Lonely Planet Experiences Private Bucharest Tour: Alternative Urban Explorer
Bucharest, Romania
From USD 78.94
Office phone number: +40 722 629 540



Lonely Planet Experiences Private Bucharest Tour: Alternative Urban Explorer
Bucharest, Romania





Culture shock rating
Worried we’re going to shock your senses? Relax! We believe part of the fun of travel is immersing yourself in the destination and its culture, meeting the people, and learning what makes the place tick. We’ve got a wide range of tours with something for everybody. The cultural shock rating ranks how different the experience is from most Western cultures. But no matter the level, don’t worry, you’ll have a local, in-the-know guide with you every step of the way.
Low
Consider these tours your 101 intro to a place. Transportation might be private or a very comfortable public option, and the activities are usually visits to iconic sites and locations that are familiar to most Western cultures – but that will still give you fantastic insight into a destination.
Medium
Expect to rough it for parts of this tour, whether that’s on a packed public bus or in a local market off the tourist trail. There might be a few language barriers or unfamiliar cultural customs, and you’ll get an experience different from what you're used to at home.
High
You're out there in the global community! We’re going to take you down streets you’d rarely explore on your own, introduce you to local customs and languages, and take you for a ride in whatever transport is available. Get ready to take it as it comes, whatever comes. There might be a shock, but oh man, it’s worth it.

