Bucharest Communist Tour: A Journey Through History
Description
Until the late 1980's, Romania was a communist state and Bucharest was a troubled place. That era left its marks on Bucharest, a city once known as 'Little Paris'. Experience the best travel stories for yourself! Join a local expert and uncover hidden gems, while finding out the history that stays behind them. This tour will allow you to discover some of the stories of life in Bucharest under communism, as well as significant places of interest related to the communist period.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Begin the tour in the city's most iconic square, full of landmarks such as the former Royal Palace (now the National Museum of Art), the former headquarters of the Communist Party, and the Central University Library.
Stroll along the quaint cobble stone streets of Old Town, to see firsthand the effects of the nationalization process led by the Communist regime on the city's beautiful 19th century architecture.
On to another landmark square of Bucharest to see a stunning example of larger-than-life communist architecture, in the form of the Palace of the Parliament, the world's second largest administrative building after the Pentagon. Learn about the destruction of historic neighborhoods in order to erect this megalomaniac, controversial complex of structures, and go behind the colossal buildings to see relics of a bygone era.
At University Square, we explore one of the most powerful symbolic spaces in Bucharest’s recent history. This was the place where, in December 1989, protesters built barricades and confronted the regime during the Romanian Revolution, in the final days leading to the fall of communism. The square became a scene of courage, tension, and ultimately, change. We will also talk about the University Square phenomenon of 1990, when thousands of people gathered here for weeks in one of the longest anti-communist protests in Eastern Europe, demanding real democracy. This movement was violently suppressed during the June 1990 Mineriad, a key moment that shaped Romania’s post-communist path. More than just a central location, University Square remains a symbolic meeting point for Bucharest’s citizens, a place where people come together to mark important moments, protest, and express their voices. It continues to reflect the city’s spirit, memory, and ongoing connection to its recent past.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Reviews(13)
Had a really great time on our walking tour of Bucharest. We learned so much about the history of Romania and Bucharest. Dana was very knowledgeable and made the tour very interesting and fun. We saw off-the-beaten parts of Bucharest that we would never have seen on our own. Dana and her colleague made us feel comfortable during the entire tour. We would definitely do another tour with Urban Adventures again.
"Dear Marion, it was a pleasure to have you on the tour, thank you for your curiosity and interest in the history and culture of my country! Wish you loads of wonderful adventures ahead! Dana"
My husband and I were collected from our hotel by English speaking Dana and taken around the city. We were shown many of the sites of historical importance in Romania’s recent Communist past, as well as told many anecdotal stories about life here. Highly recommend the trip and big thanks to Dana.
"Dear Anita, thank you so much for taking the time to review the tour and for the kind feedback! Wish you loads of wonderful adventures to come! Dana"
We booked this tour at short notice and it was absolutely brilliant. Dana is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, friendly and speaks perfect English. She even had a pretzel for each of us when we arrived. We would recommend her tour without any hesitation, and will definitely use her services again when we return to Romania. Thank you Dana!
Went on the trip with Tudor and it was absolutely fantastic. He was knowledgeable, friendly and covered so many aspects of the Communist rule. We also visited many interesting locations across the city with him, that really brought it to life. Nothing was rushed, and he had time for questions and conversations about the whole way of life, both then and now. Highly recommended - he was an amazing guide, and it was a brilliant, well planned and detailed tour. 5*
This tour, hosted by Tudor, who is very passionate about this time in Romanian history, was extremely informative. Living in Romanian, he has been through the communist rule of Nicolae Ceausescu, the revolution and now lives under the current government leadership. His friendly mannerism, props and through knowledge of the topic, made you understand and feel what the Romanian people dealt with during this time. His tour showed the impact and changes to the city and how these changes affected the people. For example thousands of single dwelling homes being destroyed and people now had to live in monster block apartments that were put up in their place. I would recommend this tour, (ask for Tudor) for people who are interested in the role communism played in this country’s history.
<p>This was an excellent tour which I would thoroughly recommend. Our guide was Constantin who was incredibly knowledgable and who provided an excellent insight into the history and culture of Bucharest as well as explaining in detail the rise and fall of communism in Romania.<br/> The tour lasted over 3 hours and took us across the city to explore the different stories that make up the history of communism. <br/> I would highly recommend this tour for anyone either new to Bucharest and who wants to get a wider perspective or if you have a particular interest in communism. Either way dont miss this opportunity...</p>
<p>I would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Bucharest for the first time. The tour guide explained what everything was and encouraged us to ask questions. At the end of the tour he gave us Romanian biscuits which were the same biscuits that he had had as a child which was a really nice touch,.</p>
<p>Best guided tour I ever attended. Like driving around town with a highly skilled and competent friend.</p>
<p>This was one of the real highlights of our time in Bucharest - a truly fascinating day. Our guide was very knowledgeable about places and history, and also spoke from personal experience. It was a very hot day but his car was a cool and comfortable refuge and the tour well-balanced between travelling and being at the key places. The tour was a real eye-opener, a great way to start to understand the things that have happened in Romania in the past 40 years, and how it is now. Taking our guide's suggestion, we followed the tour with a visit to the Ceausescu Palace museum Palatul Primaverii which rounded the day off perfectly. The tour was both thought-provoking and enjoyable - I thoroughly recommend it.</p>
<p>The guide did a great job in tells us what life was like under the communist. His stories were based on his personnel up-bring which gave a reality to the words. The problem was that there was no meat to the tour. Most of the time we drove around the city and the guide pointed things out. He talked about what the apartments were like, it was to bad there was not one to show us.</p>
