Expert travel storyteller Jordan Adkins, founder of InspiredByMaps.com, brings a decade of adventures across 101 countries and 450+ UNESCO sites into rich, off-the-beaten-path narratives, melding ecological expertise with genuine, seasoned travel insights. His full bio can be found here.
On arrival in Budapest, one of the first things you notice is the colossal Parliament Building. Float by on a Danube cruise, and you’ll be entranced by the sheer scale of the edifice and amazed by its majestic likeness to its London counterpart. Quite fitting, of course, if you were to help administer the sprawling Habsburg Empire.
And then you get curious. Why do the seven towers of the Fisherman’s Bastion look familiar, like tents straight out of Central Asian steppes?
On a guided city tour, you’ll learn Hungary’s founding myth. The Magyars, nomadic warrior tribes from that region, took a cue from the mystical turul bird when it dropped its sword in Budapest, signifying where they should establish their homeland.
Tour operators with a wealth of insider knowledge would know juicy trivia – and where in Budapest that sword-wielding bird is perched –to make your visit to Magyarország more meaningful.
But if you were to ask the Romans why they named Budapest Aquincum whose ruins you can still see in Old Buda, they would tell you that’s how the Celts, the first inhabitants, called the place: abundant in water.
And what is Aquincum if not for its baths? Hungary overflows with it. One of the largest of them all – and a (scantily clad) crowd favorite – is the Széchenyi Thermal Bath. Come here for a soak after a hard day’s adventure.
Water is indeed central to a landlocked Central European country like Hungary. Danube River is an artery not just of Budapest, but a backbone of transportation and leisure as it winds through the country north to south, making epic port-to-port cruises a breeze! For the more intrepid, follow the Danube bike trail with a guide leading the way so you’ll know where to detour to get the best views and picnic sites.
Organized group tours can open doors of sightseeing opportunities you may not enjoy if you were to do it by yourself, like getting up to a church spire to take in panoramic views or visiting Roman ruins ahead of the crowds.
Guided tours are essential to minimize the impact of tourism on ancient and UNESCO-listed sites, which Hungary has plenty of. Some sites can only be visited with a tour guide in tow not only to enrich each visitor’s experience but also to ensure the integrity of the places being visited.
Guided tours equally ensure the safety of each participant, especially in more vigorous excursions. It’s worth the sum you pay extra to save time and dimes – and frustration when things don’t go as planned – so you can enjoy a worry-free holiday.
And which holiday would that be? Whether you only have a weekend or an entire week free, these tours are a great start (which will likely end with a well-earned soak in Budapest’s legendary baths).
Page Contents
Budapest Weekend Adventure
Weekend Student Adventures
Location: Budapest
Itinerary: Budapest
Group Size: 30
Age Range: 18 to 35
Physical Activity: Medium to High
Operator: Weekend Student Adventures
Length: 3 days
What to Expect
This partially guided, big group tour takes you to Budapest’s highlights in one action-packed long weekend.
- Discover massive caverns under Buda hills
- Explore the cavernous Grand Market
- Soak in naturally heated baths
What the Experience is Like
Arrive early to hit the ground partying on a nighttime Danube cruise. Explore the Pest side of the capital with a stroll down Andrassy Avenue and a visit to landmarks headlined by the Hungarian Parliament building, St. Stephen’s Basilica and Vajdahunyad Castle. Soak in the famous Széchenyi Baths for the rest of the afternoon. Enjoy a pub crawl tonight around the capital’s “ruin bars.”
(Curious as to how the “ruin bars” got their name? Or how “Sparty” is literally a ‘wet and wild’ affair? Find out in this Budapest Weekend Adventure.)
Lace-up for a caving adventure in the afternoon after exploring the Great Market Hall and riding the tram along the Danube. After strapping on jumpsuits and headlamps, get under Buda’s hills for a close-up look at stalactites and stalagmites. Or opt for a chairlift ride up to a lookout or a bike cart ride around an island. Explore the Castle Quarter tonight and soak in the baths for an optional “Sparty” before departing the next day.
