Bucharest.
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Overview

Bucharest (Romanian: București) is Romania's capital and largest city. Bucharest has a very interesting mix of old and new: finding a 300-year-old church near a steel-and-glass tower that sits next to a communist-style building is commonplace in Bucharest. Bucharest offers some excellent attractions, and has cultivated a sophisticated, trendy, and modern sensibility that many have come to expect from a European capital.

Understand

Bucharest is the primary entry point into Romania, and the most important industrial and commercial centre of the country. With more than 2.1 million inhabitants in its urban area, Bucharest is one of the largest cities in Southeastern Europe.

Bucharest is a booming city with many large infrastructure projects changing the old face of the city, which used to be known in the past as "The Little Paris".

Bucharest has benefited from an economic boom along with the EU grants that have helped rebuild parts of the city, including the revamped old town. Those who have known Bucharest in the past will be surprised by the changes that are taking place. The largest finished project is the impressive Basarab overpass, which is Europe's widest cable bridge.

Bucharest, like most of Romania, has a temperate-continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. This region of Romania gets all four seasons, although spring is brief and falls mainly in April. The average high daily temperature in summer is about 29 °C and in winter about 2 °C. It can get really hot and dry during the summer (30 °C) and really cold during the winter (-20 °C), even though temperatures below -12 °C are extremely rare. Best time to visit is April through June, September through October and early December.

Bucharest is in the Eastern European time zone (UTC+2, with a DST of UTC+3 from April to October).

Visitor information Visitor information from Romania Tourism

Talk

The official language is Romanian, a Romance language which claims to be the closest currently-spoken relative to Vulgar Latin, but contains around 20% of loan words from Slavonic languages. Most younger educated people will speak English reasonably well and will likely be proficient in one or more second Romance languages; most educated people born before about 1980 will speak French, Spanish or Italian reasonably well. The Roma people (Gypsies) speak their native Romany, as well as Romanian, and sometimes English as well. Beyond that, as in any major city, there will be a smattering of other languages like Chinese, Arabic, Turkish, Hungarian and German.

Get in

The IATA code corresponds to "all" airports in Bucharest, not a specific one.

By bus – The Express Bus is usually the best option, as it is inexpensive (50–90 minutes ride) and runs frequently. However, it can get crowded (and it lacks space for luggage) and can get snarled in traffic. The airport bus stop is straight outside Arrivals on the ground floor. Express bus 100 runs to downtown Bucharest from here via Arcul de Triumf and Piața Victoriei to Piața Unirii (bus stop 2, S side of the square). It runs every day, 05:30–21:50 every 15 min and 22:00–05:00 every 30 min.

You can pay with your credit/debit card or buy a local travel card from the booth next to the bus stop. There is another booth in Departures, and one at Piața Unirii. Scan your card to validate it on boarding (and if there are two or more people travelling using one card, then press button 2 and scan the card again to validate the second ticket or once for every other traveler in your group; example: scan one time > press 2 > scan again for person #2 > again for person #3 > again for person #4 > and so on); these airport buses are a prime target for ticket inspectors. The fine is 80 lei and you will receive a red card, available for all the lines in the city until 23:59 on the day of the issue—no matter the hour being 01:00 in the night or 23:55, it will expire at 23:59. The fine is always as much as a prepaid monthly travel title on all city lines.

By train – From early 2021, trains now run in-between largest railway station Gara de Nord and the airport. Tickets can be bought at the airport, onboard or online. Trains runs every 40 minutes and there are both express and local services.

By ride hailing – Uber and Bolt are available in Bucharest. Expect to pay 60–120 lei for a transfer from the airport into the city, depending on the traffic congestion or rush hours.

By private shuttle – These have fixed prices per vehicle and are a good deal if there are 2 or more of you, or you're heavily laden, or your destination/pick-up is some way from the centre. For anywhere in Bucharest city, reckon to pay for a small car (like a taxi, max 3 passengers), and for a 7-seater minibus—larger vehicles and coaches are available. They will take you anywhere in Romania, to the Bulgarian beach resorts, and to Moldova. Search online for the main competitors.

