Traveling doesn’t have to be expensive. Every city has tons of free or cheap things you can do while you are visiting. Bucharest is no different. Want to know the cheap things to do in Bucharest?
Most people think that traveling is expensive and they can’t afford to do it. I’m here to show you that you can travel without spending a fortune.
When I was in Bucharest, I was able to do one fun activity every day for under $10.
Sometimes it is as simple as getting out and enjoying the local food, seeing a beautiful church or enjoying the street performers.
No matter where you are, there are always fun activities you can do for under $10.
Here are 10 things you can do for under $10 on your trip to Bucharest.
Top 10 Cheap Things to do in Bucharest
1. Palace Of The Parliament
If you are in Bucharest for a short period of time, this is the one thing that you can not miss. The palace of parliament is a unique building and completely out of place.
For starters, it is the second-largest administrative building in the world, standing at 84 meters high.
Not only is it massive in size, but it also weighs in as the heaviest building in the world. Marble covers over 1 million square meters of this structure and the inside is full of chandeliers that can fit 3-4 men in each!
This building is so heavy that it is actually sinking! In fact, it has been given the nickname, the iceberg since it sits 92 meters below ground.
The heating and electric costs of this building are over $6 million Euros a year.
On the tour, you will only get to see about 3% of the actual building, which will give you an idea of how large it actually is.
Cost: $10 or 40 Lei
Important Note: You have to bring your passport if you want to tour the building, so don’t forget it!
2. Free Walking Tour
My favorite activity to do when I am traveling through bigger cities in Europe is to take advantage of their free walking tours.
You are able to find out so much history about the city from the local tour guides. They are always well-informed and you will learn things that history books can’t teach you.
You are also able to ask the guides for insider information about where to eat or just plain local knowledge.
This is a great way to avoid tourist traps and get a more local feel for the city. They are also a great source for finding out about other tours in the city that might be less popular.
Be sure to check free walking tour for the meeting point and time
Cost: Free, but you should tip about $5 a person
3. Rooftop Drinks
Looking for a cheap thing to do in Bucharest and you want to meet locals? Head to a local rooftop bar for sunset and order a special cocktail, coffee or juice.
It is the perfect activity to do during the summer months before it gets too cold. I recommend heading to Linea Closer To The Moon as they have fun and unique cocktails.
Something special and unique for everyone. It is also a great spot to watch the sunset over the river.
Rooftop drinks are one of my favorite activities to do in Europe.
Cost: Around $8 per specialty cocktail
4. Rent Some Scooters
Want to have a little adventure and fun while in the city? Why not rent an electric scooter for an hour and explore? It is fun, cheap and you will cover more ground than walking around all day.
Lime is a company that is growing quickly and offering electric scooter rentals all throughout the US and European cities.
Simply download the app and add money to your account to look for an available scooter near you.
When you get to the scooter, scan the QR code to unlock it. Voila! You are able to explore the city on a scooter.
Once you are finished with your scooter, simply end usage on the app and send a picture of where you left it.
This makes it convenient if only want to use it one way or leave it at another destination.
Cost: Around $7 per hour or (minimum of $.75 and $.10 per minute)
5. Free History Walking Tour
Were you left wanting to know more about Romania and its history from the story of Bucharest walking tour?
Another great free walking tour you can do in Bucharest is the Royal Century Tour.
This tour goes more in-depth on the history of Romania and its leaders. Going into further detail about each of the Kings.
The tour talks in depth about how they came to be, how they ruled and what the Romanian people thought about their great king.
The tour also leads you to the other side of the old city. You will get to enjoy more of the city that you probably haven’t seen before.
I highly recommend it if you have the time while you are in Bucharest.
Be sure to check free walking tour for the meeting point and time
Cost: Free, but you should tip about $5 a person
6. Enjoy The Street Performers
Bucharest is full of street performers playing the accordion, and other unique instruments. I think we even saw someone playing lumber saw!
It is a fun and cheap thing to do in Bucharest, you don’t have to pay to enjoy the music. But if you happen to hang out for more than one song, it is always a good idea to help support the artists by giving them a few dollars.
Listening to the accordion play whilst wandering around the cobbled streets of Bucharest is a must! It will make you feel like you have stepped back in time.
Cost: Free or $3 – $5 tip
7. Eat A Papanasi
You can’t come to Romania and not try the papanasi, a traditional Romanian dessert. It is served at most traditional restaurants in Bucharest, but I heard the one at Caru De Bere was the best.
This restaurant is a must on your trip to Bucharest as well, it is full of great traditional Romanian dishes.
It is an old church that was converted into a restaurant and is the oldest restaurant in Bucharest. It fills up with both locals and tourists and is not overpriced.
