45 Best Local Tours in Budapest

Everything that is in the description on the website is true! The bus was there on time, there was room for luggage and ... it was comfy to ride in! Our guide was just amazing. You just had to like her from the beginning. She easily connected with all the guests and really made the people see the country. Even though the weather changed between light and heavy rain during the day, she was our sunshine on this day! We can highly recommend taking this trip!

We would highly recommend visiting this Chocolate Museum while in Budapest.Just an amazing place with so much history. Our tour guide was so welcoming and friendly. We had many tastings,made our own chocolate tart and had a wonderful sit down chocolate cake with drinks. We made our own way by public transport from the city centre and it was easy to find. Great experience and highly recommended.

Guide - Andi Driver - Tamas I can't offer enough praise for this experience. This was a great day. I learned, laughed and never once felt bored. Hungary is a country I knew very little about and after this drive, I was left wanting more. Thank you so much for a wonderful day!

Our trip to Budapest was an extended weekend spa hotel visit to the Hotel Gellert, not our first visit to this exciting city and on a previous visit we had seen that there was a Hungarian cookery class course, with a visit to the food market
Our spec from from Agnes was that we should meet up at the market at 09:00, where Andrew would meet us and guide us through the market while we bought all the ingredients for our pre-chosen courses, the cookery glass offers a large selection of traditional Hungarian dishes, all which are possible to make on the day course
We know the markert well, but shopping together with Andrew was a whole new market experience, learning about the traditional Hungarian ingredients, buying local and not foreign vegtables, what cuts of meat to get for the dishes that we had chosen, tastings with the stall holders, local cheeses and good advice on where to buy Hungarien salami and sausage, which evolved into a salami hunt through the market until we found Andrew’s recommended salami choice
After our market breakfast (don’t eat any breakfast before you go, the stallholders are very generous) we headed for the kitchen
After a short taxi trip we arrived across town where we would spend the rest of the day preparing our meals, the prepping started with a plum palinka...a good start...
We enjoy cooking and it was hands on from the start, with professional guidance from Andrew on how to prep, how much paprika to add to get the correct flavour and loads of good tips passed on from his grandfathers ‘tried and tested’ recipes
Our choice was, Goulash, chicken paprika, and cottage cheese pancakes, we prepped all the veg and meat and slowly started to prepare the courses, helped along with a glass or two of wine, lots of interesting chat and insider info on Budapest and Hungary
Andrew had check on everything and in no time the first two courses were ready, soft silky Goulash soup, with just the right bite, suculent chicken paprika in a rich sauce, we retired to the table to enjoy the results. For our pancake finish, we cooked crepes, with local cottage cheese, lemon and double cream
Old style cooking with old style flavour, which you can only learn from a professional cooking from the heart
We had an awesome day and returned to our hotel, together with our present of a Speatzie noodle maker, which we will have great use for after our fantastic day learning how to make the real thing, an absolute must for all foodies

Agnes was an exceptional guide. We started the day at the Central Market where we explored local foods and treats and then visited many of the stalls to learn about Hungarian crafts and products. We then returned to the first floor to gather ingredients for our cooking class as well as sampling some additional treats - from cherry bon-bons, to cottage cheese candy bars to savory strudels. Agnes also explained about the mushroom examiner at the market which was truly fascinating. We then returned to the flat where Agnes provided us with a wonderful atmosphere to cook. Agnes adjusted the menu to accommodate my sister's vegetarian requirements and still created a tasty and traditional menu. Throughout the afternoon, Agnes provided us with insights into Hungarian traditions from explaining the local liqueurs to names days. It was a fabulous way to spend a day in Budapest! I would highly recommend this tour and would do it again when I return to Hungary.

Completely lived to all our expectations. Had some amazing two hours cruising along Danube river after the sunset. City looks absolutely stunning from the boat. Wine was good and staff was really friendly. Also you can ask musicians to play a song of your choice.
Worth the money!

The home cooking class was so much fun. It was the highlight of my trip to Europe. I learned so much more than Hungarian cooking. I learned about the culture as well. I will be taking another class when I am back in Hungary.

The tour was very interesting and thorough! One of the best tours I have ever been on. I felt very welcomed and would recommed this tour to anybody!

