Travelling to Hungary and want to know the best tours to take in Budapest? This list is for you!
I don’t like to have favourites, but honestly, Budapest has to be one of my all-time top choices as a city break destination for any season. It offers everything I look for on a city break: it’s affordable, it’s got history and culture and beautiful architecture and delicious food, the nightlife is great, there’s something for everyone and it’s easy to get around.
There’s plenty you can do on your own in Budapest without needing a guide. The city is easy and fun to navigate, and there’s loads to see between sights, so you can stroll around and just get lost in the history and culture. I haven’t included things like the popular dinner cruises, as they’re really easy to book yourself when you arrive, or entry to the thermal baths, because you don’t need to pay extra to arrange that – you can just show up and buy a ticket!
But to make your trip even more memorable, I’m sharing the best tours in Budapest, with each of them offering something that would be difficult to experience on your own. Each of these tours in Budapest will give you a new perspective, show you a local side to the city, or just offer a flipping good time!
The Top 10 Tours in Budapest
Discover Budapest: 2 Hour Small Group Bike Tour
Duration: 2 hours
Cost: from £16.45 per person
Budapest is an extremely walkable city, but there’s something about a bike tour that’s just so much more fun than seeing a city on foot. Plus, your feet get a bit of a rest for a few hours!
This tour takes you past loads of the biggest sights in Budapest, like the stunning Hungarian Parliament building, Andrassy Street, and Hôsök Tere (Heroes Square). A maximum of 12 people can book onto this tour, which means the group is always small and feels more personal.
Budapest Caves Underground Caving Tour
Duration: 3.5 hours
Cost: from £34.74 per person
Budapest isn’t exactly known as an adventure destination, but this tour might change your perception of the city! Spend a few hours climbing and crawling through Budapest’s cave system, located in the Danube-Ipoly National Park, while you learn about the geology and biodiversity of the caves, as well as the source of Budapest’s hot springs.
Be warned, though – this one’s not a gentle tour, and it’s definitely not for anyone with claustrophobia.
Half-Day Etyek Wine Tour from Budapest with Meal
Duration: 4-5 hours
Cost: from £68.56 per person
Did you know that Hungary produces its own wine? Get to know Hungarian wines with this small group half-day tour from Budapest.
You’ll get to meet local winemakers in the Etyek wine region and taste a number of local wines straight from the cellars. Learn about wine production at two to three small family-owned wineries, and tuck into a delicious home-cooked meal at one of the farms.
Alternative Budapest Walking Tours
Duration: 3 hours
Cost: from £16.45 per person
Walking tours are always a great way to see a new city, but sometimes they can be a bit dry, and don’t show you anything you couldn’t just see by walking around the city by yourself.
This alternative walking tour in Budapest will show you the alternative culture of Budapest, in both the Buda and the Pest sides of the city. Get off the usual tourist trail and visit ruin bars, live music venues, art galleries and hipster stores, spotting street art along the way.
Budapest: Market Tour and Private Cooking Class
Duration: 5 hours
Cost: from £109.70 per person
Discover the flavours of Budapest with this hands-on tour, and learn something new while you’re at it! Visit the bustling Great Market Hall with your guide to pick up the local ingredients required to make a three course Hungarian or Jewish meal.
Then head back to a private apartment to learn to cook the meal of your choice. At the end of it, you’ll get to eat the food you’ve prepared, as well as tasting a local drink: pálinka (fruit brandy), wine and soft drinks. You’ll get to keep the recipe you learned, too, so you can recreate the dishes at home!
The Absolute Street Food Experience with Craft Beer
Duration: 4 hours
Cost: from £41.14 per person
If you don’t fancy cooking your own meals, this street food tour of Budapest is a great way to discover the best flavours from around the city, while being guided by locals who will bring the destination to life.
If you’re a foodie, but don’t want to limit yourself to just one restaurant or dish, this is the best way to sample a little bit of all of the local Hungarian dishes, so you won’t have to miss anything!
Original Budapest Pub Crawl and VIP Club Entrance
Duration: 6 hours
Cost: from £15.54 per person
I’ll admit, I wouldn’t usually include a pub crawl in a list of best tours to take in a destination, but Budapest isn’t your average city, and the nightlife really is something else! Dotted around the city are ruin bars – derelict buildings that have been converted into sprawling, quirky, grimy bars that are brimming with character.
This 6-hour pub crawl takes you around the best spots in the city centre, ending with VIP entrance to a popular nightclub. It’s good value, as the price includes free shots and an hour-long open bar, plus it’s a great chance to meet other travellers and have a fun night out in a new city, with a guide to show you around!
Budapest Parliament 45-Minute Guided Tour
Duration: 45 minutes
Cost: from £22.85 per person
Budapest is home to the third-largest Parliament building in the world, a stunning Gothic Revival structure gracing the banks of the River Danube, inspired by the London Houses of Parliament.
Take a guided tour inside to see the vaulted hall, the grand central staircase, the Hungarian Crown Jewels, and the Hungarian Holy Crown.
Lake Balaton Full-Day Tour from Budapest
Duration: 10 hours
Cost: from £60.33 per person
If you have a day to spare and want to explore beyond the city, Europe’s biggest freshwater lake, Lake Balaton, is located just outside of Budapest and can be discovered on this day tour.
Along the way, you’ll stop in the resort town of Balatonfüred and take a nostalgic train trip, visit the Benedictine monastery of Tihany Abbey, and take a boat trip along the waters of Lake Balaton.
Magic Hungary Tour: Baroque Palace and Horse Show
Duration: 4.5 hours
Cost: from £47.54 per person
Just half an hour from Budapest is Gödöll, the second-largest Baroque palace in the world, and the favourite residence of Elisabeth Sisi and Francis Joseph, 19th century King and Queen of Hungary.
On this tour, you’ll start by exploring the lavish palace and its gardens, learning about its history and famous inhabitants as you go. From there, you’ll be taken to a nearby farm where you will be served local Hungarian snacks and drinks in beautiful surroundings. And finally, be amazed by a Lipizzaner Horse show and take a ride on a magical carriage – it’s not your average day out from Budapest, but it certainly will be memorable!