This time I went for their papanasi, because I heard it was the best in town. It is a donut that is filled with light fluffy cream and fruit jelly.
Also, rather than the donut hole being wasted, it is put back on top of the donut. Then it is covered with something that is similar to maple syrup and powdered sugar.
It was a delightful dessert and very filling.
Cost: $8 or 32 lei
8. Enjoy A Street Gyro
All throughout the old town of Bucharest, you will see gyro stands and fast-food restaurants. They are cheap and they are super good.
I ate one almost every other day while I was there, trying a different place every time.
Eating street food is a great way to save money while traveling. It is so easy just to grab a bite when walking around and exploring the city.
Park up on a city bench and enjoy some good old fashion people watching. It is a great way to observe the locals and embrace their culture.
I always try to eat where the locals eat, this helps to avoid tourist-trap restaurants. It also ensures I never have a bad meal.
Cost: $5 or 20 Lei
9. Visit All The Churches
Bucharest is full of tiny little churches all throughout the city. Rather than having massive churches that you see in most European cities, Romanians believed that church should be a community event and preferred to have more tiny churches all through-out the city.
Smaller churches would bring more a sense of community to everyone involved.
It could keep all the members of the church closer together and more willing to give a helping hand with another member needed something.
You can not walk a block within the old city and not see an old church.
They are all uniquely different from one another. It is worth it to spend a day walking around and checking them out.
Cost: Free
10. Enjoy The Street Art
Another one of my favorite activities to do in cities is to enjoy all the street art and graffiti. I find it a great cheap way to be outside, rather than paying to go inside a stuffy museum.
I love just walking around a city and seeing all the free art they have to offer.
Every city is unique in its own way, and you can tell a lot about a city by its graffiti or lack thereof.
Enjoying street art is a great way to get some exercise and enjoy a free activity. Go get lost and see what great street art you can uncover.
There we have 10 great cheap things to do in Bucharest. Do you have another cheap activity that wasn’t mentioned on this list? Say so in the comments below.
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These are some great low budget options! Especially, the street art and free Bucharest tour seem really fun!
Yes! I’m trying to prove that travel doesn’t have to be expensive. There are so many things you can do in almost any city and they don’t have to be expensive.
I’ve never been to Bucharest before but I want to so there are some great suggestions here for a future trip. Did you visit the library? I keep seeing it crop up on Instagram but I’m not sure if it’s as beautiful as everyone keeps saying 😀 And can I just say, I ADORE your blog name and logo!
Yes! Bucharest is amazing and so much cheaper than the rest of Europe. There are so many amazing and beautiful things to see, including the library : ) You should really make the trip if you have the time and thanks I love my blog name as well.
I’ve been to Bucharest a few times now but every time i went to palace of the parliament it was always closed, boo! However i have enjoyed plenty of other things on this list such as the wonderful churches and street art. Thanks for posting this!
No worries. If you ever make it back hopefully parliament will be open, it is like nothing I have ever seen before. The inside of it is out of this world.
Oh my gosh that street gyro made me so hungry right now 😅 😍 how many great budget tips for Buchurest, pinned it for my future trip there 😄
Awesome. Thank you. You will not be disappointed with Bucharest. Such a neat city, full of plenty of things to do and it is not over-run with tourists.
It is really hard to find activities to do in Europe under $10! This is such a helpful guide though. Thank you for sharing all this information
Of course. Happy to help other travelers find cheap things to do when they are on the road.
Some great budget saving tips. I’ve never been to Bucharest, but I’d love to go and explore. Walking tour sounds fun
Yes! Hopefully, you can make it there one day. There is so much to see and do. Such an amazing city 🙂
I always love finding cheap/free activities everywhere I visit. It always amazes me how much there really is to do if you look for it, and you found so many good things in Bucharest! Definitely saving this if I ever go one day!
Yes! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Trying to show everyone that travel doesn’t have to be expensive.
Thanks for this detailed post about free or budget things to enjoy in Bucharest! It looks like there is heaps to enjoy! I also love free walking tours – the guides always go above and beyond to show you the true authenticity of a place! Thanks for sharing x Alicia
Of Course! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I hope you are able to enjoy some of them if you ever make it to Bucharest.
What great ideas! Bucharest looks like such a unique city. I love walking tours too! Such a great way to see the city.
Yes! Walking tours are my favorite. They are pretty much free and you get to learn so much : )
Love that there’s such a great mix of food and activities for under $10 on this list! What an incredible place to visit (even if you’re on a budget)
Yes! Bucharest is such an amazing place with so many cheap and wonderful things to do.