Activities in Hungary
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FEATURED
Budapest Parliament House Tour
90 minutes (Departs Budapest, Hungary)
by Viator
When in Budapest, don't miss the opportunity to take a tour of the city's spectacular Parliament House, home of the Holy Hungarian Crown. You’ll discover…Not LP reviewed
from USD$33.52 - All activities
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Chefparade
The best-known cookery school dealing with foreigners is Chefparade in Ferencváros. Course dates vary – consult the website – but they usually run from 10am to 1pm, including visiting a market and preparing a four-course lunch, and cost €50 per person. Courses at other times and of a longer duration can be organised in advance.
reviewed
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Gellért
Soaking in this art nouveau palace, open to men and women in separate sections, has been likened to taking a bath in a cathedral. The eight thermal pools range in temperature from 26°C to 38°C, and the water – high in calcium, magnesium and hydrogen carbonate – is good for pains in the joints, arthritis and blood circulation. The outdoor pools (open May to September) have a wave machine and nicely landscaped gardens. The cost of admission with a cabin is reduced to 2700Ft after 5pm from May to September; and from October to April after 5pm Monday to Friday, and after 2pm Saturday and Sunday. You get 400Ft back in you stay less than two hours on your daytime ticket.
reviewed
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Rudas
These recently renovated baths are the most Turkish of all in Budapest, built in 1566, with an octagonal pool, domed cupola with coloured glass and massive columns. It’s a real zoo on mixed weekend nights, when bathing costumes are compulsory. Here you get 400Ft back if you leave within two hours after you arrive. If you're interested in just swimming, you can enter the renovated pool separately.
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Király
The four pools here, with water temperatures of between 26°C and 40°C, are genuine Turkish baths erected in 1570 and have a wonderful skylit central dome (though the place is begging for a renovation). Here you get a whopping 1000/500Ft back from your admission deposit if you leave within two/three hours.
reviewed
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Valley of the Women Wine Tasting
Wine tasting is popular in the wine cellars of the evocatively named Valley of the Women Wine Tasting (Szépasszony-völgy). This is the place to sample Bull's Blood - one of very few reds produced in Eger - or any of the whites: Leányka, Olaszrizling and Hárslevelű from nearby Debrő. The choice of wine cellars can be a bit daunting and their characters can change, so walk around and have a look yourself.
Cellar Nos 16, 17, 29 and 48 are always popular; for schmaltzy Gypsy music, try No 32 or 42. But if you're interested in good wine, visit cellar Nos 5, 18 and 31. Be careful, though; those glasses (about Ft50 to Ft80) go down easily. Hours are erratic, but a few…
reviewed
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Gellért Gyógyfürdő
Soaking in this Art Nouveau palace, open to both men and women in separate sections, has been likened to taking a bath in a cathedral. The pools maintain a constant temperature of 44°C, and the water, high in calcium, magnesium and hydrogen carbonate, is good for pains in the joints, arthritis and blood circulation. The entrance fee is actually a kind of deposit that's refunded when you leave, depending on how long you have stayed.
reviewed
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Széchenyi
At the northern end of City Park, the Széchenyi complex is unusual for its immensity (a dozen thermal baths and five swimming pools), its bright, clean atmosphere and its water temperatures (up to 38°), which really are what the wall plaques say they are. It’s open to both men and women at all times, and you get 400Ft back on your daytime entry fee if you leave within two hours.
reviewed
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Walking
The flat-topped forested massif overlooking the lake is just the place to escape the tipsy herds. If you'd like to get a running start on your hike, catch one of the open 4WDs marked 'Badacsony-hegyi járat'. The driver will drop you off at the Kisfaludy House restaurant where a large map of the marked trails is posted by the car park. Or you might arm yourself in advance with a copy of Cartographia's A Balaton 1:40,000 topographical map (No 41).
