Some major European cities are really easy to fall in love with: Paris, Rome, Lisbon, Amsterdam, Copenhagen…you get the gist. Collectively they all have beautiful buildings, elegant people, clean and well-maintained neighborhoods, and more-than-likely have been featured in a blockbuster film.
Yes, they also have their flaws, but society often looks past these short-comings and embraces the cities with open arms. Destination guides have been written about them from some of the best bloggers around. Photographers don’t have to look far to capture the magic with their cameras. Tourists flock to their landmarks and places of interest. Yadda yadda yadda.
And then there are the others. The so-called step-children of Europe. Those who might not at first glance rack up the praise they deserve. They’re the cities that you often have to look a little deeper to discover the beauty and unique culture. The ones who, after you learn their history and how they came to be, will steal your heart and imprint a piece of themselves upon your soul forever.
Over the years, I’ve found myself drawn to the latter of these cities…and Bucharest, Romania, was no exception. At first glance, you see communist-style buildings adorning some of the main plazas, run-down apartment complexes tucked into corners, derelict and vacant shells, all encompassed in an earth-toned color palette. But if you take the time to look a little bit deeper and understand a little more about this city, it just might surprise you how much you are drawn to it.
And what is the best way to get to know a new city?
Guided tours!
I’m no stranger to tours, having taken bike tours in Prague, Krakow, and Munich, walking tours in Boston and other US cities, and even a swamp tour in Louisiana and canal tour in Copenhagen. Guided tours come in all shapes and sizes, varying in time spent, distance covered, and cost.
One of the cool things that I’ve noticed is the variety of themed tours that are offered. True, most major cities offer an all-encompassing city tour, stopping at major points of interest.
But did you know that many alternative tours are popping up? Themed tours focusing on history, street art and graffiti, and even popular television shows cater to the changing desires of visitors.
When I visited Bucharest, I wanted to try out the highly-recommended free city tour. I also heard about an alternative tour that explores the city’s grittier side and graffiti, so I figured I’d give that a shot as well.
Before I discuss my experiences with both tour companies, I need to point out that this isn’t a sponsored post. I’m writing about these because I want to.
I want to record my thoughts and hopefully help someone make their own decision about which tour in Bucharest is for them. I also loved both of my tours, but believe me, I have a favorite one that I recommend over the other…but you’ll have to read the rest to find out!
Walkabout Free Walking Tour In Bucharest
Duration: 2.5 hours
Cost: Free
Starting location: Piata Unirii Park, next to the clock by the fountains
When my friends found out that I was going to be spending my first day in Bucharest solo, the Walkabout Free Walking Tour was the first recommendation they had. Not only was it free, but it was going to be a great way for me to get my bearings and a taste of the city.
Pros:
You get a nice balance of history and sightseeing during the tour. I’ve been on tours where the leaders simply stop at popular spots and say “this is this,” without really explaining why it was included, how it plays into the city/country history, or anything else about it…other than how “pretty” it was. Our wonderful guide would lead us to spots around town where we could huddle up and get a brief history lesson about what we were about to see.
Speed is customized to the group’s preference. Our guide was constantly checking to make sure that everyone was comfortable, that we weren’t moving too quickly for some of the older folks in our group, and would find spots for the group to sit down for a few minutes.
Guides carry historical pictures with them. As a student of history, I really love being able to compare buildings, cities, points of interest from yesteryear to today. I was able to do this at Auschwitz and I felt more connected, so it was a lovely surprise when our guide stopped us and pulled out historical pictures of Bucharest.
Free. No need to explain this one. Even though the Romanian currency was at a 4:1 compared to USD, it was nice to not have to pay for the tour. Of course I tipped my guide, as I would always recommend to others as well!
Opportunity to meet other travelers. Any time you embark upon a tour (as long as you’re not the only member of the group), you have to TRY to NOT meet new friends. Even if they’re just going to be friends for the next few hours, sidling up to another member of your group has never been easier. I met people from Romania, Germany, Australia, and a few other fellow Americans, everyone from all walks of life with something in common: a curiosity about Bucharest.
Cons:
Large groups. Our group was so large, we had to split into 2 splinter groups. While this didn’t really affect me on a personal level, it just seemed a little annoying. The guides must have anticipated having a larger group, because there were 4 guides that arrived.
It was difficult to hear the guide, even with a microphone. Our guide (you can see her pictured above) was awesome. She was a university student and absolutely wonderful…but she had a quiet voice. She wore a microphone and speaker to project what she said, but when you were walking around old town Bucharest, it was difficult to hear her. Sometimes the speaker gave out, sometimes it was pointed away from me, and sometimes the Aussies behind me were too hungover and loud to the point that they drowned her out. I tried my best to walk fairly close to our guide, almost like a teacher’s pet, but I didn’t care. I was intrigued by the city and was hungry to learn more…but I often missed parts of the tour.
