Best Things to Do in Iași: Discover Romania’s Cultural Gem

Iași sits in the eastern corner of Romania, just an hour away from Moldova and about 3 hours from Ukraine. We booked flights to Iasi as we we were travelling onwards to Moldova. And I’m so glad we gave ourselves some time to explore Iasi first. It’s full to the brim with history, and a fun place to visit too. In this guide you’ll find a map and a walking route taking you past the main sites. Whether you’re visiting for a day, or making Iasi a base for a longer holiday, I’ve some suggestions for your Itinerary..

Planning a Trip To Iași? Here’s a quick Start:

And one more thing, I picked Iași as one of my top recommendations for places to go in Europe which are not that obvious. Here’s my full list of The Kind of European Places I Want to Keep Writing About based on places I’ve visited fairly recently.

Most recently visited in March 2025, all information reviewed and updated in September 2025

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Is Iași Worth Visiting

Iași definitely earns the title ‘underrated beauty’ and honestly, I’m surprised it isn’t more firmly on the tourist trail. With direct budget flights into Iasi, from a number of cities in Europe, I’d be surprised if it stays ‘hidden’ for much longer. This gem is a former capital and one of the country’s great cultural centres. The national poet Mihai Eminescu lived and worked here and Iasi has a proud literary history. With a large student population, you’ll notice a vibrant, youthful energy too.

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Where to Stay in Iasi

We stayed in the centrally located Continental Hotel on the corner of Strada Cuza Voda. A traditional hotel, with a large, clean and spacious room and a friendly welcome. With a very old lift, with no internal door, it probably wasn’t for everybody. But let’s just pause a moment to celebrate that wonderful staircase. which also provides a useful reminder for us as to why we pack light!

Our room’s balcony proved to be an excellent spot to see daily life in the city centre. We could have been in any number of cities across Europe.

There are plenty more options on the map, with double rooms starting from around £30 a night. A little cheaper than Bucharest and other Romanian cities more popular with tourists.

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Exploring Iasi’s City Centre

If you cover this route, you will see many of the landmarks that define Iași and cover a whole range of experiences from beautiful churches, squares and parks, to markets and modern shopping and entertainment areas. It’s around 6km, if you return to the centre on the tram. A little longer with the optional extension to Alexandru cel Bun district district. I would allow a day to explore all of it, at a fairly leisurely place with stops along the way.

Palas Garden and Palace of Culture

Your walk begins at Iași’s most striking landmark, the Palace of Culture. This vast neo-Gothic building dominates the skyline with its spires and clock tower. And although it looks centuries old, it was only completed in the 1920s on the site of the medieval princely court. Today it houses four different museums under one roof – art, history, ethnography, and science – so you could easily lose a morning inside. Even if you don’t step through the doors, the gardens and the building’s fairytale exterior are worth exploring.

Around the square, you’ll find several other landmarks clustered close by. There’s Chemarea (The Call), a striking bronze sculpture of a she-wolf with bells suspended beneath her body, a nod to the Roman myth of Romulus and Remus.

Look out for Casa Dosoftei is a handsome brick house now serving as a literary museum, dedicated to one of Romania’s earliest printers.

Moving further on, Iași is sometimes called “the City of 100 Churches” and for this next stretch you’ll see why.

St Nicholas

First there’s the small but significant Biserica Sfântul Nicolae Domnesc (St Nicholas Princely Church), built in the 15th century by Stephen the Great and one of the city’s oldest surviving churches.

Then we head north along Bulevardul Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt, Iași’s grand central boulevard.

The Three Hierarchs Monastery

Next, on the left, Mănăstirea Sfinții Trei Ierarhi (Monastery of the Three Hierarchs) immediately stands out. Built in the 17th century, its exterior is covered in intricate stone carvings, floral motifs and geometric patterns. It’s one of Iași’s true architectural gems and recognised by UNESCO. It’s worth stepping inside if you can. It’s dark and photography is discouraged, but you will find a sacred space, still very much in use, full of grand, beautiful gilded iconography.

Our Lady Queen of Iasi (Roman Catholic) Cathedral

Nestled between the monastery and orthodox cathedral there’s the striking Our Lady Queen of Iași Cathedral, the main Roman Catholic church in the city. Its modernist design contrasts strongly with the Orthodox buildings around it. But inside you’ll find soaring white arches and colurful stained glass .

Metropolitan (Orthodox) Cathedral

Further on we have Metropolitan Cathedral, the largest Orthodox cathedral in Romania and the spiritual heart of the city. A neo-classical design with twin towers on the outside and highly gilded on the inside.