Expect two nights’ accommodation in a top-rated hostel located minutes away from nightlife venues. Meals are not included.
This weekend tour to the Hungarian capital is run by Weekend Student Adventures specifically offering budget tours to young backpackers and study-abroad students so they come away with “epic travel experiences, the local way.”
In a nutshell
Want to jump into the thick of the action on a long weekend in the Hungarian capital? This Budapest Weekend Adventure will fuel your adrenaline.
Budapest, Hungary
Euroadventures
Location: Budapest
Itinerary: Budapest
Group Size: 30
Age Range: 18 to 65
Physical Activity: Low to Medium
Operator: Euroadventures
Length: 4 days
What to Expect
This partially guided big-group tour is a classic discovery tour of Budapest’s top attractions and un-missable things to do over a long weekend.
- Danube cruise
- Guided walking tour
- Szechenyi thermal baths
- ‘Sparty’ events
- “Ruin bars”
What the Experience is Like
Embark on a guided walking tour of Budapest’s top sights which will take you to St. Stephen’s Basilica, the Parliament, and the Dohany Synagogue (the largest synagogue in Europe). Get the lay of the land from Buda Hills Castle and the Fisherman’s Bastion (with familiar-looking tent-like towers). Cruise on the Danube after lunch and bar-hop around the “ruin bars” tonight with an option to go on a party boat cruise.
(Budapest’s nightlife is a thumping affair in “ruin bars” and “Sparty” events. Find out more on this 4-day Budapest, Hungary discovery tour.)
Soak in the Szechenyi thermal baths and get an optional massage for a relaxing morning. Enjoy free time in the afternoon with an option to explore the caves underneath Buda Hill. Party in the baths tonight in an optional ‘Sparty’ event. Spend the last day exploring the city on your own before checking out.
Enjoy 3 nights’ accommodation in central Budapest with 3 breakfasts. A walking tour is available in Spanish upon request.
This weekend discovery tour is run by Euroadventures and offers travel options mostly catered to backpackers, study-abroad students, young professionals and specialty adult groups. As the company was founded by a former study-abroad student himself, it aims to balance activities and freedom to let guests do things on their own to maximize their enjoyment.
In a nutshell
This 4-day Budapest, Hungary tour is a classic discovery tour of the Hungarian capital on a long weekend ideal for young professionals and the study-abroad crowd.
Best Budapest Tour
Agate Travel
Location: Capital and Northern Hungary
Itinerary: Budapest – Eger
Group Size: 4
Age Range: 2 to 85
Physical Activity: Low
Operator: Agate Travel
Length: 5 days
What to Expect
This small group, the fully-guided private tour takes you from the Hungarian capital to Danube Bend and the wine-producing region of Eger.
- Budapest
- Danube cruise
- Danube Bend
- Eger wine-tasting
What the Experience is Like
Admire the grandeur of the Hungarian capital by exploring its headline attractions: The London-inspired Neo-Gothic Parliament Building, the St. Stephen’s Basilica (from the cupola you can take in 360-degree views of the Budapest), 13th century Matthias Church with its eye-catching Hungarian Gothic design, the wide, tree-lined Andrassy Avenue, and the Castle Hill overlooking the Danube River scene.
Cruise on the Danube tonight and marvel at the floodlit monuments. Hop on a train for a nostalgic ride, and soak in the naturally heated thermal springs.
(Curious as to why Eger wines are called ‘bull’s blood’? Take this 5-day Best Budapest Tour and taste for yourself.)
Go on a guided day trip to the Danube Bend and discover the three beautiful cities in the region: Esztergom and its basilica; Visegrad for its royal palace and a panoramic view of the river valley from a mountaintop; and Szentendre with its cache of Baroque buildings.
Toast to a life well-traveled as you drive to Eger best known for its full-bodied red blend “Bull’s Blood” wine. Visit some of the area’s wine cellars and enjoy lunch with wine tasting.
