Budapest is an effortlessly fascinating city that perfectly balances a rich history and culture with cutting-edge charm that reels in people from all over the world.

From the beautiful riverside views and thermal baths to the Roman ruins and opulent Austro-Hungarian Empire architecture, there’s something to see around every corner.

While I encourage you to explore on your own, the best way to really get to know the city’s essence is through one of the top Budapest city tours available! I’ve gone ahead and detailed those that are well worth your time and money. Let’s get started!

Be sure to see our reviews Budapest Dinner Cruises, Food Tours and Wine Tours.

Best Budapest City Tours

	Full Day 7 Hours Private Budapest City Tour with Lunch and Cruise	Private Budapest City Tour by Car	Classic Budapest Russian Jeep Tour!
Location:	Hotel pickup and drop-off included	Hotel pickup and drop-off included	Hotel pickup and drop-off included
Start:	9:00 AM	9:00 AM, 10:00 AM	10:00 AM, 1:30 PM, 6:00 PM
Duration:	6.5 hours	4 hours	2 to 3 hours
Includes:	2-course lunch w/ drink, local guide, private tour, 70 mins river cruise, welcome drink, transport by private minivan or car, entrance fee to Saint Stephen Basilica or Matthias Church	Private tour guide, air-conditioned vehicle, roundtrip transport, see all of Budapest’s major landmarks in a day	Informative and friendly private guide for a more personalized experience, Complete flexibility, Private transportation, Entry/Admission - Buda Castle Area
	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking

Quick Answer: The 5 Best Rated Budapest City Tours For 2024

1. Full Day 7 hours Private Budapest City Tour With Lunch and Cruise
2. Private Budapest City Tour by Car
3. Classic Budapest Russian Jeep Tour!
4. Guided Tours in Budapest on Luna e-Scooter
5. Budapest in a Day Private Luxury Sightseeing Tour

Budapest City Tour Reviews

1. Full Day 7 Hours Private Budapest City Tour with Lunch and Cruise

I had to start things off on the right foot with one of my favorite tours of Budapest: the Full-Day 7 Hour Private Budapest City Tour with Lunch and Cruise! If it’s your first time in the city, I highly recommend jumping right into this whole-day experience.

You’ll get to see and learn about the top landmarks throughout the city as well as plenty of hidden gems that you likely wouldn’t get to see, otherwise.

The tour starts out at 9:00 am with your guide conveniently picking you and your party up from your hotel in an air-conditioned minivan or car (depending on your group size). As this is a completely private tour, it really is just your guide, you, and the rest of your friends or family.

Our guide was super welcoming and entertaining, sharing intriguing conversation about the city’s history, culture, and the ways it’s changed and remained the same over the decades.

This intimate tour of the lovely city may last all day, but I guarantee you it’ll fly by for you like it did for me. We started out taking a walking tour of the castle district which was so gorgeous, with some of the best city views possible.

Buda Castle was amazing, with a varied history, and sits on top of Castle Hill, offering amazing views of Pest and the Danube – make sure to take plenty of photos!

We passed various other landmarks before arriving at St. Stephen’s Basilica, where we toured outside and admired the architecture before partaking in an interesting guided indoor tour.

We learned all about the various statues in Heroes’ Square as well as the Citadel building and Liberty statue atop Gellert Hill, which also featured some fantastic vistas of the city.

One of the highlights for me was the over 100-year-old Szechenyi Baths consisting of 3 outdoor pools and an impressive 15 indoor pools. At some point, we stopped for a nice traditional lunch which was the cherry on top of an already wonderful day exploring Budapest!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

2. Private Budapest City Tour by Car

Many people have made the mistake of trying to check off all the major sites in Budapest in a couple of days, which, while possible, is likely to leave your feet full of blisters. Why not travel in comfort and maximize your time in the city by taking a tour with a car to drive you from location to location?

You can kick back and relax while watching from the comfort of an air-conditioned vehicle, which is great for any season. Despite being a shorter tour than the previous one, I appreciated that they included a complimentary pickup and drop-off from our hotel so we didn’t need to worry about transportation at all.

They also offered a few different start times, which made it particularly easy to fit into our relatively busy schedule. Our guide was kind enough to ask about any specific interests we had or places we wanted to see within Budapest, customizing the tour to our liking.

Our transportation was a completely private car, which felt a bit more luxurious than a coach with a ton of people packed inside (not that there isn’t a time or place for that). Rather, it felt like a good friend who just happened to be a local expert was taking us around to all the coolest places.

We started off by checking out Baroque palace that is Buda Castle, learning about its very interesting history and the different powers it fell under over the years.

