There is plenty of mixed feelings when it comes to recommending Bucharest as a travel destination. Is Bucharest worth visiting? Is it one of those cities you should spend money and energy on?
Even though a fascinating European capital, Bucharest is not as nearly popular as Rome, Paris, or Barcelona. Even though in more recent times the countries and cities of central and eastern Europe have experienced a bigger tourist population, I think Bucharest sees fewer tourists than Prague, Budapest, or Krakov.
If you are wondering whether or not you should travel to Bucharest, if it’s a destination worth exploring, and if there is enough to do for a day or two, I am here to help you decide. This article is my very personal and honest opinion on whether Bucharest is worth visiting or not. This is why I wrote what I liked and what I didn’t like about my trip, and made a few easy comparisons between traveling to Bucharest and other cities like Budapest and Prague.
Is Bucharest worth visiting? Pros and cons of traveling to the Romanian capital
What I liked about Bucharest
The old town
Our hotel was close to the old town so we could easily reach it on foot. Bucharest’s old town is very much walkable and pleasant to spend a few hours or even come back a few times to continue exploring its restaurants, cafes, and terraces with a view.
Plus, from the old town, you can easily walk to several landmarks, palaces, churches, government buildings, and museums in a charming motion between old and new, ancient and modern.
We loved wandering about narrow alleys lined up with small shops and quaint restaurants and opening up to larger, brighter squares framed by majestic buildings.
The people
Isn’t this a cliché? In fact, I didn’t expect Romanian people, especially the residents of such a big city, to be so happy to help every time we were lost in the city and every time we would ask a question in a language that wasn’t their language.
Nobody ever looked annoyed if we addressed them in English or even in Italian, they would take their time to show us places on the map, explain how to move around and give us suggestions. This was even early morning when it was clearly rush hour and they were clearly heading to work.
Our hotel
We opt for the Peakture Hotel 4-star hotel because the price was very convenient, so the whole hotel was lovely, but what really stuck in my mind is the breakfast. It was incredibly abundant and diverse, with an impressive offer of sweet and savory options but also of foods that you won’t usually see in a breakfast hall.
Organized buffet style, there was a table for several types of freshly-baked bread, seeds, and cereals, one for fresh fruits and a separate one for vegetables. They offered a wide array of cold cuts, types of cheese for all tastes and preferences, jams, juices, and several beverages hot and cold.
In a nutshell, you could eat enough to skip lunch and go straight to dinner.
Sightseeing
From the local museums to the parks, we very much enjoyed exploring the cultural and historical side of Bucharest. Through palaces and buildings, it’s easy to feel the Soviet vibe of Bucharest’s recent past, and this is one of my favorite things to do when I travel to a new destination or even when I explore cities and countries I have already visited.
I loved relaxing in Bucharest parks and also visiting its one-of-a-kind cultural highlights such as the Museum of the Romanian Village where they reproduced typical buildings and traditional ways of living.
No crowds
Being used to the eternal, huge crowds populating virtually all the main landmarks in Rome, it was extremely refreshing and enjoyable for me to explore such a large city with such a wealth of things to see and do without being surrounded by masses flocking from every corner.
It’s inexpensive
Apart from the quality of our hotel which was very much affordable, especially if compared to the same standards in other European capitals and cities, we found that Bucharest was very convenient in many aspects.
Things like eating out, using public transport, and sightseeing were affordable. Even though more expensive than other destinations in Romania, the two days we spent in Bucharest didn’t weigh on our bank accounts.
So if you are still wondering if is Bucharest worth visiting, pondering your budget is a good parameter to consider.
What I didn’t like about Bucharest
The traffic
I know, coming from Rome, I have very little right to complain about traffic. Bucharest traffic is in no way comparable to the jam in Rome, but maybe because of this, when I travel, I always hope to find a more quiet reality.
Let’s not forget that Bucharest is the capital of Romania, and so it’s a big city. If you are looking for a slow-paced adventure, Romania has so much to offer. Regions like Transylvania and Maramures, and towns like Brasov, Sinaia, or Timisoara, will certainly provide a more relaxed experience.
Which is better to visit Budapest or Bucharest?
We absolutely loved our trip to Budapest and immediately thought we should plan another. But we also enjoyed Bucharest, so we can’t really recommend skipping one for the other.
What I probably regret is not spending enough time in Bucharest and not having the time to explore it as well as I did in Budapest. Both cities are young and vibrant, probably in Budapest I saw more pubs, the famous ruin pubs that are a proper institution, while Bucharest felt more classic and elegant to me.
Which is better Prague or Bucharest?
Prague is much bigger than Bucharest and has more places to visit and things to do. Bucharest has a small old town and all around a very modern sprawling city. The old town of Prague is what attracts most visitors because of its famous forest of tall spires and fascinating mix of architectural styles.
Even though I loved Bucharest, if you really need to choose between the two, I would say pick Prague, especially if a Gothic and mysterious vibe is what you are after. The medieval buildings, Gothic churches, and palaces built in the local Baroque style of Prague never fail to impress and make a trip memorable.
Let’s say that in Prague, you could easily stay a week and never run out of sights and activities, while in Bucharest, three to four days would be enough unless you want to dig deeper and go about discovering its hidden gems.