Expect four nights’ accommodation in a centrally located 4-star hotel in Budapest with four breakfasts and two lunches.
Agate Travel specializes in offering tailor-made tours to ensure their clients realize their dream holidays regardless of budget, group size or travel style. They have 25 years of experience in providing guided tour services, and booking flights and trains.
In a nutshell
This 5-Day Best Budapest Tour takes you to the capital’s top attractions and Danube Bend’s most historic cities and wine-growing region.
Florence to Budapest
Smart Trip
Location: Budapest
Itinerary: Florence-Budapest-Florence
Group Size: 100
Age Range: 18 to 30
Physical Activity: Low
Operator: Smart Trip
Length: 4 days
What to Expect
This partially guided, large-group tour takes you from Florence to Budapest over a long weekend.
- Budapest walking tour
- Optional Danube River Cruise
- Optional pub crawl in “ruin bars”
What the Experience is Like
Meet at the bus terminal in Florence for an overnight trip bound Budapest with morning arrival in time for breakfast. Join the tour leader for an optional walking tour of Budapest’s top sights. Enjoy free time after the tour before going on an optional Danube River Cruise tonight.
(Have you heard of Budapest’s “Sparty”? Take the trip from Florence to Budapest. It gives new meaning to the phrase “wet and wild.”
Explore the Hungarian capital’s landmarks at your own pace before meeting the tour leader in the afternoon for an optional soak in the Schezyni baths. Tonight, join an optional night out around Budapest’s thumping “ruin bars” and clubs. Spend your last day in the capital at leisure before boarding your transport back to Florence.
Enjoy hostel accommodation in this long weekend tour run by Smart Trip. They take pride in offering study-abroad students the most fun and affordable way to travel so they “travel smarter, not harder.”
In a nutshell
Young, free (on weekends), and looking for fun? Then take this 4-Day Florence to Budapest tour to make your semester memorable. You deserve it.
Vienna and Budapest
Europamundo
Location: Austria, Hungary
Itinerary: Vienna-Budapest
Group Size: 50
Age Range: 1 to 99
Physical Activity: Low
Operator: Europamundo
Length: 5 days
What to Expect
This fully guided, big-group foodie-centric tour takes you from Vienna to Budapest, the seat and second fiddle of the once mighty Habsburg Empire.
- Schönbrunn Palace and Gardens
- Danube cruise
- Budapest city tour
What the Experience is Like
Gaze in awe at the majestic Schönbrunn Palace, the seat of the Habsburg monarchy. Stroll around the palace gardens and down wide avenues. Tonight, admire the lighting at the City Hall Square and sit down to an optional dinner from a choice of well-curated cuisine.
Leave Vienna for Budapest and embark on a city tour of the Hungarian capital by midday. Discover the historic sides of Buda on one side of the Danube, and take in the cosmopolitan vibe of Pest on the other. Tonight, explore Vaci Utca’s culinary scene at your own expense.
Cruise on the Danube River and admire its majestic buildings like the Parliament during this boat tour. Enjoy free time afterward with an option to sample the capital’s culinary offerings at your own expense.
(Treat yourself to a 5-day tour of Vienna and Budapest to see the seat of the once vast Habsburg empire.)
Expect four nights’ accommodation and breakfast buffets in 4-star hotels located just outside the city center in Vienna and Budapest. Basic insurance coverage is included and takes effect on arrival at the destination and expires once the tour circuit has ended. Tour available in Spanish upon request.
This capital-to-capital tour is organized by Europamundo, a brand managed by one of the largest tour operators in the world with more than 100 years of experience in the travel industry. Europamundo prides itself as the only coach tour operator company in the world affiliated with the UN World Tourism Organization. The UNWTO promotes responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.
In a nutshell
A taste of Habsburg imperial splendor awaits on this 5-day Vienna and Budapest tour.
Prague & Budapest
Wingbuddy
Location: Czech Republic – Hungary
Itinerary: Prague – Budapest
Group Size: 28
Age Range: 1 to 99
Physical Activity: Low
Operator: Wingbuddy
Length: 7 days
What to Expect
Partially guided, big-group tour to two Warsaw Pact capitals exploring each destination’s must-see sights.