We saw plenty of other interesting pieces of architecture, such as the Great/Central Synagogue, the Heroe’s Temple, and St. Stephen’s Basilica. However, one of my favorite parts was Gellert Hill where we took in some of the most breathtaking city views around.

You’ll see plenty of other sites, and it’s actually surprising just how much you get to see during this relatively short amount of time.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

3. Classic Budapest Russian Jeep Tour!

After World War II, the Soviet Union occupied Hungary and became a Soviet satellite state, taking full control of the country in 1948. It was under Communist control for a whopping 45 years, and there are still reminders of this period to this day.

One of which is the Russian Jeeps, which you can actually ride in on the Classic Budapest Russian Jeep Tour! This is a more intimate alternative with a more lighthearted twist to this era in Budapest’s history, with an open-air format of seeing the landmarks around the city.

As they are obviously significantly smaller vehicles than coaches, it’s perfect for small friend groups, couples, or families. As it’s a completely private tour, you also get some say in what you see, as your guide will ask you about any specific interests you may have.

Starting off with a convenient hotel pickup, you don’t have to worry at all about hurrying to a meet-up point or booking separate transport. Start off at the Citadella fort which sits at the top of the beautiful Gellert Hill with panoramic views of the city below.

After exploring the UNESCO site, head to the Buda Castle and explore its Garden Bazaar Neo-Renaissance complex consisting of halls, theaters, gardens, and restaurants. After, head to the famous Fisherman’s Bastion and Matthias Church, which are both some of the most recognizable structures in Budapest.

We saw plenty of “hidden gems” like the Nyugati station and the House of Terror Museum, along with famed locations like Andrassy Avenue and Heroes’ Square. For 2 to 3 hours, you’re going to see and learn so much!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

4. Guided Tours in Budapest on Luna e-Scooter

Do you have a packed schedule but would like to get a lay of the land in Budapest? Cover way more ground than you would by foot and experience a more intimate connection to the city with the Guided Tours in Budapest on Luna e-Scooter excursion!

I’d never used a Luna e-scooter like this one, but it’s one of the smoothest and easiest forms of transport I’ve taken! There are a couple of different meetup points you can choose from, as well as the different start times to make it easier to fit into a tight schedule.

Once at your meetup spot, you’ll greet your guide who will help instruct you on how to use the scooters and do a little test run before to ensure everyone is comfortable and safe on the tour.

I love experiencing a city up close, in the open air, but walking isn’t exactly the most time-effective mode of transport. Our first stop along the way was the Hungarian Parliament Building where we learned about its turbulent history and where the country stands today.

Next up is Buda Castle where we heard plenty of stories of medieval Hungarian kings, Ottoman occupation, intense sieges, and how its architecture changed over the centuries. Other landmarks like Matthias Church, Heroes’ Square, Citadella, St. Stephen’s Basilica, and Margaret Island.

I felt that our guide did a great job of keeping the pace slow enough for us to really enjoy each landmark and hear stories, without going so slow that we weren’t able to see what we wanted.

I also enjoyed the varying types of sites, like the more bustling castle environment in contrast with the peaceful respite of Margaret Island. This was a fun experience for all, and if you can, I recommend booking the full 3-hour experience!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

5. Budapest in a Day Private Luxury Sightseeing Tour

I couldn’t leave off the longest tour on this guide: the Budapest in a Day Private Luxury Sightseeing Tour! This tailored VIP experience offers you the chance to see the city’s most iconic landmarks from the comfort of a luxury vehicle with a private guide who customizes the day to your interests.

Despite all that, it’s still a surprisingly affordable experience that will take you through the city’s highlights at your leisure. Starting off at 9:00 am with a hotel pickup, your professional driver/guide is there to lead the way and provide interesting educational commentary and conversation along the way.

If you’re traveling in a very small group, this is an intimate and exclusive way to see everything with personalized attention from your guide. It’s also ideal if you have kids who may get impatient or cause you to worry about interrupting other tour participants in a larger group setting.

There are multiple departure times throughout the day for you to choose from, which only adds to the convenience of taking this tour. We decided to do the 9:00 am pickup which helped us avoid a lot of the crowds that show up later in the morning.

We started out at the riverfront, visiting City Park where we got to see the Szechenyi Baths, which we learned were the biggest thermal baths in all of Europe.

The pace of the tour was great, and I felt that we always stayed just the right amount of time at each of our stops. We saw iconic spots like the National Museum, Parliament Building, Western Railway Station, Vajdahunyad Castle, Heroes Square, Andrassy Avenue, and more.

Again, this is all customizable, so if there’s something else that interests you more, you can do that!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience