–2).
The city is large and the centre is only partly walkable — distances between areas are longer than the map suggests, and traffic is heavy.
Trains to Brasov take about two and a half to three hours and to Sibiu or Cluj considerably longer. Romanian trains are slow but cheap and generally reliable.
Costs
What Bucharest costs
One of the cheapest capitals in the EU. Dorms are 50 to 110 lei (€10–22), a main 35 to 60 lei (€7–12), and a beer 10 to 18 lei (€2–3.50).
A day is €30 to €55.
Romania uses the leu, not the euro. Places that accept euros apply poor rates. Cards work widely in the city.
Exchange at banks or established bureaux, never on the street, and check the commission — some bureaux advertise attractive rates and charge heavily on the back.
The Palace tour and the Village Museum are the only significant entries. Everything else worth doing is free or close to it.
Safety
Staying safe in Bucharest
Bucharest is safer than its reputation, with low violent crime against visitors. The problems are commercial and traffic-related.
Taxis are the first. Street-hailed taxis at the airport and Gara de Nord routinely overcharge. Use Bolt or Uber.
Money exchange is the second. Never change money on the street, and check the commission at bureaux before handing anything over.
The old town has occasional issues with inflated bills and strip clubs that use street promoters to bring men in. Check prices, and do not follow promoters.
Traffic is aggressive and Romania has one of the highest road fatality rates in the EU. Cross at lights and look properly.
Stray dogs were once a serious problem and have been sharply reduced since 2013, but they persist in outer areas. Emergency number is 112.
Day trips from Bucharest
A mountain resort, a lakeside palace and the start of Transylvania.
Sinaia and Peles Castle
A mountain resort with a neo-Renaissance royal castle, one of the most elaborate in Europe.
Brasov
The gateway to Transylvania, and better as a base than as a day trip.
Danube Delta
One of Europe's largest wetlands, UNESCO-listed, reached via Tulcea. Too far for a day.
What's on
What is on while you are there
A Christmas market in front of the heaviest building on earth.
Staff pick
30 Nov – 26 Dec
Bucharest Christmas Market
The Bucharest Christmas Market transforms Constitution Square, Bucharest, into a festive wonderland each winter, drawing visitors from across Romania and beyond. Over 100 wooden…
Staff pick
6–11 October
Bucharest Auto Show & Accessories
The Bucharest Auto Show & Accessories (SAB) is Romania’s premier automotive showcase, bringing together leading car manufacturers, electric mobility innovators, and accessory suppliers at…
Staff pick
2–6 December
Gaudeamus Book Fair
The Gaudeamus Radio Romania Book Fair in Bucharest, Romania, is a major literary event that has brought together book lovers and industry professionals for…
Staff pick
2–11 October
Animest International Animation Film Festival
Animest International Animation Film Festival in Bucharest, Romania, is the country’s leading celebration of animated film, bringing together acclaimed works from around the world…
Staff pick
21–22 November
Bucharest Gaming Week
Bucharest Gaming Week in Bucharest, Romania, at Romexpo brings together gamers, developers, and industry leaders for a celebration of gaming culture that has grown…
Staff pick
22 November
Bucharest International Film Festival
The Bucharest International Film Festival is a prestigious event showcasing the best in contemporary world cinema. With its diverse selection of films, insightful panel…
Staff pick
1 December
National Day Parade
The Romania National Day Parade in Bucharest, is a grand celebration of the country’s unity and heritage. Spectators gather to witness an impressive display…
27 October
K-POP FOREVER!
K-POP FOREVER! is a large-scale international show inspired by the Netflix film K-POP DEMON HUNTERS. The event celebrates the global cultural phenomenon of K-POP…
Hostels
Where to stay in Bucharest
A good scene concentrated in and around the old town, at some of the lowest prices in the EU. Live from Hostelworld.
T5 Social
Dorms from €2 a night
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BEDSY
Dorms from €21 a night
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TURQUOISE Hostel
Dorms from €12 a night
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Sleep Inn Hostel
Dorms from €7 a night
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Piata Uniri Cozy Inn
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Antique Hostel Bucharest
Dorms from €19 a night
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Nest Boutique Hostel
Dorms from €15 a night
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First Hostel Bucharest
Dorms from €13 a night
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Wonderland Hostel
Dorms from €7 a night
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Vila 11
Dorms from €16 a night
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Popcorn
Dorms from €11 a night
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Alex Villa Hostel
Dorms from €7 a night
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When to go
April to June and September to October. Summer is very hot, winter cold and grey.
Jan
Cold and grey. Cheapest
Feb
Cold and quiet
Mar
Improving. Parks starting
Apr
Excellent. Warm and green
May
Very good. Garden bars opening
Jun
Warm and busy. Everything outdoors
Jul
Very hot. The city heats up badly
Aug
Hottest month. Many locals leave for the coast
Sep
Superb. Heat breaking
Oct
Excellent value and mild
Nov
Cooling and grey
Dec
Cold, with a Christmas market in front of the Palace
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs. Bucharest sits on an open plain and summer heat is severe — July and August regularly pass 35°C, and the concrete holds it well into the night.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros — you will pay in lei, at roughly 5 to the euro.
Shown in euros for comparison; Romania uses the leu and places accepting euros use poor rates. The Palace tour at about €12–16 sits in the doing line.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Bucharest travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
Is the Palace of the Parliament worth it?
Yes. Ceausescu demolished around a fifth of the historic centre to build it in the 1980s, it has over a thousand rooms, and the guided tour of the part open to visitors costs about 60 to 80 lei (€12–16). Book ahead and bring your passport, which is checked at entry. It is the key to understanding what the city went through.
How do I avoid being overcharged by taxis?
Use Bolt or Uber. Street-hailed taxis at the airport and Gara de Nord have a long record of overcharging visitors, and apps remove the problem entirely.
Does Romania use the euro?
No. It uses the leu, at roughly five to the euro. Places that accept euros apply poor rates, so pay in lei or by card, and exchange only at banks or established bureaux — never on the street.
Is Bucharest worth visiting or should I go straight to Transylvania?
Two days is worthwhile. It is not a pretty city, but the Palace of the Parliament, the Village Museum, the 1989 history and the surviving belle époque streets explain modern Romania in a way the Saxon towns do not. Then go to Transylvania.
What should I eat?
Mici — small grilled skinless sausages, about 5 lei (€1) each — sarmale cabbage rolls with polenta, and ciorba, the sour soup. Papanasi, fried doughnuts with sour cream and jam, for dessert. Drink Feteasca Neagra, the local red.
Is it safe?
Safer than its reputation. Violent crime against visitors is low. The practical risks are taxi overcharging, street money exchange, promoters in the old town and very aggressive traffic — Romania has one of the highest road death rates in the EU.
How hot does it get?
Very. July and August regularly pass 35°C on the open plain, and the concrete holds the heat overnight. April to June and September to October are far more comfortable.
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