Bucharest 3 Day Itinerary (Long Weekend Trip)

This Bucharest 3 day itinerary is perfect for anyone wanting to explore the highlights of Bucharest on a long weekend trip. For your convenience, this itinerary is straight to the point. We’ll briefly detail the best things to do in Bucharest in 3 days.

Bucharest 3 Day Itinerary Overview

In this Bucharest 3 day itinerary, you won’t find elaborate explanations or ramblings about each place to visit. Rather, we’ll list where to go and what to do, highlighting key tips or tricks, to help you smoothly plan your long weekend in Bucharest.

Bucharest 3 Day Itinerary: Day 1

On the first day of your Bucharest 3 day itinerary, it makes sense to explore the city. And, what better way to explore a city, than by doing a free walking tour?

Bucharest Free Walking Tour

Walk About Free Tours runs the most popular free walking tours in Bucharest. If you’re a first-time visitor to Bucharest, you’ll want to do the daily tour called The Story of Bucharest. This tour nicely summarises the history of Bucharest, exploring the main points of interest in the city.

You can find more details about this tour on the company’s website. Although it’s possible to pre-book this tour, in reality, you can just rock up and join.

Palace of Parliament

After spending your morning exploring the city of Bucharest, the next place to visit on this 3 day itinerary is the Palace of Parliament. The extravagant palace is a standout attraction of Romania’s communist era and definitely worth a look.

The only way of getting inside the palace is by booking a guided tour. It’s possible to book tours on the official government website. But, you have to literally call the parliament, between Monday and Friday during office hours, and ensure you’re booking at least 24 hours in advance.

It’s much easier to book a guided tour of the Palace of Parliament on GetYourGuide. That’s exactly what Beck and I did. Other than having the convenience of booking online, you also have the luxury of 24 hour free cancellation.

Caru’ cu bere

Caru’ cu bere is hands-down the best restaurant in Bucharest. Dating back to 1879, the building illustrates the Old Town’s architecture brilliantly. Translated into English to ‘the beer wagon’, Caru’ cu bere is a restaurant serving traditional Romanian food and its own house beer. The restaurant also plays host to daily entertainment in the form of traditional dance and music.

Bear in mind, that this restaurant books out far in advance, especially on the weekend. If your 3 day Bucharest trip falls over the weekend, then you’ll definitely need to book a table in advance.

Bonus tip: try the bean soup (borscht) served in a bread bowl. If you eat meat, then try the grilled minced meat sausages (mititei). And, for those with a sweet tooth, try the Romanian doughnuts with sweet cheese, sour cream and jam (papanasi).

Bucharest 3 Day Itinerary: Day 2

The second day of your Bucharest 3 day itinerary is dedicated to a day trip exploring castles and towns in Transylvania.

Transylvania Day Trip

The day trip from Bucharest to Transylvania is the most popular tour in Romania. Undoubtedly, a long weekend trip to Bucharest, wouldn’t be complete without exploring Transylvania, and its famous castles.

Below, we’ll briefly detail the highlights of this tour. Regarding important things to know, make sure you are on time for the tour, as they will literally leave without you. Make sure to take cash for your entry tickets to both Peles Castle and Bran Castle (Dracula’s Castle). Also, given the horrendous traffic in Bucharest, bear in mind that you may not get back to Bucharest until 9–11pm.

For specific details about departure times and costs – check out the day trip details page.

Peles Castle

The first attraction you’ll visit on the Bucharest to Transylvania day trip is Peles Castle. Despite Bran Castle being the main drawcard of this tour, due to its association with Dracula, Peles Castle is the more beautiful and lavish castle. Peles Castle also has its own fascinating history as a former residence of Romanian royal families.

Because of this, Beck and I enjoyed visiting Peles Castle just as much as Bran Castle. Maybe, even more so! In our opinion, Peles Castle is a highlight of this Bucharest 3 day itinerary.

Bonus tip: after exploring Peles Castle, make sure to also check out Pelisor Castle. It’s just a stone’s throw away from Peles Castle. You won’t have time or a ticket to go inside, but you can quickly see the castle from the outside, before heading back to the bus en route to Bran Castle.

Bran Castle (Dracula’s Castle)

Most people do this guided tour because of the visit to Bran Castle, which is more popularly known as Dracula’s Castle. During the guided tour, you’ll learn exactly why it’s called Dracula’s Castle (no spoiler alerts here). After exploring the castle, you’ll have lunch in Bran, before heading to Brasov.

Brasov

The final destination of the guided tour is Brasov. From the town square, the guide will provide a brief overview of the town’s history. You’re then free to explore the area. This is a great time to pick up some extra snacks for the potentially long journey home to Bucharest.

Bucharest 3 Day Itinerary: Day 3

The third and final day of your 3 day Bucharest long weekend trip is a rightfully more relaxing day. You’ll start the day at Grand Cafe Van Gough to enjoy a delicious breakfast or brunch. You’ll then head to Therme Bucharest to finish your time in Bucharest in style!

Grand Cafe Van Gogh

Grand Cafe Van Gogh has become the go-to cafe in Bucharest for tourists. Inspired by, you guessed it, Van Gogh, the cafe is filled with the artist’s paintings on the walls. It’s otherwise colourfully and beautifully decorated, making it an influencer’s dream.

Given the cafe is a bit of a social media sensation, book a table in advance to avoid the long queues of walk-ins.

Overall, Beck and I were impressed by the artsy decor but not particularly wowed by the prevailing experience. The coffee and food were decent, but it was quite pricey and noisy. You’ll know whether this cafe is your vibe or not. Rest assured, there are plenty of other much quieter and fairly priced cafes in Bucharest.

Therme Bucharest

Conveniently located near the international airport, visiting Therme Bucharest just before your departure flight makes sense.

Therme Bucharest is the largest entertainment and wellness centre in Europe and offers a ridiculous amount of ticket options. We chose to explore the Palm zone, which seemed to be one of the most budget-friendly options, allowing us to explore some of the main pools and areas in the complex over three hours.

Despite what you might read online, at the time of writing, Therme Bucharest no longer offers a shuttle service from Bucharest. Beck and I used public transport to get to Therme Bucharest from Bucharest. There are several possible bus combinations and connections to get there. From this bus stop in Bucharest, you can catch the 100 bus to the airport, and then catch the 442 bus to the thermal baths.

Another option is booking a package that includes your entry ticket and transportation from Bucharest.

Is Visiting Bucharest For A Long Weekend Worth It?

Yes, Beck and I thoroughly enjoyed visiting Bucharest on a long weekend trip. We hope this Bucharest 3 day itinerary inspires you to follow in our footsteps.

Where to Stay in Bucharest

There are plenty of accommodation options in Bucharest. If you’re looking for budget-friendly accommodation that’s conveniently located a short walk near the centre of Bucharest and also free of noise, we recommend Central Vinatge Bucharest.

Want to explore more of the Balkans? Check out our guides about Perast and Kotor in Montenegro or head to our Europe page to find our Albania travel guides.