Don’t miss another church in the grounds of the Metropolitan cathedral. The old Metropolitan Cathedral (Biserica Veche a Mitropoliei iasi) A little less golden on the inside, but the intricate painted walls and ceilings are exquisite. I think this was my favourite.

Parcul Teatrului Național

On the right side of the boulevard, the elegant Palatul Roznovanu now serves as Iași’s City Hall. It was once the residence of the powerful Roznovanu family and has hosted royalty, politicians, and diplomats over the centuries.

Just beyond lies Parcul Teatrului Național, a small but beautifully kept park framing Vasile Alecsandri National Theatre. The theatre itself, with its ornate façade and red-roofed domes, is one of Romania’s most beautiful playhouses.

I think it was the day to ‘sort out’ the props when we walked this stretch!

🌍 Exploring this region?

Here are more ideas and nearby destinations worth adding to your itinerary:
• 23 Best Things to Do in Bucharest – and One I’d Avoid Right Now
• Best Day Trips from Bucharest: Castles, Mountains, the Black Sea and Cross Border Adventures
• Chisinau to Bucharest Sleeper Train: Europe’s most Unusual Rail Journey

Strada Cuza Vodă

Cut across the park and join Strada Cuza Vodă, one of Iași’s most photogenic streets. It’s a lovely mix of old façades and everyday life: vintage trolleybuses rumble past, shopfronts wear their age well, and there’s an easy café culture to enjoy. Keep an eye on the details — iron balconies, hand-painted signs and beautiful windows and doorways.

About halfway up, look left for Pasajul Emil Brumaru, a small passageway, brightened by a mural. A quick detour and a nice contrast to the boulevard’s grand architecture.

If you are looking for a good coffee stop, with cakes and tasty sandwich rolls, I recommend Gist Specialty Coffee Shop at the end of the street on the corner.

Union Square

Your walk naturally leads into Union Square (Piața Unirii), one of Iași’s busiest crossroads and a natural gathering place. The square has a lively, slightly chaotic energy – trams and trolleybuses, traffic and a meeting place in the city centre.

In the middle stands the Monumentul Unirii, commemorating the 1859 union of Moldavia and Wallachia, a key moment on the path to modern Romania. Locals often leave flowers here on national holidays, and it gives the square its name.

Independence Square

From Union Square, continue along the boulevard towards Independence Square (Piața Independenței), where the grand Independence Monument rises at the centre.

This is one of Iași’s most recognisable landmarks – a 17m high statue of a lady commemorating Romania’s independence of 1877–78. It’s a focal point for civic ceremonies, but on our visit, just an ordinary day, it was busy with city residents cutting through and stopping on the benches and steps to relax and chat.

Strada Alexandru Lapusneanu

To get to your next stop, take a detour via Alexandru Lapusneanu Street, a historic street in Iași and a pedestrianised one too. It’s the location for the Union Museum, the former residence of Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the first ruler of the united principalities and the place to go to learn about Romanian history.

The street is picture-perfect and lined with shops, bookstores, cafes and eateries and a beautifully preserved Sweeper Tram. But it was the little sculptures which caught my eye. I’ve added just two of them.

If you like grand sweeping staircases, make sure you check out the Yellow Precipice too, across the road on the way to our next stop.

Alexandru Ioan Cuza University

A short walk further brings you to Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Romania’s oldest modern university and still one of its most prestigious.

The main building is impressive from the outside, but it’s worth stepping inside if the doors are open. Corridors are lined with murals, sculptures, and decorative details that celebrate the university’s long academic tradition. With its leafy courtyards and academic air, it’s easy to see why Iași is known as Romania’s “student city.”

Copou Park & Eminescu’s Linden Tree

Carry on to Copou Park one of Romania’s oldest public gardens and a gentler, leafier side of Iasi. Tucked inside the park is the city’s quiet icon. Mihai Eminescu’s linden tree. Romanians call Eminescu their national poet; his 19th-century verses shaped modern Romanian language and identity. The story goes that he often sat and wrote beneath a linden in Copou. So this venerable tree (now supported by braces) has become a living monument to literature and the city’s soul. If you’ve time, pop into the small Mihai Eminescu museum nearby for context. There’s prints and displays covering Romania’s history in a stunning building. I’m sorry I missed the inside of this one, The park is spotless, there was a whole team working on it when we were there. It was a particularly nice place to be.