By taxi – Order at the official touch-screen kiosks inside the arrivals hall (yellow "Official Taxi Order" signs, a short walk from baggage claim). The kiosks work in English, Romanian, Italian, German and Spanish, display each company's regulated per-km tariff, and print a slip with your order number and the assigned car's details; the car arrives at the marked taxi rank outside within a few minutes. As of 2026 the companies dispatched from the kiosks include Meridian Taxi (2.59-3.19 lei/km) and Cristaxi (2.69-2.89 lei/km). Kiosk-dispatched cars are licensed and metered, and accept contactless card payment as well as cash. Licensed taxis may use Bucharest's bus lanes, which helps in heavy traffic. Do not accept rides offered by individuals inside the terminal; order at a kiosk instead. Ride-hailing apps (Uber, Bolt) also serve the airport at dynamic prices; during the terminal reconstruction works (ongoing in 2026) their pickup points are outside the building and can be hard to locate, while the taxi kiosks are indoors. By rental car – There are car hire desks in the Arrival area, but you only need a car if you are touring beyond the city directly.

By bus Buses are a good option to get to Bucharest if coming from Moldova, Turkey, Greece and to some extent Bulgaria, given the low frequency and speeds of trains between these countries and Romania.

If you're willing to make extremely long bus rides, it's also possible to get to Bucharest from a large number of cities in Western and South-Western Europe; these buses are operated mainly by Flixbus.

Filaret bus terminal. Buses and minibuses from Chișinău (7-8 buses every day, about 10 hours travel time, tickets around ) arrive mostly here.

Rahova bus terminal. Transfer buses for routes from Western Europe usually arrive here.

Viilor road bus stop. Buses from Athens (several times per week, 16–20 hours travel time, tickets around ) arrive at stations along Viilor road; also from Istanbul (three-four buses per day, 12–14 hours travel time, tickets around ) arrive to here.

From specific destinations: Sofia – There are two daily buses at night from Sofia (7 hr travel time, from ) — one with Flixbus and one with Union Ivkoni. Varna – One or two buses daily only between late May-early September, 5–6 hr travel time, and tickets around . They usually stop in various squares in downtown. Constanta – Buses every 45 min during the summer and some buses offers WiFi connection. The station is near Gara de Nord at the intersection of Strada Mircea Vulcanescu & Bulevardul Dinicu Golescu. Chișinău – Many companies operate 'rutieras' during the day and larger coaches during the night heading to Bucharest. There was no toilet on the bus but several stops were made by the bus driver. Most companies were in the central bus station behind the Central Market, not the southern bus station as indicated above.

Bucharest also has bus connections to a vast number of other cities in Romania. They're a convenient choice primarily when coming from places from which railways are under repair or too indirect (like Sibiu).

Timetables for most domestic routes and several international ones are available here.

All mainline train services from Bucharest use Gara de Nord station. Direct international trains run from Budapest (two per day, 16 hours), Chișinău (nightly, 12 hours), Istanbul (18 hours, daily direct in summer, winter by connecting trains but no slower), and Vienna (daily, 19 hours). Trains from Sofia take 10 hours, change at Ruse. Trains from Belgrade, Kyiv and Moscow are disrupted long-term, take the bus or fly.

It is worth taking the overnight train from Chișinău for the experience alone. The train is an old Soviet can with homely decor and there are always locals around keen to spend the journey drinking local cognac with some travellers. Around 03:00 the train stops for several hours to change the wheels at the border: Romania uses European standard gauge and Moldova uses the wider Soviet gauge, so expect an orchestra of lumphammers and cusswords of several languages. The train is broken into its separate carriages, hoisted on jacks for the change while you stay aboard, then lumbers on its way.

Main destinations within Romania include Brasov (2–3 hours), Constanta (2 hr), Sibiu (5-6 hr) and Timisoara (9 hr). For Cluj-Napoca, change at Brasov. Timetables for domestic routes are available from CFR (Căile Ferate Române, the national railway company), but only four weeks in advance.

By car The city’s entrances from the north (the E60 road coming from Brașov and the A3 highway from Ploiești), west (the A1 highway from Pitești), east (the A2 highway from Constanța), south (the E20 road from Giurgiu) and the avenues in the city centre are very crowded, especially at rush hours. Right in the city centre, just across from the University, thete is a major underground parking place. Although modern and safe, finding the entrance may prove to be a little tricky. An even bigger parking place (with 5 levels) is found near the Unirii Square, behind the Unirii Mall, which is also near the centre area and 10 minutes away (by foot) from the old town's centre. Driving on some of the secondary streets might prove to be a bit bumpy, due to only relatively good condition of these roads.

Get around

By public transport Bucharest has one of the most extensive systems of public transport in Europe, even though it can sometimes be confusing and crowded.