Several Walking paths lead to lookouts - at 437m, Kisfaludy Lookout (Kisfaludy kilátó) is the highest - and to neighbouring hills like Gulács-hegy (393m) and Szentgyörgy-hegy (415m) to the north. The landscape includes abandoned…
reviewed
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Hiking
Hiking is one of Tihany's main attractions; there's a good map outlining the trails near the front of the Abbey Church. Following the Green Trail northeast of the church for an hour will bring you to the Russian Well (Oroszkút) and the ruins of the Old Castle (Óvár) at 219m, where Russian Orthodox monks, brought to Tihany by Andrew I, hollowed out cells in the soft basalt walls.
The 232m-high Csúcs-hegy (Csúcs Hill), with panoramic views of Lake Balaton, is about two hours west of the church via the Red Trail. From here you can join up with the Yellow Trail originating in Tihanyi-rév, which will lead you north to the ruins of the 13th-century Apáti Church (Ápáti…
reviewed
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Bélapapuszta Equestrian Centre
Some 20km northwest of Martonvásár in the peaceful Vál Valley, the Bélapapuszta Equestrian Centre offers a delightful break from the trials of the outside world. Lessons are available both on the lead and in the paddock; riding is along the delightful trails of this 20-hectare property. Accommodation – four rooms and two apartments – is above the rather grand stables and looks onto open and closed paddocks. The restaurant, with its Italian resident chef, is open for lunch only Tuesday to Sunday though evening meals can be arranged. There’s only one direct bus a day from Martonvásár to the closest settlement, Tabajd (375Ft, 30 minutes); otherwise take any of up to seven…
reviewed
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Wine Cellars
Start with 100mL glasses; you may swallow more than you think you can drink. The correct order for sampling a half-dozen Tokaj wines is Furmint, dry Szamorodni, sweet Szamorodni and then the Aszú wines - from three to five or four to six puttony (a measure of Aszú essence added to base wines in making Tokaj; for more information). Private Wine Cellars (Tokaj) offering tastings (usually 16:00 to 21:00) are scattered throughout town, including those at Rákóczi Ferenc út 2, Óvári utca Nos 3, 6, and 8, and Bem József utca Nos 2 and 16
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Children’s Railway
Board the narrow-gauge Children’s Railway on Hegyhát út. The railway (with eight stops) was built in 1951 by Pioneers (socialist Scouts) and is now staffed entirely by schoolchildren aged 10 to 14 – the engineer excepted. The little train chugs along for 12km, terminating at Hűvösvölgy. Departure times vary widely depending on the day of the week and the season – consult the website – but count on one every hour or so between 9am or 10am and 5pm or 6pm. The line is closed on Monday from September to April.
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Yellow Zebra Bikes
Long-established and very reliable Yellow Zebra Bikes rents out bicycles year-round from just behind the Tourinform office, as well as from behind the Opera House from its Discover Budapest branch. It also runs cycling tours (adult/student 5000/4500Ft) of the city that take in Heroes’ Square, City Park, inner Pest and Castle Hill in around 3½ hours. Tours, which include the bike, depart from in front of the Lutheran church in V Deák Ferenc tér at 11am from April to October, with an additional departure at 4pm in July and August.
reviewed
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Hungária Koncert
Focusing on Budapest's Jewish heritage, this operator has a 2½-hour tour available twice daily most weekdays year-round and once on Sunday. The tour includes a visit to the Great and Orthodox Synagogues, the Jewish Museum, a walking tour of the ghetto and a nonkosher snack, as well as transport to the Great Synagogue.
Tickets are available from locations throughout the city, including the Duna Palota (V Zrínyi utca) entertainment centre and at the entrance to the Great Synagogue (VII Dohány utca 2-8).
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Hiking
You can join up with some excellent hiking trails above the Tourinform office in Aggtelek, affording superb views of the rolling hills and valleys. A relatively easy three-hour (7km) walk along the Baradla Trail, tagged yellow, will take you from Aggtelek to Jósvafő. There are other treks lasting five to six hours, and these can be used for cycling and horse riding. A 20km bicycle route links Aggtelek and Szögliget to the northeast, but unfortunately you'll have to bring your own bike.
