Walking tours in BUDAPEST ==> Bus tours in HUNGARY
Perhaps the best way to explore Budapest is on foot. Being part of the crowd in the streets, we get a real insight to what life is like for the residents of Budapest. We also have a chance to use the public transport: buses, the famous yellow tram, and the undeground, including the ’little underground’, which is more than 100 years old, and is the second oldest underground in Europe (after the London tube). All tours include detailed explanations of the places, the times, and relevant stories, anecdotes, myths. Below are some thematical tours on offer:
Exploring Buda and Pest
Walking tour passing the main sights of the city: the main pedestrian zone, Váci street; the Market Hall; the Danube Promenade; St Stephen’s Cathedral; the Parliament. We take the more than 100 year-old Funicular to the top of Buda hill, and explore the Castle District. With the Little Underground we reach Andrássy Avenue, and walk around Heroes’ Square and the City Park, including Széchenyi Spa and Vajdahunyad Castle.
Communist Walk
Discover the communist history and heritage of Budapest. We see the only two public monuments which remain from the time, the Red Army Memorial and Liberty Statue, on top of Gellért Hill; the Museum of Terror, the former headquarters of the Soviet secret police; and what life used to be like, in typical socialist stlye block houses.
1956 Revolution Walk
We visit the areas of Budapest where the most important events of the 1956 Revolution took place: Bem statue, the Parliament, the Hungarian Radio, Corvin köz, the Universities, the place the Stalin statue once stood. We finish the tour at the statue of Imre Nagy, leader of the
Revolution.
Jewish Walk
A visit of the Jewish Quarter of Budapest, including Europe’s largest synagogue, the Jewish cemetery, the Wallenberg memorial and Holocaust Memorial tree. We also see other places of worship, jewish schools, kosher restaurants and shops.
"Turn of the Century" Walk
At the end of the 19th, beginning of the 20th century, Hungary was part of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. During the walk, we discover the monuments and other sights related to this era: beautiful Art Nouveau buildings, cafés popular among Hungarian writers and artists of the time, we will also follow the steps of Sissi, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary.
Pub Prawl
Discover the best pubs of the city, including the highly popular and trendy ruin-pubs, which have become a special attraction of Budapest.
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If you feel like visiting Hungary, I would be happy to show you around. Here are some of the tours offered, of course,
any special request can also be taken into consideration.
1) BUDAPEST City Tour duration: 4 hours
We visit the major sights of the city, including Heroes’ Square, the most monumental square of Budapest,
the City Park, with Széchenyi Spa and Vajdahunyad Castle.
Continuing on Andrássy
Avenue, belonging to the World Heritage of Unesco, we pass the House of Terror and the Opera House.
Reaching downtown Budapest, we pass such monuments as the Gresham Palace, Chain Bridge and the Parliament
building. Crossing the river Danube on Margaret Bridge, we take a glimpse of Margaret Island and the bridges
on the Danube.
On the Buda side of the city, we take a look at an old Turkish bath, and the Castle district,
including Matthias Church, Fishermen’s Bastion and the Royal Palace. Final stop
of the tour is Gellért Hill, from where we can admire the magnificent view of the whole city.
2) Danube Bend Tour all day tour
The Danube Bend is a special geographical area of Hungary, where the Danube takes a 90 degree turn, and continues flowing from north to south. Its a beautiful hilly area, where we can find historical towns as well as traditional villages.
The first stop on the tour is in Esztergom, former royal seat and present centre of the Hungarian Catholic Church.
We visit the St Stephen’s Cathedral, largest church of Hungary. We can also have a view of the river Danube, which is a border river here between Hungary and Slovakia. The second historical town to visit is Visegrád, also former royal seat, where we visit the ruins of a medieval castle, and have a chance to see the panoramic view of the Danube bend area.
Last stop on the tour is Szentendre, with its pittoresque cobblestone streets, narrow alleyways and meditteranean atmosphere. The town is also called the town of artists, since many artists settled here and founded art schools. Opportunity to buy some typical Hungarian products and souvenirs.
3) Lake Balaton Tour all day tour
Lake Balaton is the largest fresh water lake of Central Europe. Its very popular especially in summer, when the shallow
water heats up to temperatures as warm as 24-25 C degrees. At this beautiful natural area we can also visit some
lovely towns, such as Tihany, which is found on a peninsula, on a hillside. The Abbey of Tihany was founded in 1055,
and its Deed of Foundation is the first document ever to be written in Hungarian language.
We can also take a look
at traditional fishermen houses in this town. The next stop on the tour is Balatonfüred, which is a spa town, and we
have the chance to taste the medicinal water from a well. After walking along the beautiful promenade and pier, we
can have a swim in the lake in the nearby public beach. During this tour, there is also a possibility to visit the world’s
largest Porcelain Manufactory (founded in 1826) in Herend.
4) Puszta Tour all day tour
The Puszta (meaning flatland, wasteland in Hungarian) is a special geographical area in the south east part of Hungary. It can be found in the Great Plain, and its a completely flat area, with very hot and dry climate. First, we visit Kecskemét, a typical Hungarian agricultural town, also called the town of Art Nouveau, with its Town Hall, Ornamented Palace and other public buildings constructed at the beginning of the 20th century.
Following the town visit, we head to Bugacpuszta, where we can observe the traditional way of life, with horse shows, a Shepherd’s Museum, and a horse carriage ride in the countryside. The traditional Hungarian animal species can also be seen, such as the mangalica pig, racka sheep and the famous grey cattle, as well as Hungarian dog species. We end the visit of the farm with a 3- course-lunch including gulyas soup, as well as other Hungarian gastronomic specialities.
5) The Royal Tour of Gödöllő duration: 4 hours
Just a 30 minute drive from Budapest, we can visit the former summer residence of Francis Joseph and Sissi, the Austrian emperess, and Queen of Hungarians. The beautiful Baroque Palace is the second largest such building in the world. During the interior visit of the Palace, we can get acquainted with the its history, starting with an exhibition about the Grassalkovich family, a wealthy aristocratic family who commissioned the construction of the Palace in the 18th century.
The second part of the exhibition displays the life of Sissi, with special focus on her relationship with the Hungarians and her repeated stays at Gödöllő. After the interior visit, we have a chance to take a walk in the Palace Park, and to stop for coffee and cake in the Palace Café.