Ticketing The easiest option for the tourist is probably using a contactless card. The contactless option is always present at metro stations, and should be available on most buses (Otokar and Citaro Hybrid) and some trams, nominally lines 1, 10 and 41. If your journey has not ended within the time limit (rarely), just touch your card again. If you forgot at what time you paid for the ride, press "1" (on older orange machines) or "i" (on newer yellow machines) > the screen will state "Consultare card" (="Card inspection") > touch your card and keep it there until the machine states "Retrageți cardul" (="Remove the card"). In the meantime, the machine will show your time left since the start of the ride, your credit (if any), your package of rides (if any) and your travel titles (if any, current or expired).

Not to be confused with the Metrorex-only passes sold at ticket machines inside metro stations, which are not valid on buses, trams or trolleybuses. The same card also pays for the airport express bus 100 (see "Get in" above).

When entering a vehicle or subway station, you must validate your ticket: hold the card on the orange reader until you hear a short beep, green LED lights up and you can read on the display the message "Călatorie plăcută (Have a nice journey)". If you get a red light and a long beep (validation failed), try again.

One card can be used to pay for more than one person (pay-as-you-go only for the second and subsequent people). In order to validate the card for additional people, press the button "2", and then present the card a second time. In order to check the number of people the card has been validated for, and the remaining balance on the card, press "1" before presenting the card.

The Bucharest metro, which has five lines (M1, M2, M3, M4 and M5) and covers the city quite extensively, is usually a cheap and easy way to get around even though there are surprisingly few stops in the city center, since the system was built to transport workers and commuters from outlying neighborhoods through the city to peripheral industrial areas. If you're staying outside the city center, or even if you want to travel within it, the Metro can be a very fast and convenient way of getting around, avoiding the traffic jams and crowds that frequently characterize surface transport. The network is frequent, fairly comfortable, reliable and easy-to-use.

The metro runs daily, including weekends, from around 05:00 to 23:00; there is no overnight service. Trains come roughly every 3-5 minutes at peak times on weekdays, and less frequently (roughly every 6-10 minutes) off-peak and at weekends. Once the metro closes for the night, use the night buses from Piața Unirii instead (see "By bus, tram or trolleybus" below).

Tickets can also be purchased from electronic kiosks in the stations that offer instructions in English and other languages. They accept most Romanian banknotes and provide change.

Line M1 starts in the eastern part of the city and then goes downtown on a circular route, passing by the main train station Gara de Nord and meeting up with the M2 line (which runs north-south) at Piața Unirii and Piața Victoriei stations. Line M3 links the western and eastern parts of the city. The central section on the M3 between Eroilor - Nicolae Grigorescu is shared with M1 and trains from both lines run in tandem having the terminus displayed at the front of the cab. Line M4 is a short line starting from Gara de Nord 2 going to Lac Straulesti. Even though Gara de Nord and Gara de Nord 2 are in close proximity, transferring between the two is taxed as a separate trip. The only platform to platform link between M4 and M1 is at Basarab station. Line M5 runs from Eroilor 2 (which it shares with lines M1 and M3) to Valea Ialomiței or Râul Doamnei.

Up to date maps of the subway and any changes to the schedule can be found on the Metrorex official site.

Bucharest has a very complex network of buses, trams and trolleybuses. The intricate web of hundreds of bus, tram and trolleybus routes may be confusing at first. Once you know your way around the network, however, public surface transport can be a very good way of getting around since there is a bus, tram or trolleybus stop virtually everywhere in the city. The vehicles are usually very frequent, although they can still get terribly crowded at peak hours. Route planner is available online.

Make sure you know when to get off—even though in most vehicles the following stops are announced and displayed on a screen, these displays can be unreliable. If you are uncertain if a stop is the one you want, ask your fellow travellers.

Night buses are also available. They run every 30 minutes between 23:30 and 05:00. They all leave from the city centre (Piața Unirii) and go out radially in the city.

By car Car rental is available in the city and at the airport.

Use the established taxi companies rather than independent cars: order through an app (Meridian, Cristaxi, Star Taxi, Taxi 2000, Titan) or at your hotel; some hotels have small taxi-ordering terminals at reception that work like the airport kiosks, and reception can always call a car for you. The meter should always run; if the driver refuses to start it, take another car. Cars ordered through the major apps or at the airport kiosks accept contactless card payment, though it is worth carrying some cash as a fallback. Licensed taxis may use Bucharest's bus lanes, a real advantage in the city's heavy traffic.

By ride hailing Uber and Bolt are available in Bucharest, also in the airport area. At least Uber allows to pay by credit/debit car and cash. There is no shortage of drivers using Uber, and some might view it as safer and easier.

