Buda Castle hosts various festivals throughout the year, including an international wine festival, a beer festival and a folk art festival — time your visit accordingly!
Hungarians citizens moved to Castle Hill in the 13th century, seeking protection from the Mongolian invasion; the first royal castle was built around this time by Béla IV. Castle Hill really flourished in the 15th century, after the marriage of King Matthias Corvinus and Beatrix of Naples led to an influx of Italian artists and craftsmen and Buda became an influential European city. Its fortunes have been up and down since: the Turkish occupation and World War II both led to huge damage. Today it has been restored to its former glory, and is now recognised as a World Heritage Site.
The hill itself is a kilometre-long limestone plateau that towers over the Danube, offering a breathtaking panorama of the river and the Pest side of the city on the opposite bank. Below it there is a 28 kilometre-long web of caves formed by man-made passageways and thermal springs like those that fuel the city’s famous baths. Castle Hill has two main parts: the Old Town and the Royal Palace. Spread about it are many over Budapest’s most important medieval monuments and museums, including Trinity Square, Matthias Church and Fishermen’s Bastion.
The most picturesque ways to reach it are either by walking across Széchenyi Chain Bridge and taking the Sikló, a railway built in 1870 that ascends steeply from Clark Ádám tér to Szent György tér near the Royal Palace, or by walking up the Royal Steps leading northwest off Clark Ádám tér. Although people still live here, cars are banned from the area: taxis, buses and those who work or live there have permission to go up.
Please note that children below 15 years are not allowed to enter the Thermal Pools.
Budapest, Hungary’s capital and the largest city on the River Danube became famous for its spectacular architecture, rich cultural heritage, vast Parliament building, impressive synagogues, delicious local cuisine, and for being the world’s top Spa destination! The 19th-Century Chaine Bridge connects the hilly Old Town of Buda with the flat but vibrant district of Pest. On your full-day tour, your expert local guide will show you some of the most important historical and cultural sites of Budapest - and not to mention some truly breathtaking views.
On your private tour, you will:
Explore the beautiful city of Budapest, a great city of the Renaissance, situated majestically on the Danube River. Budapest is famous for its stunning array of architecture and fairytale towers displayed extravagantly all over the city from the castle to the opulent parliament building; for its abundance of luxury thermal spas and vast network of underground caves; for its gastronomy; and for its rich artistic and cultural heritage.
Budapest is the cultural, political, and economic hub of Hungary. The mighty Danube River neatly dissects the city, with the old town of Buda extending into the hills on the west bank and Pest sitting in the lowlands to the east. As Hungary’s largest city, Budapest is multi-cultural and multi-ethnic thanks to its long and complex history beginning with the Romans, and the legacies of the Asiatic conquest, Mongol invasion, Ottoman siege, German control, and Soviet rule. Your guide will talk you through the many trials and tribulations of the city, and the story of how Buda and Pest were eventually united as one city.
Enjoy exploring both sides of the city; start at the Heroes' Square and learn about the iconic Millennium Monument with statues featuring the Seven chieftains of the Magyars as well as the Memorial Stone of Heroes. Walk around trendy Pest home to the largest Parliament building in the world, its height is matched by the imposing St Stephen’s Basilica, and the Great Synagogue is also one of the largest places of worship for the Jewish faith in the world.
Then head across the river to the old town of Buda, with spectacular views from the castle. Enter Matthias Church and end your tour at Fisherman’s Bastion where you can admire the panoramic views at your leisure.
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