Experience one of the top attractions during your visit to Bucharest, with a planned visit to the Parliament Palace. The Palace was ordered by Nicolae Ceaușescu, the dictator of Communist Romania and it was constructed between 1984-1997. Started during the darkest period of communism, Ceausescu's mad dream became the largest building in Europe and the 2nd largest building in the world. Start the tour by skipping the line with your fast-access ticket. Meet the Bucharest Parliament Official Guide, and begin your exploration of the building's interiors. Immerse yourself in the history and contemporary realities of this unique building during a captivating tour that covers 3 levels of the building.  Begin on the ground floor where the entrance is located. Learn an array of mesmerizing facts including how the Palace has a height of 84 meters (276 ft), a floor area of 365,000 square meters (3,930,000 sq ft), and how it is the heaviest building in the world. Then, head up to the 1st level where the main meeting rooms are located together with the Ballroom.  As you admire the interiors and architecture, find out about how the building contains almost 500 chandeliers, over 1400 mirrors and ceiling lights, 35 million cubic feet of marble, and 32 million cubic feet of wood together with carpets and other decorations make this building a place like no other. Listen to other mind-boggling facts including how the building has 8 underground levels, the last one being a nuclear bunker, linked to the main state institutions by 20 km of catacombs.

Once arrived at the venue, your host will make sure you accommodate and introduce you to the guide. Pass the metal detectors, your first stop will be in the Honor Hallway, a place full of torsos representing some of the most representative Romanian kings from the Middle Ages to the modern days like Vlad Dracula. Next step will be the enormous hallways and the rooms that are named after of some of the most important Romanian artists, poets and writers : N. Balcescu, M. Kogalniceanu etc. Throughout the tour you will admire the Pink room dedicated to ONU meetings, the Music Hall, location where some of world's biggest artists performed, and the impressive Ceausescu's balcony with the wonderful view of UNIRSI Boulevard. Your tour will end in something that is believed to be Europe's biggest ballroom, comparable to the size of four football fields attached one to the other.

Once having arrived in front of the Villa, your staff member will take over. Your tour begins with the dictator's private office, followed by the chess room. Following that, stroll through the villa admiring the bedrooms, family dining room, and the relaxation table. Heading upstairs, encounter another set of bedrooms which belonged to the Ceasescu couple, before you move on to the green house which houses a recreated tropical climate. This climate allows the cultivation of exotic fruits such as bananas and pineapples, including many other fruits which are not indigenous to the country. The owner of the villa was a big fan of exotic birds, which is why the garden was populated by peacocks. Last but not the least, visit the indoor pool, a work which took months to complete. The pool is decorated entirely in blue mosaic and contains flower and animal themes which are reminiscent of those from Ancient Rome. Discover all of this, squeezed into just one house that was far from people eyes. It was a house a where a dictator's family was living the high life, as the rest of the population were starving.

You will experience a 3 hours walking tour which will guide you though Romania’s and Romanians life during the Communist regime. In the first stop, the Patriarchal Cathedral, you will not only learn about Religion during Communism, but also about the historical events that led to the beginning of Communist regime in this country! We will continue through a nearby neighbourhood where we will see the results of Nationalisation! Then we will have a great view over the famous House of People, currently the Parliament building. This is where I will offer you an insight about the construction of this symbol of Communism and megalomania of Romanian dictator: Nicolae Ceausescu. Going further on the streets of Bucharest, we will discover some of the buildings that were moved, in order to be saved from destruction. One of them being the beautiful Antim Monastery. Exploring the Communist years would not be so meaningful without also learning about people's experiences in the day to day life. After we have relaxed in a short break, we will have the chance to find out more about the well-being of people in front of an old Alimentara (Grocery Store). The last part of the tour will be a walk in a normal pace on Calea Victoriei Boulevard, one of the most beautiful streets in the city. Here we will also see some of the Communists symbols, including what used to be a center used by the Secret Police for torturing people. The tour will end in the Revolution Square, where you will be told the story about the end of the Communist regime, in 1989, and the beginning of Democracy. The entire story is meant to offer you a thorough understanding of how Communism impacted Romanian life and country, but also of how it still continues to have an important print in nowadays life.

Your Bucharest tour begins in University Square, the geographical and administrative heart of the city, and the scene of titanic street battles between miners and students immediately after the Romanian Revolution. 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, now an overgrown testament to different times. This area is famed for its 19th-century Neo Romanian architecture that defines much of the national style.  The 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. 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, so this peasant platter will be the perfect introduction to Romanian flavours.    To help you digest all those treats, you then make your 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 (neighborhood) features a spectacular variety of architectural styles from all over Europe and the Ottoman empire, as the wealthy merchants strove to out-do each other in taste and elegance. Classical, Belle Époque, Modernist, New-Romanian, Balkanic, eclectic — this quarter boasts all these styles, including the oldest documented house in Bucharest, which you will visit.   Crossing into the old Jewish quarter, stop for the most famous street-food, covrigi, before heading on further on your Bucharest tour to discover one of the most beautiful and peaceful areas of the city: Mantuleasa. After exploring 19th-century and inter-war Bucharest, 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. This market is the largest and most famous of all the peasant markets in Bucharest, offering every kind of item, food, or service you could imagine, and even some that you couldn’t!   Since you’ll be on the trail of the sights, scents, and tastes of Romanian cuisine, stop for a drink of traditional Romanian palinca (brandy) to prepare the palate. Next, 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 colors 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 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, you grab a sweet Wallachian doughnut, served piping hot, before sending you happily on your way home. 