See

Palace of the Parliament. The world's second largest building (after the US Pentagon), formerly named "Casa Poporului" (People's House). Building started in 1983 by Nicolae Ceaușescu and is still not completely finished (2019). It spans 12 stories, around 1,000 rooms and covers over 330,000 m². 1/9 of Bucharest was reconstructed to accommodate this magnificent massive building and its surroundings. There are 1hr 20min tours frequently which lead through the building's vast collection of marble rooms and culminate in an impressive view from Nicolae Ceaușescu's balcony. All the building materials were sourced from various parts of Romania, though mainly from Transylvania. Tours can be booked online at least a day in advance or just turn up and take the next tour. The first English language tour of the day starts at 09:15. You must have your passport with you to go on a tour.

Old City. A part of the city's historical heart was not demolished by Nicolae Ceaușescu. The area (stretching approximately between the Dâmbovița river to the south, Calea Victoriei to the west, Calea Moșilor to the east and the Regina Elisabeta boulevard to the north) contains an assortment of middle 19th-century buildings, ruins of the Wallachian princes' medieval court, churches, bank headquarters, a few hotels, clubs, restaurants and shops. Narrow cobblestoned streets retain the names of the ancient guilds that resided on them. The area was mostly renovated and is now a place of gathering for the young generation of the city.

Revolution Square. Site of part of the Romanian Revolution of 1989. There is a tall monument in the center of the square in memory of those who died during the revolution.

Arch of Triumph. The current arch was inaugurated in 1936, however previous arches had been here since 1878.

Romanian Atheneum. A beautiful building is home of the George Enescu Philarmonic. If you have the time, visit the interior of the building as well, as it holds a fresco that depicts scenes of the Romanian history. The building was inaugurated in 1888.

Victory Square. Big public square in the heart of Bucharest with cultural sites and an intersection of boulevards.

National Art Museum. In the building of the former Royal Palace, this museum has collections of ancient, modern and contemporary Romanian art as well as exhibitions of rare European art dating as early as the 14th century

Aviation Museum. Open-air display of various types of aircraft. The museum is closed for renovation from 1 September 2023 and is expected to be closed for 30 months (until 2026).

National Museum of Contemporary Art. Inside a converted wing of the Palace of the Parliament, in what had been the private apartments of Ceaușescu, the museum features fresh exhibitions from Romania's burgeoning art scene.

May-Sep: Sa-W 11:00-19:00; Oct-Apr: Sa-W 10:00-18:00. Huge collection of Romanian artworks, and some wonderful textiles and sculpture from the East. Joint ticket with the National Art Museum for 30 lei. K.H. Zambaccian Museum (Muzeul K. H. Zambaccian). May-Sep: W-Su 11:00-19:00, Oct-Apr: W-Su 10:00-18:00. Collection of Romanian artworks collected by a prominent Armenian businessman. Also has works by Cézanne, Monet, Picasso and Matisse.Theodor Pallady Museum (Muzeul Theodor Pallady). May-Sep: W-Su 11:00-19:00, Oct-Apr: W-Su 10:00-18:00.

Curtea Veche Museum. The ruins of the crown palace of the Wallachian princes, some parts dating as early as the 16th century. It’s around an earlier fortification in this place that Bucharest began to develop.

Cotroceni Palace Museum. Has collections of objects that belonged to the former Romanian royal family. Today it is also the residence of the Romanian president.

Firefighters Museum. A 42-metre high building between Obor, Calea Moșilor and Nerva-Traian. It was used in the past as an observation tower by the firemen.

Village Museum. An open air museum created in 1934, it now has around 300 traditional buildings (including churches, workshops, mills) and furniture, pottery, clothing gathered from villages in every region of the country in an effort to showcase the traditional way of life of the Romanians. Occasionally hosts folkloric and traditional crafts festivals.

Museum of the Romanian Peasant. Also dedicated to the traditional way of life, it focuses mainly on traditional interior decoration, tools, clothing and artifacts. Again, it sometimes hosts folkloric and traditional crafts festivals. ; Small public museum area, with all information solely in Romanian.

Geology Museum. Has a large collection of minerals, rocks and fossils.

National History Museum. It's in a neoclassical late 19th-century building, and has exhibits documenting the evolution of society on Romania’s territory from the Paleolithic until today, a replica of Trajan’s Column in Rome and a very interesting collection of jewellery and bronze articles from Roman times up to the Kingdom of Romania.

Nicolae Minovici Folk Art Museum. Also here is Museum of Old Western Art the (Muzeul de Artă Veche Apuseană Minovici). There are collections of the various works of art, such as stained glass from the 16th-17th centuries, engravings, paintings, rare books, tapestries, carpets, furniture.

