In a nutshell
- Looking for the best Budapest tours? We’ll walk you through our favorite guided experiences in the city.
- À la carte city walk: A tour entirely on your terms — you decide what you want to see and how long the tour lasts.
- City tour by VW Bus: Explore the highlights of Budapest — like the Castle District and Gellért Hill — while cruising through the city in a super cool, fire-engine-red VW Samba Bus.
- Alternative Tour of Budapest: A different kind of city walk through the Jewish Quarter — discover street art, the underground scene, and hidden ruin bars.
Our Recommendation: Budapest Tours with Gabor
We’ve already done several tours with guide Gabor from BudapestmitGabor and were absolutely blown away every single time. Gabor is a local, knows Budapest inside and out, and has a million great insider tips up his sleeve — especially the kind you won’t find in any run-of-the-mill travel guide.
Gabor offers both private and group tours. The advantage of private tours is that you don’t get a boring standard program — you actually get a say in what you do. You can, but you don’t have to: if you’re not quite sure what interests you yet, there are also ready-made tours with different themes, like food and drink, history, and much more.
What we love most is that the tours feel genuinely personal and you’re not just herded through as part of a large group. That’s why we’ve marked all of Gabor’s tours separately throughout this article.
À la carte City Walk in Budapest
On this Budapest city tour, you decide what you do. You choose which sights you want to see and have Gabor as your guide all to yourself. That means you can pepper him with questions and find out everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Budapest.
You also set how long the tour lasts — two to four hours is the sweet spot. The city walk is primarily on foot; only for longer stretches will you occasionally hop on public transit.
In our opinion, this tour works brilliantly for Budapest first-timers as well as Budapest veterans. Gabor and his team are happy to give you personalized advice depending on what you’ve already seen and what’s still on your list.
Book a private walking tour in Budapest (with Gabor)
Bike Tour Through Budapest
We’re huge fans of bike tours! You get from A to B faster than on foot, reach corners that a bus can’t access, and honestly — what’s better than cycling along the Danube with the wind in your hair?
On your bike tour through Budapest, you’ll pass by plenty of top highlights, including the Hungarian Parliament, the grand boulevard Andrássy út, and the Széchenyi Thermal Bath, one of the most beautiful thermal baths in Budapest. Along the way, you’ll take a short break to relax in the beautiful gardens of Vajdahunyad Castle.
The tour takes approximately two hours. When booking, you can also select a German-speaking guide.
To the Budapest city bike tour
Budapest at Night
At night, the city transforms into a sea of lights and the atmosphere around the illuminated landmarks is simply wonderfully romantic. All we’ll say is: have your camera ready!
A night tour through Budapest also has the advantage that fewer people are out and about. That means you can snap a photo or two without hundreds of tourists in the frame.
For about three hours, you’ll stroll along the Danube on both the Buda and Pest sides. Along the way, Gabor will share plenty of anecdotes and maybe even a few spine-chilling legends.
To the Budapest at Night city walk (with Gabor)
The Different Kind of Tour: Alternative Budapest
Not interested in a cookie-cutter city walk and the classic tourist highlights? Then we can highly recommend this tour to the hidden spots and the alternative scene of Budapest.
The tour takes place mainly in the Jewish Quarter, which has gradually evolved into a seriously hip neighborhood over the past few years. Your guide takes you to amazing street art, trendy ruin bars, and the underground scene. Here you’ll find loads of cool boutiques, coffee collectives, small artists’ studios, and analog photography galleries.
If you have a soft spot for so-called lost places, you’ll love this one too. It passes by squatted buildings and abandoned synagogues.
To the alternative Budapest tour
Sightseeing Boat Tour on the Danube
A ride on the Danube is one of the most popular activities in Budapest! From the water, Budapest looks absolutely stunning, and some of the most famous buildings — including the Parliament and the Castle District — line the waterfront promenade. You’ll also pass Budapest’s green lung, Margaret Island.
The sightseeing boat rides last about one hour and come with an audio commentary that fills you in on the attractions along the shore.
We also think a dinner boat cruise is a really cool option. With the Budapest Card, you even get 15 percent off.
To the ticket for the 1-hour sightseeing boat tour
Read more tips for cool boat tours in Budapest:
Budapest City Tour in a Retro VW Bus
The bright red VW bus “Samba” is simply iconic! It’s a perfect pick if it’s your first time in Budapest but you’re not in the mood for a typical hop-on hop-off bus tour.
Your route takes you to all of Budapest’s top highlights: Gellért Hill, the Castle District, Matthias Church, Andrássy út, the Chain Bridge, the Parliament, and many more.
What we think is especially cool is the folding sunroof. When the weather’s nice, you can soak up the sun as you cruise through the city.
To the Budapest retro bus city tour (with Gabor)
Pest City and the Jewish Quarter
On the Pest side you’ll find many of Budapest’s top attractions, including the Parliament, St. Stephen’s Basilica, and the Great Synagogue — all of these standouts await you on the guided tour through Pest and the Jewish Quarter.
The Jewish Quarter is one of our favorite neighborhoods in Budapest. It’s steeped in history and you can really soak up the culture, customs and traditions of Budapest’s Jewish community.
Gabor will also show you a few real hidden gems of the Pest neighborhood on this tour — and it’s also a fantastic area to base yourself. You’ll find some of the most beautiful boutique hotels in Budapest right here.
To the tour through Pest City and the Jewish Quarter (with Gabor)
Walk Through the Castle District with a Historian
The Castle District is the absolute highlight of Budapest and is simply non-negotiable on any visit to Budapest! That said, the complex is truly large and can feel quite overwhelming at first.
If you don’t know where to start, joining a guided tour is the way to go. Your guide knows the Royal Palace like the back of their hand and will share stories spanning from the Middle Ages to World War II.
In addition to the Royal Palace itself, you’ll explore Matthias Church and the Matthias Fountain, the palace gardens, the Savoy Terrace, and the Presidential Palace. There’s a short coffee break along the way, and at the end you can take in the panorama from Fisherman’s Bastion.
To the guided walk through the Budapest Castle District
Gastro Tour with Tastings
This tour is a total highlight for food lovers. On the gastro tour, you’ll get an in-depth look at the cuisine of Hungary.
In 80 minutes, you’ll discover traditional dishes and recipes from the country and taste your way through the specialties of the Central Market Hall with Gabor — cheeses, sweet treats, and herbal liqueurs are just a few examples of what’s on offer.
On top of that, you’ll receive a restaurant guide packed with great gastronomic insider tips for Budapest.
To the gastro tour in Budapest (with Gabor)
Culinary Budapest Tour with Tastings
If you want to fall in love with a city, you have to fall in love with its food. And what better way to do that than with a culinary tour through Budapest?
The tour starts with a visit to the Great Market Hall, where you’ll find every kind of treat your heart desires — from fresh fruits and vegetables to cheese and pastries.
After that, you’ll continue on to five or six shops with tastings. Depending on the day of the week, these might include a spice shop, a kosher bakery, a patisserie, a wine shop, a butcher, a coffee house, or a chocolate maker. Honestly, our mouths are already watering.
