Our Bucharest weekend was actually part of our Jordan trip. On our way back from Jordan, we had the opportunity to spend a long weekend in Bucharest before heading home. Although it was technically part of another journey, I still felt that Bucharest deserved a separate post on this blog.
We arrived at Bucharest Otopeni Airport on Friday, November 4th, around noon. The airport was total chaos. We lined up for passport control, but there didn’t seem to be any proper queues—many people weren’t respecting them, and there were simply too many passengers for such a small area. Unfortunately, the trouble didn’t end there. After passing passport control, we waited almost an hour for our luggage, so it was nearly 2 p.m. by the time we finally left the airport.
Getting around Bucharest by Bolt (similar to Uber) was easy and inexpensive. The almost hour-long ride from the airport to the city centre cost us just 17 euros.
We wanted to stay in the old town, within walking distance of most of the sights, so we chose the Hilton Garden Inn Bucharest Old Town for our stay. We were very happy with this choice—the hotel was clean, new, and modern, and the breakfast was excellent, with plenty of options, including plant-based ones. After checking in, we went for a short walk around the old town to grab a bite to eat and exchange some local currency. The Romanian currency is the leu, and at the time one euro was worth around 4.9 lei.
We were also lucky with the weather, which was unusually mild for early November. As we walked around, we checked out the menus of several restaurants to decide where to have dinner and were pleasantly surprised by how affordable the prices were. The old town was lively on Friday night, with crowds filling the outdoor terraces of bars and restaurants, street artists performing, and many young foreign visitors arriving for a cheap party weekend in Bucharest.
We eventually chose a restaurant called Bazaar. After eating Middle Eastern food throughout our Jordan trip, we were all craving pasta. The food wasn’t particularly special, but the bill—around 40 euros for four people—was a very pleasant surprise.
The double room in Hilton Old Town hotel
For the next day, we had planned a visit to Therme București, a huge indoor—and in summer, also outdoor—water park and spa. It’s located not far from Bucharest Airport, and getting there by Bolt taxi took about an hour. The complex is divided into three areas, and children under 14 are only allowed in the water park section called Galaxy.
The Galaxy area features plenty of slides, a couple of saunas and jacuzzis, and an indoor/outdoor pool. Most of the spa and relaxation facilities, such as the various saunas, are located in the Elysium area. The entrance fee for access to all areas was around 27 euros per adult.
We aimed to arrive in the morning around 10 a.m. (it opens at 9), and it wasn’t too crowded when we got there. However, by the time we left in the afternoon, it had become absolutely packed—as it was Saturday. I would definitely recommend visiting on a weekday to avoid the crowds.
For dinner, we wanted to try some traditional Romanian cuisine, so we decided to eat at Vatra. The restaurant serves classic Romanian dishes—which are very meat-heavy and make it a bit challenging to find plant-based options. The waiters wear traditional national costumes, and the place is highly rated on Google. It absolutely lived up to our expectations, and we were very happy with the entire meal.
Traditional stuffed cabbage leaves
After dinner walk in the old town
We still had the whole of Sunday to spend in the Romanian capital, as our flight wasn’t leaving until 9 p.m. We enjoyed a pleasant morning walk, admiring the beautiful buildings and visiting an old Orthodox church, before deciding to visit the Palace of the Parliament—the second-largest parliamentary building in the world and also the heaviest. Entry to the building is only possible as part of a guided tour.
We hadn’t made a reservation, but we hoped that in November the groups might be less full than during the summer months. We arrived around noon and were offered an English-language tour at 2 p.m., which we happily accepted.
