Things to do · Bucharest · Romania
18 best things to do in Bucharest
18 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
The essential sights in Bucharest are Palace of the Parliament, Romanian Athenaeum and Old Town and Lipscani. Of the 18 picks below, 9 are free, 7 work on a rainy day and 5 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Palace of the Parliament
- Free sights
- 9
- Good on a rainy day
- Palace of the Parliament
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palace of the Parliament | Unirii and the Parliament | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Romanian Athenaeum | Calea Victoriei and Revolution Square | 1 hour, or an evening concert | Low cost |
| Old Town and Lipscani | Old Town | 2 hours | Free |
| Stavropoleos Monastery | Old Town | 30 minutes | Free |
| Cărturești Carusel | Old Town | 45 minutes | Free |
| Calea Victoriei | Calea Victoriei and Revolution Square | 1.5 hours | Free |
| Revolution Square | Calea Victoriei and Revolution Square | 30 minutes | Free |
| National Museum of Art of Romania | Calea Victoriei and Revolution Square | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum | King Michael I Park | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| King Michael I Park (Herăstrău) | Dorobanți and Floreasca | 2 hours | Free |
| Cișmigiu Gardens | Calea Victoriei and Revolution Square | 1 hour | Free |
| Arcul de Triumf | Dorobanți and Floreasca | 20 minutes | Free |
| National Museum of the Romanian Peasant | Piața Romană and Amzei | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Grigore Antipa Natural History Museum | Piața Romană and Amzei | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Primăverii Palace | Dorobanți and Floreasca | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Mogoșoaia Palace | Mogoșoaia | 2 hours | Low cost |
| Therme București | Balotești | Half a day | Expensive |
| Văcărești Nature Park | Văcărești | 1.5–2 hours | Free |
The 18 best things to do
Architecture · Unirii and the Parliament
1.Palace of the Parliament
Begun under Nicolae Ceaușescu in the 1980s after a large area of the old city was demolished, this marble colossus is one of the largest administrative buildings in the world. Guided tours cover a selection of its halls, staircases and the balcony looking down Bulevardul Unirii; the building also houses the parliament and the National Museum of Contemporary Art.
Bring the passport or ID card you used for booking; it is checked at the security entrance.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Visits are by guided tour only; reserve a time slot in advance, especially in summer and for English-language tours.
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Architecture · Calea Victoriei and Revolution Square
2.Romanian Athenaeum
Opened in 1888, the domed concert hall with its Ionic portico is home to the George Enescu Philharmonic. Inside, a continuous fresco around the auditorium depicts episodes from Romanian history beneath a gilded dome.
The best way inside is to attend a concert; tickets are often inexpensive compared with Western Europe.
- Time needed
- 1 hour, or an evening concert
- Cost
- Low cost
- Book ahead
- Popular concerts and the biennial George Enescu Festival sell out; book on the Philharmonic's site.
- Iconic
- Architecture
- Couples
- After dark
- Art
Neighbourhood · Old Town
3.Old Town and Lipscani
Bucharest's historic merchant quarter is named after Lipscani street, where traders once sold goods from Leipzig. Walk past the ruins of the Old Princely Court, linked to Vlad the Impaler, and the courtyard of Manuc's Inn, an early-19th-century caravanserai now a restaurant, between restored facades and bars.
Explore in the morning when the lanes are quiet, then return at night for the very different atmosphere.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- After dark
- Food
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Religious site · Old Town
4.Stavropoleos Monastery
A tiny 1720s church in the Brâncovenesc style, with a carved stone portico, painted facade and a courtyard lined with old gravestones. Its choir is known for Byzantine chant, and the calm courtyard is a short step from the Old Town's busiest lanes.
Step into the courtyard behind the church to see the collection of carved stone crosses.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Off the beaten path
Architecture · Old Town
5.Cărturești Carusel
A restored 19th-century building on Lipscani street converted into a bookshop with white spiralling balconies under a glass roof. There are books in several languages, design gifts and a café on the top floor.
Go early on a weekday for photos without crowds, and look down from the top floor.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Shopping
- Rainy day
- Photo spot
Street · Calea Victoriei and Revolution Square
6.Calea Victoriei
The city's oldest grand avenue runs about 2.7 km from the Dâmbovița river to Piața Victoriei, past the domed CEC Palace, the Military Circle, the glass-roofed Macca-Villacrosse Passage, the former Royal Palace and the Athenaeum. It is partly closed to cars on some summer weekends for walking and events.
Walk it north from the CEC Palace and duck into the curved Macca-Villacrosse Passage for coffee.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Shopping
Historic site · Calea Victoriei and Revolution Square
7.Revolution Square
On 21 December 1989, Ceaușescu gave his last speech from the balcony of the former Communist Party headquarters here before fleeing by helicopter from the roof the next day. The Memorial of Rebirth, the Central University Library and the former Royal Palace surround the square.
Find the bullet-marked facades on nearby buildings, still visible reminders of the 1989 revolution.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
Museum · Calea Victoriei and Revolution Square
8.National Museum of Art of Romania
Housed in the former Royal Palace, the museum displays Romanian medieval icons and church treasures, modern Romanian painting by Nicolae Grigorescu and others, sculptures by Constantin Brâncuși, and a gallery of European old masters.
