Daytrip to Budapest from Vienna and Bratislava – restrictions related to COVID

I get a lot of inquiries about travel restrictions related to COVID, it’s actually still not easy to find out who can enter Hungary.

The basic rules:

  • The citizens of the EU who have the EU green card (EU Digital Covid Certificate) are free to enter Hungary by plane, by car, by train or by boat.
  • Travellers coming from outside the EU are free to enter Hungary by car, by train or by boat.
  • There are no local restrictions so you can go to any museum, restaurant, café, bar, hotel or bathhouse without any proof of vaccination and wearing a mask is no longer obligatory.

Hopefully very soon the same restrictions will apply to travellers coming from the EU and from outside the EU, it’s basically a political decision and there is nothing we can do to help visitors.

The good news, is that if you are in Vienna or Bratislava, you’re very close to Budapest and can easily plan a daytrip to visit my beautiful city. The train connections between Vienna and Budapest and between Bratislava and Budapest are great and it’s easy to book tickets. I can also help you to arrange for private transportation if needed.

I’m happy to customise any of my walking or driving tours so that you can have the perfect Budapest experience. I can pick you up at the train station or meet you in the city centre of Budapest and you’ll see all the main attractions and the most beautiful parts of the city in a couple of hours. Please let me know if you need more details or have further questions.

 

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Budapest Matthias Church
Best of Pest Private Walking Tour
Full Day Budapest Private Walking Tour
Budapest Baths Private Walking Tour
Half Day Budapest Private Driving Tour
Budapest Private Driving Tour with Parliament visit

Rumbach street synagogue is now open for visitors

Rumbach street synagogue, one pillar of the famous synagogue triangle in Budapest was closed for renovation works for almost three years. From the 19th of July the synagogue is open for visitors, so that you can admire the interior of the building designed by Otto Wagner in the 1860’s.

The synagogue is of moorish architecture and surely you’ll be amazed by the abundance of colours: blue, purple and golden. There will be concerts, performances, exhibitions and conferences held in the building and you can also have some coffee and snack in the cafeteria.

I’m happy to show you the building when you book a Jewish Quarter walking tour with me.

Rumbach Street Synagogue Budapest Rumbach Street Synagogue Budapest
Rumbach Street Synagogue Budapest Rumbach Street Synagogue Budapest
Rumbach Street Synagogue Budapest Rumbach Street Synagogue Budapest
Rumbach Street Synagogue Budapest Rumbach Street Synagogue Budapest

 

Budapest Jewish Quarter Private Walking Tour
€180

BUDAPEST JEWISH QUARTER WALK

Easy
4 hours
view

Private daytrip to the lake Balaton from Budapest

The lake Balaton is the number one destination of Hungarians in the summer months. It’s the greatest freshwater lake in Central Europe and is famous for its wine regions, cute little villages, beautiful castles and of course the magnificent views over the lake.

You can book the tour or contact me for further details. I’ll make sure to include in the itinerary all the sights you would like to see.

Budapest Lake Balaton Private Tour
€610

VESZPRÉM AND THE LAKE BALATON

Medium
8 hours
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Great Synagogue Budapest

Unfortunately the Great Synagogue (or as we call it the Dohány street Synagogue) is not yet open for visitors, however, we were fortunate enough to visit the building. It was unusually quiet and empty without the hundreds of tourists but it was a very special tour as you can see in the pictures. The synagogue will reopen in August and hopefully you’ll include a visit when you are in Beautiful Budapest.

Book the Jewish Quarter tour with me to explore all the sights and history of the Jewish Quarter of Budapest.

Budapest Great Synagogue Tour Budapest Great Synagogue Tour
Budapest Great Synagogue Tour Budapest Great Synagogue Tour
Budapest Great Synagogue Tour Budapest Great Synagogue Tour
Budapest Great Synagogue Tour Budapest Great Synagogue Tour

 

 

Budapest Jewish Quarter Private Walking Tour
€180

BUDAPEST JEWISH QUARTER WALK

Easy
4 hours
view

COVID-19 update: entry into Hungary from neighbouring EU countries

I was surprised to see that two cruise ships are currently docked in Budapest and I also met real tourists in the Buda Castle District and the City Park.

I’ve just checked the official website of the Hungarian Police. It says: “Except in the case of entry by civil aircraft, entry into Hungary from Croatia, Austria, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia, regardless of nationality or protection against the coronavirus, is possible without epidemiological restrictions, but providing other general conditions of entry (eg valid travel document) is necessary.”

I’d think it means that travellers can enter the country without restriction except in case of entry by civil aircraft. However, I read the entire article and found this: “Foreign citizens arriving from abroad in passenger traffic – unless otherwise specified by law or government decree – shall not enter Hungary.” 

It’s hard to tell which rules apply to those who would like to get into the country by car. By the 1st of July the all travel restrictions will be lifted for those who have the EU COVID-19 Passport (when travelling, every Digital Green Certificate holder will have the same rights as citizens of the visited Member State who have been vaccinated, tested or recovered). I’m really looking forward to it and to welcoming travellers in my Beautiful Budapest.

Goodbye Chain Bridge, see you soon!