Physical rating
Worried our tours are too tough? Relax! From leisurely strolls to muscle-burning treks, we’ve got a wide range of tours with something for everybody. The physical grading gives you an idea of how much huffing and puffing you can expect on the tour.
Low
Slow and steady is all you need here. These tours have very limited physical activity, such as walking relatively flat streets, sites, or markets, and climbing in and out of the transport provided.
Medium
Not too hard, not too soft, these tours are just right! You can expect a bit of physical activity, but nothing overly challenging – perhaps walking up and down hills, riding a bike for up to 30 kilometers along mostly flat terrain, or jumping in a kayak for a gentle paddle on flat water.
High
Get ready for a workout! These tours are our most challenging and involve intense walking, hiking, kayaking, swimming, or bike riding. You could be making steep climbs by foot or pedal, or working your core in the water. We recommend you have a good level of fitness to join this tour.
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Tour snapshot
Combining our Bucharest Alternative Tour with a spot of sublime urban exploration, we’ll help you discover the real Bucharest, from grand, crumbling architecture to the city’s best street art. This is an experience like no other, as we aim to revive our famous nickname — Little Paris — just for you! This private tour is designed with adventurous travellers in mind who are looking for a unique, fun and colourful way of experiencing our city. We’ll take you on a trip down memory lane, giving you exclusive access to one of the most beautiful and never-restored 19th-century mansions in Bucharest, and we’ll introduce you to our fascinating history, hopefully satisfying your curiosity about one of the most exotic, yet intriguing capitals in all of Europe.
Experience the best travel stories for yourself. Join a local expert and uncover hidden gems on this city adventure hand-picked by the world's leading travel publisher. Lonely Planet Experiences powered by Urban Adventures bring stories to life in the best-loved cities around the globe.
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Highlights
- Explore a decaying 19th-century mansion that is just waiting to be rediscovered
- Take incredible and unique photos that will leave your social media followers breathless!
- Explore Bucharest’s most amazing street art and learn about the social projects that will influence its future
- Dig into your guide’s vast knowledge of hip and happening hangouts and make the most of your stay in the city
- Enjoy a delicious Romanian street snack
- Each Lonely Planet Experience comes with six-months free access to Lonely Planet’s Guides App which includes over 8,000 destinations guides and unbeatable discounts to Lonely Planet Guidebooks
Local Impact: How you will help the local community by joining this tour:
- This tour focuses on more unknown locations in the city, getting you off the tourist trail and giving you a more culturally rich travel experience.
- On this tour you will have exclusive access to one of the most beautiful and never-restored 19th-century mansions in Bucharest. This allows Urban Adventures to help the manager of the location raise money for its restoration as we pay for every visitor we bring to the location.
- Part of the profits from your tour are used to buy materials and support local street and alternative artists to create new art in the city; art that is then featured and promoted on the tour.
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Schedule details
- Duration: 4.5 hours
- Meeting point:
In front of KFC Piata Romana, in Roman Square.
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- Find the exact meeting point with what3words:
- Starting time: 11.00 AM
- Ending point:
University Square
Language: English
Inclusions: Local English-speaking guide, one street snack, one refreshment.
Exclusions: Additional food and drinks, souvenirs and personal shopping, tips/gratuities for your guide.
You will start your private urban adventure in one of the most popular squares in Bucharest, the Roman Square (known to locals as Piata Romana). Your guide will meet and greet you with a covrig, a delicious street snack, which we think provides the perfect start for the day!
A brief description of the main sites of this very busy area will send us slowly to the quaint streets, off the tourist trail, that survived the communist ordeal. Catch your breath and admire the surreal atmosphere of this unknown side of Bucharest and in just a short while your expectations will be met as we unlock a beautifully decayed mansion just waiting to be explored!
After spending some time in this very special site, we shall continue our walk towards the University of Fine Arts, where one of the best examples of street art in the city awaits. The work, by the Portuguese master Vhils, can only be characterised as ‘reversed graffiti.’ It’s arguably one of the most amazing pieces of street art that you’re likely to see in Romania and we think it’s powerful enough to change your perspective of this new, innovative art form.
We will then return to Victory Avenue, learning about some of its most representative buildings and their complicated history as we go. We will put the spotlight on the German Embassy, Monteoru and Stirbei Palace and hear tales of their role in the history of Bucharest. Criss-crossing the avenue to discover yet more amazing architecture and historical happenings, your guide will invite you to stop for a refreshment break in a hip spot away from the eyes of the street.
Further on, another incredible place is waiting to be rediscovered and awakened through fascinating tales of the old city. The English Passage is a wrought iron and glass 19th-century marvel, now decaying beautifully before our eyes! A former luxury brothel, shut down by the Communists in 1947 and located right in the heart of Victory Lane, this place was even frequented by King Carol II, giving you an indication of how popular it was!
Next, we’ll happen upon another ‘secret’ hangout favoured by locals and spot some of the biggest wall murals in the city, learning as we go about the local artists, the themes and hidden messages within their artworks, and the variety of techniques used to create them.
Then we’ll take a stroll around one of the most beautiful parts of Bucharest, as your guide points out each important landmark, explaining its significance. We’ll also walk through a maze of streets and iconic public gardens that will provide stunning backdrops for your precious photo collection!
Your private journey then takes you to the most famous street in Bucharest, a unique place that unites the works of our most important local artists. And it’s about now that we’ll stop for a short refreshment break in a beautiful summer garden, that doubles as a famous local bookstore!
Zigzagging our way down the city’s busiest boulevard, we’ll begin our approach to the most important landmark in Bucharest, Revolution Square. As we walk, your guide, who will certainly be your friend by now, will share with you tales of the city and its dramatic past.
Our penultimate stop will unlock and reveal a secret hidden gem — exceptional street art within the University of Architecture. Why is it a hidden gem, we hear you ask? Because it’s not normally open to the public, but we have been granted special access and can take you inside on this very special tour! Here you will discover three unique murals: incredible works by some of the best local and international artists that were commissioned by us, using ticket money from the same tour you are on right now, to build awareness of this beautiful art form and to encourage upcoming generations to continue ‘painting the city beautiful!’
We are slowly approaching the end of your private tour, but not before showing you one of the first Square Cat murals, a very rare blast from the past in our crazy little city. This exceptional artwork was recently restored by the artist himself and is painted on the doors of the Cinema Capitol Garden, an incredible historical site that waits in ruins for the chance of a well-deserved future!
Your colourful private tour will end here within short walking distance from University Square and Cismigiu Park. But before you go, don’t forget to ask your friend/guide for more tips on what else to see, do and eat in beautiful Bucharest.
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Additional information
Inclusions: Local English-speaking guide, one street snack, one refreshment.
Exclusions: Additional food and drinks, souvenirs and personal shopping, tips/gratuities for your guide.
Confirmation of booking: If you have your voucher, your booking is confirmed. We'll see you at the start point. Get in touch if you have any concerns or require more information via the email address or phone number (business hours only) on your voucher.
Child Policy: This is a child-friendly tour. Children under the age of 6 are permitted to join this tour free of charge. Children over the age of 6 will be charged the adult price. Please inform us at the time of booking if you’ll be bringing a child under the age of 6 with you. You can do so in the special request box on the checkout page. For children above that age, please count them as an adult.
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Local contact
Office phone number: +40 722 629 540
Email address: info@bucharesturbanadventures.com
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