Romania
Bucharest
The city that built the Palace of the Parliament and then overthrew the man who built it.
Romania's capital is a city of jarring contrasts: Belle Epoque mansions and Orthodox churches on one street, communist concrete on the next. Its defining landmark is the Palace of the Parliament, Ceausescu's colossal House of the People, built over a flattened historic quarter in the 1980s. Around it are the Romanian Athenaeum, the balcony on Revolution Square where the 1989 revolution turned, a lively Old Town of bars and beer halls, big leafy parks and the open-air Village Museum. It is also the easy gateway to the Carpathian castles of Sinaia and Bran.
Suggested stay
2–4 days
Language
Romanian
Currency
RON
Timezone
UTC+3
Why you'll love Bucharest
Communist history the Palace of the Parliament and Revolution Square tell the Ceausescu story where it happened
Little Paris Calea Victoriei's Belle Epoque palaces, the Athenaeum and an Arc de Triomphe of its own
Nights out the Old Town's lanes pack bars, beer halls and terraces, and the club scene runs late
Parks and lakes Herastrau, Cismigiu and the Village Museum make a green, slow side to a big city
Best time to visit
Apr-Oct
18-31° days
44.436° N, 26.103° E
UTC+3 · Europe/Bucharest
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Weather & when to go to Bucharest
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Apr-Oct
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Bucharest
December to February is cold, grey and often icy, with short days that suit the museums more than the streets. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant for walking the boulevards and parks. Summer is hot, but the terraces and garden bars are in full swing and many locals head for the coast and mountains.
Top things to do in Bucharest
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Palace of the Parliament - tour Ceausescu's House of the People
history culture arts 👍 PopularOne of the largest administrative buildings in the world, begun in 1984 on land cleared of churches, homes and a whole historic neighbourhood. Guided tours only lead through marble halls, vast chandeliers and out onto the balcony over Unirii Boulevard; bring ID and book ahead.
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Revolution Square - where the 1989 revolution turned
history ⭐ Highly recommendedOn 21 December 1989 Ceausescu's speech from the Central Committee balcony was drowned out by the crowd, and the next day he fled by helicopter from its roof. The square also holds the former Royal Palace, the Athenaeum and the Rebirth Memorial.
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Romanian Athenaeum - the domed concert hall
culture arts 👍 PopularThe city's great Belle Epoque symbol, a columned, domed hall from 1888 with a painted frieze of Romanian history circling the auditorium. It is home to the George Enescu Philharmonic, and a concert is the best way to see inside.
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Village Museum - Romania's countryside in a park
culture arts history ⭐ Highly recommendedDozens of real farmhouses, wooden churches, windmills and barns were moved here from every region of the country and rebuilt on the shore of Herastrau lake. It is one of the oldest open-air museums in Europe and a lovely slow afternoon.
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Old Town - Lipscani lanes, Stavropoleos and the Princely Court
history nightlife music 👍 PopularThe medieval merchant quarter is now the nightlife core, but in daylight it holds the tiny carved Stavropoleos Monastery, the ruins of the Old Princely Court linked to Vlad the Impaler, and the old caravanserai of Hanul lui Manuc.
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Calea Victoriei - the grand boulevard walk
culture arts historyThe city's oldest and grandest avenue runs from the Old Town past the National Museum of Art in the former Royal Palace, the Athenaeum, the CEC Palace and the Military Circle, a compact lesson in why Bucharest was once called Little Paris.
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Carturesti Carusel and Caru' cu Bere - two Old Town interiors
food culture artsCarturesti Carusel is a restored 19th-century building turned into a white, multi-level bookshop; Caru' cu Bere is a neo-Gothic beer hall with stained glass and painted vaults, serving mici, sarmale and ciorba.
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Spring Palace - inside the Ceausescus' private home
historyThe family villa in the Primaverii district preserves the couple's rooms, mosaics, gold-fitted bathrooms, cinema and indoor pool, a startlingly intimate counterpart to the public monument of the Parliament Palace. Visits are by guided tour.
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Cismigiu and Herastrau - the city's parks
nature wildlife scenicCismigiu is the old romantic garden in the centre, with a boating lake and shaded paths. Herastrau, now King Michael I Park, wraps a large lake in the north, with lakeside terraces and boats in the warm months.
Best areas to stay in Bucharest
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Old Town (Centrul Vechi)
Nightlife lovers $$Cobbled lanes, churches and packed bars
Explore hotels in Old Town (Centrul Vechi) →
Calea Victoriei and Piata Romana
First-time visitors $$Grand boulevards, museums and central squares
Explore hotels in Calea Victoriei and Piata Romana →
Dorobanti and Primaverii
Upscale stays $$$Leafy villas, embassies and smart restaurants
Explore hotels in Dorobanti and Primaverii →
Cotroceni
Slow travellers $$Quiet residential streets of old villas
Explore hotels in Cotroceni →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Bucharest
Getting to & around Bucharest
Getting there
Fly into Henri Coanda (OTP) at Otopeni, about 30-45 min north of the centre
Flight
Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP)
The airport sits at Otopeni, north of the city. An airport train runs to Gara de Nord, express buses run into the centre, and ride-hailing apps are the easy way to get a car.
