Arrival at Budapest Airport or train station. Coach transfer with English-
Speaking assistance and porterage. According to flight or train arrival
time, a brief city orientation tour and/or lunch at a local restaurant can
be arranged prior to hotel checkin at a city center location. The rest of
the day is at leisure after hotel checkin. We usually recommend a 3 course
dinner with coffee at the hotel so that our visitors can relax and refresh
themselves for the next day's activities.
DAY 2
After breakfast, a coach will be waiting to take visitors on a guided
sightseeing tour that begins in Pest. Rakoczi Street is Pest's main
thoroughfare and the coach will pass St. Rokus Chapel with its relief
commemorating the 1838 Great Flood that devastated the not yet united
cities of Buda and Pest. The coach continues on past Eastern Railway
Station which is one of the many fine examples of Budapest's eclectic
style of buildings. Beyond the station, we take a left turn onto Dozsa
Gyorgy Street which was once the venue of grand Communist military
parades. Dozsa is also the border of the city's largest park. City Park is
the favorite gathering place of Budapestians and it is also a treasure
trove of the city's finest museums, spas and restaurants.
A stop will be made at Heroes' Square to see the kings and saints of
Hungarian history. Heroes' Square was built in 1896 as an entrance to the
World Exhibition that was to commemorate Hungary's millennium. It is also
the starting point of the continent's first subway. Other points of
interest in Pest, include the beautiful Hungarian State Opera, St. Stephen
Basilica and the majestic Hungarian Parliament Building along the Danube.
Before crossing the Danube River, the romantic hills of Buda come into
view. We will cross over on the Margaret Bridge for a drive through
Margaret Island. This magnificent recluse located in the middle of the
river, between Buda and Pest, has been used as a recreational area since
Roman times in the 2nd century A.D. The coach then climbs up Castle Hill
to the historic heart of Budapest where gothic Matthias Church and the
eclectic Fisherman's Bastion offers a unique combination of sites and one
of the best vantage points in Budapest. A half hour pause will be taken to
sip coffee, buy souvenirs, relax and enjoy the view. From there, its on to
Gellart Hill for the ultimate panorama of the majestic Danube River and
the twin cities of Buda and Pest below.
An interesting group lunch option after the tour would be at the
Restaurant Fakanal. This is a very special venue as it is located on the
first floor of the Budapest Grand Market Hall. It offers breakfasts and
lunches that exclusively contain Hungarian products from the downstairs
market stalls. A turn-of-the-century wood burning oven prevails in the
restaurant and all the goodies are served in hot pots just like you would
use in your kitchen at home. The food is what the typical Hungarian
housewife would cook for her family. We highly recommend the buffet
luncheon be washed down with wines made from Hungarian grape varieties
along with fruit juices made from various domestic products like berries,
peaches, apricots, apples or grapes.
DAY 3
There are many possible half and full day guided excursions to chose from.
Please note the following examples and brief descriptions of each.
A spa visit can be arranged which lasts about 3 hours door-to-door. A
coach arrives at the hotel and visitors are taken to the beautiful, Art
Nouveau Gellert Baths. The complex consists of a splendid swimming pool,
separate men's and women's baths, sauna, wet and dry steam chambers.
Various massage and beauty treatments are offered.
A half day tour to Szentendre which is a jewel of a baroque town only
10 minutes north of Budapest in the picturesque Danube Bend region.
Founded by Serbian settlers fleeing the Ottoman Turks onslaught in the
16th century, Szentendre is a charming town of cobblestone streets,
galleries, museums, cafes and excellent shopping. It is possible to
arrange a visit to the Margit Kovacs Museum of ceramics along with a group
lunch or lunch on your own. The excursion is for approximately 4 hours.
A full day excursion to the Herend Porcelain Manufactory begins with
a 2 hour drive through the picturesque Transdanubian countryside west of
Budapest. The coach also passes along the famous vacation resort area of
Lake Balaton which is central Europe's largest fresh water lake, as well
as, a celebrated wine region. Upon arriving at the Herend factory, which
is normally closed to the public, an in depth tour is conducted.
After the factory tour, there will be plenty of time to shop for Herend
porcelain before departing for the village of Band. This is where the
country's most authentic inn is found. We recommend a group lunch at the
inn along with local wine prior to returning back to Budapest.
Another recommended tour is a full day excursion to the beautiful
baroque town of Eger which is located in the gentle hills of northeastern
Hungary. It is the best preserved monument to the Turkish occupation of
the country which lasted for over 150 years in the 16th and 17th
centuries. Besides Eger's impressive forts, towers and castle, the city is
also famous for one of the most beautiful baroque basilicas in all of
Hungary. Eger is the center of the northeastern wine region, especially
for the famous Bull's Blood. Small wineries are located in the outskirts
of town with tastings of both wine and food possible. The drive from
Budapest is 2 hours and 20 minutes each way. A group lunch in Eger is
highly recommended.
VARIOUS THEME DINNERS can be arranged at local restaurants or historic
buildings. A Monk's Dinner is one such idea that is very popular. It is a
candlelight dinner held at the Kiscelli Museum which is an impressive
array of buildings dating as far back as the 16th century. Additional
information and specific menus are available on request.
Another option for a special dinner would be at the Museum of Applied
Arts. This museum is housed in one of the city's landmark buildings and it
is a classic example of Hungarian art nouveau architecture. Additional
information is available on request.
Please note that building rental fees for special dinners and parties can
sometimes be expensive for smaller groups. In all cases, whether it is for
private group dinners at hotels, restaurants or in historic buildings or
castles, local entertainment by roving minstrels or gypsy bands are both
inexpensive and charming. Also note that quite often these venues are a
good distance from the hotel and transfers may be required.
DAY 4
After breakfast, it is again time to transfer via motorcoach to the
Budapest Airport for the flight back to the U.S., or to the train station
for a rail journey on to Vienna, or to the Budapest pier for a combination
boat ride and coach tour to the next destination, which is most likely to
be the lovely and majestic city of Vienna. Specific details of a full day
touring transfer from Budapest to Vienna transfer are listed in the 3 day
Vienna program.
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
Additional hotel overnights, group meals and land services may be scheduled in
any of these cities.
EuroWorld Holidays, Ltd. and our DMC partners always strongly suggests that
groups chose 4/5 star hotels that are centrally located. There are some
excellent hotel values, especially in Vienna and in Budapest. When planning a
group program in Prague between April-November, it is critical that there is
at least 9-12 months advance notice, or more. It also helps to be flexible with
your dates as the limited supply of preferred hotel rooms in Prague is
outstripped by unbelievable demand.
We would discourage spending less than three nights in each city.
It is also possible to combine two cities instead of three cities. A minimum of
6 nights in one city allows groups to enjoy an in-depth visit to the city of
their choice.
On a three city program, we recommend that groups begin and/or end in either
Prague or Budapest due to logistical practicalities. A touring or straight
transfer from Prague to Budapest, or reverse, is doable, but it also tends to
be a very long day. This long transfer is also best accomplished by transitting
through the Vienna area.
EuroWorld Holidays, Ltd. has an extensive library of personal photos of Prague,
Vienna and Budapest that are available for promotional purposes to confirmed
group programs.
Tours, excursions, group meals and activities can be planned around specific
themes or interests.
