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Bucharest
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Hidden Gems of Bucharest Tour
3 h
Instant confirmation
About this activity
Discover the history, the architecture and charm of some places most locals don’t even know exist.
The evolution of Bucharest is one of the best instances of the ambiguous relationship existing between the Romanian lands and the Ottoman Empire. Although it was not an Ottoman town, it shared many aspects with towns in the Ottoman area of influence.
One of these shared aspects was the division by Mahallas. Mahallas were small quarters of the town which arose around a religious building and which were often inhabited by a homogeneous community of people belonging to the same ethnic, social or religious groups.
As the town grew, mahallas fused with each other giving birth to wider neighborhoods that suffered through waves of modernization, earthquakes, wars and Ceausescu's demolition projects. This was the fate of neighborhoods like the Armenian Quarter, Mantuleasa, the Old Jewish Quarter & Batistei. Discover and learn about all the mixtures of architecture, cultures and cuisines.
Walking around the oldest parts of the city can make you thirsty, so, to top it all off, also included is some leisure time in Bucharest’s most beautiful summer gardens and teahouses, some of them are in 100-year-old houses. Stop and take some refreshments (own expense).
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The evolution of Bucharest is one of the best instances of the ambiguous relationship existing between the Romanian lands and the Ottoman Empire. Although it was not an Ottoman town, it shared many aspects with towns in the Ottoman area of influence.
One of these shared aspects was the division by Mahallas. Mahallas were small quarters of the town which arose around a religious building and which were often inhabited by a homogeneous community of people belonging to the same ethnic, social or religious groups.
As the town grew, mahallas fused with each other giving birth to wider neighborhoods that suffered through waves of modernization, earthquakes, wars and Ceausescu's demolition projects. This was the fate of neighborhoods like the Armenian Quarter, Mantuleasa, the Old Jewish Quarter & Batistei. Discover and learn about all the mixtures of architecture, cultures and cuisines.
Walking around the oldest parts of the city can make you thirsty, so, to top it all off, also included is some leisure time in Bucharest’s most beautiful summer gardens and teahouses, some of them are in 100-year-old houses. Stop and take some refreshments (own expense).
Included
- Snacks
- One refreshment
- Local guide
Not included
- Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
Features
Cultural
90%
Tourism
90%
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This was a wonderful walking tour of Bucharest. Tudor was a great guide and host to his city. We had a very pleasant exchange of ideas, and he accommodated his tour to suite our needs. Bucharest is a fascinating place, with rich architecture and a stormy past. Tudor guided us through old neighborhoods, pointing out all the hidden gems, each with its own story. I would highly recommend this tour!
it was the smartest thing I ve done visiting Bucharest - ordered this tour. 3 hours walking around the city center and enjoying the guide's speech - Bucharest became more interesting and these 3 hours gave us a lot of understanding and hidden beauty. must!
We had just arrived in Bucharest late the night before. The rest of our group wouldn't arrive until the following day. We knew nothing about Bucharest, and needed a relaxed introduction to the city. LaLa proved to be a delightful, well informed guide knowledgeable about history and architecture. Our stroll through small quiet neighborhoods tucked away among Bucharest's loud and busy avenues immediately made us more comfortable in this strange and fascinating city. She ended our tour by bringing us to a cozy restaurant for lunch. We offered to have her join us, our treat, but she had another appointment and could only stay for lemonade. Bucharest must have been spectacular just before World War I. But 2 World Wars, 50 years of Communist dictatorship and the sudden reversion to a market economy have taken their toll. It is, to say the least, rather frayed around the edges. Nevertheless, see this remarkable city before it becomes a tourist destination like Prague and Budapest. And hope you have a guide as charming and delightful as our LaLa. Note - Because a previous Viator of Savannah, GA was booked for us by my sister-in-law, this review uses her name. My name is Dave.
LaLa was a fantastic guide caring and working w our various requests We did 3 tours thru Urban Adventures and they made each one very special so there was no overlap We saw some fantastic --truly Hidden Gems of Bucharest--places one would not find on the typical tour information She was an excellent guide!! Mary CA
After seeing all of the very positive reviews for the Hidden Gems walking tour, I booked it for my one free day here in Bucharest. Took a short taxi ride to meet up with my guide outside the Intercontinental Hotel. My guide Roxana immediately spotted me an let me know that there would just be the two of us. Roxana proved to be a stellar tour guide, so very knowledgeable about the small neighborhoods Mahallas that we walked through. She was extremely personable and flexible as she introduced me to the history and culture of these areas. She pointed out all of the unusual architectural details and explained about the historical significance of many of the buildings. We stopped partway at a delightful cafe Simbio on the outskirts of the Jewish quarter for a refreshing smoothie, and then had a delicious lunch at Hanu Manuc at the end of the tour. What a pleasure to have a very intimate tour with such an exemplary tour guide, I felt totally spoiled throughout. If you want to see some extraordinarily interesting and unusual sights I highly recommend the Hidden Gems tour.
Our guide, Mircea Constantin, was an amazing guide -- full of stories and knowledgeable about all the things you don't see as a typical tourist. This was a 3 hour walking tour and my husband wasn't able to walk the last hour so Mircea kindly and thoughtfully had a car from the office pick us up and drove around for the duration of the tour. Mircea also sent us additional information on the areas we covered and took us to Share Café - very interesting establishment.. HIGHLY RECOMMEND MIRCEA!
Lala our guide greeted us warmly and gave us a traditional pastry. We were won over from that moment! She was born and bred in Bucharest and loved her city. Her enthusiasm was infectious. She took us on a walk around the 'Hidden Gems' of Bucharest good footwear is a must. She concentrated on the fascinating architecture of this city. There were many influences French, German, Armenian and communist to name but a few all side by side in varying states of repair but charming never the less. Lala gave us a brief history of the city in a way that was fun to listen to. We stopped for coffee on the go and ended at a delightful cafe garden where we bought delicious soup for lunch. They chatted to us throughout lunch giving great recommendations of what else to see and where to eat. The restaurant she recommended was great. Thank you Lala we strongly recommend this tour.