This tour is a combo of two of our best-selling Bucharest tours, Absolutely Bucharest and Bohemian Bucharest, giving you the ultimate local experience all in one epic day!

Your Total Bucharest adventure starts with a dive into authentic Bucharest: we’ll visit an exquisite turn-of-the-century townhouse for some Romanian treats. Under trees and vines, with grapes dangling overhead, you’ll sample a selection of Romanian entrees (known as gustari), including goat’s cheese, cured meat, spring onions, homemade bread and locally brewed craft beers. 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.   

To help us digest all that food, we’ll then make our way to the Armenian quarter, with its spectacular architectural styles and the Jewish quarter, home to one of the most beautiful and peaceful areas of the city: Mantuleasa.

Quintessential Bucharest public transport is next on our agenda. A short ride on a tram will take us rattling along the famous Mosilor Street, which is the beginning of Communist Bucharest, with its regimented blocks and housing projects. We’ll make your way to the famous Obor Market, the largest and most famous of all the peasant markets in Bucharest and take a stroll amongst the stalls. 

We’ll stop for a sip of traditional Romanian palinca (brandy) before entering 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.  

Mici is probably the most famous and typical of all Romanian foods and it translates as 'little.'  A kind of skinless sausage, they are usually 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 continuing with the second half of our day together: exploring the main sites of the city, our way!

We will hop back on the tram and head straight to  the heart of medieval Bucharest, the literal crossroads between East and West, where Ottoman pashas rubbed shoulders with Transylvanian princes. We will see the ruins of the Old Princely Court and the former residence of one of the most famous individuals in history: Vlad Tepes, the inspiration for Dracula. 

The winding, cobbled streets are filled with bars, cafés, shops, and restaurants, but if you need a dose of peace and quiet, you can find it in the calming courtyard of Stavropoleos Monastery. As we walk, we’ll get to visit one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world, the stunning  Carturesti Carusel, and maybe rest for a bit in one of the cosy cafes on the cobble streets of the Old Town

Leaving the old town, you’ll go north along Victory Avenue, named to commemorate the 1877 War of Independence. Along the way, you’ll pass by — and get the stories behind — palaces, museums, and the beautiful Kretzulescu Church, one of the most famous churches in Bucharest. 

We’ll finish off  in the political centre of the city, Revolution Square. Formerly known as Palace Square, this iconic spot has witnessed some of the most important events in Romanian history. Case in point, it was from here in 1989 that dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu made his rallying speech to a crowd that quickly turned on him, instigating the Romanian revolution.

Before you go, don’t forget to ask your expert local guide for tips on what else to see, do and eat during your stay in Bucharest.