When I first decided that basing a trip entirely on top-trending locations and activities on TikTok would be a fun plan, I naively assumed that I’d end up in one of the destinations I perceive to be classic for myself and my fellow Gen Z peers — Paris perhaps, maybe Bangkok or Dubai.
Instead I find myself landing on a snowy December runway at Henri Coanda, Bucharest’s international airport. It’s 4C outside and heavy snowflakes are pelting the wings of the plane; in my bag are thick woolly socks and gloves rather than flip-flops and bikinis. If I’m being honest, I can’t say that Romania’s capital city has ever been at the top of my travel wish list.
Yet there are millions for whom it has — the city was one of the top trending destinations on the social media platform TikTok in 2023 with 2.2 billion views for the hashtag, according to TikTok UK. Typically known for make-up trends and dance videos, TikTok is attracting more and more users like me who are coming to the app for travel inspiration. The user-friendly search bar means TikTok is almost a search engine in its own right, offering first-person experiences and visuals that help anyone browsing to get a feel for a destination. Where once TripAdvisor monopolised traveller-generated recommendations, TikTok now offers a space for (what seem to be mostly) genuine reviews, especially among my Gen Z peers — as an added source of inspiration to more established sources, like Times Travel. The endless stream of videos on the app transports users to a destination long before they’ve travelled there in a way that TripAdvisor and Google reviews just can’t compete with. Of course it’s subjective and there’s no fact-checking, but TikTok users feel like my kind of people so I’m inclined to trust their tips.
When I searched #Bucharest it yielded hundreds of “Top things to do in the city” videos, as well as users’ advice and recommendations in an informative but digestible way. One “What we ate on a daytrip to Bucharest” post has almost two million views and 182,000 likes. Interestingly, it’s the “save” button on videos that might well be the best indicator of measuring how many users are turning to TikTok when planning trips. This foodie video has 17,000 saves, suggesting many are bookmarking recommendations with the intention of using them when visiting the city.
Known as the “Little Paris of the East” for its architecture, most notably its Arc de Triomphe-style arch, Bucharest is also home to one of the world’s heaviest buildings (the Palace of Parliament — which comes in at more than four million tonnes). And it was one of the principal filming locations for the hit 2022 Netflix show Wednesday starring Jenna Ortega (you might have seen the dance scene that went viral). Classroom scenes were filmed at the Bucharest Botanical Garden.
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My DIY, TikTok-led itinerary, however, involves less gothic imagery and far more culture than you might expect. It’s dark by the time my not-so-TikTok-savvy mum and I arrive in the old town at the Marmorosch, a five-star hotel and former bank that has racked up about 105,000 TikTok views. Elegant Christmas trees light the entrance of the ornate 19th-century building and lush garlands drape the marble staircase. The grandeur of the lobby is matched in the bedrooms and the “secret” bar, behind a large vault door in the basement.
For our first meal of the trip, we arrive at Caru cu Bere (the Beer Wagon), the city’s most popular restaurant on TikTok with 2.1 million views. Centrally located in the city’s old town, it serves traditional Romanian cuisine, including hearty stews, crispy schnitzels and delicious mashed potatoes (mains from £7; carucubere.ro). The atmosphere is lively and, just one rhubarb and ginger lemonade cocktail down, I’m roped into the raucous folk dancing that pro dancers kick off at various points throughout the evening, encouraging diners to join in, however enthusiastic or not they’re feeling. The traditional menu and theatrics mean there are lots of tourists, but this doesn’t dampen the festivities, nor the quality of the food. The restaurant is welcoming and its TikTok popularity merited.
The next morning we head to Carturesti Carusel — a bright and charming bookshop in the city’s old town. Spread across six floors of a(nother) former 19th-century bank, this store has been modernised but still has some original features — its vast open structure and winding staircases are fabulous (carturesticarusel.ro). Clips panning around shoppers browsing the endless shelveshave been viewed 1.5 million times. A bookshop may seem a surprising addition to a TikTok itinerary, but the BookTok community is a large one (clips tagged to this trend have more than 200 billion views), so it’s no huge shock to me that such an aesthetically pleasing venue is a hit on the platform.
