Bucharest, Romania - A Travel Guide
Last Updated: August 4, 2026
NEED THE ESSENTIALS FOR BACKPACKING BUCHAREST NOW?
ABOUT BUCHAREST | SHOULD I GO? | WHAT TO DO | WHERE TO STAY | WHERE TO EAT | WHERE TO PARTY
Heads up: We sometimes work with companies to provide affiliate links and reviews - here's what that means. If it's here, we use it. We don't plug shit for profit.
Welcome to the Paris of the East. Apparently.
Ambitiously known as 'Little Paris', Bucharest is the capital city of Romania and is found towards the south of the country on the weaving Dâmbovița River. Whilst settlements have been proved to have been in and around the area of Bucharest since the Stone Age, it wasn’t until as late as 1459, that the name Bucharest was first mentioned.
The city flourished during the early-mid 1900s, earning it the nickname of’ Little Paris’ due to its sudden growth in wealth, stability, and impressive architecture. Unfortunately, whoever started that saying has apparently never been to Paris. They are poles apart.
The city is the beating heart of Romania, with almost all government, financial, sports, culture, entertainment, tourism for the country being centred here. In more recent years the city has experienced a new renaissance as the next Prague or Krakow, in that flights in and out are cheap and the price of alcohol is below the floor. Bucharest, then, is a leading contender for Europe's stag and hen dos.
Four Days and No Sleep
I was in Bucharest not to explore or for work, but to put this new hotspot through its paces as a venue for the ultimate stag do.
As such, it's fair to say I didn’t spend too much time exploring, and even less of that was exploring whilst sober. That said, we did get a fair bit crammed into a busy schedule, and worked through it with a heavy head and tired eyes. In particular, we spent a lot of time in and around the Old Town, near the good bars and food.
We had a crazy, fun-packed, brilliant time. Sad to say, this was no thanks at all to the city or its people. All the joy came from spending time with mates celebrating a massive life event, and we could've had a good time in a skip. Which is roughly what Bucharest felt like.
The city felt lifeless, mundane and lacking in things to do, and the people, on the whole, came across as pretty rude and unhelpful.
To sing some praises, I'd say the food was decent, and there was an occasional glimpse of architecture that maybe, just maybe, could justify the comparison to Paris. The cheap booze was a massive win, fuelling some of the heaviest nights out I've had for many a year
So Should I go there?
It is the gateway to Romania, lifeline of the country, and likely where you would land to start your Dracula tours. So we should say yes at this point.
But no. Not at all. Its not worth the time, effort, planning, packing, trip to the airport, fuel, or even the precious calories used thinking about going.
The issue is not only that there isn’t much to do, it's that what there is to is drab and lifeless. There's nowhere we found with a real upbeat, feel-good vibe. There were a few passable clubs in and around the Old Town during the weekend, but nothing to sing about. So the issue is this: why would you come here when you have Prague, Budapest, Krakow, Vienna, and Istanbul so nearby?
As I said, I actually had a great time. It had the novelty of being somewhere new, but we owe it to you guys to be honest and say things as we find them. I don’t think anyone could hand on heart say they prefer Bucharest over all of those places I mentioned, so I can't with honesty advise you guys and girls to go here.
What to Do in and Around Bucharest
This is a difficult one as there isn’t much I'd actually recommend. There are a couple of lovely parks, an arch that is about the only thing in the city I saw that would justify the name ‘Little Paris’, and one very large building. And that's about it. So let's start with that 'Little Paris' thing...
Arcul de Triumf
Original, I know.
To the north of the city and on the southwest tip of the King Mihai I Park you will find Bucharest’s own Arc de Triomphe, the imaginatively titled Arcul de Triumf. I don't know if this is better or worse than pretending you haven't ripped another city's monument.
The arch was built in 1936, around the same time the city earned its nickname. The stark difference between the two is size: the Paris Arc de Triomphe stands at 50 metres, whilst the Romanian Arcul de Triumf stands at just over half that size, at 27 metres. It's like they bought it at a gift shop in Paris and popped it on a roundabout back home.
Apparently, the arch is the focal point for the military parades which mark the December national holiday for Romania. Because nothing says national identity like a ceremony under a monument you shamelessly ripped off from another country.
King Mihai I Park
King Mihai I Park - formally the Herăstrău Park - is just next to the Arcul de Triumf, using it almost as an entrance gate, and is my favourite place within the city. This large, green, tranquil, tree-lined haven is just stunning, centred around the beautiful Herăstrău Lake.
There are a number of beautiful lakeside restaurants and museums within the park itself meaning that you could easily spend a whole day relaxing here without having to leave. The sheer size of the park (0.72 square miles, nearly the same size as Monaco) only hits you upon entry. You could spend ages walking around here, and there really isn’t anything wrong with that, it means you get to see more of it.
The Herăstrău Lake itself is a beautiful place to stop, and it allows small boats and fishing, which you will see often as you walk around the shimmery calm waters.
Palace of Parliament
The Palace of Parliament is the heaviest and second-largest administrative building in the world, meaning it really is unmissable. Weighing in at a hefty 4 million tonnes, this gigantic building is located at the end of the wide Bulevardul Unirii, an amazing tree-lined promenade, with fountains, cafes, restaurants and shops.
