There are several free walking tours in Bucharest and many of them have excellent reviews. These are guided tours and that means that a person will be your guide and will show you the main attractions in the city. They are organized at a certain hour and the guide will greet you at the meeting point.

The only thing with these free guided tours in Bucharest is that they are not completely free. And that happens all over the world not just in Bucharest. All the main cities in the world offer free walking tours. Bucharest is just one of them.

But since a person offers his time and knowledge, he expects something in return. Yes, the tours are advertised as free, but the practice is that you pay something at the end. Sure, this is not mandatory. Many people just say bye and walk away. But if you prefer a guided tour and don’t want to pay too much for it, this is a great solution.

Free self-guided tour in Bucharest

We developed a free self-guided walking tour in Bucharest that truly is free. That means that you will not interact with a person, so nobody expects anything. The other main advantage of this tour is that you can do it whenever you want, in your own rhythm. You don’t have to start it at a certain hour and you can stop on the way for as long as you want.  Also, if you want to visit some of the attractions on the way, you can do this.

Details about the free walking tour in Bucharest

The tour starts in the University square. You can get there by bus or by metro (the Universitate station). The itinerary will show you the main attractions in the old town of Bucharest and tell you their story, as a real guide would do.

The route has around 2.5 kilometres. If you don’t stop at all it will take you around 1.5 hours. But once you reach a certain attraction it is recommended to go inside and visit it. If you have enough time, this is the best way to get to know Bucharest. If not, at the end of the tour you will know some important details and facts about the capital of Romania and its history. And maybe you will understand it better.

The tour ends in the old town, so you can remain there for a drink or for a meal. During this walk, you will need to enter some buildings. They are not open 24 hours, so it is recommended to start the tour after 11 am and end it before 7 pm to be sure you will have access there.

An important detail is that this self-guided tour is made with the help of your phone. That is why you will need a charged phone with Internet access.

Here are the main details you should know before starting the tour:

Starting point: University Square

How to get there: subway to University Square station; buses, trolleys.

Route length: about 2.5 km

Route duration: 1.5 hours

Schedule: The tour can be done every day between 11:00 and 19:00 (11 a.m-7 p.m).  If you go through it outside these hours you will not find open all the attractions included in the tour.

You need: a mobile phone with internet access

How does it work?

The tour is organized as a treasure hunt, guided by your phone. Got o the starting point once you are ready and access the link below. Read and follow the instructions to reach the first attractions. Once there, you will need to solve a riddle or find a clue connected to that attraction. When you have the answer type it with the first capital letter on your phone and check if it is correct. If you need it, you can ask for help to solve the task or even ask to see the correct answer.

After you find the correct answer and type it in the answer field click next to read the story of that attraction. This way, you will get interesting details and stories about the places you find on the itinerary. When you have finished reading, clink next to get the instructions that will take you to the next attraction.

How to book this Bucharest free tour?

There is no need to make a booking. When you want to discover Bucharest on your own, just go to the starting point (Universitate square) and access the button below:

Make sure your phone is charged and you have an Internet connection. Then go and have fun!

What will you see during this Bucharest self-guided tour?

The tour includes some of the main attractions in the old town. During it, you will visit the most beautiful bookstore in Bucharest: Carturesti Carusel and a magic church hidden in the old town, Stavropoleos. You will see where is the kilometre 0 in Bucharest and you will discover the story of the first Romanian double spy. Old inns, amazing palaces and great stories of the Romanian capital will be revealed to you. Just be ready to enjoy them!

This free self-guided tour of Bucharest was created for all the tourists who want to explore Bucharest on their own in a free and fun way. It is strictly forbidden to copy it or to use it for commercial purposes.

And if you liked it, don’t forget that you can always extend your stay in Bucharest with some day trips or even a longer tour in Romania.

You may also like:

The Romanian Sphinx in Bucegi Mountains is a strangely shaped rock located at an altitude of over 2,200 meters. The sphinx is just one of the rocks with unusual shapes on the Bucegi plateau. They attract a lot of tourists every year. Most come to enjoy a hiking session in the Bucegi Mountains. Others come due to the legends created around these stones.

Facts about the Carpathian Sphinx in Romania

The origin of the name Sphinx is due to its resemblance to a human head, more precisely to the Egyptian Sphinx. It is formed from a large block of stone that has taken today’s shape in a very long time. The Carpathian Sphinx from Bucegi measures 8 meters high and 12 meters wide.

