Start your exploration of Bucharest with this insightful tour into the city center. See the most important historical monuments, feel the pulse of the city and discover its flavor and charm on a walk that will fill your head with facts and your stomach with delicious Romanian food!
Bucharest Sights and Bites Main sights with a twist
Tour Snapshot
If this sounds good, then wait ’till you see the real deal. Until then, here are some highlights of this paticular tour:
The Tour in Detail
The tour starts at the equestrian statue of King Carol I, right across the street from the grandiose building of the former Royal Palace, currently the National Museum of Art. Carol I was the father of modern Romania, an “imported” ruler who became the first king of the United Principalities of Romania in 1864 and the one who obtained us independence from the Ottoman Empire. The meeting place provides a good view of other important landmarks from Royal Bucharest: “Carol I” University Foundation, the Atheneum, Athéné Palace (now InterContinental Hotel).
Next stop is Piața Revoluției (The Revolution Square), a jump in time to the communist period as you will see the headquarters of the Communist Party (the building from which the dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu took off in a helicopter in 1989) and the monument of the Revolution which commemorates the 1,000 civilians killed during those days.
Walking down Calea Victoriei (The Victory Way), the backbone of historical Bucharest, you will encounter other sights embodying important periods in the city’s history: statues of democratic politician who died in communist prisons, Crețulescu church dating back to the 18th century, French eclectic buildings, Art Deco towers, communist interventions.
The old city center contains remnants from the Ottoman period in the shape of inns, as well as an impressive array of French Eclectic buildings that made the city known in the interwar period as Little Paris.
Among the highlights: Stavropoleous, a monastery situated in the heart of the party quarter of Bucharest, with one of the oldest and most beautiful churches in town and a picturesque hidden garden; Carul cu Bere (The Cart with Beer), the oldest functioning restaurant in Bucharest (open for over 100 years); the CEC Palace, an exquisite French Eclectic building covered with the biggest glass and steel vault in East Europe at the time of its construction (1900); the Parliament Building, formerly known as Casa Poporului (The House of the People), the second-largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon and Ceaușescu’s megalomaniac dream.
The walk finishes just in time for lunch, which you will enjoy together with your guide, who will help you order a traditional Romanian three-course meal and explain to you the inns and outs of Romanian cuisine. Bon appétit or, as we say in Romanian, poftă bună!
Additional Information
Inclusions: Local English-speaking guide, a traditional Romanian snack, a traditional Romanian three-course meal, including starter/soup, main course and desert, a drink (craft beer, soda, water).
Exclusions: Additional food and drinks, souvenirs and personal shopping from the market, tips/gratuities for your guide.
Child Policy: Children over the age of 6 are permitted on this tour with a special price. Please select ‘child’ above when booking.
Additional: We reserve the right to make changes to the route or the locations included in the tour in order to ensure the safety and quality of your experience.
Dietary Notes