Military History Museum. Has collections of weapons dating since the prehistoric times and permanent exhibitions dedicated to important military events, including the Romanian revolution of 1989, and an outdoor exhibit of relatively modern weaponry, including cannons, tanks, helicopters. Outdoor area with vehicles closed for rebuilding as of Apr 2025.

National Museum of Romanian Literature.

D. Minovici Western European Arts Museum. Located in a beautiful eclectic villa

Frederic and Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck Art Museum. This museum presents works of artists of the Storck family.

Railways Museum. Shows all sorts of different exhibits from different ages of the railway network. Also has a model railway.

National Museum of "George Enescu". Music, memorial museum.

National Philatelic Museum. Come here for stamps, stamp collections, postal items: boxes of values, old paintings, seals, horns, prints, old letters, maps postal coachmen costumes, furniture used in post offices, etc.

Museum of Mary and Dr. G. Severeanu. The exhibition includes a variety of objects: pieces of archeology - ancient Greek vases, statuettes of Tanagra, bronze and marble, glass Roman items, ancient Greek, Dacian Roman, Byzantine and medieval coins. Romanian and foreign orders and decorations.

Bucharest History Museum. Housed in a palace built in 1834, has collections related to the development of Bucharest from a small 14th-century fortress into Romania’s capital.

National Museum of Old Maps and Books. Small, but amazing museum with maps on 3 floors. Don’t forget to borrow one of the green magnifying glasses to discover the fine print. Historical maps from 15th-20th century from the whole world with an emphasis on Romania and the Balkan Peninsula. Note that while the name mentions books too, it's almost exclusively maps on display.

Jewish Community History Museum. Housed in a beautiful mid 19th century synagogue. Documents the life of this community in the region since ancient times and through the Holocaust. Passport required to enter.

Grigore Antipa Natural History Museum. This has over 300,000 exhibits illustrating the transformations of Earth and the evolution of species.

“Dimitrie Leonida” Technology Museum.

Primăveri Palace. The former residence of Ceaușescu, incredibly opulent, one of the most fascinating places to visit in Bucharest. Book online at least a day in advance. Tours last 45 minutes and cover all the main living areas, including the mosaic surrounded swimming pool and indoor garden

Museum of Recent Art (MARe). Modern art gallery. Only holds one exhibition at a time, and closes for a few weeks between each.

Curtea Veche Church. The Church of the Old Princely Court, built around 1559, used to be the coronation church of the Wallachian princes.

Patriarchal Cathedral. Built in 1658. Next to it is the Mitropoliei Palace (1708) – the residence of the Orthodox Patriarch, a sort of small 'Romanian Vatican'. It’s the only church in Bucharest in which photography is prohibited

Stavropoleos Church. Built in the early 18th century, has some stunning decorative sculpture and amazing frescoes. A little jewel.

Colțea Church. The first church in Bucharest built in the Brancovenesc style (1702).

New St. George Church. Dating from the 18th century, houses the tombs of princes Constantin Brâncoveanu and Ion Mavrocordat.

Kretzulescu Church. An interesting example of the Brancovenesc style (1722).

Plumbuita Monastery. Built in the last half of the 16th century, it once housed the first printing house in the region (1582), today it has a religious objects museum and a large park.

Oțetari Church. The Oțetari Church is a very discreet, spiritual place, giving some religious comfort in the centre of the city. Its name means "cruet", because of the street it is on. It was built in the 18th century and it features a number of interesting paintings and stained glass.

Great Synagogue of Bucharest. This decorative temple was raised in 1845 by the Polish-Jewish community. It was repaired in 1865, baroque style, redesigned in 1903 and 1909, repainted in Rococo style in 1936. It hosts an exhibition on the Holocaust in Romanian. Entry by donation. Security checks require your passport

All Saints' Antim Monastery. An Orthodox monastery in Brâncovenesc style from 1715 with a church, a museum and a shop. The church, museum and shop are open to the public. The church is in the center of a courtyard with the museum and shop in buildings around the sides. The church is richly decorated with distinctive carved wooden doors. The shop sells mainly religious texts and iconography but also has a leaflet in English and other languages for 2 lei so go there before the main church. There is a toilet that visitors can use next to the shop.

Do

There are two free weekly guides published in Bucharest featuring all the events of the week, as well as listing the addresses of most restaurants, clubs, pubs, bars, cinemas etc. in the city. One is Șapte Seri (Seven nights), the other 24-FUN. They have small sections in English available.

