Bohemian Bucharest Markets and Mahallas Walking Food Tour

5h30

By walk

Instant confirmation

About this activity

Your Bucharest tour begins in University Square. 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. 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.

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: Classical, Belle Époque, Modernist, New-Romanian, Balkanic. Crossing into the old Jewish quarter, we’ll then stop for the most famous street-food, covrigi, before heading on to 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.

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 finally, because your gastronomic adventure would not be complete without a dessert, we’ll grab a sweet Wallachian doughnut before sending you happily on your way home.

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Included

Local English-speaking guide
Food and drink samples, including a ‘peasant platter’ (local cheese and meats, plus seasonal vegetables and homemade bread), street snack, 2 mici (includes bread and mustard), a platter of local cheeses, 1 Wallachian doughnut, 3 beers, a shot of palinca

Not included

Additional food and drinks
Souvenirs and personal shopping from the markets
Tips/gratuities for your guide

Additional

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Please notify at least 24 hours in advance as to whether you have any food allergies, sensitivities, or other dietary needs, such as vegetarian/vegan or gluten intolerant
Group maximum of 12 people

Features

Tourism

85%

Food

75%

Cultural

70%

Original

50%

Reviews

4.9

Stanley M

5 | 2019-09-09

Cristina was our guide. She was knowledgeable and gave us lots of information about the culture, the architecture and the food. It was just my husband and I and we felt that we not only learned and tasted many things, we felt that Chris went out of her way to make our tour enlightening and enjoyable.

Sarah S

5 | 2019-09-03

I highly recommend this tour for anyone looking for a behind the scenes view of Bucharest together with some great food. It was the best tour I took during my entire stay. Bogdan had a wealth of information to share about the history of the city and I walked away feeling like I knew significantly more about Bucharest than when I started - count yourself lucky if you get him as your guide. I recommend taking this tour towards the start of your trip to best take advantage of the background provided. Note that this is a walking tour, so be prepared to walk for a couple hours - you will be rewarded with fresh food from the market at the end.

r.patin321

5 | 2019-08-01

This tour was pretty comprehensive and the guide was able to talk through several neighborhoods and the finer points of Romanian cuisine.

Catherine C

5 | 2019-07-08

We joined Dana and some other travellers, and the torrential rain. Thankfully the rain stopped while we were in the the first bar. We found Dana good humoured, interested in us all, and a font of knowledge about her City. We booked the tour because it was our first visit to Bucharest, and would recommend it. Dana was not only keen to talk about her Country, but also gave people recommendations about where to visit next, restaurants near where people were staying etc

Theresa V

5 | 2018-11-01

Dana led us through some quiet residential neighborhoods of Bucharest and pointed out some architectural styles and stories behind the owners of the buildings. She had a lot of historical info to share and was happy to answer our many questions. The participants got along very well and really enjoyed the great selection of foods we'd gathered at a local market. The picnic was amazing. We also enjoyed a visit to a ruin bar and had a chance to ride the street car. Bucharest is an awesome city to visit.

Maureen K

5 | 2018-09-24

Brilliant tour around the Mahallas and Markets of Bucharest with our guide Elena. We saw sights that we would not have noticed by ourselves and Elena explained everything to us very clearly in perfect english. We had breakfast in a bistro - with a delicious craft beer - and lunch on a terrace near the market after Elena bought some fresh food from that market. We ate the food (Mici, cheese, tomatoes, peppers, bread) with some more beer and also a sour cherry brandy drink (both delicious). This was followed by a lovely donut from a local bakery. The tour lasted nearly 5 hours but not all walking as eating and drinking plus tram rides were all included in the tour. Excellent value and excellent tour. Fully recommended.

Marek P

5 | 2018-08-23

We thoroughly enjoyed this tour. A definite must who want to see the less tourist side of Bucharest. Ample food and fabulous architecture.

Mightyrat

5 | 2018-07-20

This was a great way to get to know more about Bucharest and its rich, diverse history. Emma was an incredibly knowledgeable and thoughtful guide. I could listen to her talk about her city all day.

STEPHEN H

5 | 2018-04-14

Small group. More food than we could eat. The market was off the tourist path,as well as some neighborhoods we walked in. Guides were open and informative. Tour well thought out.

Ronald F

4 | 2018-03-17

Great experience. Our guide Mircha was knowledgeable and entertaining. Locations for food sampling gave us an off the beaten path in depth look at Bucharest.

Steven G

5 | 2017-12-02

Well done! This tour was through Urban Adventures, which we have used in two other cities. A well planned itinerary, excellent guide and welcoming vendors!! Would highly recommend his tour!

lizbartemes

5 | 2017-10-26

Emma was a fabulous guide for checking out the hidden spots of Bucharest. Great food and company!

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