Start with the medieval art galleries, which are the collection's strongest and least known.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
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Museum · King Michael I Park
1.Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum
An open-air museum founded in 1936 on the shore of Herăstrău Lake, with farmhouses, wooden churches, windmills and workshops moved from villages all over Romania. Paths wind under trees between the houses, and craft fairs are held on some weekends.
Allow at least two hours and combine it with a walk or boat ride in King Michael I Park next door.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- History
- Outdoors
- Architecture
Park · Dorobanți and Floreasca
2.King Michael I Park (Herăstrău)
One of Bucharest's largest parks surrounds Herăstrău Lake in the north of the city, with lakeside promenades, boat hire, a Japanese garden, cafés and restaurant terraces. It is where the city comes to walk, cycle and row on summer weekends.
Rent a pedal boat or take the small passenger boat across the lake, then eat at a lakeside terrace.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Couples
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Garden · Calea Victoriei and Revolution Square
3.Cișmigiu Gardens
One of the city's oldest public parks, laid out in the 19th century, has a lake with rowing boats in summer and an ice rink in winter, a Roman Garden of busts of writers, and shaded paths a few minutes from the Old Town.
Rent a rowing boat on a summer afternoon; it is a classic Bucharest pastime.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Couples
- Kids
- Outdoors
Landmark · Dorobanți and Floreasca
4.Arcul de Triumf
Bucharest's granite triumphal arch, completed in its present form in 1936, commemorates Romania's independence and the soldiers of the First World War. It stands at the southern end of King Michael I Park and is the site of the 1 December National Day parade.
Walk to it from Piața Victoriei along Kiseleff Road, a grand avenue lined with villas and the Peasant Museum.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
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Museum · Piața Romană and Amzei
5.National Museum of the Romanian Peasant
A thoughtful, artfully arranged museum of Romanian rural life, with icons, embroidered costumes, ceramics, carved crosses and a whole wooden church in the garden. It was named European Museum of the Year in 1996, and its shop sells crafts from village makers.
Look out for craft fairs in the courtyard on some weekends, where village artisans sell directly.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Piața Romană and Amzei
6.Grigore Antipa Natural History Museum
The natural history museum next to the Peasant Museum has modernised galleries of dioramas, from Danube Delta birds to African wildlife, plus a dinosaur skeleton and interactive displays that children enjoy.
Pair it with the Peasant Museum and the Arcul de Triumf on the same walk along Kiseleff Road.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Palace · Dorobanți and Floreasca
7.Primăverii Palace
The Ceaușescu family's private residence in the Primăverii district shows how the dictator lived: an indoor pool lined with mosaics, gilded bathrooms, a private cinema and rooms full of gifts, preserved much as they were in 1989.
Combine it with the Palace of the Parliament on the same day for a full picture of the era.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Visits are by guided tour in small groups; reserve a slot ahead.
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Palace · Mogoșoaia
8.Mogoșoaia Palace
Built around 1700 by Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu, this palace about 15 km northwest of the centre is the finest example of the Brâncovenesc style, with carved stone loggias over a lake. The gardens are popular for weekend walks and photo shoots.
Go on a weekday morning; the grounds fill with families and wedding photographers at weekends.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Couples
- Outdoors
- History
Experience · Balotești
9.Therme București
A huge indoor thermal-water complex just north of the city, near the airport, with warm pools under a glass dome filled with palm trees, waterslides, saunas and a separate quiet adult zone.
Book online and go on a weekday; weekends get very busy.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Couples
Nature · Văcărești
10.Văcărești Nature Park
A wetland of reeds, ponds and birdlife that grew on the site of an abandoned communist-era reservoir in the south of the city, protected as an urban nature park since 2016. Herons, grebes and otters live within sight of apartment blocks.
Bring binoculars and visit early in the morning, when birds are most active.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Nature
- Off the beaten path
- Outdoors
- Free
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Romanian Athenaeum, National Museum of Art of Romania, Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum and National Museum of the Romanian Peasant |
| History | Palace of the Parliament, Old Town and Lipscani, Stavropoleos Monastery and Calea Victoriei |
| Outdoors and nature | Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum, King Michael I Park (Herăstrău), Cișmigiu Gardens and Grigore Antipa Natural History Museum |
| Food and markets | Old Town and Lipscani |
| After dark | Old Town and Lipscani and Romanian Athenaeum |
| With children | Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum, King Michael I Park (Herăstrău), Cișmigiu Gardens and Grigore Antipa Natural History Museum |
| On a rainy day | Palace of the Parliament, Cărturești Carusel, National Museum of Art of Romania and National Museum of the Romanian Peasant |
What to book ahead
- Palace of the Parliament: Visits are by guided tour only; reserve a time slot in advance, especially in summer and for English-language tours.
- Romanian Athenaeum: Popular concerts and the biennial George Enescu Festival sell out; book on the Philharmonic's site.
- Primăverii Palace: Visits are by guided tour in small groups; reserve a slot ahead.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Bucharest?
Palace of the Parliament. Begun under Nicolae Ceaușescu in the 1980s after a large area of the old city was demolished, this marble colossus is one of the largest administrative buildings in the world.
+What can you do for free in Bucharest?
Old Town and Lipscani, Stavropoleos Monastery, Cărturești Carusel, Calea Victoriei and Revolution Square. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Bucharest when it rains?
Head indoors to Palace of the Parliament, Cărturești Carusel, National Museum of Art of Romania and National Museum of the Romanian Peasant.
+What is there to do in Bucharest at night?
Old Town and Lipscani and Romanian Athenaeum are best after dark.