Budapest Day trips

Holidays in Hungary | Book the best city break excursions here.

 

The Parliament reserves the right to cancel visitation without notice on special occasions.

Duration : 1 or 2 hours

2 hours : 1 hr cruise + 1 hr walk on Margaret Island
1 hour : in case of skipping the island walk

Included : 2 drinks wine, beer, soft drinks, "Duna Bella" cocktail. Languages: On the boat: selection of 30 languages. On the island: English, German, Hungarian (French, Spanish, Italian on request )

During the exclusive voyage, while admiring the wonderfully lit night view of Budapest, you can choose from the favourite dishes of Ferenc Lehár, Imre Kálmán and Johann Strauss. The program lasts from 8 to 10 p.m. Children are free of charge under 5 years of age, 5-14 year : £30 pp. Programme departs from the Ship station of Budapest Vigadó Square.

Budapest city breaks offer so much sightseeing. One of Budapest’s most scenic places to visit is Margaret Island, situated in the middle of the river Danube. The Island which has been inhabited since the Roman Era covers approximately 200 acres and is the ideal place to come for an afternoon’s relaxation. On public holidays and weekends thousands of Hungarians, expats and tourists alike flock to the Island, to have picnics, bathe in the sun, enjoy the out door theatre and the largest open-air swimming complex. Running through the centre of the Island is Artists Promenade, which is aligned with artists, street performers and musicians. Holiday makers can also stay on Margaret Island in two very luxurious hotels, which make personal use of the natural curative hot springs located underneath the island. Book a luxury weekend break to Budapest with Vamos Travel. We offer Atol protected flights, transfers and luxury hotel deals.

One of the very best places to capture panoramic views of both Buda & Pest is on Gellért Hill. At the top, you’ll discover the Liberation Monument, honoring those that died for Hungary’s prosperity. Behind the statue of liberation, high atop Gellert Hill, overlooking the capital, sits the Citadella, a military fortress, which is now used as a hostel & museum. Close by to the Citadella, are several historic spas. The most famous spa, is the Gellert Baths, which is attached to the Art Nouveau Gellért Hotel and looks like a Roman style pool with its lion-headed spouts.

Budapest short breaks can be enhanced by day trips outside of Budapest. Outside of the city there are a number of magical holiday excursions, which are highly recommendable. The first would be to Esztergom Basilica, which is an amazing piece of imposing architecture overlooking the Danube and the Slovakian border. The historical Esztergom Basilica was the seat of the kings of the Arpad dynasty and today, it is still the centre of the Roman Catholic Church in Hungary. As a building, it is the largest church in Hungary. Interestingly, it has an echo of 9 seconds, the inner area is approx. 56,000 m2 and is the tallest building in the country. There are many great things to discover at the Esztergom Basilica, from the largest painting in the world painted on a single piece of canvas to the alterpiece, massive organ and the Christian museum, which is full of religious artifacts. For Opera lovers and classical music enthusiasts, you’ll be pleased to know that you can watch some magical performances during the summer season at the Esztergom theatre. Enquiry about concert tickets, day tours and private guides to Esztergom Basilica.

A day trip from Budapest we would recommend is: Visegrad Castle, located on the Danube bend. As well as offering excellent views, it is also a fun place to explore and there is a wax works museum to take you through the ages. The castle comprises of two buildings. The most interesting part of the lower castle is the residential tower called the Salamon tower that currently houses a museum where visitors are introduced to the history of Visegrad. The upper castle or citadel was originally built in a triangular shape and had two towers. It was home to Hungarian kings from 1323 and later became their summer residence. Like several Hungarian castles, Visegrad organises a series of attractive events to keep the old traditions fresh and for the benefit of visitors. If Budapest city break holiday makers time it correctly, then they can witness the Visegrad International Palace summer games. During this weekend, there is jousting, crafts people, concerts and folklore traditions.

Another fabulous day excursion outside of Budapest while on holiday in Hungary: Travelling north from the capital about 12 miles, there is a small picturesque town called Szentendre, which is one of the most popular daytrip destination for sightseeing tourists. Szentendre is a peaceful little town inhabited by a population of about 20,000 and is ideally located by the River Danube and enjoys more sunny days than most of the neighbouring settlements. Regardless of whether you visit Szentendre at the height of the tourist season or the winter, this town of art & culture, will leave a lasting impression. We urge all our discerning clients to arrange a trip to Szentendre and enjoy discovering the shops & galleries along its winding cobblestoned streets. It is also possible, to schedule a visit to another fantastic city breaks attraction just a few kilometres outside of Szentendre, to the Open-air Ethnographical Museum (Skanzen).

The Hungarian Open Air museum is also an interesting place to visit. It is a huge museum, built up of authentic buildings, original cottages, quaint chapels and working mills. Collected and restored from different regions of the countryside, this marvelous open air museum was put together to demonstrate rural life in Hungary from the second half of the 18th century to the First World War. The Open Air Museum is Hungary's central collection of rural architecture and is situated in a unique natural environment, being part of the Duna-Ipoly National Park, not farther than 20 km from the capital. Contact Vamos Travel, about including an excursion to the open air museum as part of your amazing weekend breaks in Budapest. The ultimate Hungary holiday experience is with Vamos Travel.

On the outskirt of the capital, a mere 15 minutes from the city centre by car or bus, you can find a museum that is unique, not just in Eastern Europe but in the World: The Statue Park Museum. All the statues in Buda & pest that represented the former socialist period, were gathered up and placed in this park. This is the worlds only such collection from the period of communist cultural politics and is worth investigating for historical enthusiasts.

Lake Balaton is central Europe's largest inland body of water, with more than 93 miles of coastline and is the perfect place to come for a couple of days of rest & relaxation, away from the bustle of city life. Its Hungary’s favourite holiday resort but being only 60 miles from Budapest, it’s very accessible to city break visitors that are only staying in Hungary for a short period of time. Two of the nicest areas along the coast are Balatonfured and the nearby Tihany. Balatonfured has a lovely promenade along the lakeside, with plenty of benches and kiosks offering glasses of the quality local wines. The nearby Tihany is perched on an outcrop with spectacular views across the lake. Here you’ll find an 11th-century abbey with an ornate Baroque church, which becomes a popular spot for organ concerts during the summer months. Lake Balaton has been famous as a wine growing region since Roman times. The area around Balatonfured, and the nearby village of Csopak, is famed for crisp and dry white wines, especially Pinot Gris and Cabernet Sauvignon. The roads around the area are dotted with cellars offering tastings, which is a fun excursion for city break adventurers in Budapest.

For more info on a holiday to Hungary contact our Budapest city break experts today: info@vamostravel.com