Ceaușescu's Bucharest: House, Square, Palace in One Day (December 1989)

Choose your date, bookings and transport to see a route that fits. ⚠️ marks a step that depends on a confirmed booking.

The house was the Ceaușescus’ private residence from 1965 to 1989. It was not a site of the December 1989 events.

• Hours: Tuesday–Sunday 10:00–17:00; closed Mondays + legal holidays (official).
• Guided visits only, in Romanian or English; 45-min tour + 25-min “One History” film (official).
• Choose a date and time when booking online. Groups of more than 10 must also book by phone on +40 213 180 989 (official).
• Photos and videos strictly forbidden; no wheelchair access; no strollers; free under 7 (official).
• Ticket office closes 45 min early; last tour 17:00 (official).
• A standard ticket with the tour and film costs 115 lei; without the film it costs 85 lei, and the discounted ticket costs 70 lei. The audio guide costs 27 lei and requires a tour ticket. Prices shown on the official site, checked 30 September 2026.
• Address: Bd. Primăverii 50. Buses 335/331/301/131/330/282 (Piața Charles de Gaulle stop); Aviatorilor metro; booking help +40 725 33 33 30 (official contact page). Entrance coords 44.4691, 26.0922 (address geocode, planning use).

Official visiting page · Official booking

4.2 km, about 7 min by car (no traffic, OSRM value, re-measured 2026-09-20, identical); about 50 min on foot (derived: 4.2÷5 km/h); plus a 30-min buffer between legs (planning convention).

The rally of 21 December took place here. The next day, the crowd entered the Central Committee building and the Ceaușescus left by helicopter from its roof. This is the only stop on the route that does not require a ticket.

• Markers: the former CC building side (21st rally + last speech + heckling; 22nd storming + roof helicopter, academic sources H2/H3) + the memorial group.
• The memorial complex includes the 1990 pyramid and the monument dedicated in August 2005; official ceremonies are held here too (Y&L, p. 4).
• If you also want to visit the National Art Museum, see the Bucharest museums guide for opening times and tickets. The museum is outside this route.
• Square coords 44.4387, 26.0975 (planning use).

3.0 km, about 8 min by car (no traffic, OSRM value, re-measured 2026-09-20, identical); about 35 min on foot (derived: 3.0÷5 km/h); plus a 30-min buffer between legs (planning convention).

The Palace was built under Ceaușescu. A TU Delft master’s thesis records that clearances in the Uranus district left around 40,000 people without homes (p. 12; also supported by reporting from T&F/Cavalcanti and Reuters). Today, the Chamber of Deputies’ International Conference Centre organises visits.

• Hours: daily 9:00–17:00; tickets on site (Str. Izvor 2-4, Brâncuși hall) (official).
• 1–9 people: phone 24 h ahead +40 733 558 102 / 103 (booking line 9:00–16:00); 10+: e-mail at least 3 days ahead to cic.vizite@cdep.ro (official). Tours run subject to availability (official: în limita disponibilității).
• Terrace + basement tours unavailable (re-checked 2026-09-20, official).
• Physical BI/CI/passport original only, no driving licence (MO 456/31.V.2018); arrive 15 min early; security screening; no liquids; leaving the group forbidden (Law 61/1991); decent dress; stairs only, elevators forbidden; no flags or dictatorial/racist symbols (official).
• A standard ticket costs 85 lei. Students aged 19–26 with a valid student card pay 55 lei; children aged 7–18 pay 40 lei. Accompanied children aged 0–6 and other eligible visitors enter free (official prices, checked 30 September 2026).
• Tour languages officially unpublished — confirm the language when booking (never assumed). Tour duration officially unpublished — keep a half-day block (planning convention, not an official promise).
• Visitor-entrance coords 44.4275, 26.0872 (planning use).

Official visiting page (CIC) · Official virtual tour

Only the dates that anchor the route. Each with 2+ sources, with pages.

1. 16 December · Timișoara: mass protest (Y&L, p. 2; Osiac, p. 2). Dragnea (2021) also records public demonstrations on 5 December.
2. 21 December · Bucharest: the rally before the CC + last speech + heckling (Y&L p.2; UCV/Davies).
3. 22 December · Bucharest: the HQ stormed; the Ceaușescus leave by helicopter from the CC roof (Y&L p.2; Osiac p.7; HISTORY; Dragnea). The National Salvation Front (FSN) takes power (Y&L p.2; Osiac p.2; Dragnea).
4. 25 December · Târgoviște: the Ceaușescus’ military trial and execution. Dragnea (2021) gives the trial time as 13:20–14:40. See the Târgoviște guide for the site.

Historians still debate how to characterise the December 1989 events (Y&L, p. 2; UCV, p. 10). This page uses the name “Romanian Revolution”.

Palatul Parlamentului · 议会宫 Yìhuì Gōng · Palace of Parliament

Visits to the Palace are organised by the Chamber of Deputies’ International Conference Centre (CIC).

Palatul Primăverii / Casa Ceaușescu · 春季宫 Chūnjì Gōng / 齐奥塞斯库故居 Qí'àosàisīkù Gùjū · Ceaușescu Mansion

The Ceaușescus lived here from 1965 to 1989. The official English name is “Ceaușescu Mansion”.

PCR · 罗马尼亚共产党 Luómǎníyà Gòngchǎndǎng · Romanian Communist Party

The ruling party before December 1989 (the institutional background of S3/S4/S6).

CC · 中央委员会 Zhōngyāng Wěiyuánhuì · Central Committee

The PCR's Central Committee; its building is the one with the 22nd's departure roof (S3/S4).

FSN · 救国阵线 Jiùguó Zhènxiàn · National Salvation Front

The body taking power in December 1989 (S3/S4/S6). Note: Y&L uses NSF in English; this page uses the current Romanian abbreviation FSN.

Securitate · 秘密警察 Mìmì Jǐngchá · Securitate (secret police)

The state security police of the Socialist Republic of Romania, known in Romanian as the Securitate.