The iconic Chain Bridge is closed for renovation works and will hopefully reopen at the end of 2022. We’ll of course miss it and our walking and driving tours will be a little bit different but we all agree that our Old Lady has needed these renovation works for a very long time.

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15th of March - national holiday in Hungary 15th of March - national holiday in Hungary
Half Day Budapest Private Driving Tour
Budapest Private Driving Tour with Parliament visit
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Tips and tricks for football fans – Budapest, host city of UEFA EURO 2020-2021

I know that many football lovers arrive to Budapest to watch the matches. There are of course several restrictions regarding border entry (more details here). Once you comply with all requirements and have your EURO 2020 wristband, it’s time to discover Beautiful Budapest! I’m happy to offer you a customised tour or help you with tips and recommendations, get in touch with me for more details!

If you’re about to explore Budapest on your own, don’t miss any of these beautiful parts of the city:

Ticket holders who have their EURO 2020 wristband can visit all monuments, museums and bathhouses, it’s really a unique chance to see Budapest as you’ve never seen it before.

Visit Budapest EURO 2020 Visit Budapest EURO 2020
Visit Budapest EURO 2020 Visit Budapest EURO 2020
Visit Budapest EURO 2020 Visit Budapest EURO 2020

Matches at Puskás Aréna, Budapest:
Tuesday 15 June 2021 – Group F: Hungary vs Portugal (18:00, local time)
Saturday 19 June 2021 – Group F: Hungary vs France (15:00, local time)
Wednesday 23 June 2021 – Group F: Portugal vs France (21:00, local time)
Sunday 27 June 2021 – R16: 1C vs 3D/E/F (18:00, local time)

A real in-person tour after a very long time

I was lucky today to perform a real, in-person tour, I can’t even describe how delightful it was. After months of delivering virtual tours and not being able to connect with my travellers in person I was starving for the real personal touch.

Walking around the city is always magical, but it’s even more magical now as there are only very few people around that visitors might feel they are the only tourists in Beautiful Budapest. We were the only ones in Matthias Church and St. Stephen’s Basilica and really felt like being part of a very exclusive club 🙂

Unfortunately our borders are still closed for tourists (except if they come from a few selected countries) so I can’t encourage you to come and visit now but if you happen to be in Budapest for any reason, contact me for a tour, you won’t regret it!

Must-See: Academy of Music

I’m still not sure when Hungary’s borders will reopen and travellers can visit Beautiful Budapest, so here is another building for you to admire from a distance.

The Academy of Music is a real jewellery box in the 6th district of Budapest. It’s a music university and a concert hall that opened in 1907. The style is a very interesting mixture of Gothic and Art Nouveau but you might see elements of Classicism, too. The facade is so ornate that it will take you some time to spot the statue of Franz Liszt right above the entrance. Franz Liszt, the most famous Hungarian composer founded the music academy in his home in 1875 and the academy got named after him in 1925.

The building can be visited, there are guided tours, but the most amazing experience is to go to a concert, so that you can admire the building and music at the same time. Most of the programs were either cancelled or are held online and personally I can’t wait to go in person hopefully in the near future.

Academy of Music Beautiful Budapest Private Tours Academy of Music Beautiful Budapest Private Tours
Academy of Music Beautiful Budapest Private Tours Academy of Music Beautiful Budapest Private Tours
Academy of Music Beautiful Budapest Private Tours Academy of Music Beautiful Budapest Private Tours
Academy of Music Beautiful Budapest Private Tours Academy of Music Beautiful Budapest Private Tours
Academy of Music Beautiful Budapest Private Tours Academy of Music Beautiful Budapest Private Tours

Parliament reopens – reduced ticket prices until September 2021

Great news from Budapest: from the 14th of May the fascinating building of the Parliament of Hungary can be visited again, there are tours every day between 9.00 AM and 3.00 PM. What’s more important is that the ticket prices have been reduced by 50%:

EU citizens: HUF 1600 / person

non-EU citizens: HUF 3200 / person

I think it’s a great opportunity to visit the Parliament now, I often tell that this really is one of the most spectacular buildings of Beautiful Budapest and definitely is a must-see when you visit my city.

As for now the COVID regulations are very strict: “The House of Parliament is open for visitors with an immunity certificate or immunity certificate application as well as for minors under their supervision; after their body temperatures are taken. The use of hand sanitisers installed in the Parliament building and the Visitor Centre is mandatory. Wearing a mask covering the nose and mouth is recommended. Please observe the social distancing rule and keep a 1.5-metre distance from others. Visits are to be undertaken on the sole responsibility of the visitors.”

The only problem is that it’s impossible for individuals to book a tour in advance, tickets can only be purchased on the spot on the day of the visit. I’m an official Tour Guide partner of the Parliament Visitor Center with special permissions so if you book a Full-day tour with Parliament visit with me I can book your Parliament tickets in advance. The Parliament visit can be incorporated in other tours, too, just let me know about your preferences!

Visiting the Houses of Parliament of Budapest Visiting the Houses of Parliament of Budapest
Visiting the Houses of Parliament of Budapest Visiting the Houses of Parliament of Budapest
Visiting the Houses of Parliament of Budapest Visiting the Houses of Parliament of Budapest
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