Start at the Old Princely Court Museum to understand medieval Wallachia, then wander Lipscani's restored merchant quarter and ducking into Macca-Villacrosse Passage for belle époque architecture. Lunch near Hanul lui Manuc, spend afternoon in the Museum of the Old Town or the Jewish History Museum, end with wine at a hidden courtyard bar as locals do.

Begin at Piața Dorobanți for morning coffee and architecture-watching, then visit the nearby National Museum of Art or Museum of the Romanian Peasant. Lunch at a local spot on Calea Dorobanților, spend afternoon wandering villas on Ionel Perlea and Ghe. Manu streets. End with dinner and people-watching at a neighbourhood bistro.

Start at the Grozavescu Museum (morning visit, quieter crowds) to absorb Romania's musical heritage, then walk Soseaua Nordului for brutalist apartment block photography. Lunch at a neighborhood crama, afternoon at Floreasca Park sketching or reading, evening aperitif at a local café watching residents return home.