Romania is best avoided during winter due to short days and frigid weather. Anytime between May – September is a good time to visit.

May & September: These shoulder season months are the best time to visit Romania. The weather is warm and pleasant and the days are long enough to enjoy hours of sunlight. Plus, you can avoid summer tourists.

June – August: Even at its peak, Romania isn’t too hot, rarely hitting temps above 90 Fahrenheit. Summer is peak tourist season, when prices are highest and crowds are busiest. However, if you don’t mind that, summer is packed with fun, outdoor activities and plenty of hours of daylight to enjoy them.

Romanian cuisine is complex and vibrant, melding together a mix of flavors and spices from its neighboring countries – most prominently, Turkey. Although Romania isn’t what most consider a foodie country, it offers a pleasant variety of dishes, including plenty of alternatives to a rather pork-heavy cuisine.

Romania’s national dish is without a doubt sarmale, cabbage stuffed with…pork. Thankfully, there are a variety of non-pork versions, usually stuffed in vine leaves rather than cabbage. Coming at a close second is polenta: it’s usually served as a side but is also a main dish, like in the case of mămăligă cu smăntănă (polenta with sour cream).

Don’t miss other favorites such as ciorbă de văcuţă (beef soup), salata de icre (caviar spread), and last but not least, Papanași (a Romanian donut) – hands down the best thing I ate in Romania. Check out my food guide for all the best eats I had in Romania!

If you’d like to get a true taste of the food scene in Romania, be sure to check out one of many amazing food experiences here!