Discover Hungary
The Danube leads the way on our Hungary holidays, which you can explore by boat and bike, en route between other countries served by this iconic river. In Hungary, it’s the classically beautiful capital of Budapest, medieval towns of Szentendre and Esztergom, that you explore on cycling and walking tours.
One of the glories of our Hungary tours, however, is that this region is located on the famous Danube Bend, a wonderful part of the world to just go with the flow.
If you’re more of a mountain than a mooring-up sort of person, we also have walking holidays in Hungary’s Visegrád Mountains and Danube–Ipoly National Park, all part of Europe’s Carpathian wonderland.
Our tours in Hungary
Adventure types
Hungary: where to go
Visegrád Mountains
The Visegrád Mountains are in the southernmost part of the Inner Western Carpathians and make for some superb early summer and autumn saunters on this walking holiday. Your walking adventure is made pretty straightforward too, by staying in one hotel throughout, in the town of Visegrád, which has a stunning location on the River Danube Bend, with views across the mountains. All just 40km from Budapest. This makes for easy transfers to the region’s natural heritage highlights, including Danube–Ipoly National Park, the Visegrád Mountains’ neighbouring Pilis Mountains, also part of the Carpathians, and former Spartacus Hunting Trail, now one of the country’s famous hiking routes.
Danube–Ipoly National Park
This is Hungary’s second largest national park, covering the aforementioned Visegrád, Pilis and Börzsöny mountain ranges, as well as parts of Szentendre Island. River conservation is also central to the park’s remit, with the park’s name coming from the country’s two most famous rivers. So it’s fitting that you start your walks in the heart of the park, on this walking holiday, by taking a ferry across the Danube to Nagymaros. Here you have access to trails such as around St. Mihály Saddle, taking you to an elevation of 384m, and some superb views of the Danube Bend and national park as well as into neighbouring Slovakia. Or a longer 13km circular walking trail, which takes you as high as Mount Szent Mihály-hegy (484m) and Julianus lookout tower. As well as to the swimming beach at Zebegény, for a dip in the Danube.
Danube River Bend
Although the famous Danube River Bend is part of the Visegrád Mountains’, Danube–Ipoly National Park’s and eponymous town’s landscapes, we’re giving it a special spotlight here all to itself. Known as Dunakanyar in Hungarian, it’s one of the country’s most photographed and celebrated natural phenomena. It’s the point where the river flows between the two mountainous regions of Visegrád and Börzsöny, forcing the river to change direction from east-west to north-south. It’s quite the about turn. It features on these cycling holidays, and you also get superb views of it on this walking holiday.
Budapest
The Hungarian capital is divided into two halves by the Danube, namely Buda and Pest but opinion is rarely divided on just how spectacular a city it is. On our cycling holiday between Vienna and Budapest, you can always extend your trip at the end to take it all in. And on this bike and boat holiday, you get plenty of time in the capital before the boat continues back to Passau, via Vienna. Whether you’re visiting Budapest’s riverfront location, catching a funicular to Buda’s Castle Hill, walking up Gellért Hill to visit the Freedom Statue, or bathing at its historic and uber-gorgeous Gellert Baths, Budapest is full of zest.
Esztergom
Esztergom was the capital of Hungary until the 13th century, and so it keeps anyone who is hung-ary for historical nuggets very happy. It’s still the capital of the Hungarian Catholic Church, and home to Esztergom Basilica, the largest church in Hungary which stands proudly, for all to revere, on the riverfront. Ecclesiastical sights are ever present in Esztergom, such as the Prímási Palota, a neoclassical and pretty classy archbishops’ palace and the Keresztény Múzeum, home to a large collection of religious paintings and sculptures. You visit it on these cycling holidays.
Szentendre
Szentendre is another star of the Danube Bend region, put on the map by local and international artists back in the 1920s. It’s home to elegant churches, domes overlooking the Danube, a funky Fo Ter (main square in Hungarian) and multicoloured handsome and historic houses. Other highlights include Blagovestenska Serbian Orthodox Church, a towering pearl-white church built in 1754 in baroque and rococo style. Or Margit Kovács Ceramics Museum, which is home to the lifework of Kossuth Prize-laureate ceramic artist Margit Kovács (1902–1977). Unlike Budapest, Szentendre isn’t packed with tourists, although word is getting out. Hike or cycle there on one of these adventure holidays in Hungary.
Travel and visa requirements
Read more about Hungary
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