Walking tours A walking tour is a good way to get accustomed with a new city. You can find free guided walking tours of the city centre, this being an option for budget visitors, youth and backpackers. Usually, you have to book the tours, but in the high season there are tours organized every day, rain or sun. There are also paid tours to be found, in this case booking being necessary at all times. Access the free Audio Guide with GPS on smartphone for most relevant tour (17 attractions) on (IOS, Android, Windows). Then consider other tours with Audio Guides in Bucharest and surroundings. For example: "Bucharest - Old City Centre" (with 40 included attractions) or related to the nearby protected natural area from Snagov lake and forest.

Therme București. Huge thermal water park.

Cișmigiu Garden. This a lovely small park; it's the oldest in the city (designed 1845-1860). Has boat rental in summer, ice skating in winter time, reasonable restaurants and more specially a French restaurant in Trianon Hotel and several bars.

Herăstrău Park. The largest of several parks around man-made lakes on the Colentina River running through the city’s north and east side) houses the Village Museum, an open-air theater, various sports grounds, an amusement park and numerous restaurants and clubs. Has boat rental and boat-trips in summer.

Botanical Gardens. Established in 1860, displays a variety of plants from all over the world. The greenhouses are wonderful but have limited opening hours, and are closed Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Carol Park. Designed in 1906, Carol Park has an open-air theater replicating a Roman arena and another construction replicating a medieval fortress. It houses the tomb of the Unknown Soldier as well as an infamous mausoleum built for the Communist nomenclature.

Tineretului Park. It has a large multipurpose building (Sala Polivalenta) used for concerts, sporting events, exhibitions, etc., an amusement park for children, boat-rental, several restaurants and bars.

Titan Park. A green oasis among Communist-era high-rise apartment buildings in the eastern part of the city (Titan metro station), has a charming wooden church as well as several lakeside clubs.

Filarmonica George Enescu. Housed in the Romanian Atheneum, a city landmark.

Teatrul Național de Operetă Ion Dacian.

Sala Radio. A concert hall that plays an important role in the country's classical music life. Built in 1959 and opened in 1961, it is the country's largest symphonic concert hall.

Cinema Most films are screened in their original language with Romanian subtitles; some animation features and children's movies are dubbed in Romanian. Cinemas are found in every shopping mall.

Cinemateca Română. A branch of the National Film Archives, screens mostly classic movies.

Noul cinematograf al regizorului roman. Art films and documentaries selected by major Romanian directors.

Eurocinema. Plays mainly independent European movies.

Europa. Plays relatively recent European movies.

Cinema Elvira Popescu. Mostly French movies.

Cinema City. Largest multiplex in the city (21 screens, including one IMAX).

Hollywood Multiplex. This was the first multiplex to open in Bucharest and has 10 screens.

Movieplex. Located in the western part of Bucharest, has 11 screens.

Patria. A large (over 1,000 seats) 1930s cinema located along the city's main avenue.

Scala. Another large older cinema in the downtown.

Sport Arena Națională (capacity 55,000) hosts international soccer matches plus club side FCSB. It's 5 km east of city centre, take the tram along Basarabia Bvd. FCSB play soccer in Liga 1, the country's top tier. Their home ground is the National Arena. FC Dinamo București also play in Liga 1. They play at Dinamo Stadium (capacity 15,000) 2 km north, with its own Metro and tram station. Rapid București also play in Liga 1. Most games are at Rapid-Giulești Stadium (capacity 14,000) 5 km northwest, but some big matches are at National Arena. FC Metaloglobus București were promoted in 2025 so they too play in Liga 1. The stadium only holds 1000; it's on the south river bank 8 km east of city centre.

Buy

Major brand-name shops and upscale boutiques are concentrated along the main boulevard from Piața Romană to Piața Unirii and on the small streets adjacent to this boulevard, but also on Calea Victoriei, on Calea Dorobanților (the part between Blvd. Iancu de Hunedoara and Piața Dorobanților) or on Calea Moșilor's section between Blvd. Carol I and Piața Obor.

In the past years numerous modern shopping centers have sprung up in the city (and even more are in construction), the best known being:

Bucharest Mall. The first one to be completed, in 1999.

Jolie Ville Galleria. Mega Image hypermarket, services: Florists, pharmacies, cleaners.

Băneasa Shopping City. Opened in April 2008.

Promenada. Opened in 2014, it is one of the biggest shopping malls in Bucharest.

Mega Mall. Opened in 2015, this is the newest and one of the biggest shopping malls Bucharest has to offer.

Book stores with a good supply of English language books are difficult to find in Bucharest but there are a few places mainly situated in the center.

Cărturești Carusel. Breathtaking bookstore in a restored 19th-century building.

Cărturești. A few blocks south of Piața Romană on the east side of Bd. Magheru. The store is set back the street and has a small park in front of it.