- Prague guided walking tour
- Rail journey from Prague to Budapest
- Budapest guided walking tour
- Széchenyi Thermal Baths
What the Experience is Like
Stroll around the Czech capital on a guided walking tour to see the early 15th-century Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Square. Stroll around Wenceslas Square and continue on to Charles Bridge and Kampa. Marvel at the Prague Castle and see more of the Old Town via the half-kilometer, 14th century Charles Stone Bridge.
(Did you know that Hungary and the Czech Republic were once Warsaw Pact countries? Find the common link between the two in this weeklong tour to Prague & Budapest.)
Board the train from Prague to Budapest (included) on Day 4. See Budapest’s top attractions on a half-day guided walking tour. Take in sweeping views of the Danube river scene from a lookout in Castle Hill. Explore the Baroque Buda Castle and palatial complex, once the seat of Hungarian kings. Visit the naturally heated springs at Széchenyi Thermal Baths for a well-earned soak.
Expect three nights’ dual occupancy accommodation at a 3-star hotel in Prague and another three nights’ dual occupancy accommodation at a 3-star hotel in Budapest. Single supplement applies. Seven breakfasts will be served. Train ticket from Vienna to Budapest, airport, hotel and train station transfers in Prague and Budapest included.
This weeklong tour of two stunning European capitals is organized by Canadian travel provider Wingbuddy. Their itineraries are designed to include the most sought-after places of interest “to awaken your senses” because they believe a “satisfied traveler is a client for life.”
In a nutshell
Is Prague really a “city of a hundred spires”? And in Budapest really the “pearl of the Danube”? See for yourself in this 7-day Prague & Budapest tour.)
Cycling the Danube from Vienna to Budapest
Exodus Travels
Location: Danube Cycle Path
Itinerary: Vienna, Bratislava, Danube Bend, Budapest
Group Size: 12
Age Range: 12 to 99
Physical Activity: Active to Adventurous
Operator: Exodus Travels
Length: 8 days
What to Expect
Weeklong, small-group, self-guided cycling tour from Vienna to Budapest with a sneak peek into Slovakia.
- Vienna
- Bratislava
- Train travel
- Danube Bend
- Danube cruise
- Budapest
What the Experience is Like
Explore Vienna’s top attractions – Schönbrunn Palace, Sigmund Freud Museum and Vienna State Opera House – at your own pace after checking in at the hotel. Gear up for your first full day on your way to Hainburg through the waterfowl-rich area of the Donau-Auen National Park and Orth Castle.
Trace the Roman trail on your way to the archaeological sites at Petronell-Carnuntu. Cap off the day in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava renowned for its Gothic architecture and old-world charm. Cycle past the Hungarian border at Rajka and continue on through villages with traditional thatched-roofed farmhouses and a city filled with Baroque buildings.
Enjoy flat cycling halfway through your tour where you are greeted by the Danube island scenery and the sight of a majestic castle on arrival at historic Gyor. At Gyor, board the train bound for Komarom where you get off for a ride through the riverbanks and lush vineyards of the flat Danube Valley. For history lovers, the Roman archaeological site of Kelemantia is well worth a short visit. Arrive at Esztergom where the largest Hungarian Basilica can be found.
(Do you want to go on a three-country tour via the Danube bike trail? This epic 8-day ride from Vienna to Budapest is a combination of active adventure, nature trips and history lessons.)
As your town winds down, the Danube bike trail will take you from the “Hungarian Rome” to Budapest through the Danube Bend, an attractive section of the river so-called for its sharp turn southward. Pass through vineyards and Visegrad’s palace and castle as well as Szentendre’s Baroque town.
At Szentendre, hop on a boat for a Danube river cruise down to the Hungarian capital. Explore at your own pace the hilly historic side of Buda, and the flat cosmopolitan side of Pest, on both sides of the Danube, before flying off to your next destination.
