In a day trip in Bucharest you can visit one of the most controversial administrative buildings in the world. With this private tour at The Palace of Parliament or People’s House , you will learn how dangerous and damaging it can be for a nation to let a totalitarian regime like communism to take over. In front of one of the biggest constructions in the world, you will feel small seeing what pointless opulence and megalomania “the sleep of reason” can create. Taking a selfie up-close will prove difficult, because you will be trying to capture the second largest administrative building on the planet, after the Pentagon, and that it will be an experience you will be able to share with your grandchildren.

In this private tour, you can visit The Bucharest National Village Museum and in one place you will see an embodiment of Romanian traditions and you will learn what it meant for Romanian villagers to have built an ecological and sustainable environment in their backyard. You will also get a glimpse of their simple and modest lifestyle, in social and spiritual harmony with their surroundings. With the support of your private guide you will enter the universe of the traditional Romanian houses, large or small, made of wood and adobe, but also stone and other materials, from all areas of the country. You will also see national symbols such as the mill or the wooden church and you will learn how these treasures of spirituality and civilization have kept us united for thousands of years, without needing to invade other nations.

Next, your private tour will be at the Romanian Athenaeum. Here you will find yourself in front of the most representative symbol of Romanian culture, often considered a symbol of Bucharest as well. It is only natural that it should be one of the most important tourist attractions on Calea Victoriei, and in Bucharest as well. The fact that it is part of the European Heritage list (le Patrimoine Européen) of historical landmarks makes the Athenaeum one of the most visited attractions in Bucharest.

If you are planning a city-break in Bucharest, you must visit The Revolution Square, a place with great historical significance. Here you can be transported back in time to the moment where the dictator Ceausescu was ousted, leaving behind the secrets of a great fortune and controversies about the state security service and his offshore accounts. As we mentioned earlier, when we reach the Senate Palace, you will see the building which used to house the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party and the place where the Revolution of December 1989 started, a major historical event whereby, through human force and sacrifice, Ceausescu was removed from power for good.

On Victory Avenue you will witness contradictions of history: on one side, you have the Royal Palace and on the other, the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party and the Revolution Square, where Ceausescu fled the country by helicopter. You will see old orthodox churches, enveloped in an aura of mystery, a music store, where you can find a large selection of music, as well as casinos, bohemian restaurants, museums, theatres, tea shops, retail stores and gift shops, where you can purchase souvenirs, and even the National History Museum and the Romanian Athenaeum, another Romanian architectural landmark, the CEC Palace and many others.

In a Bucharest day trip, you have the chance to relive the olden days through a blend of mystery and contrasts on the streets of the Historical City Centre, starting with Hanul lui Manuc, an immense fortified inn which served as a cultural and economic center back in the day. It was built around 1806 by Manuc Bei, one of the wealthiest landowners in the Balkans, and it was where merchants passing through Bucharest would get together, as just a part of the colorful crowd that populated the historical inn. In this historical and cosmopolitan area, with the help of your private guide from Nicolas Experience Tours you will also find, in addition to the most popular restaurants in Bucharest, museums, old and spectacular churches, and an experiential library, where you can purchase books, music and other souvenirs that will make for an unforgettable experience for you and your loved ones.

Much like any arch of triumph in the world, but most similar to the great Arc de Triomphe from Paris, this historical monument, measuring 27 m in height (about 16 times a person’s average height) carries a rich historical significance, especially since it has gone through numerous changes before reaching the design we see today. Aside from its awe-inspiring grandeur and imposing structure, a symbol of the fight for freedom, with some luck, you will be able to admire four exhibits: The Great War for the Unification of Romania (photography and film), The Heraldry of the Great Boyar Families (bronze effigies, photographs), The Arch of Triumph in Pictures (photographs, scale models), The Great Union of 1918 (where you can find 1:1 replicas of the crowns and royal scepters, photographs)