Bucharest 3-hours Walking Tour (Small Groups)
Description
Get an insider's view of Bucharest with a tour led by a local guide. Stroll through more than 500 years of Romanian history, from Vlad the Impaler, to the Monarchy, to communism and the revolution in 1989. On this tour you will get a good mix of iconic and hidden landmarks. You will be amazed by the immense Palace of the Parliament and the longest synchronized fountains in the world. You will discover stories hidden inside the palaces of „Little Paris”. And it’s all spiced up with local tips on spending the rest of the day in authentic places.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your tour starts at Unirii Square with a paronamic view of Unirii Boulevard, the Romanian "Champs-Elysees", together with the Palace of the Parliament, the second-largest administrative building in the world.
The route will take you past the medieval Old Town, today transformed into Bucharest's bustling downtown. Visit Manuc's Inn, caravanserai and the city's largest inn.
Visit St. Anthony's Church, the oldest in the city, followed by a stop at the ruins of the former Royal Court, where you can discover the surprising connection between Bucharest and Vlad the Impaler Dracula.
Visit the most beautiful monument of christian orthodox art in the old town, Stavropoleos Monastery.
Jumping forward to the 18th and 19th centuries, you can admire the many beautiful French-style buildings and hidden passsageways on Lipscani and Calea Victoriei streets, and discover why Bucharest was once known as Little Paris.
Talk to your guide about what Communist rule meant for Romania, how the Nicolae Ceausescu regime collapsed and how the country changed after the 1989 revolution.
End the tour in front of one of the most iconic buildings in Bucharest, the Romanian Athenaum concert hall. It stands as a testament of the amazing development of Romania during the Monarchy.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Reliable Contact Number-Please provide a phone number that will be reachable during the tour (via international roaming, Wi-Fi calling, or a messaging app linked to that number). This allows the guide to contact you if needed and helps ensure a smooth meeting process.
Reviews(109)
My tour was scheduled for the morning but due to the weather, Mara the tour guide communicated expeditiously on the option of doing the tour later in the evening. She provided excellent directions and was on time . From the start , Mara was very friendly, personable, professional and very knowledgeable. She explained the history very well and I truly enjoyed the experience. There was plenty opportunity to take photos , ask questions and she was very patient and enthusiastic. I highly recommend booking this tour with Mara Tours. I learned a lot about the old part of Romania .
Enjoyed the tour with Alex. We did an overview but he was particularly good at describing the communist period. He was friendly and flexible. Highly recommend
Christian was great, friendly, knowledgeable and well-spoken.
We looked for the meeting point for 2.5 hrs. We were supposed to meet at 5 pm & started looking in the area of our meeting point at 3 pm & never found it. We gave up at 5:30 pm. There was supposed to be a guy with a name tag & a sign, but we never saw him. I'm sure he was there, but did not find him. We asked multiple people in the area where tge place was & nobody had heard of it or knew where it was so we missed the tour completely. Seems like the meeting point should have been a more well known location.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We are genuinely sorry that you were unable to join the walking tour. We would like to clarify a few details regarding the meeting arrangements. One day before the tour, we sent the meeting instructions, which included a Google Maps link to the exact location, a photo of the front of the café where we meet participants, and the direct phone number of the guide. On the day of the tour, our guide arrived at the meeting point at 4:50 PM and remained there until 5:33 PM. During that time, he attempted to call the phone number provided in the booking three times and also left two voicemail messages, but unfortunately received no response. Afterward, we contacted you to express our regret that you had missed the tour. At that time, you informed us that you did not have internet access or phone connectivity, which prevented you from receiving our messages and calls. We also offered you the opportunity to join another walking tour, but understand that this was not possible as you were leaving the city. We appreciate that finding a meeting point in an unfamiliar destination can sometimes be challenging. However, this meeting location has been used successfully by many previous guests. In cases where participants are unsure of the location, they are typically able to contact the guide using the information provided, allowing us to assist them immediately. For future travels, we would recommend ensuring that your phone has roaming service or another form of connectivity available, as this can be very helpful for receiving important updates and contacting your guide if assistance is needed. We are sorry that we were unable to welcome you on the tour and wish you all the best in your future travels.
Our tour of the Old Town of Bucharest with Alex was amazing! Alex had so much knowledge of history and culture to share with us. A great, friendly guide. Would highly recommend this tour.
We spent a delightful morning with our guide Elena. She was able to combine current events with the complex history of Romania. She is extremely knowledgeable, kind and very entertaining. She gave us numerous recommendations on where to eat and where to find yummy snacks. It felt like we got to know Bucharest as an “insider” walking with Elena through the Old Town. I would highly recommend a tour with Elena.
Alex was great to explain the history of the buildings and of Bucharest. Extremely knowledgeable. So pleasant and considerate of our pace. 100% recommended.
What an amazing city. Our guide was exceptional - very knowledgeable about the history and incredible architecture. Highly recommend.
We were blown away by the knowledge of Mara. There is so much history of Bucharest & Romania which we found so very interesting. Mara explained everything so completely & had our complete attention. The Old City & modern Bucharest have so much to offer which the average tourist would never know about without the tour & explanations. We highly recommend this tour & Mara to every Bucharest visitor. Loree & Doug Vancouver, BC, Canada
Excellent knowledgeable guide with a warm friendly approach. Very happy to answer questions and generous with his time.
