University Square, Bucharest

Discover the highlights of Bucharest on an amazing half-day guided tour and marvel at the monuments of the historical city center. After meeting your guide at the local partner's centrally located office, travel to the open-air Village Museum and learn more about traditional village life in Romania as you explore the interesting reconstructions of various buildings through the ages and regions of the country. Get an amazing view of the monumental Palace of the Parliament on Constitution Square. Look at the imposing façade of the largest, heaviest and most expensive administrative building in the world. See where Communism was brought to an end in December 1989 on Revolution Square, stroll around the neighborhood to see the elegant university buildings and much more.

This trip encompasses the most remarkable tourist attractions and cultural heritage in the center of the city. Together with your guide you will learn about Bucharest’s architecture and history, reflected in splendid old and new buildings such as the Romanian Atheneum, Royal Palace, National Theater, and many others. The tour begins in the morning at your hotel and includes the following itinerary: Free Press Square (Piata Presei Libere) – The Arch of Triumph (Arcul de Triumf) – Victoriei Square (Piata Victoriei) – Calea Victoriei – Revolution Square (Romanian Atheneum, Revolution’s Memorial) – The Palace of Parliament (Palatul Parlamentului) – Union Square (Piata Unirii) – University Square (Piata Universitatii) – Romana Square (Piata Romana) – Charles de Gaulle Square (Piata Charles de Gaulle) – The Village Museum (Muzeul Satului). Entrance to the Parliament Palace and Village Museum are optional, but it is strongly recommended that you visit both since they are both iconic symbols of the capital city.

From the meeting point to the wine bar you will have time to admire the streets of Old Town and listen to interesting details about famous old buildings from the guide. The tour starts with a walk through Old Town where you will admire the historical buildings and you will receive detailed information from our guide. After you have crossed the Old Town on foot, you'll stop at the wine bar, where you will taste three types of wine and be served from a mixed platter of cheese. Your guide will talk extensively about local gastronomy, the best wines of Romania and any other gastronomic details you are interested in.

The tour will start in the morning at your hotel and following a 4-hour itinerary will show the participants the most interesting sights of Bucharest downtown with entrance to the Parliament Palace (optional) and The Village Museum (optional). The tour includes transport by modern 8 seat minibus, guide services in English, pick-up from the hotel and does not include the entrance fees at the Parliament Palace and the Village Museum. The itinerary depends on your hotel’s location, but it will include: Free Press Square (Piata Presei Libere) – The Arch of Triumph (Arcul de Triumf) – Victoriei Square (Piata Victoriei) – Calea Victoriei – Revolution Square (Romanian Atheneum, Revolution’s Memorial) – The Palace of Parliament (Palatul Parlamentului) – Union Square (Piata Unirii) – University Square (Piata Universitatii) – Romana Square (Piata Romana) – Victoriei Square – Charles de Gaulle Square (Piata Charles de Gaulle) – The Village Museum (Muzeul Satului).

Romania has been a communist country for more than 40 years, between 1948 and December 1989. Nicolae Ceausescu became the General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party in 1965 and the president of Socialist Republic of Romania in 1974. 15 years later, he was removed from power and executed after a violent revolution during the winter of 1989. While nowadays Romania is a democracy, the communist period remained interesting as well as controversial. Follow the guide on this trip through Bucharest to reveal the “great accomplishments of the golden era” and to hear the story of people who built it. You will see the first communist building in Bucharest, the Revolution Square with the balcony where the dictator gave his last speech, the majestic “House of People” and the former residence of the presidential couple. The tour will start in the morning at your hotel and following a 4 hour itinerary you will see the most interesting communist sights of Bucharest downtown with entrance at the Parliament Palace "House of People" and Primaverii Palace. The itinerary depends on your hotel’s location, but it will include: Free Press Square (Piata Presei Libere), The Arch of Triumph (Arcul de Triumf), Victoriei Square (Piata Victoriei), Calea Victoriei – Revolution Square (Romanian Atheneum, Revolution’s Memorial), The Palace of Parliament (Palatul Parlamentului), Union Square (Piata Unirii) – University Square (Piata Universitatii), Romana Square (Piata Romana), Victoriei Square and Charles de Gaulle Square (Piata Charles de Gaulle).