Only when viewed from a certain angle does it resemble the Sphinx of Egypt. The rock was first photographed in 1900. It has continued to fascinate people ever since. However, the name sphinx did not appear until 1935.

The main creator of the shapes on the Bucegi Plateau is the wind, the process being called wind erosion. The alternation of sedimentary sandstones and limestones is one of the morphological features of the Bucegi Mountains. This feature allowed the creation of these forms. Formations with bizarre shapes are found in other mountain ranges around the world.

But due to the strange appearance of this rock, a series of legends and myths have emerged. They try to explain its formation, beyond scientific theory.

Legends about the Bucegi mountains Sphinx

One of the most famous legends says that the Egyptian Sphinx was, in fact, built after the model of the one in Bucegi. Moreover, there are stories that claim that between the Sphinx in Romania and the Sphinx in Egypt there would be a time tunnel, three-dimensional or energy corridor.

Another legend says that up here, on the plateau of the Bucegi Mountains, the aliens would have established their base. They would also have built the Sphinx from Bucegi and Babele, the stones near the Sphinx. They left behind other interesting constructions all over the Earth: the great Egyptian pyramids, Stonehenge, etc.

The third legend refers to the Dacians, an ancient people who lived in antiquity in the region of today’s Romania. The Dacians were conquered by the Romans. This led to the formation of the Romanian people.

Read also: Sarmizegetusa Regia, the Dacian capital

It is said that the Sphinx had a sacred meaning and that it was born in Dacian times. The Bucegi Plateau would have been the meeting place for those who wanted to bring an offering to the gods. Zalmoxis was the most important god of the Dacians. And it all started with the sacrifice made by Decebalus. Decebalus was the last king of the Dacians before being conquered by the Romans. Decebalus allegedly killed his son to send him as a messenger to the gods.

One of the Bucegi mountain secrets: time tunnels?

But apart from these 3 legends, there is one that manages to gather more followers every year. Both Romanians and citizens from all corners of the world gather here, on the Bucegi plateau, on November 28th. On this day, at sunset, the sun’s rays are said to form an energy pyramid around the face of the Sphinx, and this appearance would have a healing effect.

Several hundred tourists gather around the monument to receive energy from the “Energy Pyramid”.

It all started with an online article published in Romanian that contained the story of a lady who seems to have healed from this energy. The article is written in the form of an interview with the Lady with the Purple Hat. She says she was left in a wheelchair following a ski accident in France. The friends organized a tour of Europe, during which the lady also visited Romania.

Stopped in Sibiu, the lady had a dream in which the Sphinx from Bucegi called her to him. The next day she found out that there really was a Sphinx in the Bucegi Mountains. At the urging of a doctor in Hamburg, the lady with the purple hat went up to the Sphinx on November 28, 2013, when she was healed. Following this miracle, the lady settled in Romania, in Sibiu.

Read also: Visit Sibiu – attractions & things to do in the most beautiful city in Romania

In the article, the lady also talks about an energy pyramid with healing powers that forms above the Sphinx on November 28 and about an open gate to parallel universes. This Gate allows time travel. It is said that the tunnel that allows travel in other times is underground, between the Sphinx and the Babe.

Legend or not, it is certain that following that article, November 28 became the day of the Sphinx. Of those gathered here, some said they felt the energy charge and others did not see the pyramid, but the sunset was worth the climb.

Babele Romania

Babele is another famous natural monument located on the Bucegi Plateau at an altitude of 2,292 meters. As with the Sphinx, scientists say that water, wind, and ice created these two rocks that look like hunchbacked old ladies or rocky mushrooms.

How to get to the Romanian Sphinx in the Bucegi mountains?

The access to the Bucegi plateau is made by cable car from Busteni or by car to Cabana Piatra Arsa and from there on foot, in a 30-minute hike. On November 28, the sun sets around 17:00 and the last cable car goes down at 16:30.

All those who want to stay until sunset near the Sphinx must return on foot in the dark to the Cabana Piatra Arsa. From there, you can get back by car in the dark. The road is difficult to drive on even during the day.

The mountain can be dangerous especially at night, in winter, so those who venture on it in these conditions do so at their own risk.

But you can visit the Sphinx from Bucegi safely, on a beautiful route through the mountains. Plan a whole day hiking in the Bucegi mountains and let yourself be amazed by the beautiful landscapes!

You may also like: