3 Days in Bucharest: The Perfect Long Weekend Itinerary

Day 1 - Discover Bucharest's History & Food

Bucharest, the capital of Romania, is famous for its eclectic mix of Belle Époque architecture, grand communist-era boulevards and modern urban life. With more than two million people in its metropolitan area, it is Romania's largest and liveliest city and one that's best explored on foot. There is no shortage of excellent walking tours, but I can highly recommend the Life in Communist Bucharest Tour. Our guide, Daniel, was incredibly knowledgeable and showed us fascinating buildings and details we would never have noticed on our own. Over 2,5h we learned a great deal about Romania's communist past and present and the time absolutely flew by!

After the tour, treat yourself to lunch or dinner at Caru' cu Bere. Founded in 1879, it is one of Romania's oldest and most iconic restaurants, famous not only for its traditional Romanian cuisine but also for its breathtaking Neo-Gothic interior, complete with stained-glass windows, frescoed ceilings and grand wooden staircases.

Although prices are slightly above the Bucharest average, the experience is absolutely worth it. We've eaten here several times and it has never disappointed. Don't leave without trying the Papanași (fried doughnuts served with sour cream and jam).

Tip: One portion is enormous (roughly the size of a main course!) so it's perfect for sharing.

Day 2 - Descend into Romania's Largest Salt Mine

Slănic Prahova Salt Mine is one of Europe's largest salt mines open to visitors, with salt extraction from the area dating back to the 17th century. However, the salt mine is mostly impressive not due to its age but scale - it's around 70m high and consisting of several massive chambers! It's complete with an inside-the-mine chapel, café, toilets and multiple entertainment activities for kids and adults , such as sport courts with ping pong tables, badminton rackets and rest areas with blankets.

The inside microclimate is rich in salt aerosols and negative ions and recommend for people suffering from respiratory tract illnesses. (a dedicated salt cave therapy is offered on site).

It takes around 1-1.5h to wander through the mine. Don't miss the café inside the mine - its salted caramel pastel de nata is surprisingly excellent!

Tip! Even if you visit in summer, bring layers as inside air temperature is constant at 12-13 C.

How to:

The salt mine is approx 100km from Bucharest and not easily reached by public transport so it's best to drive or take a shared shuttle van (no guided tour included).

It takes around half a day to visit the salt mine, so you'll still have the afternoon and evening to explore Bucharest and those are my recommendations:

• Cărturești Carusel - a stunning bookstore located in a beautifully restored 19th-century building with winding staircases and  a café on the top floor. Worth visiting even if you don't intend to buy anything.
• Macca- Villacrosse Passage - a charming covered arcade with two glass-roofed galleries with small cafes and hookah bars.
• Van Gogh Café-  café with colorful, Vincent van Gogh inspired décor and a relaxed vibe
• Cismigiu Garden - Bucharest's oldest park with central lake with rowing boats, tree-lined promenades, chess tables and several cafés

Day 3 - The Legendary Transfăgărășan Road & Brown Bears

Yes, you read right, bears, not beers. So it happens that Romania has the largest brown bear population in the European Union, which tend to inhabit the Carpathian Mountains near the Transfăgărășan  Road.

The Transfăgărășan Road is famous in its own right, winding through some of Romania's most spectacular scenery past glacial lakes, dramatic mountain peaks, waterfalls and alpine meadows. It gained worldwide recognition after appearing on Top Gear in 2009, where Jeremy Clarkson famously described it as "the best road in the world".

One of the highlights of the drive is the chance to spot wild brown bears. They're not a designated stop - your vehicle simply slows down when bears are visible near the roadside. During our trip we saw several bears casually resting or walking alongside the road.

While it may seem like a beautiful wildlife encounter, this behaviour is largely the result of bears becoming accustomed to people feeding them, despite it being illegal. This has led to numerous dangerous encounters over the years. Therefore, stay respectful of the bears and admire them from a safe distance inside the vehicle!

Tips:

• Only visit during summer. The Transfăgărășan Highway is generally open only from late June until late October, depending on snow conditions. Outside this period, much of the road is closed.
•  Since you'll be driving quite high up the mountains, pack layers of clothes even though it might be warm in the city.

You can drive yourself if you're comfortable navigating mountain roads or take an organized day trip. Note, it's a full day trip of about 12h.

Extra credit:

If you have more than 3 days to spare, visiting Transylvania region is another must-do while in Romania. It's famous for its castles (both fairy-tale like, and yes, the Dracula one),  traditional villages and mountain sceneries.

You can visit the region by flying in to Brașov or Cluj-Napoca, getting there by public transport or car or taking day trip from Bucharest if you're short in time, e.g. Bran Castle, Peleș Castle and Brașov tour.

Extra extra credit:

If you're looking for exploring one of the least visited countries in Europe, you can take an overnight train or a quick (and normally very cheap) flight to Chisinau, Moldova. Refer to this article for Moldova experience.