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Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix
Reintroduced in 1986 after a hiatus of half a century, the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix is part of the World Championship Series that takes place at the Hungaroring at Mogyoród, northeast of Budapest, in August. Practice is on the Friday, the qualifying warm-up on Saturday and the race begins after morning practice on Sunday. The only seats with views of the starting grid are Super Gold ones; cheaper are Gold, which are near the pit lane, and Silver tickets. Standing room is also available.
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Paul Street Tours
These very personal walking tours cover the Castle District (about two hours), less-explored areas of Pest, such as the Jewish Quarter and Andrássy út (two to three hours), the Little Ring Road, the parks and gardens of Budapest and shopping, with lots of anecdotal information on architecture and social history, especially life in and around the udvar (courtyards) of fin-de-siècle Pest. Tours are available by appointment year-round in English or Hungarian.
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Hungarian Water Polo Association
The Hungarian Water Polo Association is based at the Alfréd Hajós swimming complex on Margaret Island. Matches take place here and at two other pools: the Császár-Komjádi swimming complex in Buda and the BVSC (XIV Szőnyi út 2; trolleybuses 74 or 74/a) in Pest from September to May. If you want to see a match or watch the lads training in summer, call the MVLSZ for times and dates, or get someone to check schedules for you in the daily Nemzeti Sport.
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Kincsem Park
Kincsem Park is the place to go for both trotting ( ügető ) and flat racing ( galopp ). Schedules can change but in general three trotting meetings of 10 or 11 races take place from 2pm to 9pm on Saturday and flat racing from 10.30am to 4pm on Sunday between May and November. The biggest event of the year is Ügetőszilveszter, a vastly popular extraordinary trotting meeting that attracts all ages on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve.
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Budapest Sightseeing Tour with Parliament House Visit
4 hours 30 minutes (Departs Budapest, Hungary)
by Viator
lt;pgt;Combine a comprehensive tour of Budapest sightseeing with a fascinating guided tour of the city's spectacular Parliament House, Hungary's largest…Not LP reviewed
from USD$61.68 Advertisement
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Lukács
Housed in a sprawling, 19th-century complex, these baths are popular with very keen spa aficionados. The thermal baths (temperatures 22°C to 40°C) are mixed and a bathing suit is always required. The renovated mud and weight bath, open from 6am to 6pm weekdays and to 4pm on Saturday, welcomes men on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and women on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. There are three swimming pools. You get 400/200Ft back if you leave within two/three hours.
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Budapest Half-Day Sightseeing Tour
3 hours (Departs Budapest, Hungary)
by Viator
lt;pgt;With a half day to discover Budapest, the Grand City Sightseeing Tour makes the perfect introduction for the first time visitor. With hotel pickup…Not LP reviewed
from USD$36.20 -
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Yellow Zebra Bikes (Discover Budapest branch)
Long-established and very reliable, Yellow Zebra Bikes rents out bicycles year-round. It also runs cycling tours (adult/student 5000/4500Ft) of the city that take in Heroes’ Square, City Park, inner Pest and Castle Hill in around 3½ hours. Tours, which include the bike, depart from in front of the Lutheran church in V Deák Ferenc tér at 11am from April to October, with an additional departure at 4pm in July and August.
reviewed
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Budapest City Walking Tour
3 hours (Departs Budapest, Hungary)
by Viator
lt;pgt;Get your bearings and see the sights on a 3-hour small-group walking tour of Budapest. Escorted by an expert English-speaking guide, you'll see all the…Not LP reviewed
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Budapest Folklore Show with Dinner
4 hours (Departs Budapest, Hungary)
by Viator
Spend an enjoyable evening at a traditional restaurant in the hills of Buda. You'll enjoy a three-course dinner followed by the typical Hungarian music and…Not LP reviewed
from USD$85.81