A stroll around Bucharest’s Cismigiu Gardens is next on our list. Home to statuary and a popular boating lake, it has tree-lined paths scattered with what remains of the previous day’s snowfall — all perfectly pleasant. However, we decide that for the most part a park is a park and we scarper in search of warmth. We find just that (plus hot coffee and a large plate of chocolate pancakes) at Grand Café Van Gogh (154,000 views), a bustling spot for lunch decorated in honour of the post-impressionist painter. The walls are painted with endless versions of Van Gogh’s most famous works, including a beautiful starry-night staircase (mains from £8; vangogh.ro).
In the evening we dine at the edge of the old town at Hanu Lui Manuc (709,000 views) for more delicious stodge — burgers and goulash in the restaurant’s cosy wine cellar (mains from £6; hanumanucrestaurant.ro). It fills us up before we walk for 25 minutes to the impressively lavish Romanian Athenaeum in the centre of modern Bucharest (522,000 views) for a Rachmaninov concert from the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra. We dash back and forth across the concert hall before we finally find our seats, much to the unstifled amusement of the other ticket holders. Sitting down to two hours of classical music certainly wasn’t how I expected to spend a TikTok-inspired evening, but the venue and the performance are magical all the same (from £24; fge.org.ro).
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I’ve saved the top trending activity in Bucharest for our final full day. A 15-mile (and £14) cab ride north of the city, Therme is Europe’s largest wellness and relaxation centre. The hashtag #thermebucharest has been viewed 70.8 million times on TikTok — I’ve seen clips showing soft lounging areas and a huge blue indoor pool surrounded by palm trees so am expecting a day filled with blissful relaxation. But as we get out of the taxi I begin to suspect I may have finally been misled by TikTok trends. It’s something like Center Parcs, only in peak season and with double the occupancy. What the videos I had browsed online before our visit didn’t show was just how many visitors could squeeze into the ten saunas, nine pools, three restaurants, multiple waterslides and a spa. A Saturday in December possibly wasn’t the cleverest time to pop in. By the time we’ve changed into our swimming costumes there are no more available sunloungers and the spa has run out of treatment slots.
After a couple of hours in the outdoor hot tub, marinating in human soup along with half of the population of Bucharest — and deafened by the clubby soundtrack accompanying the mass water aerobics in the indoor pool, we decide to retreat. I can appreciate that on a quieter day the experience could be much more zen, but it’s not for us. At least Mum sees the funny side (day pass from £15; therme.ro).
That evening we face another hitch when we can’t get a table at the old town Nomad Skybar for our final dinner in Bucharest — possibly due in part to the Mediterraneanish restaurant’s popularity on TikTok (25.9k views). Fortunately we stumble across Noa RestoClub, just a minute’s walk from our hotel. It’s a steakhouse that also serves Italian and Japanese dishes — not viral on TikTok, but delicious all the same (mains from £6; noarestoclub.ro).
As I stuff some of the tastiest California rolls I’ve ever had into my mouth, eyeballing the incredible-looking dishes that appear at other tables, I’m hit by the pang of smugness that comes from a successful spot of spontaneity.
Still, much as it’s nice to feel the reward of a dinner gamble that has paid off, it has been the case more often than not this weekend that we are rewarded for our meticulous planning. A couple of minor duds aside, our TikTok-trends-led trip is a success and the platform has proved a reliable source of travel inspiration. Even my mum, whose knowledge of the app doesn’t stretch far beyond funny cat videos, is surprised by how much she enjoys our visit. Not bad for a social media outlet originally associated with cheesy dance trends.
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Would you book a holiday you saw on TikTok? Let us know in the comments below
Hannah Gravett was a guest of TikTok and the Marmorosch Bucharest, which has room-only doubles from £150 (marriott.com)
