4-Day Bucharest 'Little Paris' City Break

Belle-epoque boulevards, vast communist-era landmarks and Therme's tropical spa.

Day-by-day plan

Day 1: Arrive and the Old Town

Stay near Universitate or Lipscani.

Morning: Fly into Otopeni and train or bus to the centre.

Afternoon: Walk the Lipscani Old Town lanes.

Evening: Mici and local beer at a terrace.

Day 2: Palace of Parliament and Calea Victoriei

The palace is the world's heaviest building.

Morning: Guided tour of the Palace of Parliament (book ahead, passport required).

Afternoon: Calea Victoriei's museums and the Romanian Athenaeum.

Evening: Dinner at a traditional restaurant.

Day 3: Therme Bucharest

Therme stays open late; bring flip-flops.

Morning: Bus to Therme, Europe's biggest wellness spa.

Afternoon: Palm pools, saunas and slides all afternoon.

Evening: Relaxed dinner back in town.

Day 4: Village Museum and fly home

The airport train runs from Gara de Nord.

Morning: Dimitrie Gusti Village Museum in Herastrau Park.

Afternoon: Final coffee on a Lipscani terrace.

Evening: Fly home.

Budget

  • Flights — Return fare anchor: lastminute.com's London-Bucharest route page lists return flights from £78 per person with Ryanair (one-way from £44 with Wizz Air Malta) (lastminute.com/flights/r_london--bucharest, checked 28 Oct 2026); 'from' fares are lead-in prices including taxes and do not guarantee availability on specific dates. — 85 GBP
  • Accommodation — 3 nights sole occupancy at about £55 a night. Anchor: budgetyourtrip.com's Bucharest page puts average hotel prices at about USD73-135 (~£55-102) a night (budgetyourtrip.com/hotels/romania/bucharest-683506, checked 28 Oct 2026). — 165 GBP
  • Food & drink — Mici grills, ciorba soups and one Old Town dinner. — 85 GBP
  • Activities — Palace of Parliament tour, Village Museum and Therme spa. — 50 GBP
  • Local transport — Train or bus 783 from Otopeni airport plus metro tickets. — 25 GBP

Tips

  • Palace of Parliament: The world's heaviest building and Ceausescu's monument.
  • Lipscani Old Town: Restored lanes of cafes, bars and merchants' houses.
  • Therme Bucharest: Europe's largest spa, tropical inside year-round.
  • Village Museum: Centuries of rural Romanian architecture in Herastrau Park.