Iconic Sights & Hidden Gems • 8 hours 5.0 (6)

Must see Budapest with a local

Buda Castle, a trip to parliament and an opulent cafe for dobostorta.

Hop on tram line #2 for a scenic route of the city and a great way to see the top sites along the Danube

What makes this experience special

Key highlights

  • Enjoy 8 hours with a host, who will show you some of the places which make Budapest so remarkable
  • Tick off your ‘must see’ famous sites in a day then step of the tourist trail and uncover some secret spots too
  • Eat and drink great local food at places that are loved by locals, picking up street food or stopping in a local eatery
  • Pause to indulge in some delicious sweet treats at a traditional tea house
  • Get tips from your host (over a coffee or beer, perhaps) for the rest of your stay in Budapest

What to know before you go

Here’s everything you need to know before your day unfolds.

8 hours
Fully tailored to your preferences
English Other languages may be requested

What’s included

Private and personalized experience
8-hours with a host
Walking experience (if required, your host can suggest public transport or private taxi options)
Hotel meet-up (available on request for central location)

What’s not included

Food and drink
Tickets to any attractions
Transport costs
Gratuities (optional)

Meeting point

Your hotel/apartment or any other central location

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience

What to bring

  • We recommend wearing comfortable shoes and carrying a light bag for your essentials.
  • Public transport may be used during the experience - please bring a travel card or small amount of cash for fares.

How your day could unfold

A flexible, unscripted experience designed entirely around your interests. Your host will adapt the day based on what excites you most

What you’ll do

Budapest is not just the sum of its parts- it is a feeling you get as you wander its charming streets and soak up its lively community spirit. Granted, you might not be able to tick off every sight in a single day but one of our friendly local Budapest hosts can help you tap into its vibrant energy!

Join them on an adventure as you wander the streets, where stunning architectural diversity makes a colorful backdrop of the city. You could visit the awe-inspiring Buda Castle, stroll past the lush park of Margaret Island as you head on over to the Hungarian Parliament Building, and indulge in a trip to the Great Market Hall or Szèna tèr market, where you can meander through the many stalls and get lost in its street food culture.

Imagine treating yourself to pogàcsa, a classic type of savory snack topped with cheese or pumpkin seeds, or lángos, an indulgent, fried dough topped with sour cream and cheese. But there’s always room for dessert, or even another meal (why not, you’re on holiday) - so stop by a grandiose teahouse or traditional restaurant too. You can’t experience it all in a day, but you can sure try.

1. Select a date
2. Select start time
3. Tailor your experience
Answer a few quick questions to help your host craft the perfect day tailored to you.
1. What’s your preferred hosting style?
2. How would you like the pace of your day?
3. What’s your walking comfort level?
4. Are you celebrating something special?

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What travelers think of this experience

Christopher Dec 2019

This was our first time in Budapest, so we hired a guide for our first full day, deciding to concentrate on the Pest side with a 6hr guided walk..a very good decision as it gave a good orientation of the city and invaluable local knowledge.

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Christopher Dec 2019

This was our first visit to Budapest and although we had swatted up on info from the internet and from our purchased guide book (Marco Polo..concise,very portable and helpful with v good maps) we nevertheless thought it would be money well spent hiring a local host to guide us on our first full day...and so it proved to be. Given we were only in Budapest for a long weekend we did not want to waste time getting lost and walking past points of interest in blissful ignorance! We were also looking to get a good orientation of the city prior to exploring it further on our own...and we did. We concentrated on the Pest side of the city for our 6hrs local host guided walk. We had been in email contact with our host, Richard, prior to the trip and gave him an outline of our WANTS. We spent a most enjoyable 6hrs mostly walking, but also for the experience, riding on a tube and a tram, during which time we were given an excellent introduction to the many sites to see in Pest, many of which we would have missed if not for our host knowledge. Richard spoke excellent English and proved most knowledgeable and enthusiastic about his city and its history and throughout the walk was attentive to our needs, checking if the tour was meeting were expecting, which it more than was. The walk also offered numerous opportunities to talk about varied aspects of living in modern-day Budapest. We would recommend Richard as your local host without hesitation. Chris and Lesley.

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Karen Jul 2017

Esther was a wonderful guide and very knowledgeable. She was very sweet and fun to be with too. I would recommend her for anyone that wants a private experience in Budapest.

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Yunna Apr 2025

We loved our experience in Budapest with Lorinc! We wanted to see parts of the city that we would otherwise miss and he took us to the city park, which was mentioned briefly in our Lonely Planet Guide, so we really would not have considered going. Our kids LOVED the playground there, it really is one of the best playgrounds we've ever been to. And Lorinc was super knowledgeable about the history of Budapest and gave us a lot of context which helped us understand the city much better. It was also super interesting to hear him talk about his life there. We were also so surprised that he spoke fluent Japanese, so we had some chats in Japanese too, so that made us connect with him even more. It was so obvious that see that Lorinc loves Budapest and we really enjoyed spending the morning with him. His recommendations for a secret teahouse and the best restaurant we ate at were priceless! If you visit Budpest, make sure to ask for Lorinc.

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Michael Apr 2025

This was a well-led walk through some of Budapest’s lively neighborhoods. Guide Agnes quickly adapted her plans to match up with my interests, making it a very personalized experience. We sampled food, discussed local art, culture and history, and all in a relaxed way. This is a great way to experience a city for the first time.

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Michael Apr 2025

I was pleased with how quickly Agnes got acquainted with me so she could craft a unique and personally valuable tour of essential highlights —not just with food but with visual arts, historical background and things unique to Budapest. It was a relaxing and tasty way to experience a lot of the city in a short time.

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