Train
Gara de Nord
The main station for trains from Brasov and Transylvania, the Black Sea coast and international routes towards Budapest and Sofia
Coach
Coaches and minibuses connect Bucharest with Romanian cities and neighbouring countries from several terminals around the city
Getting around
Metro
A handful of lines link Gara de Nord, Piata Victoriei, Piata Romana, Universitate and Unirii, the fastest way across the city
TBC
Bus and tram
A dense surface network fills the gaps between metro stations, though traffic can slow buses badly
TBC
Ride-hailing
Apps are cheap and widely used; prefer them to hailing unmarked cars, especially at the airport and station
TBC
Walking
The Old Town, Calea Victoriei, Revolution Square and Cismigiu are all within easy walking distance of each other
Free
Day trips from Bucharest
Sinaia and Peles Castle
Full dayRoyal mountain castle
Peles, the ornate neo-Renaissance summer castle of Romania's first king, sits in the forested Prahova valley below the Bucegi mountains, with Sinaia Monastery and a cable car up into the peaks nearby.
Getting there
train | car | tour
About 1.5-2 hr by train or road
Brasov and Bran Castle
1-2 daysTransylvanian old town
Cross the Carpathians into Transylvania for Brasov's Saxon old town and Black Church, and Bran, the hilltop castle sold as Dracula's. Doable in a long day on a tour, better with a night.
Getting there
train | car | tour
About 2.5-3 hr by train to Brasov, then 30-45 min by road to Bran
Snagov Monastery
Half dayIsland monastery
A small medieval monastery on an island in Lake Snagov, reached by footbridge, where tradition holds that Vlad the Impaler is buried.
Getting there
car | tour
About 45 min-1 hr by road north of the city
Mogosoaia Palace
Half dayBrancovenesc palace
Prince Constantin Brancoveanu's lakeside palace from around 1700 is the finest example of the Brancovenesc style, blending Venetian and Ottoman touches, set in gardens on the edge of the city.
Getting there
car | bus
About 30-45 min by road north-west of the city
A little history of Bucharest
Legend credits a shepherd named Bucur with founding the city, but Bucharest first appears in writing in 1459, in a document issued by Vlad III, the prince remembered as Vlad the Impaler. It became Wallachia's permanent capital in the 17th century and capital of the united Romanian principalities in 1862. Late 19th and early 20th-century boulevards, palaces and the Athenaeum earned it the name Little Paris.
After 1947 the communist state reshaped the city. Following the 1977 earthquake, Nicolae Ceausescu cleared much of the historic south to build the Civic Centre and the House of the People, now the Palace of the Parliament. In December 1989 the crowd turned on him in Revolution Square, and the regime fell within days.
First written mention of Bucharest, in a document of Vlad III of Wallachia
Bucharest becomes the permanent capital of Wallachia
Capital of the united principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia, the core of modern Romania
The Romanian Athenaeum opens, emblem of the Little Paris era
King Michael is forced to abdicate and Romania becomes a communist people's republic
A major earthquake causes heavy destruction in the city
Construction begins on the House of the People after historic quarters are demolished
The December revolution: Ceausescu is booed in Revolution Square, flees and is overthrown
Know before you go
Payment
Cards & cash mixed
English
Widely spoken
Wifi
Reliable
Power
Type C / F
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+40
The months our climate read flags to avoid: the wettest, lowest-rated weather of the year.
FAQs about Bucharest
▸ When is the best time to visit Bucharest?
April to October has the best weather, with spring and early autumn the most comfortable for walking. Summer is hot but lively, with terraces and garden bars open. December to February is cold, grey and often icy.
▸ How many days do you need in Bucharest?
Two days cover the Palace of the Parliament, Revolution Square, the Old Town and the Village Museum. Add a day or two for Peles Castle, Snagov or a trip on into Transylvania.
▸ Can you go inside the Palace of the Parliament?
Yes, but only on a guided tour, since the building is still a working parliament. Book ahead where you can and bring a passport or ID card, which is checked at the entrance.
▸ Is there a Dracula connection in Bucharest?
The real Vlad the Impaler ruled from here: the Old Princely Court ruins in the Old Town are linked to him, and Snagov Monastery north of the city is his reputed burial place. Bran Castle, sold as Dracula's, is in Transylvania.
▸ Is Bucharest expensive?
It is one of the more affordable capitals in the European Union for eating out, transport and hotels. The smart restaurants of the northern districts and the big spa resort outside the city cost noticeably more.
More in Romania
Brasov
A medieval Saxon town with a mountain growing out of its back wall.
✓ best May, Jul-OctCluj-Napoca
Transylvania's young, restless capital: Gothic spires, student bars and a summer of festivals.
✓ best Apr-OctConstanta
Ovid's city of exile, Romania's great port and the gateway to its summer beaches.
✓ best Apr-Oct