Enjoy a wonderful half-day tour from Bucharest and visit 2 of Romania's most fascinating sights. Begin the tour directly at your hotel, where will you be picked up by your guide and driver. Enjoy a short drive to the first stop on the tour, the stunning Mogosoaia Palace. Built between at the end of the 17th century in what is known as the Romanian Renaissance style or, alternately, the Brâncovenesc style, the palace comprises a unique combination of Venetian and Ottoman architectural and decorative elements. Explore the beautiful palace and its surroundings, including the Gheorghe Bibescu Chapel, St. George’s Church, and the Mogosoaia greenhouses. Continue the tour with a short drive to the spectacular Snagov Monastery an important medieval monument located on an island on the Northern part of Lake Snagov. Discover the stunning interior of the monastery and find the alleged final resting place of Vlad Tepes, infamously known in the international literature as Dracula. 

Widely seen as one of the most promising party destinations in Europe, Bucharest is a great place to be partying and grabbing drinks with friends at very reasonable prices. Probably the most thorough experience of the nightlife in Bucharest, this pub crawl allows you to discover the best bars and clubs in the Old Town area with an experienced local guide. Over the course of at least 4 hours, after all the attendees meet up, the night will start with a warm-up bar, good for socializing and getting into the party vibe, followed by at least 3 more party venues, ideal for dancing, meeting locals and enjoying random events such as band performances or karaoke. Each of the spots has a different style, from alternative to fancy, in order to satisfy any kind of expectations and get a broader idea of the real nightlife in Bucharest. City hints and tips, free photos from the guide and various promotions are also included during the pub crawl and a party vibe is guaranteed.

Explore Bucharest from a unique point of view. On this 3-hour tour of alternative Bucharest you won’t be hearing about the typical tourist attractions, but will learn about different social and cultural realities. Start the tour in front of the Izvor Metro Station and see the first signs showing the freedom of expression. Continue strolling to an hidden areas where graffiti and street art make their homes, and begin to understand the link between street art and activism. From libraries and bars to open movie areas or independent theatres, there are a lot of places that welcomed street artists and are now hosting murals and other art installations by young artists in town. End the tour at a local market, a relaxed area where you can choose to combine a good beer with a good meal while admiring one of the most special murals in Romania.

Start your 4-hour bike tour in Bucharest’s old city, where you’ll hear about the birth of the city and Romanian civilization. During Communist times the old city area was decimated and overtaken by grandiose urban projects. Today it is one of the poorest areas in Bucharest and is mostly inhabited by gypsies. Marvel at the monumental Parliament Palace, and learn about life for the people under the Ceasescu regime. Ride by buildings dating from the golden age of Bucharest of the 19th and the early 20th century. See landmarks and monuments from the time when Bucharest was known as Little Paris.

Your first stop on this tour, the Snagov Monastery, is located on an island in the Northern part of Snagov Lake. The monastery was built by Mircea the Elder (the grandfather of the famous Dracula) who also made the first documentary attestation of this church in 1408. During its history, the monastery was rebuilt by Vlad the Impaler and some other rulers of Wallachia. Snagov Monastery is one of the most popular tourist destinations - especially for foreign tourists coming to Bucharest - as they can see the place where the cruel voievod, known as Dracula, is  supposedly buried. The Caldarusani Monastery is located also on the shore of a lake surrounded by a beautiful forest. It was built in the XVIIth century by Matei Basarab and it represents one of the largest and oldest Orthodox Monasteries in Wallachia historical region. The church shelters an impressive collection of religious artifacts and books. The icons are very beautiful, six of them being painted by the most important Romanian painter, Nicolae Grigorescu. Next you will, travel to Mogosoaia and admire the beautiful scenery of the forest and the countryside on the way. After about 45 minutes of driving from Caldarusani Monastery, you will reach Mogosoaia Palace, a monumental building with a unique architecture called Brancovenesc style, which is a Romanian Renaissance architectural style consisting of a mixture of Venetian and Ottoman elements. The Palace was built by the ruler Constantin Brancoveanu in 1702 for his elder son. After more than 200 years, renovations began in 1912 by Martha Bibescu and it became a meeting place for the members of high level society. At the end of the Second World War, after 1945, the palace was nationalized by the Communist Party. Now, the palace hosts the Museum of Brancoveanu Art and is an important tourist attraction. After the visit to Mogosoaia Palace you will head to back to Bucharest to be dropped off at your hotel.