I was in Budapest recently and was definitely wanting to take a Danube cruise. Seeing a city from the river that runs through it is always such an awesome site.

Of course there are plenty of companies offering river cruises in Budapest and of course also night time party cruises. I'm not much of a party person or atleast not like in my younger years, but aquaintances who've been to the Hungarian capital said that the nightlife especially in the summer is not something to be left out.

So I let my friend talk me into taking the Party on the Danube cruise. It's a little pricey and the ticket only includes a welcome drink (however, I must note that additional drinks come at very reasonable prices), but the nightime view of Budapest from the Danube is totally worth it. It was great to kick back with an ice cold beer after a long day of sightseeing and just enjoy the gorgeaous view of the city.

After the cruise they take you to a club, where we actually ended up staying for most of the night. The ship docks at Margaret Island where the club is, which isn't a cheesy pop disco, more like an artsy, alternative bar. Also it was very easy to get a cab back to the hotel from there. I'd definitely go back to that club if ever visiting Budapest again in the summer and I'd also recommend the Party on the Danube cruise as a great way to unwind with a breathtaking view.

This experience was the highlight of a wonderful few days in this gorgeous city. From the minute we arrived in Agi's home we felt welcome and knew this was going to be a brilliant experience.

We were late (don't ask) but this didn't faze her at all, we were met with a glass of pulinka and canapes and after a short introductory chat we set to work. This was no impersonal industrial cookery school but the warm heart of Agi's home,In the 3 hours we were with her we made goulash soup, paprika chicken and Somloi Gluska for dessert. Everything was explained with lots of handy tips (we're both keen cooks but still picked up tips on when to season, how best to skin a chicken and so on) all accompanied with a very nice red wine. We then sat down to a long leisurely lunch when we chatted about the Hungarian way of life and learned about traditional customs and celebrations - so much more interesting than reading up on the subject!

When we left we were surprised with a lovely gift (wont spoil the surprise) and as soon as we got home we had copies of our recipes emailed to us complete with more handy tips.

This was a wonderful experience and one which we'd love to repeat both with Agi and in other cities.

This traditional cooking has some interesting advantages, in that the ingredients are widely available and there aren't so many steps that you couldn't make this on a regular basis at home, eating well without taking so much time out of your busy schedule.

The class itself was great. Agnes is warm and inviting, and knows her history and culture as well as the actual aspects of cooking. She's as willing to help with the basics such as knife skills, important steps like tempering, as well as l learning the techniques of the dishes themselves. In addition to the actual food we were preparing, we got to sample local produce, and of course palinka.

Another nice feature is the location. It's actually not far from where my tourists will be staying and touring, but it's still a short walk away from the river on the Buda side. Most people never venture beyond the castle, so we had a nice, short work into the really beautiful neighborhoods at the start of the hilly area.

I have just returned from an amazing European trip with my hubby and our best friends and during our time in beautiful Budapest we booked a cooking class with Agi, as I have a small home-based food business in Australia (Canefields Kitchen) and wanted to learn how to cook some Hungarian food from the experts. Agi was on holiday so my friend Ros and I enjoyed a fabulous cooking experience with Agi's co-cook Andrew. It was a wonderful morning and we learnt so much about Hungarian food, culture and lifestyle. The class was held at Agi's apartment, that was easy to get to by the Metro, and was homely and comfortable to work in. The food was simple and delicious and we loved the commentary of Andrew who was a delightful young man with lots of interesting facts and information to share. The food was fun to cook and was very tasty. We also experienced the traditional drink Palinka and some very nice Hungarian wine.Thanks Andrew! we loved the whole experience. Deb & Ros

We did the Jewish Grand Tour with Petra. She was fabulous, and the tour was great. I was initially concerned as Petra is not Jewish (although her great-grandfather (I think) was), but she was very knowledgeable about the area and the history of the Jews in Budapest and Hungary. Petra was engaging and had a good sense of humor (only when appropriate). I am very glad I had the opportunity to see the Dohany Synagogue and the other parts of the complex.. I was particularly moved by the Weeping Willow (Holocaust) memorial. The Museum was interesting -note that Petra was not our guide on this part of the tour but turned us over to a Museum guide who was quite good. We also went to an Orthodox synagogue, which was beautiful and interesting. In addition to being a great guide, Petra gave us advice about what else to see in Budapest, which was quite helpful. I highly recommend the Grand Tour and Petra.