Built over 13 years and completed in 1997, it is only when you stand outside and look up at this grand neoclassical beast that you realise just how massive it is. It really does take your breath away, particularly if you're walking around it! A full tour of its 1,100 rooms may take a while...
The palace is home of the Romanian Parliament, however, due to the pure size of the building they only occupy a small percentage of the rooms, which just seems wasteful. Like the arc, it feels like another weird flex by a city trying too hard.
The Old Town
The Old Town is a now very small area within the centre of Bucharest, since large parts were destroyed by bombing campaigns during World War 2. The precious little that survived the bombs then had another 20% of it dismantled by the communist regime to make way for the new wide, straight roads.
What has been left behind has also seen a massive change since the fall of communism. The once ruined, desolate, no-go area is now the main attraction within the city. The beautiful old buildings and their architectural prowess are the heart of the city, with the masses of restaurants, cafes, bars; and clubs making it the
This is where you will find the stag and hen dos throughout the day and night, with great food, cheap alcohol and lots going on. For our tour, it was the only place to come. It has a charm that the rest of the city just does
Where to Stay Whilst Backpacking Bucharest
There are a number of hostels and hotels dotted around the city, and in particular a vast number in and around the old town, which is where we suggest you stay. The prices range dramatically around the city, with whole rooms from 60-ish Leu (£12) a night up to and in excess of 2,700 Leu (£500).
I stayed a short walk from the Old Town, and, as seems to be the way when I do a Europe city break, we stayed in an apartment booked through Airbnb. In this case, when we arrived we wondered what we had walked into. The street was in disarray, the internal doors had holes in and the bathrooms leaked. The kitchen wasn’t in much better condition, and it was the first time I've been disappointed with an Airbnb. To be fair, I think it's no longer on their books as I cannot find the apartment.
I think owners may also have seen how poor the condition was, and have since refurbished, which is great. The photos look very different today, compared to when we stayed in October 2017.
As usual, is travelling alone our best advice is to find yourself a hostel. If it’s a romantic getaway - well, don’t come to Bucharest - but if you must, use a hotel. If you have a group for a stag or hen do, then an apartment is the cheapest and best way. Just be careful when booking, as some people don't like renting to stag dos, for some reason.
Where to Eat When Backpacking Bucharest
The two big highlights within the city for me were the old town and King Mihai I Park, and it is only a coincidence (I promise) that they also happen to be where the best food is served in the city. I love eastern European food, and Bucharest's meat and vegetables are just beautiful, as are the soups.
Let's start big. My prize for number one in the city is a restaurant called Casa Di David, within the King Mihai I Park. The restaurant lies on the eastern bank of the lake, set within stunning surroundings and hosting beautiful views across the lake. Instantly we knew we were onto a winner here. This was our last meal in the city after a lot of heavy drinking and partying, and this was the perfect way to end it in style, sophistication, and serenity.
We went all out here, having 3 courses, and they were all perfect. The only surprise was the starter costing as much as the main. The pizza was particularly moreish and I was in heaven with it and chasing it with the chocolate tart? Just beautiful.
All this was topped off with great staff, all of whom were falling over themselves to help and be there when needed. You simply must come here, it’s the most beautiful restaurant I found in the city, and everything was perfect. In an ideal world everything is free, but after three courses and several drinks we paid about 200 LEU (£36), which for a European capital city really isn't bad. I guess you pay little prices eating in Little Paris.
My second favourite place was in the old town, and whilst it wasn't particularly well located, decorated or laid out, it did have great food and great staff, in particular a super friendly waitress whose name I didn't get to give a shout-out to. And really, isn’t that why you would choose a restaurant, for the food and the experience?
All the food at 55 Pub Bistro looked fantastic, even the standard pub foods such as burger and chips, chicken and chips, steak and chips... lots of chips. Nothing wrong with that - chips are always a great choice when hungover, which we were.
My advice is to do what we did: the 6 of us all ordered a mass of food to share, and it was all from the Romanian section of the menu. As you can see from the below picture we ordered about 4 dishes between the 6 of us, and it was divine. The meats were all beyond superb, the flavours second to none and just looking at this feast is making my mouth water. It really was that good.
The staff couldn’t have done more for us, and like I said our waitress was fantastic. I really highly recommend you come here and give the local foods ago - you’re in for a treat, and a cheap one at that. The below feast left each of us happy and very full for around 80 LEU (~£15) each, which when you consider that included a couple of beers was so cheap.
Not too far from the large parliament building, you will find a lovely little restaurant called Social 1. It is only small, and if it is busy, trust me, it's worth the wait. The drinks are great and the staff are legends - everyone tries to make your meal as good as it can be.
I had the chicken schnitzel which was delicious, and everyone else in the group enjoyed their dish too. If you were after good food in the day for lunch with a nice cocktail or a beer, this is the place for you.