Nautilus. An English-language bookstore near the Kiseleff Park, mostly with fantasy and science fiction books.

Anthony Frost English Bookshop. An English-language bookstore. Lots of reasonably-priced books and a comics (mostly manga) section.

Dalles. Near Piața Universității (University square).

Eat

Kanteen 162. Very good food, consistent menus, impeccable service and kind staff. Best place to find the traditional taste of organic food.

LUCA. Cheap Romanian traditional pastry chain with locations all over the city (and much of Romania, and even Poland). There are both sweet and savory products. Good for vegetarians. Huge selection of pastries for all tastes. Most popular are the covrigi: tradițional, vișine, and nutella. Coffee is very cheap too. No tables.

SC Argentin Impex LLC. Very good Romanian meals, a treat for the senses. Nice quiet outdoor area.

Bodega "La Mahala". A secluded and quiet place hidden a bit among the noisy and losing western-style pubs of the Old Town. It has an intimate and a bit old-fashioned Romanian look which gives it the feeling of the 90s with some more modern elements. The decor is nice and the food equally good. Cats are present.

Cuptorul cu lemne. A nice pizza place with a nice outdoor summer garden and a relaxed atmosphere (the restaurant also houses a caricature club). Tends to be very crowded during weekends.

Locanta Jaristea. Beautiful historically themed restaurant, live traditional music, old Romanian specialties; but always check the bill thoroughly. Reservations are compulsory.

Rossetya 2.0. Classic style restaurant with prices a bit higher than average, but with a very neat and cultivated atmosphere, outstandingly friendly English-speaking personnel, high food quality.

Trattoria Il Calcio Universitate. One of the best pizza places in the old town.

Restaurant Hanu' lui Manuc. Great location in Bucharest city centre and wonderful traditional food.

Caru' cu Bere. One of the most famous restaurants in Bucharest, in a historic building.

Reasonable prices. (updated May 2022)

Trattoria Buongiorno. Trattoria Buongiorno is bringing a little piece of Italy to the middle of Bucharest.

Taj Indian Cuisine. Good Indian restaurant near Marriott hotel, especially for vegetarians.

Il Bocconcino - Restaurant si livrare Popesti-Leordeni. Italian restaurant.

Casa di David. Opened in 2005, it is a hangout of the city's nouveau riche. It comes complete with German car ads at the entrance and an extensive wine list. Food (Italian inspired) and ambience are OK, but portions are small and prices are far above average for Bucharest. A 3-course meal for two with local wine will set you back over 400 lei.

Red Angus Steakhouse. In the Old Center, across the street from the Old Court. The restaurant serves high quality USDA Choice beef and offers an excellent, diverse menu, for all tastes. Also at 56 Franceza St.

Drink

Absintherie Sixtină. Classic style bar with reasonable prices. The absinthe is served with a slow drip fountain.

Beer O'Clock. Bar with several types of Belgian, Czech and Slovak beer.

Curtea berarilor. Pub in old center having mostly Timișoreana beer.

Green Hours. A quiet club which often hosts jazz concerts.

Interbelic. Cocktail bar; fine spirits, great nights.

BEAT bar umanist. Nice cosy bar near Unirii/old town.

Hard Rock Cafe. Favorite of both locals and tourists, the Hard Rock Cafe makes its home on the shores of the lake, just a few short steps from the landmark Triumph Arch.

Mancave. Gaming venue that also has boardgames, specialty coffee and drinks.

Bamboo. It's the largest club in Bucharest. Upmarket and expensive.

Cafe Hazard. A rock bar, with a great atmosphere, open thinking, great beer and people.

Club A. The oldest club in Bucharest, with nearly 40 years tradition (this means amazingly much for a city where most clubs are less than 5 years old). Since the beginning, it was and remains a student pub and club, with an unpretentious but welcoming atmosphere, good music and low prices. Like many clubs in Bucharest, the bouncers can be overly aggressive to patrons at times.

Control Club. Best alternative/indie club with a lot of live shows and good music.

Expirat/OtherSide. Very lively and popular club, divided in two sections - Expirat, the old club with rock/dance/hiphop music, and its newer offspring, the OtherSide, where DJs spin electronica. Themed nights, very expat-friendly, great cocktails and very reasonable prices.

Fire Club. The most well-known rock and metal club in Bucharest. By day a pub and outdoor cafe.

Kulturhaus. A club with a German concept – ”the culture house” – a place where all sort of cultural events (such as live music concerts, art exhibitions, film projections) take place. Kulturhaus is very cheap – no entry fee (except for music concerts) and low prices – it is the cheapest club in town – maybe this is why the place is crowded every Friday and Saturday night until 05:00.