Weird pit stop at a coffee shop mid-tour. Whether it was for a break or not, our group (and the other, I’m sure) made a random pit stop at a hipster-y coffee shop along the way. I didn’t look too much into this, but I believe the tour company uses this particular coffee shop as a hub and to get some kind of kickback from coffees, pastries, and other drinks that are purchased by members of the tour. As a non-coffee-drinker and active avoider of such establishments, I viewed this pit stop as a downer. I know that others in the group needed to use the restroom and were in need of some refreshment, but I wasn’t a fan.
Open Doors Alternative Tour In Bucharest
Duration: 2.5 hours
Cost: 85 lei (~$20USD), plus tip
Starting location: University Square, next to the Statue of Mihai Viteazul (dude on the horse)
I’m not sure when it began, but I’ve become more and more aware of street art and the stories they tell. When I was planning my trip to Bucharest, I knew that I wanted to discover more about the grittier side of the city and learn about the street art scene. A quick Google search yielded a few options, but most of the reviews pointed me towards the Open Doors Alternative Tour.
Explore Bucharest differently!
In this tour, we won’t talk about touristic attractions that are usually on a tourist checklist, as we will take you in a journey about the present and about the people.You will get in touch with the non-touristic districts and experience Bucharest’s true nature and identity, from a local perspective.
Feel the dynamic expressed trough social environment, street art & graffiti, politics and cultural experiments. Find out our urban myths while visiting alternative locations or bizarre bars and shops and get deeper, further and more underground…
Open Doors Travel
Pros:
This is a highly-specialized tour, focusing on a topic of choice. The guide spoke at length about the emotions and meanings street art in Bucharest conveys. Not only would our guide discuss the issues of the day, but give her perspective on them, along with her friends, family members, and fellow classmates’ perspectives.
Smaller group on the tour. Anytime you have a highly-specialized tour option, chances are your group will consist of fewer visitors than a free one, and folks who are truly interested in the subject. I loved our group: me, Nikki, our guide, and a girl our age from Israel. Not only did we get on well, but shared similar interests and passions.
Tour group is able to move quickly and make frequent stops. Anyone who has ever tried to corral a large group of people can understand how difficult it is to move from one place to another. Having a smaller group meant that we were able to pick up and go quickly. As we would walk together, we had the ability to make unscheduled stops at various works of art to ask questions. It was akin to strolling around town with your friends.
Conversation was easy and encouraged, rather than the run-of-the-mill “here’s this building, isn’t it nice, let’s move on, stay together.” Our guide would not only give her opinion on the social and political issues of the day and asked what our opinions were. We discussed Romanian, American, and Israeli social trends, street art around the world, and our thoughts and impressions on Bucharest as a whole. I felt like it was a safe place to ask questions, without fear of judgement, drunken responses, or scoffing. Our guide was able to get real with us and we had a lengthy discussion about how she, a Romanian in her mid-20s, puts her faith for social reform in the younger generation. It was a wonderful glimpse into the internal struggles that people my age are dealing with.
Easier to tailor, depending on how the tour is going. During our tour, our guide took us to a “new neighborhood” where she had only recently discovered a few beautiful abandoned buildings and a church. It was wasn’t a new place that just popped out of the ground, but rather a large courtyard that had been long forgotten by the public eye. We were able to have a discussion about the families that had been squatting in one of the buildings and their struggles.
Took us to local artisan shops with the intent to educate, not pressure to purchase. Halfway through the tour, we visited a local craftsman shop by the University, promoting handmade items by the local Roma people. I’m not a huge fan of purchasing souvenirs (aside from the requisite magnet and postcards), but was ready to drop some $$ on these items if I had space in my luggage. The best part was the women running the store were able to provide background on the Roma people who made the items. Their hope was to educate more than making a sale, which was SO much appreciated. Towards the end of the tour, we visited yet another shop, but this time the items being sold were made by local Romanian artisans. While we didn’t learn about the artisans, it was cool that we weren’t pressured to purchase, as our guide waited outside until we were ready to move on.
Cons:
Cost. Honestly, I would have been happy to pay more for what we got in return from our guide. $20USD didn’t break my bank, and the tip after the tour was well worth it. But when comparing the differing tours, this one cost money. And to be completely transparent, this tour cost more than any of my meals in Romania the entire time I was there. I think the only thing that cost more was the rental car and our lodging.
I only have great things to say about this tour.
The Verdict
I have no regrets with either tour. I learned so much about Bucharest and Romania as a whole, and will carry the memories forever. Both tours were informational, well thought-out, and recommended to new visitors in Bucharest. If it’s not obvious which tour I prefer, let me spell it out for you:
THE OPEN DOORS ALTERNATIVE TOUR IS AMAZING!
I loved being able to converse with our guide during the tour, ask questions and contribute to the tour with my thoughts and views.
The free walking tour is great, don’t get me wrong. However, I feel like I would have gotten the same information from a guide book with a self-guided walking tour. Again, nothing wrong with that, but I garnered so much more from the alternative tour.
The pros and cons listed above were based on my opinion, and my opinion alone.
If you’re going to be in Bucharest, I encourage you to embark on both tours and generate your own opinion! You can’t go wrong with a guided tour in Bucharest!
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