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$31.19 - All activities
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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…
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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.
reviewed
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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.
reviewed
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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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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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Absolute Walking Tours
This very reliable outfit has, among other tours, a 3½-hour guided promenade through City Park, central Pest and Castle Hill. Tours depart twice daily from mid-May to September and once daily the rest of the year from the steps of the yellow Calvinist church on V Deák Ferenc tér. Cracker specialist tours include the Hammer & Sickle Tour and the Hungaro Gastro Food & Wine Tour.
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Budatours
Increasingly popular are ‘hop-on, hop-off’ buses run by Budatours, in both open and covered coaches. They depart for 10 different stops every half-hour to an hour between 10am and 5.30pm to 7.30pm from V Andrássy út 3. Though the ticket is valid for 24 hours, it’s a two-hour tour if you just stay on and there is taped commentary in 16 different languages.
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Pálvölgy Cave
The second largest in Hungary, this 19km-long cave discovered in 1904 is noted for both its stalactites and its bats. Be advised that the 500m route involves climbing some 400 steps and a ladder, so it may not be suitable for the elderly or children under five. The temperature is a constant 8°C so wear a jacket or jumper. Tours lasting 45 minutes depart hourly from 10.15am to 4.15pm.
reviewed
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József Bozsik Stadium
There are four premier league football teams in Budapest out of a total 12 nationwide, including Kispest-Honvéd, which plays at József Bozsik Stadium southeast of the city, accommodating 15,000 spectators.
The daily Nemzeti Sport (National Sport), available from newsstands everywhere, has the game schedules.
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Legenda River Cruises
This long-established operator has both day and night cruises on the Danube, with taped commentary in up to 30 languages. The night lights of the city rising to Buda Castle, Parliament, Gellért Hill and the Citadella make the evening trip far more attractive than the afternoon one. Check Legenda's website for the schedule.
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Petneházy Lovascentrum
One of the closest riding schools to Budapest is the long-established Petneházy Lovascentrum at Adyliget near Hűvösvölgy. It offers paddock practice (2500Ft per hour) and open trail riding (4500Ft) as well as pony rides (1500Ft per 15 minutes) for the kiddies and carriage rides (10,000Ft per 30 minutes for eight people).
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Atmas Center
A very central place for yoga classes is the Atmas Center, in the same building as the Indian restaurant Govinda. Classes begin at 5pm and 7pm Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, at 4pm and 6pm Tuesday, at 2pm and 4pm Friday and at 10am and noon on Saturday. A day ticket is 1700Ft; a season pass with 10 entries is 13,000Ft.
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Cave Bath
The curative waters of the thermal spa in this southwestern recreational suburb, 7km from the centre of Miskolc, have been attracting bathers since the Middle Ages, though the gimmicky Cave Bath, with its earth walls, 'mildly radioactive waters' and thrashing shower at the end, is a relatively new arrival (1959).
reviewed
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Guided Walks
The Aggtelek National Park Directorate organises a number of programs, including three-hour guided walks in Aggtelek and Jósvafő, as well as themed tours of the national park lasting three to six hours - from ecology to zoology and botany. Note that some walks can be combined with cave tours.
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Mahart PassNave
From late April to late September, Mahart PassNave has two-hour cruises along the Danube on the hour from 11am to 7pm and again at 8.30pm and 9.30pm. In the low season, from mid-March to late April and late September to early November, there are between six and eight departures a day starting at 11am.
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Narrow-Gauge Train
You can actually ride a Narrow-Gauge Train (departures from Kastély train station, Nagycenk) for 5.5km to Fertőboz and back. All except the last turn around at Fertőboz in less than half an hour for the return trip to Kastély. There are also shorter trips to Barátság.
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FTC Albert Stadium
No club has dominated Budapest football over the years like Ferencváros Torna Club (FTC), the country’s loudest and brashest team. You either love the Fradi boys in green and white or you hate ’em. Watch them play at FTC Albert Stadium, with space for 18,000 raucous spectators.
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Zalakaros
If you want to take the (thermal) waters, you'll have to go to the spa at Zalakaros, 18km to the northeast near the Little Balaton (Kis-Balaton). The Zalakaros spring, which gushes out of the ground at an incredible 92°C, was discovered by workers drilling for oil in the early 1960s.
reviewed