5 Days in Bucharest: The City-Only Itinerary
Five days extends the same spine as our 4 day version : Days 1-4 cover the Palace of the Parliament, the 1989 revolution sites, the Village Museum, and Cismigiu Gardens, and Day 5 adds a full day at Therme Bucuresti, the giant thermal spa complex just outside the city. Still entirely city-based, no Transylvania castle detour.
Book these before you go
- Palace of Parliament tour: phone booking mandatory, at least 24 hours ahead, no online sales, passport or ID required, rules on cic.cdep.ro
- Hotel in or near the Old Town: check rates on Booking.com
- Therme Bucuresti on a weekend: pricing is dynamic and it gets busy, worth reserving your zone ahead if your Day 5 falls on a Saturday or Sunday
- A guided Bucharest communism and 1989 history tour: book via GetYourGuide
| Day | Focus | Getting around | Rough daily cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palace of Parliament, Old Town | Walking plus one Bolt ride | 150-220 RON |
| 2 | Revolution Square, Athenaeum | Metro or Bolt | 130-200 RON |
| 3 | Village Museum, King Michael I Park | Metro | 100-160 RON |
| 4 | Cismigiu Gardens, Calea Victoriei | Walking | 90-150 RON |
| 5 | Therme Bucuresti (full day spa) | Bolt or shuttle to Balotesti | 150-260 RON |
Day 1: Palace of Parliament and the Old Town
Start at the Palace of the Parliament, still not fully finished since Ceausescu began it in 1984, commonly cited as the heaviest building on Earth. The standard tour runs about 60 RON adult, 30 RON student, 20 RON child, plus a 10 RON basement add-on, booked by phone at least 24 hours ahead since nothing sells online or at the door. Bring an actual passport, not a photo.
In the afternoon, walk into the Old Town (Lipscani) and sit down for sarmale and ciorba at Caru’ cu Bere or Hanul lui Manuc, a full traditional dinner with drinks runs roughly 115-135 RON per person, then stay out along Strada Lipscani once it gets dark.
Day 2: Revolution Square and the Romanian Athenaeum
Spend the morning at Piata Revolutiei, where Ceausescu’s final speech was booed down live on 21 December 1989 before his execution four days later. The Memorial of Rebirth obelisk (“the potato,” to locals) marks the spot, ringed by the former Royal Palace, now the National Museum of Art of Romania (24 RON per gallery, 32 RON combined, free the first Wednesday monthly), and the domed 1888 Romanian Athenaeum, which sells a standalone look-inside ticket for about 15 RON outside concert hours.
In the afternoon, graze on mici (grilled minced-meat rolls, about 5-15 RON a piece) from a street stall rather than sitting down again, and let Day 2 run slower than Day 1.
Day 3: The Village Museum and King Michael I Park
Spend the morning at the Village Museum (Muzeul Satului), over 300 authentic wooden churches, farmhouses, and windmills relocated from across rural Romania, inside King Michael I Park. Entry is 40 RON adult, 20 RON senior, 10 RON student, half price Monday and Tuesday, no advance booking needed for general admission, only a guided tour needs 48 hours’ notice.
In the afternoon, stay in the park, walk the lake, rent a boat if it’s warm enough, and eat somewhere near the park rather than trekking back to the center for lunch.
Day 4: Cismigiu Gardens and the Belle Epoque boulevards
Spend the morning at Cismigiu Gardens, Bucharest’s oldest public park, free entry, a boating lake, and outdoor chess tables. In the afternoon, walk Calea Victoriei, the “Little Paris” showcase boulevard of ornate early-1900s buildings like the CEC Palace, keeping the nickname honest: WWII bombing, the 1977 earthquake, and Ceausescu-era demolitions mean this survives in patches, not as a wall-to-wall streetscape. Save your energy tonight, tomorrow’s a full spa day.
Day 5: Therme Bucuresti, the spa day
Give the whole day to Therme, out in Balotesti just north of the city. Pricing runs zone-based: roughly 100-130 RON for a full day in the Galaxy zone, up to 200-260 RON in the priciest all-zones pass, with a Monday-Thursday 17:30-18:30 discount window if your schedule allows an evening session instead. This is a genuine half-or-full-day trip, not a quick stop, treat it as your one deliberately slow day on this itinerary.
Is Therme worth a full day instead of a castle day trip?
For a city-focused stay, yes. Peles and Bran are genuinely worthwhile, but they’re a different kind of day, roughly 1h15 or more each way by train, with their own booking rules. Therme delivers a full, relaxed day without leaving the Bucharest area at all, and it’s the better fit if your legs are already tired from four days of walking.
Do I need euros anywhere on this trip?
No. Romania is fully in the EU and Schengen but keeps the leu (RON), not the euro, and won’t adopt it for years. Every price across all five days above is in RON, expect roughly 4.55-4.6 to the US dollar in 2026 and confirm the same-day rate before you exchange or withdraw cash.
Book the Palace of the Parliament call for your first morning in the city, then let Day 5 at Therme be the day you don’t set an alarm.