Bucharest Sweet Delights Tour: A Tasty Review

So, if you have got something of a sweet tooth and a bit of an interest in how cities were built, then you may want to hear about this walking tour I just went on in Bucharest. The ‘Bucharest Sweet Delights 3h History and Desserts Guided Tour’ actually combines bits of local history with a chance to sample some sugary goodies. That’s right; it mixes seeing the sights with treating yourself. How it all balances, and whether your cash and time is well spent is really what I will cover.

First Impressions and the Meeting Point

Actually finding the starting place is pretty important, so just be aware that this tour begins near Piata Unirii. Actually, the guide was really on time and seemed pretty friendly straight off the bat. There were about 10 people in the group, so not too big and easy enough to keep up with. Apparently, the first thing that really hit me was just how much the tour intends to pack into just 3 hours, so bring comfy footwear!

A Stroll Through History

Now, this isn’t just about sweets; the tour attempts to, at least in some respects, show you bits of Bucharest’s story. That is that our guide chatted about how Bucharest grew and was shaped. The old town area, with its mishmash of building styles, is shown in all its glory, for instance. I found out, anyway, that each stop usually has the guide relating stories about the area and how that ties into, you know, Romanian culture as a whole. We walked past sites like the Romanian Athenaeum and bits of University Square; the guide related key stories for each.

What’s really great, and something of a benefit, is that the guides really do seem knowledgable about local history, so that any questions asked got some kind of well informed answer. Apparently it seemed that everyone really enjoyed finding out a bit more about the story of the city, rather than just wandering around.

Sweet Stops and Culinary Delights

OK, I should move onto the real reason I actually signed up: the desserts! Well, be warned, I did this a little while back now, so the specifics may well change. However, what is fairly certain, is that the tour featured visits to different cafes and patisseries, apparently each offering a local Romanian treat. That is that one that sticks in my mind was something called a “gogosi”—a type of doughnut which you can see everywhere. We also had a sample of “cozonac,” which seems like a kind of sweet bread. They were served as pretty small portions, arguably enough to get a taste without feeling too full, although those with big appetites might fancy larger sizes.

Actually, I quite liked how the guide explained each cake. I found myself discovering a bit about where each came from and maybe its cultural significance. Each stop really added a different flavor to things (literally), although it would maybe be beneficial to give larger portion sizes.

The Guide’s Impact

So, your experience can really swing depending on just who is your guide, you know? Our guide was pretty good: conversational and obviously eager to give out as much info as possible. They could handle questions, were fluent and came across as engaged. You could probably see they enjoyed what they did. Basically, just like with many tours, it really just boils down to the specific guide’s character and knowledge that make it or break it.

Pace and Group Size

It’s almost as though the tour tries to pack in loads in the allotted time, meaning that sometimes it seemed rushed. That said, it did mean seeing loads. With a smaller group (we had around 10), at least in some respects, the tour remained manageable. That is that it felt simple enough to hear the guide and keep together. In short, smaller groups give more of a chance to chat and get involved, so I recommend going during the quiet season.

Value for Money

Is it worth parting with your cash, you may well be thinking? I would say that it arguably delivers adequate bang for your buck, yet some changes are needed. If you are only keen on digging into local history, or solely care about eating lots of pudding, it’s likely you would do better doing your own thing. That is that if you value seeing key sights with local delicacies dotted in, then the combination works. What you need to do, and something of a concern, is work out if the cost of the tour times all the cake samples and history is worth it compared to exploring by yourself, I guess. That said, with an excellent tour guide, its an interesting and tasty method to experience Bucharest.

Key Points

• Mixture of local heritage and eating bits of Romanian cake.
• Pretty engaging guides.
• At times a little too fast.
• It depends whether its really worth the cost when compared to a solo outing.