Bus Tours
EUrama Travel Agency (tel. 1/327-6690; www.eurama.hu) offers a bus tour called the Budapest City Circle Sightseeing Tour. Their red double-decker bus can be seen rolling through the streets of the city. They also offer a variety of other tours including walking tours of the Jewish District and Parliament. The duration of the City Circle Tour is 3 hours with the usual stops around the city. They will pick you up free at your hotel, otherwise there is a meeting point for alternative accommodations. In summer, they have three tours at 10am, 11am, and 2:30pm. In winter, the tours are offered at 10am and 2:30pm only. The price is 6,500 Ft ($35/£19) per person. The office is located at V. Apáczai Csere János u. 12-14 in the Intercontinental Hotel. You can book by phone, through your hotel, or online.
Ibusz (tel. 06/40-428-794; www.ibusz.hu), has been around for a long time, but that does not always equal quality. They have 11 different boat and bus tours, ranging from basic city tours to special folklore-oriented tours. Unfortunately, the tours are pretty sterile and boring. (If you want a bus tour, try one of the alternative tours listed below.) Ibusz operates year-round, with an abbreviated schedule in the off season. All buses are air-conditioned, and all guides speak English. Some sample offerings are a 3-hour Budapest City Tour for 26€ ($34/£18) in high season and 13€-26€ ($17-$34/£9-£18) in low season, with the 1-hour Parliament Tour included it is 20€-40€ ($26-$52/£14-£27). There's a free hotel pickup service that will pick you up 30 minutes before departure time. For a full list of tours, pick up the Ibusz Budapest Sightseeing catalog, available at all Ibusz offices, Tourinform, and most hotels. Tours can be booked at any Ibusz office and at most major hotels, or by calling Ibusz directly at the toll-free number above. All major credit cards are accepted.
We highly recommend Budapest Tour (tel. 06/70-455-0356 mobile only; www.seebudapest.hu) for its personal service. You receive a 3-hour tour in a small-group comfortable minivan (min. 1 or max. 12 people), with a live guide who is energetic about touring. The tours are done in English only, so there is no time delay waiting to hear the same information in various languages. The tour has 5 stops with explanations: Heroes' Square, St. Stephen's Basilica, Royal Castle Quarter, the Citadel, and finishing in downtown Pest. Being small groups, they do not rush you, allowing you time to take pictures or to stroll, depending on the group's wishes. The tour is rich in historical details, interesting stories, and practical information. The guides have a great knowledge of the city and welcome questions. The same company has a variety of other tours, custom tours for groups, and tours in other languages as well. Pick up anywhere in Budapest is free. The office is located at V. Molnar u. 3. The price for adults is 6,500 Ft ($35/£19), for children under 12, 3,250 Ft ($18/£9.25), and students with ISIC or Hostelling International cards receive 15% discount. Tours are offered daily 10am and 2:30pm.
Walking Tours
Several companies offer walking tours of historic Budapest. One that I would recommend is the Absolute Walking Tour in Budapest offered by Absolute Walking Tours, part of the Discover Hungary/Yellow Zebra group (tel. 1/266-8777; www.discoverhungary.com). The tours are conducted by energetic, friendly, and knowledgeable guides who meet you at the pickup point outside the Evangelical Church on Deák tér (all metro lines) at 9:30am and 1:30pm from mid-May through September. From October through mid-May, tours start daily at 10:30am only, from the same departure point that is listed above. No tours on December 24, 25, or January 1. Tickets are 4,000 Ft ($22/£12) for adults and 3,500 Ft ($19/£10) for students with ID and children 15 years and younger with a paying adult. Buy your ticket from the tour guide at the start of the tour. Tours last 3 1/2 hours taking you throughout both central Pest and central Buda. Wear your best walking shoes and leave the heavy knapsack at your hotel. This company also offers other popular tours such as the Pub Crawl and Hammer and Sickle, but they are dependent on registration, so call ahead for information and a reservation.
Underguide Tours (tel. 06/30-908-1597 mobile only; golocal@underguide) may sound ominous, but you can relax. These tours are geared for those who don't expect the usual and this is what you will experience when you take this half- or full-day tour. These are fully organized around your needs, so when you meet your Underguide tour guide, he or she forms the tour based on your ideas and then takes you to off-the-beaten-path places that the guide thinks you will like the best. It is fully customizable based on your interests and they strive to meet any requests. You can go it alone or with your own group, but never with strangers. If you book by Internet, you need to give them 3 days advance notice, but by phone, the prior day is fine. A half-day will run you 15€ ($20/£10) or 25€ ($33/£17) for a full day. All rates are per person, but children under 14 are free. A private tour with an Underguide is 64€ ($83/£44) for a half-day or 110€ ($143/£75) for a full day.
