Bohemian Bucharest: Markets & Mahallas
Bucharest, Romania
From USD 77.88
Office phone number: +40 722 629 540
Bohemian Bucharest: Markets & Mahallas
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
From the heart of the city to the tastes of the country, this tour takes you on a historical, architectural, and culinary adventure through the many faces (and tastes) of Bucharest! Journey deep into the neighbourhoods of La Belle Époque Bucharest, while sampling the traditional peasant foods that define Romanian cuisine.
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Highlights
- Explore the neighbourhoods and flavours of Bucharest, from the grand old centre to the cultural mahallas
- Taste traditional Romanian food, including the best local cheeses, the beloved mici street snack, and a doughnut only found in this part of the country
- Browse through the biggest and liveliest peasant market in Bucharest
- Sample local beers, from craft/microbrews to everyday big-name beers, and brave a shot of homemade Romanian brandy
- Hop aboard a tram and ride through the city alongside locals
Local Impact: How you will help the local community by joining this tour:
- Your tour visits venues that serve food from local sources, and also goes to the farmers' market where we buy produce from small family farms from around Bucharest.
- This tour also cuts out single use plastic by offering tap water at the locations we visit.
- Your tour visits off-the beaten path locations, avoiding the overcrowded touristic sites of the city and giving you more insight into local life.
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Schedule details
- Duration: 5.5 hours
- Meeting point:
On the stairs of the National Theatre in front of the main entrance.
View on Google Maps
- Find the exact meeting point with what3words:
- Starting time: 10.00 AM
- Ending point:
Saint George Square/ Unirea Square
Language: English
Inclusions: Local English-speaking guide, food and drink samples, including a ‘peasant platter’ (local cheese and meats, plus seasonal vegetables and homemade bread), street snack, tram tickets, 2 mici (includes bread and mustard), a selection of local cheeses, 1 Wallachian doughnut, 3 beers, and a shot of palinca.
Exclusions: Additional food and drinks, souvenirs and personal shopping from the market, tips/gratuities for your guide.
Your Bucharest tour begins in University Square, the geographical and administrative heart of the city, and the scene of titanic street battles between miners and students immediately after the Romanian Revolution. Absorb all that sociopolitical history before taking a short walk to Strada Batistei, formerly known as the 'St Germain' of Bucharest and the site of the old American embassy, now an overgrown testament to different times. This area is famed for its 19th-century Neo Romanian architecture that defines much of the national style.
Our first stop will be an exquisite turn-of-the-century townhouse, lovingly restored but with the sense of elegant decay so typical of Bucharest. Under trees and vines, with grapes dangling overhead, you’ll sample a selection of Romanian entrees (gustari), including goat cheese, cured meat, spring onions, homemade bread, and locally brewed craft beers, and you can relax and absorb the atmosphere of this recherché little hideaway. It is said that while Romanians love the culture and sophistication of urban life, when it comes to food their taste is always for the peasant food (cucina povera) of the countryside, so this peasant platter will be the perfect introduction to Romanian flavours.
To help us digest all those treats, we’ll then make our way to the Armenian quarter. The Armenians were a vibrant and successful merchant community in the 18th and 19th centuries, thanks to their valuable role as 'middlemen' for the Ottomans. Based around the Armenian church, their mahalla (neighbourhood) features a spectacular variety of architectural styles from all over Europe and the Ottoman empire, as the wealthy merchants strove to out-do each other in taste and elegance. Classical, Belle Époque, Modernist, New-Romanian, Balkanic, eclectic — this quarter boasts all these styles, including the oldest documented house in Bucharest, which you will visit.
Crossing into the old Jewish quarter, we’ll then stop for the most famous street-food, covrigi, before heading on further on our Bucharest tour to discover one of the most beautiful and peaceful areas of the city: Mantuleasa.
After exploring 19th-century and inter-war Bucharest, we’ll stop for an ice-cold Romanian weissbier, in a space that can only be described as art-gallery-meets-bookstore-meets-summer garden, before experiencing the quintessential Bucharest public transport: a short ride on a tram. Rattling along the famous Mosilor Street, you’ll enter into Communist Bucharest, with its regimented blocks and housing projects, as you make your way to the famous Obor Market. This market is the largest and most famous of all the peasant markets in Bucharest, offering every kind of item, food, or service you could imagine, and even some that you couldn’t!
Since you’ll be on the trail of the sights, scents, and tastes of Romanian cuisine, we’ll stop for a drink of traditional Romanian palinca (brandy) to prepare the palate. Next, we’ll enter the indoor market to sample a range of Romanian cheeses: cow, sheep, and goat. After that, it’s on to the vegetable market, amid a riot of colours and textures, to taste and photograph the fresh local produce.
Probably the most famous and typical of Romanian foods — at least for Romanians — is called mici, which translates as 'little.' A kind of skinless sausage, these are served with mustard and cold beer, and every Romanian has their own opinion about where and how the best ones are made. But certainly the stall in Obor Market has been known for more than 50 years as one of the temples of mici, and here you will get to try them for yourself!
And finally, because your gastronomic adventure would not be complete without a dessert, we’ll grab a sweet Wallachian doughnut, served piping hot, before sending you happily on your way home.
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Additional information
Inclusions: Local English-speaking guide, food and drink samples, including a ‘peasant platter’ (local cheese and meats, plus seasonal vegetables and homemade bread), street snack, tram tickets, 2 mici (includes bread and mustard), a selection of local cheeses, 1 Wallachian doughnut, 3 beers, and a shot of palinca.
Exclusions: Additional food and drinks, souvenirs and personal shopping from the market, tips/gratuities for your guide.
Your Trip: For your Urban Adventure you will be in a small group of a maximum of 12 people.
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: Children between the ages of 6 and 11 inclusively are permitted on this tour at the rate listed above. Please select ‘child’ above when booking. Children below the age of 6 are not permitted on this tour.
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Dietary Notes
We can cater to dietary needs, such as vegetarian/vegan and gluten intolerant. Please notify us at least 24 hours in advance as to whether you have any allergies or sensitivities. You can do so in the “Additional Information” box at checkout.
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Local contact
Office phone number: +40 722 629 540
Email address: info@bucharesturbanadventures.com
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