Bucharest City in 3 Days on a Budget
A 3-day Bucharest plan, city only, priced in RON
Three days extends the 2-day city plan one stop further: the Palace of Parliament and Old Town on day one, Revolution Square and the Village Museum on day two, then a free Little Paris walk and an optional Therme Bucuresti spa afternoon on day three. It nests into the 4 and 6-day versions below, and compresses to the 2-day plan if you drop day three.
Book these before you go
- Book the Palace of Parliament tour or call +40 733 558 102 at least 24 hours ahead yourself; there is no walk-up or online ticket.
- Check Old Town hotel rates on Booking.com ; rooms here keep all three days walkable or a short metro ride.
- Book a Bucharest communism and city history tour for context on the 1989 history before day two.
| Day | Focus | Getting there | Rough cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Palace of Parliament, Old Town | Central, walk or metro | 150-200 RON |
| Day 2 | Revolution Square, Village Museum, Cismigiu | Central, metro or bus, 15-20 min | 100-150 RON |
| Day 3 | Little Paris walk, Therme Bucuresti | Bus 442 from Piata Presei Libere, 20-30 min | 0-147 RON |
Day 1: Palace of Parliament and the Old Town
Start at the Palace of Parliament for your booked morning slot; bring an original passport or ID, since photocopies get turned away. The standard tour runs 60 RON adult, 30 RON student, 20 RON child, plus 10 RON if you add the basement. From there it is a short metro or walk to the Old Town (Lipscani), free to wander, where lunch at a “meniul zilei” (menu of the day) spot runs well under 30 RON. Spend the afternoon on the cobbled streets and Stavropoleos Monastery, then have dinner at a historic spot like Caru’ cu Bere, sarmale and mici with the bill landing near 100 RON with a drink.
Day 2: Revolution Square, the Village Museum and Cismigiu
Morning goes to Revolution Square, free and outdoors, plus the Romanian Athenaeum’s 15 RON visit-only ticket if you want to see the concert hall without a performance. The National Museum of Art next door runs 24 RON per gallery, free if you happen to land on the first Wednesday of the month. In the afternoon, take the metro or a short taxi to the Village Museum (40 RON adult, half that on a Monday or Tuesday) inside King Michael I Park, then close the day at Cismigiu Gardens, free, for a walk around the lake before dinner.
Day 3: Little Paris on foot, then Therme Bucuresti
Spend the morning walking Calea Victoriei, Bucharest’s “Little Paris” boulevard: the CEC Palace, the Arcul de Triumf and the stretch of Belle Epoque facades between them, all free, all on foot from the Old Town. In the afternoon, catch bus 442 from Piata Presei Libere (reachable on bus 100) out to Therme Bucuresti , where a 3-hour Galaxy zone ticket runs 67 RON adult on weekdays, 77 RON on weekends, or skip it entirely and spend the afternoon on a second free loop through Cismigiu or Cotroceni instead. Either way, keep dinner back in the Old Town for your last night.
Is a Therme Bucuresti day worth adding to a 3-day trip?
Yes, comfortably. The extra day adds real recovery time and a genuine splurge option: a free morning walk down Calea Victoriei, then Therme Bucuresti in the afternoon for 67-77 RON on the 3-hour Galaxy zone ticket, cheaper Monday through Thursday than on weekends.
Do you need a car for this 3-day plan?
No. Calea Victoriei is walkable from the Old Town, and bus 442 connects Piata Presei Libere, itself reachable on bus 100, to Therme every 20-30 minutes. Bolt or Uber covers the door-to-door trip for roughly 30-40 RON each way if you would rather skip the transfer.
If you are skipping Therme, put the saved 67-147 RON toward a second sit-down dinner instead; Old Town menus rarely clear 100 RON a head even with a drink.