Now we’ve finished the main route of the walk. You have options, you could walk back, along the same road into the city centre, or you could take the tram back from the Tram stop at the north end of the park. From here, trams 8, 9 or 13 all head back down Bulevardul Ștefan cel Mare, stopping at the Universit any Piața Unirii, right in the centre.

Alexandru cel Bun district

If you are ready for more, instead of taking the tram, look for Bus 52 (signed for Piața Alexandru cel Bun). This takes you across to the Alexandru cel Bun district and Alexandru cel Bun market. It’s huge and colourful.

From here, you can cross the road, to visit Biserica Sfântul Nectarie, another beautiful church. Or you could head over the covered bridge, taking you over the railway line to see Iași Rail station, a real landmark in the city with its Venetian-Gothic Revival architecture.

The bus will also take you back to the centre, to bring you full circle back to the beginning.

If you are looking for options for the evening, the Palas Iași is busy. It’s the city’s modern shopping and entertainment complex just beyond the Palace of Culture. There’s plenty of restaurants and bars close by too.

More Landmarks in Iași

I’ve marked a few more places on the map, which you could also visit if you have more time. These places are all fairly close together, so you could easily combine in one walk.

• Palace of Justice – Handsome civic architecture and a quick scene-setter for this part of town. Grab a façade shot and keep moving — the atmosphere on the surrounding streets is the story here.
• Golia Monastery – A walled monastery complex right in the centre; the contrast between bustling streets and quiet courtyards is lovely. The tower sometimes opens for views — if it’s your day, go up; if not, the gates and frescoes are photogenic from ground level.
• Great Synagogue – One of the oldest surviving synagogues in Romania and a poignant stop. Even if closed, the exterior and memorial plaques are worth a respectful pause. Your shots of doors/windows will carry this.
• Bărboi Bell Tower (Clopotnița Bărboi) – A distinctive stand-alone bell tower beside Bărboi Church; it’s an easy landmark to spot on Cuza Vodă’s side streets. (If access is open, it’s a nice perspective; if not, it still makes a strong photo stop.)
• Armenian Church (Iași Armenian Church) – Tucked on a side street, this small brick church hints at the city’s old merchant past. The façade is simple; the charm is in the details — stonework, crosses, and a quiet courtyard that photographs beautifully.

Here are some options further out of town and also popular with tourists and locals alike.

• Anastasie Fătu Botanical Garden – A sprawling, peaceful garden on the Copou side; one of the oldest in the country. Greenhouses, seasonal beds, and city views in places.
• Cetățuia Monastery – Hilltop monastery with defensive walls and wide panoramas; great golden-hour light. (Quicker by Bolt/taxi; buses run but you’ll save time by ride-hailing.)

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Food & Drink in Central Iași

Restaurants and Romanian Food

Look out for Romanian dishes including sarmale (stuffed cabbage rolls), plăcinte (stuffed pies), and ciorbă (sour soups). Romanian food is hearty and filling with tasty stews on the menu too.

Pictured: (1) mămăligă cu friptură de porc , (fried pork with polenta, egg, cheese and sour cream) ficăței cu piure (chicken livers with mash)

The food pictured is from the chain restaurant, La Placinte (the pie) which is popular in Romania and Moldova. Romanian and Moldovan food have a number of dishes and flavours in common. mămăligă (polenta and cornflour) is a staple of both cuisines.

Most of the restaurants in Iasi serve International cuisine. Expect plenty of burgers, pizza and pasta options and even sushi and Indian dishes. You will find everything from casual student cafes to formal dining restaurants.

Try the area around Palas Iasi for some of the best restaurants and bars in the city. There’s also plenty of options along Alexandru Lapusneanu Street and Strada Cuza Vodă.

Coffee Shops

Gist specialty coffee shop was close to our hotel. The clientele were mainly students, either working in the upper stairs seating area or relaxing on the swing seating downstairs. Coffee, cakes and sandwiches all excellent and the surroundings very modern and stylish.

There were plenty of other lovely coffee shops too. Try📍Alexandru Lapusneanu Street for more options.

Craft Beer Bars

There’s a few in Iași, and as my beer blogger husband was with me, ending up seeing what beer Iasi had to offer was inevitable! These were my top two!

First up Beer Zone and my pick as it was the first place I saw after jumping off the airport bus in central Iasi. A Cearfisa’s 8% Imperial Stout and some local hazy murk with motivational slogans on the glass is a good way to start your holiday. The bar is pretty, the beer is exceptional and our attempts at Romanian, met with confusion.