Queen’s Club. Like gay clubs the world over, this place has become tremendously popular with a hetero set fed up with the meat market atmosphere at so many of the city’s other locations. That, together with superb music, makes this an essential stop for hedonists of all persuasions. Shake it. It can become quite crowded so watch yourself.

Underworld. The only punk-rock oriented pub in Bucharest. It also has a small concert hall, a fusball table, board games, dedicated evenings, etc.

Sleep

Apartamente Regim Hotelier Bucuresti. Short term apartments in the city center.

Short Term Apartments Rental. Professionally managed serviced apartments located in the center of the city, by the Old Town.

Camping Casa Alba. Space for up to 80 caravans or 120 tents, running water, showers, toilets, kitchen. Next to Casa Alba restaurant.

Butterfly Villa Hostel. Clean hostel 1 km from train station in the centre of sector 1. Airport pick-up, excursions and laundry-service.

Midland Hostel. Central, breakfast included, free internet.

Vila Gabriela. Big house managed by a friendly couple, Carmina and Vlad. Carmina can speak English, French and Italian. The rooms are clean and welcoming.

Zen Tribe Hostel. Clean and spacious hostel. Relaxed atmosphere, very friendly owner and guests with social common spaces. Comfortable beds, great showers and good location. No laundry service.

Carpați. One-star. Small, affordable rooms in a clean and welcoming atmosphere.

Hotel Andy. 3 star, small rooms, some street noise, couldn't be closer to Gara de Nord Station.

Domino. 2-star, gets very mixed reviews.

Hello Hotels. Good location for those on a budget.

Hotel Basarab Bucuresti. Very convenient for station, guests have found it grubby and smelly.

Vienna House Easy. Good stay & fly option, hotel offers shuttle bus to terminal, you hardly need it.

Hilton Garden Inn Bucharest Airport. Probably even more walkable than Vienna House.

Ambasador. 3-star in Art Deco slab, with restaurant.

Alia Accommodation Bucharest. Serviced apartments in the city center at the University Square. Metro and buses just outside the building.

Capitol. Comfortable, 100-year-old three-star hotel with big rooms and enormous bathrooms.

Casa Victor. 3-star hotel with restaurant, pool & spa.

Class Hotel. On Baneasa lakeside, 4-star hotel with restaurant, pool, spa & gym.

Crowne Plaza. Business hotel close to Romexpo grounds.

Dalin Hotel. 3-star place with bar & restaurant.

Ibis Gara de Nord. Reliable budget chain 100 m from railway station.

K+K Hotel Elisabeta. Central, close to University, business quarter, city centre & Cismigiu Gardens.

Le Boutique Hotel Moxa. Four-star hotel, centrally located.

NH Bucharest. Modern 4-star hotel in the business district. Bedrooms are cosy and comfortable with a modern twist.

Novotel. Reliable 4-star choice. The facade is what's left of the former National Theatre.

Ramada Majestic. Handy for University.

Rin Airport Hotel. Provides spacious rooms with air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, and free access to its spa area.

Rin Central. 4* hotel near city centre.

Hotel Siqua. With Italian restaurant, conference facilities.

Hotel Corvaris. Clean, handy for motorists.

Carol Parc Hotel. Boutique hotel looking onto Carol Park.

Epoque. 5-star all-suites hotel in a quiet location just west of Cișmigiu Gardens.

Europa Royale. A four-star hotel in the Old Town.

Intercontinental Athénée Palace. 5-star hotel near Atheneum. Nice coffee shop, pretty garden terrace in summer.

Sheraton Bucharest Hotel. Upscale hotel near Plata Romana, with casino & restaurants including Benihana Japanese Steakhouse.

Grand Hotel Bucharest. Central 5-star high-rise block built in 1971, with restaurant and swimming pool.

JW Marriott Bucharest Grand. Large hotel behind the Parliament building. 4 restaurants, bar, spa & sauna.

Phoenicia Grand Hotel. Upmarket place with 4 restaurants, bar, night-club, spa and gym. Very close to Baneasa Airport at north edge of Bucharest, with main airport Otopeni another 15 km north.

Parliament. Designer hotel, looking onto Parliament building

Radisson Blu Hotel. Upmarket place with indoor & outdoor pools, 5 restaurants and 4 bars.

Rin Grand Hotel. Stylish place edge of town with restaurant and piano bar. 24-hour fitness centre with indoor pool, a whirlpool and saunas. Also with beauty salon, conference and banquet facilities, and free parking.