This year I’m exploring the Balkan countries a bit more and decided to start in Bucharest and then heading over to Belgrade afterwards.
For me, the main stereotype I heard is how poor this part of Europe is and I barely know anybody who was there yet either. With a short time frame of 2 days you also have to decide what you want to prioritize. Having said that, I didn’t expect that our host would be so kind to show my partner & I around the city for 2h after we got there! It’s always great to get insides from a local! But let’s start off with the basics:
Hint! Google Maps doesn’t show the pick up location correctly!! The bus goes every 15 minutes therefore missing it isn't that big of an issue but it still sucks when you want to get going...
By taxi: There are taxis waiting outside but be aware that not all of them are licensed! Always check if they have meter readers. Only yellow taxis are legit ones!
Their currency: Bucharest and Romania in general is one of the few countries which still has their own currency (aka not the Euro). While you can exchange to Romanian Leu, I went entirely cash-free as basically everything can be paid by card
For me, the main stereotype I heard is how poor this part of Europe is and I barely know anybody who was there yet either. With a short time frame of 2 days you also have to decide what you want to prioritize. Having said that, I didn’t expect that our host would be so kind to show my partner & I around the city for 2h after we got there! It’s always great to get insides from a local! But let’s start off with the basics:
How to get from the airport to the city center:
By public transport: Take bus number 100 - it takes about 40 minutes to stop Piata Unirii and costs 60 cents (simply tap with your credit card when you get on the bus)Hint! Google Maps doesn’t show the pick up location correctly!! The bus goes every 15 minutes therefore missing it isn't that big of an issue but it still sucks when you want to get going...
By taxi: There are taxis waiting outside but be aware that not all of them are licensed! Always check if they have meter readers. Only yellow taxis are legit ones!
Their currency: Bucharest and Romania in general is one of the few countries which still has their own currency (aka not the Euro). While you can exchange to Romanian Leu, I went entirely cash-free as basically everything can be paid by card
What to see in Bucharest in 2 day itinerary
Now before you read this, know that I’m a person who loves to explore places by walking around as much as possible. Obviously you can rest, take a bike or buses to get around as well. I didn’t think it was necessary because the main touristic attractions are within a less than 5 km radius and my accommodation was located in the city center too.Sightseeing's I can recommend are
- Saint Nicholas Russian Church: This has to be mentioned first because this church is one of the most interesting sites in the city! The entrance is free and if you have never seen an orthodox church before, it will definitely surprise you
- Palace of the Deposits and Consignments: First of all you will directly in the city center when you're in front of this building but bare in mind that this is a bank - while you can go inside, most is not public and obviously it's closed on weekends
- The Royal Palace of Bucharest which is actually home to the National Museum of Art is an amazing site and it only costs about 7€ to get in
- The Church of the "Stavropoleos" Monastery: Another church within the city center - definitely smaller and you might even oversee it when you pass by but it's open daily and dates back to the 1800s
for easier/ shorter options: Book a day trip via Get Your Guide like this one and explore both sites together. It costs around 35€ as of March 2025 but that does not include the entrance fees for either (10€ for Bran, 20€ for Peles) - if you want to see both form the inside don’t wait till you get there. Buy the tickets in advance as they only sell a limited amount per day. They are also closed on Mondays - you would only be seeing the outside then. Generally bare in mind that those tours handle a lot at once and you only have limited time to see things as well
for planners without cars: You can take the train from Gate Du Nord to Peles castle on your own. It takes about 1,5/2h one way and costs about 15€. Bare in mind that you need to buy entrance tickets prior (at least a day in advance!). Trains run every 3h, therefore plan to go early in the morning and head back by 6pm to be back in the city in the evening.
for country explorers: If you have a car, you can simply visit both sites without any issues. It’s a bit of a ride but you’ll stop along other sites as well. I found this blog while back when we were thinking of renting a car and there are tons of good options! Same as with the others: Book your ticket in advance and remember on Mondays the sites are closed! Without a time-crunch you’re more flexible to get afternoon tickets which are way easier to get (the morning tickets are usually used by bus groups)
Reviews & recommendations on Restaurants:
This was the most challenging part of the trip. Bucharest doesn’t have toooo many choices if you’re vegetarian and our host suggested a restaurant which is very famous (and you will read it in tons of blogs too) but when you read the actual reviews it matches my experience too… The place is called Hanu' lui Manuc but the food is overpriced and nothing special at all. I had the vegetarian burger and trust me when I say I could make the exact same with supermarket products. We waited quite some time there and the staff is pretty rude towards each other which I did not appreciate either. One waiter literally bumped into another who was serving a beer and didn’t even apologize that the beer got spilled on the other. The beer was served regardless and in the hour we stayed there none of the waiters (or cleaning staff) bothers to mop the floor and everybody just walked past the puddle on the floor.The next day we went to Nikos Greek Taverna which both me and my non-vegetarian partner liked way better. It didn’t cost as much and while the sitting arrangement is not ideal and the waiters were super stressed (this seems to be a common thing), the food was good and I can recommend it!
While we walked through the city we kept passing a bakery called Scovergăria Micăi which was also recommended by our host and literally ALWAYS had a line waiting in front of it, so we thought we give it a go. we waited for 20 minutes and while you can see a bit on their website, you’re really only able to see what they current have available once you get closer to the counter. There are lots of options but the names are all in Romanian (thanks to Google translate you can look up what’s interesting though). On average one pastry costs about 5€ and unfortunately our of 5 items, they forgot one and I only saw it when we got back to the accommodation. There aren’t too many bakeries in town either and the place basically gets hyped on social media but is fairly average - oh and if you’re thinking of getting a coffee, the one my partner got was partially cold the moment the lady on the counter handed it to him but it was so crowded that we couldn’t ask to actually get a warm one… Don’t feel sad to skip it.
Our Accommodation
We booked via Booking.com and ended up having the nicest host! The apartment was right in the city center and there are a few things I would change if it was my place but as a guest, I can wholeheartedly recommend it! I’m sure it was off-season but the host picked us up from the bus stop, gave us an introduction and even offered to give a tour around the city which ended up being 2h long. I think I barely met such a kind host in the almost 40 countries I visited so far. Personal touches make such a difference!Budget Overview
As I said we were two people and we obviously share the cost for the accommodation and food (restaurants & supermarket) during trip but to give you a small sneak-peak on what we spent, here is my breakdown:Without the accommodation expect to pay 48€ on average (obviously more with day trips).
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