We had a short time in Budapest, but read so many wonderful things about the cooking class wee decided it was a "must do." We were not disappointed. Agi and Andrew took us on a wonderful tour of the market and introduced us to many of the items we would be using in the dishes. We noshed on items from the upstairs food vendors and shopped for groceries to complete our meals. This was wonderful because it gave us an opportunity to discuss items that could be substituted for ingredients not available for us at home. Once back at the apartment the fun began. Agi and Andrew were patient in their teaching allowing us to be fully hands on. We talked, laughed, cooked and then enjoyed a fabulous lunch together. Eat light before you meet at the market. If we have the opportunity to return to Budapest we will definitely take another class.

This was the first Side Trip for me and my wife. Were we looking for a way to get from Budapest to Vienna and see some of the sights in between. Side Trips was the perfect choice. They met us at the pickup location with a nice minivan, tour guide, and driver. Besides me and my wife, there were 3 other guests. The minivan was very roomy and comfortable. We made 4 stops on the way to Vienna. All of these stops were to quaint little towns off the beaten path that had few tourists but were very quaint with scenic views and interesting history. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. The driver seemed to be a good driver who would drop us off near a good starting point then go park somewhere until called by the guide. It was everything we were looking for. We will certainly use Side Trips again.

Ivan is a great guide - hugely knowledgable on the subject and has some fascinating stories to bring to life the cold war era as you walk around beautiful Budapest.

From the beginning, Ivan had us hooked with tales of the people involved on both sides and how the various move and counter-move activities between the East and West played out - honey-traps, bribery and general coercion tactics.

If you are interested in a unique way to explore the city, absorb the history of the cold war and how it affected Budapest whilst having genuinely interesting conversations about people and politics (including the current state of European affairs (Brexit, Orban, popularism etc.) - you'll be in good hands with Ivan.

I got a chance to see a Hungarian folk dancing performance last weekend in Budapest. What a fun show it was! I'd read before that it was one of the must see things in Hungary, so my husband and I booked tickets ahead over the internet. This evening it was the Hungaria Gypsy Orchestra and Folk Ensemble who performed, (I read somewhere that they are the most famous Hungarian folk dance group.) The theater itself is richly ornamented and all around impressive.The dancers and musicians gave such an energetic performance, you can see that these are really talented and dedicated people who are preserving a unique art. If you're ever in Hungary, go see a folk dance show!

We had a wonderful day with Agnes, our guide and chef. After meeting at the Central Market, she toured us through this huge market, showing us many things in the vendor's stalls that are not typical in the USA where we are from. She also bought us several prepared food items there, so definitely do NOT have breakfast before meeting with her. There was so much good street food there. Afterwards, we took a taxi to her apartment, where we prepared a full course Hungarian menu. She is a very good cook, and we had fantastic goulash soup, chicken paprika and apple cake. We learned also how to make spaetzle. Definitely would recommend this experience.

We loved our trip to the chocolate museum. We took a taxi from the city center. It was about a 25 minute drive. Our tour guide, Erika gave us a wonderful tour. We learned the history of chocolate in Hungary. There is a great display of chocolate packaging over the last hundred years. We got to make our own chocolate tarts. There were plenty of chocolate samples during the tour. The tour ended with tea and more samples of chocolate. The museum is located in a beautiful renovated residence. Erika was very knowledgeable it was a delight to take her tour. If you love chocolate you will enjoy this experience. Highly recommended!

In Budapest celebrating my wife's birthday. We went to the baths and then finished the night doing this wine cruise. All seven wines tasted great (I'm no expert though) and the view from the river of all the major sites along the Danube can't be beat. Live music was great too. The only thing some might want to keep in mind is that you are at a table with about 8-10 other people and there are multiple cruises on the boat (beer tour, dinner, etc.). I would say definitely eat beforehand so that you can enjoy the wine and so there's no resentment about all the food that's set out that you don't have access to. Recommended!