In Focus: Outcast Bucharest
Bucharest, Romania
From USD 47.65
Office phone number: +40 722 629 540
In Focus: Outcast Bucharest
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
This Bucharest tour is like no other, because you’re seeing the streets with those who live on them. Join a formerly homeless local on this tour of Bucharest’s main sites and through the cobbled streets of Old Town. Along the way, learn about the challenges that come with street life in Bucharest, and help to make a difference by supporting a local NGO.
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Highlights
- Discover Bucharest’s streets through the eyes of those that know them best: the people who live on them
- Take in the city’s history while supporting an employment program for homeless, ex-homeless, and vulnerably housed locals
- Learn the secrets of how homeless locals have learned to cope on the streets, and gain insight into their daily lives
- Support a local NGO that secures training and employment for Romanians living on the streets
- All net proceeds from this tour will go directly to the Parada Foundation
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Schedule details
- Duration: 2.5 hours
- Meeting point:
On the stairs of the National Theatre in front of the main entrance.
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Please note: Starting Jan 1, 2019, the new start time will be 10:00 am - View Location on
- Starting time: 10.00 AM
- Ending point:
Unirii Square
Please note: Starting Jan 1, 2019, the new finish time will be 12:30pm
Language: English
Inclusions: Local English/Spanish-speaking guide, street snack.
Exclusions: Coffee at the mid-tour break, additional food and drink, souvenirs and items of a personal nature, tips and gratuities for the guide.
Your Bucharest tour will start in front of the National Theatre, a historic space that opened in 1852 and has hosted famous plays such as Macbeth, The Dinner Game, and All My Sons. But it’s also in this area where many homeless kids have lived for the last 25 years, sleeping on park benches or underground in the sewers or in the stations of the metro. Your guide will share the local stories of these people as you walk you through the neighbourhood.
This Bucharest tour is run in partnership with the Parada Foundation, a Romanian NGO and member of the Federation of Child Protection NGOs. The aim of the foundation is to support homeless children, youth, and families through its social and educational services. All guides who lead this tour have been placed through this collaboration with the foundation, with the goal of helping them to secure a regular income. As leaders for travellers, your guide will provide you with an accurate picture of homeless life and show you how they are gaining social and professional experience through tourism, all while showing you Bucharest’s main attractions in an unusual way.
Take Sergiu, for example. He is a great success story and one of our guides. With the help of the Parada Foundation, he gave up drug use, found a temporary merchandiser job, and is now finishing high school. He is well travelled, fluent in English and Spanish, tons of fun to be around, and a true connoisseur of the streets and their secrets.
Sergiu underwent a guide training program and now leads tours of Bucharest’s historical and cultural quirks in an unusual and entertaining way. Issues of homelessness are also covered, and Sergiu shares his experiences with those he leads.
It is important to note that this is not 'Poverty Tourism' (superficially looking at poor areas and people), but rather a joint initiative with the homeless themselves. As well as gaining sustainable employment through this program, the guides are empowered with the chance to tell their own stories with authority and authenticity.
On this Bucharest tour, we’ll pass the University Passage and go toward the Russian Church and the National Bank of Romania. We’ll also see University Square, which, in the 15th century, was the northern limit of the city and, in the 1990s a site of student protest against the Romanian government.
As we explore Old Town, a place with plenty of stories and history, your guide will tell you some of the modern secrets, like where illegal parties are still held in squatted buildings, and how those living on the streets get food from the nearby restaurants for free.
After crossing Old Town and stopping for a refreshing coffee break (your own expense), we will them move toward Unirii Square, where you’ll learn more historic tales, like the private subway line that Ceaușescu wanted to build in case he needed to escape the wrath of the people.
We’ll make our final stop at the Parada Foundation headquarters, the organisation behind this Outcast Bucharest tour.
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Additional information
Inclusions: Local English/Spanish-speaking guide, street snack.
Exclusions: Coffee at the mid-tour break, additional food and drink, souvenirs and items of a personal nature, tips and gratuities for the 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 under age 12 are not permitted to join this tour.
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Local contact
Office phone number: +40 722 629 540
Email address: info@bucharesturbanadventures.com
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