On this private walking tour, you will discover a city marked by strong contrasts, with two areas perfectly depicting the opposition of two eras: the massive Communist Civic Center, an empty shell admired mostly by foreign tourists, and the beautifully-restored Old City, with its Belle Époque atmosphere. All of the historical treasures of Bucharest had to be rebuilt or restored to hide the marks of bullets, to hide scars that have not yet healed in nearly 3 decades since the fall of the regime and the bloody revolution. This tour takes you through 45 years of Communism, allowing you to see beyond Bucharest’s colorful present: learn about Stalin and his monstrous enslavement, the genocide of the KGB’s Secret Police, the Siberian deportations of farmers, and more. Your guide will show you old photos to explain how the city used to look, how people dressed, worked and lived. Discover the world of Bucharest behind Stalin's Iron Curtain.

The tour will start in Constitution Square with the presentation of the first sightseeing stop: the Palace of Parliament. Next, stop at Unirii Square and University Square, where you will pause for photos of the various tourist attractions. The Roman Square (Piata Romana) and Victoria Square (piata Victoriei) are the two other stops from our tour, until you reach Charles de Gaulle. The next stop is at the Arch of Triumph, Herastrau Park, and after that you will continue to the House of Free Press. Return to Kiseleff Road (Soseaua Kiseleff) and Victoriy Avenue (Calea Victoriei) and stop in Revolution Square (Piata revolutiei). You will also make other stops for photos in front of famous buildings on the way to the end of the tour, back in Constitution Square.

Starting from University Square, one of the most popular meeting points in the city, the tour will move along Calea Victoriei, one of the city's oldest routes where aristocrats, merchants, communist officials, and the new capitalists all left their mark in some way.  Then, head to the Old Town through a secret passage and see some small and gorgeous medieval churches as well as the latest modern architectural statements. You’ll also get an insight into the many controversies behind the House of the People. The tour will end at a grand traditional inn with beer and some local snacks.

Although the Communist era did not preside over the city for a long time (about 40 years), it definitely left deep marks in the history of the place and in the souls and minds of the people living there. This trip follows the most remarkable tourist attractions and cultural heritage sites in the center of the city. Together, you will learn about Bucharest’s Communist architecture and history, about the influence Communism had over its people and about notorious Ceausescu and his wife and everything they did to the city during their reign.  The tour starts in the morning at your hotel and includes the following itinerary: - Free Press House and Free Press Square - Ceausescu Private Villa in Primaverii district, opened this year to visitors - The Memorial of Rebirth   - Statue of Iuliu Maniu and Cornelui Coposu   - The Former Communist Party Central Committee   - University Square, Intercontinental Hotel and National Theatre   - Dambovita River and Manuc's Inn   - Unirii Square and Unirii Shopping Building - Boulevard of Socialist Victory   - Unirii Fountains   - Constitution square   - Palace of Parliament Entrance to Parliamnet Palace and Ceausesc Private Villa are optional but strongly recommended since both are symbols of the Communist era in Bucharest.  The tour ends with a drop-off at your hotel.

With entrance at the Parliament Palace (optional – open between 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM), Cotroceni Palace (optional – open between 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM)) and The Village Museum (optional – open between 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM). On the road we will stop for a lunch (optional) in a local restaurant. The itinerary depends on your hotel’s location, but it will include: Free Press Square (Piata Presei Libere) – The Arch of Triumph (Arcul de Triumf) – Victoriei Square (Piata Victoriei) – Calea Victoriei – Cotroceni Palace (Muzeul Cotroceni) – Revolution Square (Romanian Atheneum, Revolution’s Memorial) – The Palace of Parliament (Palatul Parlamentului) – Union Square (Piata Unirii) – University Square (Piata Universitatii) – Romana Square (Piata Romana) – Victoriei Square – Charles de Gaulle Square (Piata Charles de Gaulle) – The Village Museum (Muzeul Satului).