Now, moving to the north of the old town there is a place called Berăria Hanul cu Tei, also known as Linden Inn Brewery. This is a great place, with seats outside in a long thin courtyard, which is a really nice place. I should imagine that on a cold day you’ll want to sit inside as it could get very chilly, almost like sitting in a wind tunnel, but in the sun it was amazing.
You will notice a theme going on here, as I had the ribs with fries. It was delicious but didn’t quite have that flavour and taste from 55 Pub Bistro, although I would still happily recommend it. Everyone was very pleasant and helpful, and the experience within the premises was great, as were the portions.
That theme of meat is a big deal here in the city. You'll find vegetarian options, but nearly everywhere we saw was geared up for meat - it would appear to be the staple diet in Bucharest.
Whilst we did eat at a few other locations in the city, I'm not willing to really recommend them, all were average but nothing worth going into in any detail.
Where to Drink and Party when Backpacking Bucharest
Being in town on a stag do, I feel pretty well qualified to advise on this section. Nearly all the places we hit were within the Old Town, as the other places just didn’t have any vibe whatsoever. The first thing I can say is wherever we went, the drinks were so cheap. I don’t really know how we survived; the amount we drank over the four days was enough to kill a herd of dinosaurs.
Whilst I couldn’t possibly write about all of the bars and clubs we visited, or even remember half of them, I will do my best to give you a rundown on the most memorable. In no particular order of the good, the bad or the ugly, this is the list...
Firstly, I have to mention the Fire Pub, which happened to be our first bar within the city. Having landed, dumped our bags and changed, we headed out into the city at half-past midnight. We found this little bar within the old town, just off the main road. We relaxed in the courtyard and got ourselves a couple of beers each before noticing the option of the massive
Towards the end of the night, all slightly drunk and after a long day we decided to get pizza and more 6-pint barrels. As had been the way when we arrived, the staff were less than friendly or helpful, which really is a shame as the location and the courtyard were great. It was literally just the staff that let the place down.
Another shoutout now to Hanul Cu Tei, which we have already mentioned within the food section. We popped in a couple of times and always felt welcome and relaxed. Again it was a beautiful place to come for a beer. However, in regards to the atmosphere, it is a chilled and relaxed environment and so if you are after madness and mayhem, then you should probably look elsewhere.
Next door to Fire Pub is a bar called Halftime. This place had a mix of great atmosphere, great drinks and great staff, and was somewhere we could just relax, chat and watch the world wander on by. The music was good and there was a lot of sport on as well, reminiscent of an old English pub back home.
We may have got a little too drunk after a couple of whiskys and cocktails, but no-one seemed to mind too much. The shots killed us off, but again the bar staff were more than happy to chat and laugh with/at us as well. It was a very friendly place and somewhere we have to recommend for drinks. When it comes to food, we didn’t eat here, so are unable to assist you with this.
Again in the old town, Oktoberfest seemed to always be a hive of activity, especially when the evening started drawing in. Located next to Saint Demetrius Church within the Old Town, it had the potential to be a great place, and in a way it was. It had a fantastic view of the beautiful church, it had a rowdy, fun atmosphere and it had cheap drinks.
However, it also had some of the most annoying, grumpy, sour-faced, boring staff you will ever come across. We had one waitress in particular, and whilst she didn’t ruin the night, she really made everyone who came into contact with her feel down. She may have been having a bad day and you can't judge somewhere based on one person on one day, but that was our experience. We pushed on through, ordering the gigantic buckets of beer that came with a ladle to serve into the glasses. A hardship, I know.
It was madness, and again very cheap, and it didn’t take us too long to get very, very drunk, which once again didn’t impress the waitress at all. We decided after a while to move on, having made a few friends on the other tables and integrating with a number of fun-loving travellers who were also taking advantage of the cheap beers in the city. Whilst I would recommend it, it comes with a
If madness and dancing are what you are looking for in the Old Town, then you’ll need to head to S Club. This small club is crazy on every level; there are people up on stage wearing the most random costumes, music blasting out from the massive speakers and people everywhere. If you are claustrophobic then do not come here, although it isn’t hard to get out of.
The music was great, the vibe was pumping and was the most lively place we visited. The drinks were a little pricier than in the other bars, but we were technically in a club, and it was still very cheap compared to most of Europe. We had a great night here, and we danced and laughed until we really had to leave. This is a must-visit for nightlife in the city.
Finally, a word of warning on strip clubs in the city - personally I'm not a fan of them anywhere in the world, finding them weird, awkward, overpriced, and just sleazy, but if it's your thing (or even if it's not but you just end up in one) then know that these were amongst the worst and the most pressuring I've ever seen. If you're on your own or are very drunk and there are only a couple of you, you could find yourself in a bit of trouble. Large groups should be ok as long as one or two of you are compos mentis enough to know what’s happening.
The girls expect money for sitting next to you and the bouncers are always on hand to become a bit heavyhanded. If you are like me, only there for stag reasons and don’t want to interact or be involved, they take this offensively. Not wanting to buy a drink for the girls or pay for a dance is seen as a good reason to get you kicked out, and the bouncers seem to enjoy this. You've been warned.
What You'll Need to Blend In
A love of meat
A grumpy, pissed-off expression
A bad attitude
To be part of a stag or hen do