Hungary Tours and Travel

Day 1 – Budapest

• Arrival in Budapest at your own convenience and transfer to our centrally located hotel.
• Meet at 6pm in the hotel lobby for a pre-tour meeting with your guides before going out for dinner and drinks in one of our favourite places.
• Overnight in Budapest.

Day 2 – Budapest 

• Breakfast in our hotel.
• Then, we will delve into history, starting with a simple yet powerful monument situated on the banks of the Danube River on the Pest side of Budapest: sixty pairs of shoes made from iron. They represent the Jewish victims that have been brought from the nearby ghetto and shot here. From here we will also head onto the Chain Bridge that unites the once separate cities, just over the river Danube, which was called the “Jewish cemetery” during winter time.
• From there we will go to the impressive Hungarian parliament building. This magnificent building, built over 17 years (1885–1902) at the end of the 19th century, has become the symbol of Hungary and its capital. We will do a full tour inside to learn about different parts of Hungarian history.
• Traditional lunch in the city centre.

Afternoon

• In the afternoon we visit the Dohány Street Synagogue, one of the boundaries of the Budapest ghetto, where 70,000 people were forced into an unbearably small area during the brutal Hungarian winter of 1944-45. Three mass graves were created there.
• Did you know there is a bridge in Budapest nicknamed “Bridge of Intelligentsia”? This bridge was built by all the educated people who were fired from their positions (lawyers, priests, doctors, philosophers…). We will have a closer look at it, too.
• From there, it is only a few steps to the Raoul Wallenberg Holocaust Memorial Park behind the synagogue.
• We then make our way to Buda Castle. Beneath lies a maze of limestone caves that concealed a fully operational underground hospital during WWII. The Hospital in the Rock Nuclear Bunker thrusts you into a time when war was inescapable.
• Traditional dinner in the city centre, where we will have Goulash.
• Overnight at our hotel.

Day 3 – Budapest

• Breakfast in our hotel.
• Today we will get a personal and realistic insight into what life in Hungary was like after the Second World War, during Communism.
• On this part of the tour, we will guide you to Saint Stephen’s Basilica, where you’ll hear unique stories not covered on the Original Tour. From there, we will lead you to Szabadság (Liberty) Square and visit the secret exit of a military bunker. We will walk past the sites of the 1956 uprising, the Bronze Bullet Memorial, and the beautiful Hungarian Parliament building.
• We will conclude just before lunch with a visit to the last standing Soviet war memorial in the inner city, along with other symbols of “Soviet friendship.”
• Late lunch with Hungarian Lángos.

Afternoon

• We will then make us of our private minivan to drive certain parts between the next stops and guide you through the House of Terror, once the headquarters of the Hungarian secret police, where you’ll experience its chilling history.
• Then, we’ll explore the neglected factories on Csepel Island and witness the imposing statues at Memento Park.
• Finally, we will end the tour by admiring the breathtaking view from the top of Gellért Hill.
• Traditional dinner in the city centre.
• Overnight at our hotel.

Day 4 – Szeged

• Early breakfast and ~2h transfer to Szeged in our private minivan which is the third-largest city in Hungary. Szeged was seized by Soviet troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front on 11 October 1944 during the Battle of Debrecen. In the communist era, Szeged emerged as a hub for light industry and the food industry. With its grand buildings, museums, charming parks, and bustling markets, this city is a rich tapestry of attractions waiting to be discovered.
• We will visit the Votive Church of Our Lady of Hungary, one of the largest churches in Hungary, providing a breathtaking view over the city. Following is the Dom square, where you watch people as well as visit the Reök Palace Art Museum, and the Dömötör Tower. The city hall will round up our old town visit, just next to Széchenyi Square.
• Last is the Szeged Synagogue, one of the largest synagogues in Europe, with a museum that houses different exhibits on Jewish history and culture in the region.
• Another late lunch with Hungarian cuisine.
• The tour will conclude here, with a last coffee and cake, and we offer transport back to Budapest or Lake Balaton for those in need. A night in Szeged is recommended though.

From here you can continue easily to Timisoara in Romania or explore former Yugoslavia with us, or join one of our other tours in Eastern Europe to Poland, the Baltic countries, or beyond!