Yes, it’s snowing! Happy Winter from Budapest!
My most popular day trip from Budapest is the full-day Eger and Wine tour, including the visit of the charming Baroque town of Eger and the visit of local wineries and vineyards. This is how Eger looks like in the winter. And, believe me, the wine is just as great in November as it is in the spring or summer. Book the tour and see it for yourself!
I’m posting a lot about the Fisherman’s Bastion, not only because it’s very unique and beautiful, but also, because this is probably the most popular tourist attraction of Budapest. Thousands of people are taking pictures here every day, sometimes you have to wait in line to get a good spot. The line to buy tickets to go to the upper level – that I highly recommend – is usually long, but you can skip the line buying your tickets online. When time permits I take my travellers to the very top to enjoy the views.
It’s very rare to see the Fisherman’s Bastion deserted, with only a very few people around, but I was lucky this week to be the only one on top of Budapest.
I’m taking thousands of pictures in Budapest every year, and many of them are taken at the very same spot. This is the upper station of the Buda Castle Funicular, close to the Sándor Palace and the Royal Palace. While my travellers are entertained by the changing of the guards, I’m taking pictures. Have a look, how different the pictures are even though they are taken at the same place. Join me for a walk in the Buda Castle District to see it for yourself!
This truly magnificent Neo-Renaissance building is on Andrássy street, right across from the State Opera House. I keep telling stories about the building, home of Drechsler Café, that was originally built for the pensioners of the National Rail Services. For many many long years the building was hiding behind scaffolding and recently it reopened as the W hotel. I hope you agree with me when I say that the renovators made a wonderful job and filled the palace with elegance and charm.
Thank you for all your great reviews and comments, it’s always a pleasure to read your kind words. And, I’m very proud to announce that I just got this very special award from Tripadvisor – Travelers’ Choice 2023.
I’m truly happy and promise to do my best to help you collect the nicest memories while I’m showing you around my Beautiful Budapest. And please keep sharing your comments!
Every year, at the end of August some of the great Hungarian folk artists have a special opportunity to put on display their talent and products: the folk art festival in the Buda Castle district. Visitors can watch and also participate in activities, such as sewing, lace or embroidery making, wood carving and many more. It’s a great occasion to meet local craftsmen and craftswomen, observe their techniques and tricks and also to buy local folk products. I loved the little old ladies teaching me sewing, trust me, they are very patient with visitors much less talented and experienced than they are.
The 20th of August is the only Hungarian national holiday in the summer, celebrations usually go on for days and the city is filled with visitors from all around Hungary and from abroad. The most special attraction every year is the fireworks on the night of the 20th, that can be seen from the banks of the river and the hills around it.
Heroes square truly is the alpha and the omega of all Budapest tours, driving or walking. It’s beautiful, monumental and the entire Hungarian history is on display. It’s the entrance to City Park, where there is so much to do or to see: the Zoo, Széchenyi bathhouse, the open-air ice skating rink, the Vajdahunyad Castle, the city Circus, some museums and great playgrounds for kids. It is very rare to see it as empty and deserted as it was this morning.
Mí favourite winter program is to go ice skating to the City Park.
Days are getting shorter and nights are getting longer and this is how Beautiful Budapest looks like with all the amazing lights.
Sometimes it’s hard to get out of bed in the morning but by the time I get to downtown Pest for a tour I’m the most grateful to live in the most beautiful city of the world.
The bells of Matthias Church early in the morning right after sunrise on a beautiful day of autumn.
It really is a great time to visit Budapest, the colours of autumn are simply magnificent and there aren’t big crowds of tourists at the hot spots. Book a tour or let me know if you’re interested in a custom itinerary!
It’s always great to read reviews and to learn about how much travellers enjoyed their tours with me. Here are a few ones from September.
Having Julia show us around Budapest was the experience of a lifetime. She was so knowledgeable, so interesting, and so much fun we didn’t want the tour to end. It is obvious that she loves her city, and her enthusiasm and insight made us love it too. I cannot recommend Julia more. She is a gem. Get her if you can. Richard E. U.S.A.
Thus was a fantastic tour by a Budapest local. Julia was an amazing guide…prompt, friendly, courteous and full of information about her hometown. She took us to a local hangout for a traditional lunch and to “off the beaten path” sights to see. Definitely recommend Julia….5+ stars!!!
Julia was an exellent tour guide.We would rate her a high 5 and recommend her without reservation.
What a real pleasure to meet Julia via her virtual tour of Budapest. My sister and i were introduced to the Buda side of Budapest and Julia did an amazing job of being our virtual tour guide. Her detailed knowledge of history and her city was excellent and we felt we were walking along with her on the tour. Plenty of time for questions and she is a beautiful person….thanks so much Julia ��
It was informative and interesting. Participants were positively surprised how good a virtual guided tour can be.
My old-new passion is to collect the sounds of Budapest, recording local music all over the city. This is the third recording in my collection, a short organ recital in the Cave Church. Hopefully soon enough, I’ll have enough materials to create my Budapest Symphony.
This is probably the number one Instagram spot in Budapest, a cool place to take your selfie when you visit my beautiful city. It’s usually very crowded and sometimes you have to wait to get to the best photo spot but there are times of the day when it’s really quiet and you can have it all for yourself. Visiting the Fisherman’s Bastion is part of my Buda Castle walk and can be included in the itinerary of other tours as well.
I’ve had received today some inquiries about how the new recommendations issued by the European Union might affect travels from the US to Hungary. The US is one of the five countries that have been removed from the EU safe travel list.
What is important is that this is a guidance and each EU countries decide individually about travel restrictions. As for Hungary, you can enter Hungary if you come from the US with a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours – no PCR test is needed when you get to Hungary by road, rail or waterway.
What is even more important is that Budapest is as beautiful as always, it’s not overcrowded with tourists, so it’s still a great time to come and see. Let me know if you have questions, or book a tour! Also, don’t forget that a private tour is safer than being in large tour groups, myself and the drivers I work with are fully vaccinated and can’t wait to meet you!
