Itinerary Overview

Day 1 - Welcome in Budapest, visit Vaci Street
Arrive in Budapest independently. Greet and meet service at the airport and private transfer to your hotel. Relax or take an optional tour in the city during the afternoon. In the evening, meet your fellow travelers and your tour director at the hotel, then walk to your restaurant on the Danube promenade with a view of the Hapsburg Citadel, Castle Hill and the Fishermen’s Bastion. Enjoy your welcome dinner and follow up with a short walk around the upscale pedestrian district of Vaci Street and take in a wonderful view of the city at night. 

Day 2 - Panoramic Tour of Budapest and Excursion to the artist’s town of Szentendre, Dinner on a boat
After breakfast at the hotel, we will take a city tour by bus and see the most important sights of Budapest, including Pest and Buda, the vast Heroes’ Square with its impressive Millennial Monument, the prominent and historical Gundel restaurant, the magical Opera House on the famed Andrassy Avenue, and the ornate St. Steven Basilica, which is the city's largest church, and the Parliament. We will walk the cobblestones of the Castle District, visit the Matthias Church, first erected in 1247, and enjoy stunning panoramas of the city and river. In the afternoon, we will travel to the lively town of Szentendre. This colorful artist's settlement has preserved its medieval history with ancient buildings, cobblestone streets, numerous street vendors and musicians which help to lend a Mediterranean character to this small town. The unique vertical structure and abundant art galleries, museums and boutiques add a colorful atmosphere to the town. After our visit, we will return to Budapest and enjoy dinner with a view from a private boat floating down the Danube River.

Day 3 – Herend Porcelain Factory, Tihany Abbey, Lake Balaton, Heviz Thermal Lake
Today we will leave Budapest and travel to Heviz. En route we will stop at the illustrious Herend Porcelain Factory. The Porcelanium, the factory’s visitor complex, offers an unforgettable visit. First, a short film traces the triumphant history that has made Herend Porcelain world famous. A visit to the mini-manufactory brings the film to life. Our private 'make your own china' option will allow you to put your learning into practice. The adjacent Herend Porcelain Museum is a treasure trove of priceless porcelain pieces. After seeing the historic masterpieces, you can see the present day selection at the Victoria Herend Shop. What a temptation! Our visit culminates with the soft music of the cozy Apicius Restaurant. Enjoy a lovely lunch served on Herend porcelain dishes.

From Herend, we will continue to Tihany on the northern shores of Lake Balaton. Lake Balaton is the largest freshwater lake in Europe. Tihany Abbey, founded in 1055, has survived a turbulent past and still stands in its original form holding the crypt of the King Andrew I and a museum in the basement. The present church was built over the Benedictine abbey in the 18th century in Baroque style and is know for its many precious wood carvings. Tihany is also the top lookout point to the lake. The view is so beautiful that on a nice sunny day, tired after exploring the Abbey, you might feel like a bird, ready to fly over the cool blue waves!

After our relaxing tour on the Tihany Peninsula we travel to Hévíz ['Hot Water']. Heviz boasts the second largest thermal lake in the world. The lake is covered with magnificent water-lilies and extends over an area of approximately 30 square-miles. The water temperature rarely drops below 30°C, even during winter, as the lake is replenished by an underground spring and is completely flushed out every couple of days. The thermal bath on the lake has been attracting visitors since medieval times for curative reasons.  By the end of the 19th century, Hévíz had become a grand resort, briefly favored by crown princes and magnates. After checking into the hotel, we will visit and enjoy the effects of this famous water. Independent dinner at the hotel. 

Day 4 – Keszthely, Pecs
After breakfast and check out we will have a short bus ride to Keszthely [pronounced: Quest-hey] and a visit to the beautiful Festetics [pronounced: Fesh-te-tich] Palace, built by the aristocratic family of Count Festetics. With 101 rooms surrounded by an English park, the Festetics Palace is the third largest chateau in the country. Its Helikon Library contains a collection of 86 thousand books. In the Museum, you will see the decorative arms and the trophy collection of the Austrian Duke of Windischgrätz. From Keszthely, we will continue to the historic city of Pecs.

You will begin with a short walking tour in the Old Town to see the Cathedral and
visit the former Turkish Mosque, the oldest Turkish Djami dating back to the 14th century. Afterwards, you will have the opportunity to visit the 4th century Christian Basilica, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In addition, you will have free time to visit the Zsolnay museum of hand painted porcelain and other interesting sites and intriguing museums. At the end of the day, we will travel to our accommodations and an independent dinner in a 300 year old hunting mansion.

Day 5 – Authentic Cooking and Horse Show in Lajosmizse, Eger Castle Tour
Today we will travel to the northeastern region of the country by way of Tanyacsarda (Country Inn) in the heart of the Hungarian Great Plains (Puszta). Here a stop for lunch will allow you to enjoy authentic, outdoors “puszta” cooking typical for the region, while listening to live gipsy music. A fascinating horse show will make you marvel at the skills of the Hungarian “cowboys”. After a lunch of Hungarian specialties, we will continue to Eger. Take a walking tour of this lovely baroque city and visit the famous fortress where the outnumbered heroic defenders, led by István Dobó, held out against the Turks during their initial attack in 1552. Eger sits at the centre of one of the most famous wine-growing regions in Hungary and boasts the well-known red wine Egri Bikaver (Bull’s Blood). End the day with an independent dinner with wine tasting at the hotel and make sure to try the famous red wine of the region!

Day 6 – Szilvasvarad, picnic at the Valley of Szalajka, Lillafured, optional evening cave bath visit at Miskolctapolca
After breakfast at the hotel and check out, we will spend more time in the town of Eger and learn about the most remarkable monuments, the Dobó Square, the Lyceum, and the second largest Cathedral in Hungary.

From Eger, we will travel into the Bukk Mountains and take a narrow gauge train through Szalajka Valley, one of the most beautiful mountain valleys of Hungary. At the large clearing found at the end of our brief train trip we will have a lunch prepared by…US! “Make your own trout” is the name of the game, but don’t worry we will have professional chefs to help us turn a simple lunch into a gourmet picnic! The countryside here is overwhelmingly beautiful and peaceful but there is also plentiful historical heritage. As we walk down from our serene environment alongside the fast-running Szalajka Stream, we will pass the Veil Waterfall, the Rock Spring and the open-air Forestry Museum which evokes the industrial life of the area.

From the quite beauty of the valley, we will move onto Lillafured. Upon arrival, continue enjoying the wonderful outdoors during your free time for the rest of the day. After dinner, we offer you a once in a lifetime opportunity of evening swim at the thermal cave baths of Miskolctapolca.

Day 7 – Holloko, Budapest
After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, we depart for Budapest. En route, visit Holloko the Unesco World Heritage site, a traditional village settlement deliberately preserved in an outdoor setting. This village, which developed mainly during the 17th and 18th centuries, is a living example of rural life before the agricultural revolution of the 20th century. Lunch in Holloko. Upon arrival in Budapest, you will have free time to join an optional tour or explore the city on your own. Meet us again in the early evening at the hotel to be transported to our farewell dinner. Enjoy a gourmet meal with traditional gipsy tunes at the famed Gundel restaurant, one of the finest restaurants in the world, frequently visited by royalties and celebrities.

Day 10 – Departure
Individual transportation to airport arranged by Danube Destinations

*** During your free time in Budapest, we will advise you about ongoing concerts, opera and other performances so you will have the option to attend those of interest. You just have to decide and we take care of your ticket! (ticket cost is exluded from tour price)