Escorted Tours and City Breaks in Hungary
Hungary combines impressive architecture, fascinating history and rich cultural traditions. Its capital, Budapest, stretches across both banks of the Danube, bringing together the historic streets of Buda and the lively boulevards of Pest. From grand thermal baths and the iconic Parliament building to traditional cuisine and vibrant café culture, the city offers plenty to explore. Beyond the capital, discover elegant palaces, rolling countryside and Hungary’s long-standing equestrian heritage.
Our Hungarian holidays include flights from the UK and coach travel to explore the country’s highlights. With itineraries planned to bring together key sights and cultural experiences, you can enjoy a comfortable and rewarding journey through Hungary.
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Hungary Tours
Around two and a half hours from the UK, depending on your chosen airport, so it is comfortably a morning or afternoon flight rather than a long day of travel. Our Budapest City Break includes return flights with hold luggage and return transfers at the destination, so a coach meets the flight and takes you to the hotel. Departure airports vary by departure, so please ask us when you enquire.
Hungary is in the European Union but has kept its own currency, the forint, and that is what you will want for coffee, cakes, market stalls and tips. Some larger hotels and shops will take euros, usually at a rate that does not favour you. Cards are widely accepted in Budapest. It is worth carrying a modest amount of cash for smaller places.
Budapest Castle Hill has a considerable incline, and visits to the Parliament buildings involve stairs and a good deal of standing. Coach transport covers the distances between sights, and the pace allows time to look at things properly rather than route-marching. If you have concerns about steps, gradients or standing, tell us before you book and we will talk you through what a specific departure involves.
Budapest across the Danube
The Chain Bridge, opened in 1849, was the first permanent crossing between Buda and Pest, and walking or driving over it remains the clearest way to understand the city. On the Buda side, Castle Hill carries the Royal Palace, the Matthias Church and the Fishermen's Bastion, with the best long view back over the river. Pest is the working city: the Parliament, the grand boulevards, the coffee houses and the covered market.
The Parliament building, finished in 1902 to Imre Steindl's design, is worth the entrance ticket for the gilded main staircase and the domed hall where the Hungarian crown jewels are kept. Our Budapest City Break includes a guided city tour and entry to the Parliament, along with a dinner cruise on the Danube — the hour when the bridges and the palace are lit is the one photographers wait for.
Palaces and horsemen beyond the capital
Half an hour or so out of Budapest the country flattens into the Great Plain, and the character of the place changes completely. Our tour takes in the Royal Palace at Gödöllő, built for the Grassalkovich family in the 1740s and later the favourite Hungarian residence of Empress Elisabeth — Sisi — who preferred it to Vienna and said so.
The plain is also horse country. Hungarian herdsmen, the csikósok, developed a style of riding built on standing on the backs of two horses and driving five at once, and it survives as a display rather than a working necessity. The horse show at Lázár Equestrian Park, with lunch, is included on the Budapest City Break, and it is a genuinely good afternoon out rather than a tourist formality.