Accommodation is two-person sharing in family-owned 4-star hotels. Single supplement applies. All breakfasts (continental-style buffet) are included. Vegetarian and vegan food options are available on request. Local bike hire is included in the package including luggage transfers. Airport transfers are not included.
Multi-awarded tour operator and winner of National Geographic’s Best Tour Operator Award in 2022, Exodus Travels has been in the business for almost 50 years specifically offering end-to-end itineraries for adventure holidays and wildlife tours. Their comprehensive tour packages especially attract intrepid groups and solos.
In a nutshell
If you want to have an eyeful of nature, a generous dose of history, and a chance to cover a lot of ground on two wheels without polluting the environment, this epic 8-Day journey Cycling the Danube from Vienna to Budapest is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure you shouldn’t miss.
From the Tisza to the Danube, through the Real Hungary (Port-to-Port Cruise)
CroisiEurope River Cruises
Location: Danube and Tisza Rivers
Itinerary: Tokaj – Great Southern Plain – Serbia – Pecs – Budapest
Group Size: 160
Age Range: 1 to 99
Physical Activity: Low
Operator: CroisiEurope River Cruises
Length: 9 days
What to Expect
Pack up one time, eat, drink and be Magyar as you cruise from Tokaj down through the Great Southern Plain and finally into Budapest, with a jaunt to Serbia in between.
What the Experience is LIke
Enjoy a welcome cocktail after boarding the ship at Tokaj, a wine-growing region in northern Hungary. Go on an optional village and vineyards tour of Tokaj and wine-tasting at a local cellar before the afternoon cruise through the Great Southern Plain.
Enjoy a Hungarian feast as the ship makes its way to the Tiszafured marina. On arrival, the next day, join an optional excursion to Hortobagy before sailing on to Csongrad. An optional excursion to Ópusztaszer National Heritage Park awaits on arrival.
It’s on to Szeged on Day 5 where you can take an optional guided tour of Szeged, the largest town in the Great Hungarian Plain. After the tour, the cruise passes through the Serbian border town of Kanjiža (Kanizsa) before continuing on through the Great Southern Plain with expected nighttime arrival in Novi Sad.
(Do you want to see why the Danube is central to Hungarian life? Take this 9-day cruise through the Great Southern Plain and down to Budapest to see for yourself.)
The last third leg of your cruise will take you on an optional tour of Novi Sad before cruising on through the rest of Serbia. Board the coach at Mohacs for an optional guided tour of Pecs’ immense cathedral and frescoed tombs. Cruising the Danube, the ship arrives in Budapest tonight amidst a festive gala evening.
Enjoy seeing Budapest’s famous landmarks on your own or with a group. Optional tours to the Godollo Castle in the afternoon and around Budapest tonight are available. Enjoy a buffet breakfast before disembarking at the Hungarian capital.
Accommodation is double occupancy and comes with all meals and drinks onboard (except those found on special lists). Welcome cocktail and gala dinner included. Activities, entertainment, Wifi connection, and multi-lingual hosts on board are all part of the cruise package, which also includes port fees, travel assistance and repatriation insurance.
This port-to-port cruise is run by CroisiEurope River Cruises which first started offering affordable river cruises when they were a privilege to wealthy travelers. Over the last 40+ years, they have been able to expand to more than 50 company-owned ships through active involvement in all phases of ship development. Their main cruise destinations are the Danube and Rhine rivers and their tributaries.
In a nutshellWine, dine, recline and simply soak up the view on this 9-day port-to-port Danube Cruise through the Great Southern Plain down to Budapest, a Danube holiday you will never forget.
If none of these tours work for you in Hungary, please do not worry. There is a wide variety of tour options in the country, and we are confident that there will be something that fits your needs and interests.
Take a look at all the group tours in Hungary now, which you can sort by private or group, maximum sizing, budget, dates and much (much more). The team at TourRadar is also always more than happy to answer any questions, provide further information or assist in any way in finding the perfect tour for you.
