Bucharest Under Communism: Life, Terror & Hope
Overview
Available languages
3 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Three decades have passed since the demise of communism. In spite of the tremendous growth Romania has experienced ever since, the remnants of this regime are still noticeable. That is why most aspects of everyday life were transformed by communism: from the political class to public health care to the urban architecture.
Find out the many shocking tales of what life was like under communism. Furthermore learn about the brutality with which this system was enforced in Romania. Get insight into the dictator Ceausescu’s fascinating life story, from his childhood to his execution.Lastly, understand the difficult transition from socialism to democracy that Romania experienced.
This is an immersive half-day tour around Bucharest that will take you to some of the main communist sights.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Piaka Unirii
Located in the middle of the city, Unirii Square was designed during the last phase of Communism in Romania. Spectacular thanks to its splendid fountains, it also is crossed by the biggest avenue in Bucharest: the former Victory of Socialism Boulevard . Standing here and taking a stroll on the boulevard will reveal the megalomaniac vision that the Romanian dictator had in store for Bucharest.
Palace of Parliament
The Palace of the Parliament is the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon and the most expensive administrative building. For this, vast amounts of money, materials and work effort were needed. What is more, this structure was made by subjecting the Romanian people to shortages of all kinds during the 1980's. You will hear the whole story of how this enormous building was made, what the locals think about it while having viewing it from different angles. Standing across the palace is the Academia Romana building, a large scale construction in a similar style. It was intended for the use of the dictator’s wife, Elena Ceausescu. However, like several other buildings from the 1980s, it was only half finished. Nowadays, a large section of it is left in ruins as a sore reminder of the dictator’s megalomaniac vision of Bucharest
What‘s Included
Snacks popular in the Communist era
Local professional guide
Tourist map of Bucharest
Options
Bucharest Under Communism: Life, Terror & Hope
Reviews
82 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Amazing! Book this fantastic tour.
Lynne c172,,Nov 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Stefania was an incredible guide from start to finish! She communicated before the tour, met the two of us (no one else booked on) in pouring rain (our choice, we were unable to do any other day, though this was offered to us) and Stefania was so knowledgeable, professional and kind. The 3+ hours tour flew by and we had a sense of the city of Bucharest and its people that no other experience in our visit had provided for us. Thankyou Stefania!!
Exceptional tour with an exceptional guide !!!!
Michael B,,Sep 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was an absolutely phenomenal tour!!! Extremely well put together, very thorough, as complete as possible within the scheduled period of time (3.5 hours), extraordinary, informative, and detailed. All these presented by a very knowledgeable, kind, fun, very professional, passionate, and patient guide!!! We never expected to enjoy the tour so much !!! And on top of that, the tour price was amazingly affordable for this unique experience !!! Extremely grateful for the experience that Stefania provided!!!
Amazing experience !!!! Thanks!!!
Michael B,,Sep 20, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00This was an absolutely phenomenal tour!!! Extremely well put together, very thorough, as complete as possible within the time period of time (3.5 hr), extraordinary informative and detailed. All this presented by a vey knowledgeable, kind, fun, very professional, passionate and patient guide!!! We never expected to enjoy the tour so much!!! And on top of that, the tour price was amazingly affordable for this unique experience!!! Extremely grateful for experience that Stefania provided!!!!
Tour with Laura
255edouardf,,Sep 7, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Very good tour with Laura who did an amazing job at showing us around and displaying the city in an historical perspective. Really an eye opening experience! I do recommend :)
Great!
863darcyf,,Aug 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Laura was fantastic! She was so kind and shared great facts about Romania’s history. A perfect way to start our trip. Highly recommend!
Fantastic tour !
Michael G,,May 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This is a fantastic introduction to Romanian history and in particular the recent history under communism until the revolution in 1989. Tamar was knowledgeable and an excellent guide
Brava Laura
adele64,,May 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had already done the morning tour of the old city and in the afternoon we also did the “communism” tour. Laura was professional, nice and explained so many things that we did not know.
Bucharest in Spring
Compass66690992250,,Apr 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Laura showed us the highlights of Bucharest, we had a great and fun experience. Starting at the center and the end at the Parliament with some good tips about local food
Excellent walking tour of Romania
SuperLouie,,Apr 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The walking tour was great. I learned so much. Our tour guide was Laura, and she was excellent. I learned so much about the history of Romania from Laura. She was funny and beautiful.
Communist vs Monarchy tour
edouardm611,,Apr 8, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Really nice tour, the guide gived very good explanations while remaining very interesting. And the guide shared us nice historical photos to complete the explanations
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Operated by BTrip Bucharest Tours