And for something more modern, we have Kaze Taproom, a minute or two away from the Metropolitan Cathedral. Two murky beers – a grapefruit one from Maktoob (this brewery describes itself as – North African nomad brewery exiled in Bucharest) and a Tomesti Hill beer which is a micro brewery based in Iasi. Again both excellent and way more interesting than the standard lager offerings you find in Iasi (Timișoreana and Ursus are the popular brands you will see everywhere).

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Map of Things to Do In Iași

Here’s a map I made of recommended things to see and do in Iași. It includes a walking route with the cultural highlights plus food an drink to help you plan your visit. You’ll also find some suggested itineraries for one, two, three or more days in the city further down.

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Day Trips from Iași

There are options for day trips from Iasi. We didn’t make it to the Painted Monasteries, but they are definitely on my list for next time.

• UNESCO Painted Monasteries (Bucovina) – The painted monasteries of Bucovina are remarkable. but they are fairly remote and not easy to get to. Iasi, is the closest major city to see the beautiful monasteries with frescoes, inside and out set amongst courtyards and forested hills.
• Hiking in the Carpathians – Choose a guided hike in the nearby ranges (day trips run to well-marked trails and scenic viewpoints).
• Neamț Fortress + Bison Reserve (Vânători-Neamț) – Pair medieval ramparts and forest walks. The reserve offers a chance to see European bison in semi-wild habitat; the fortress brings the history.Pair medieval ramparts and forest walks. The reserve offers a chance to see European bison in semi-wild habitat; the fortress brings the history.
• Cross the Border into Moldova – for sightseeing a wine tour. Wine tours are possible at Crama Micesti, but you might want to stay over!

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Suggested Itineraries for Iași

Whether you’ve got a single day in Iasi or a week to explore, here are some suggested itineraries to help you make the most of your time.

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International Routes to Iași

To Iasi By Air (International Airport)

• International flights from airlines such as Wizz Air, Ryanair, Tarom, Turkish Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa and Air France.
• Airport → city centre: Easy on the bus. No. 50 runs between IAS and town. Single ticket 3.50 RON (£0.60 / €0.70), valid 120 min (Urban Zone 1). Journey 20–30 min. Buy from driver or machines; contactless supported.
• Ride-hailing/taxis: Uber and Bolt operate in Iași; local taxi apps exist (e.g., Iași TAXI). Fares are generally low compared with Western Europe.

To Iasi By Rail from Chișinău (Moldova)

You can join the Pretenia sleeper service which runs between Bucharest North and Chisinau at Iasi.

Here’s my Practical Guide to Europe’s Best Value Sleeper Train between Moldova and Romania sleeper service from Bucharest to Chisinau.

To Iași By Bus from Chișinău (Moldova)

Buses to Chișinău (Moldova) leave from SC Transbus Codreanu SRL. It took us around 4 hours and was very straightforward. Tickets can be purchased from the bus driver (in cash). We booked online in advance on the Travelling App (formerly GetByBus). This app has helped me find options to book online, I couldn’t find on Rome2Rio or Google maps. Some options also bookable on Omio.

Car Hire

Check here for the best Car hire rates. A valid driving licence (an International Driving Permit is recommended if your licence isn’t in Romanian/Moldovan or another EU language), plus a passport, and a credit card for the deposit. Special permission is normally required, along with additional charges. to take a hire vehicle over an International border.

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Travel In And Around Iasi

• Train – CFR Călători runs multiple daily trains to Bucharest (București Nord); typical journey ~6.5-7 hrs. Tickets from about 100 RON (£17 / €20) upwards, depending on train type and class. We’ve also taken the International sleeper service from Chisinau to Bucharest, definitely a unique experience and it stops in Iasi.
• Long distance coaches and buses -Long-distance coaches connect Iași with regional hubs across Romania Fares usually 60–80 RON (£10–14 / €12–16) one way to/from other Romanian cities. This includes services by Flixbus.
• Trams + buses – cover the city. Standard 120-min ticket 3.50 RON (£0.60 / €0.70); 180-min urban+metro area ticket 8.00 RON (£1.35 / €1.60). Contactless bank-card payment available onboard; QR/app and ticket machines also supported.
• Ride apps: Uber and Bolt are widely used.

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Practicalities

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If you are thinking of heading over the border into Moldova, do check out my guide to riding the Prietenia Sleeper Train which runs between Bucharest and Chisinau, the capital of Moldova. I also have a guide on things to do in Bucharest and day trips from Bucharest you may be interested in.

I’ll be adding more posts soon from my recent travels around Romania. If you’d like a monthly update do subscribe to hear when new guides go live. Don’t worry, I won’t bombard you, I’ll typically email once a month.

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