Vienna is without a doubt one of the most majestic cities in Europe, but did you know that just 2.5 hours away sits the breathtaking city of Budapest?
From its rich musical heritage and interesting museums to its amazing food and architectural marvels, there’s something for everyone.
If you’re in Vienna for more than a day or two, you simply can’t pass up the opportunity to explore the Hungarian capital.
I’ve gone ahead and selected the 5 top tours of Budapest from Vienna that are seamless and worth the money and time. Let’s jump right in!
Best Day Trips From Vienna To Budapest
| Budapest Small-Group Day Trip from Vienna | Budapest Private Day Trip from Vienna | Budapest Day Trip from Vienna | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Location: | Hotel pickup and drop-off available | Hotel pickup and drop-off available | Hotel pickup and drop-off available | |
| Start: | 6:45 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:15 AM | |
| Duration: | 12 hours | 12 hours | 13 hours | |
| Includes: | Driver/guide, Live commentary on board, Transport by air-conditioned minivan, Bottled water | Private tour by friendly, professional driver/guide, Highlight City Tour of Budapest, transport by private vehicle | Air-conditioned vehicle, Local tour guide, Bus tour through district "Pest", Free time for shopping, sightseeing or relaxation | |
Quick Answer: The 5 Best Rated Budapest Day Trips From Vienna 2024
- Budapest Small-Group Day Trip from Vienna
- Budapest Private Day Trip from Vienna
- Budapest Day Trip from Vienna
- Budapest Small Group Day Trip from Vienna
- Budapest private day trip from Vienna
Budapest Day Trips From Vienna Reviews
1. Budapest Small-Group Day Trip from Vienna
- Duration: 12 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off available
- Departure Time: 6:45 AM
- Includes: Driver/guide, Live commentary on board, Transport by air-conditioned minivan, Bottled water
While it’s not always a rule, I feel like the majority of my favorite tours have been small-group tours where we had a more personalized experience.
The Budapest Small-Group Day Trip from Vienna Tour is definitely one of them, with great guides, lots of learning, fun, and sightseeing in an organized way. I knew I was in good hands from the very beginning of this tour, and I can’t recommend it enough!
Just like every other tour I’ve selected, this one comes with an included hotel pickup so you don’t have to deal with figuring out separate transportation to a meetup spot. The tour does leave pretty early, so make sure you get plenty of rest the night before!
The drive to Budapest from Vienna is about 2.5 to 3 hours and the minivan is super comfortable, so taking a nap on the way is also a nice idea.
Along the way, the guide will tell all kinds of interesting stories about the history of Vienna and Budapest so you already have a good background by the time you arrive.
Our first stop was none other than the gorgeous Citadel, where we got to soak in simply incomparable architecture, vibrant culture, and the smell of delicious local dishes.
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The Buda Castle was quite an interesting experience, where we were able to learn about and discover various Castle District areas while our guide told us all about them. I took some amazing photos and videos of Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion over the rivers, too!
We got to try the oldest cafe in the city, which was definitely one of my favorite stops as it wasn’t an obvious one and had delicious traditional Hungarian cakes with amazing coffee!
After that, we took a cruise along the legendary Andrassy Avenue and into Heroes’ Square, which is filled to the brim with interesting stories.
After this, we saw the amazing St. Stephen’s Basilica before having some leisure time to stroll the downtown area and grab some delicious food and unique souvenirs!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
2. Budapest Private Day Trip from Vienna
- Duration: 12 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off available
- Departure Time: 7:30 AM
- Includes: Private tour, Accompaniment by friendly, professional driver, Highlight City Tour of Budapest with a local expert guide, Transport by private vehicle
This is yet another fantastic full-day tour that starts out at around 7 am and has you back in Vienna around 7 pm! With fun, expert guidance and seamless transportation, the Budapest Private Day Trip from Vienna couldn’t make things easier.
I took this tour to see if I liked Budapest enough to book a separate vacation for a few days there, and needless to say I fell in love.
Our driver picked us up early in the morning at our hotel, and our tour guide was there to make sure everything went smoothly. The driver was amazing, driving safely yet still making sure that we didn’t take forever to get there.
Before we did our city tour guide with a local to Budapest, they were even thoughtful enough to stop for some coffee and cake at a delicious cafe!
It was super interesting to learn about Budapest from a local Hungarian who was able to offer insight and facts in ways that I never could’ve learned from a history book or TV show.
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I saw how the city was essentially made up of 2 halves: the older and more historical Buda, and Pest, which is the heart of modern-day Budapest.
We saw the 13th-century Buda Castle, St. Stephens’s Basilica, the famous Chain Bridge, Heroes Square, and so much more!
After that, we got about 3 hours of free time in Pest, which was great as I got to check out certain spots that were briefly covered in the tour that I wanted to explore more.
This also gave us plenty of time to try a tasty Hungarian lunch, and thanks to the great recommendations by our guide, was absolutely delicious. What a wonderful way to learn more about Hungarian culture and heritage, in the most immersive way possible!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
3. Budapest Day Trip from Vienna
- Duration: 13 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off available
- Departure Time: 7:15 AM
- Includes: Air-conditioned vehicle, Local tour guide, Bus tour through district “Pest”, Free time for shopping, sightseeing or relaxation
What’s so great about Europe is that there are so many incredible cities within a couple of hours of each other. With that being said, if you’re going to be in Vienna, it would be a waste not to check out the magnificent Budapest.
The Budapest Day Trip from Vienna Tour is a magical tour comprised of both walking and coach tour sections that make it great for all ages and backgrounds.
I don’t think I could want more than this in a day trip: it’s well-organized, features friendly and knowledgeable staff, easy transportation, and tons of sightseeing.
In addition, I thought that they did a great job of balancing transportation time with guided tours and free time, which I find necessary. With included pickups and drop-offs from various hotels and other accommodations, it doesn’t get easier to see Budapest from Vienna than this.
The drive out there was very scenic, and with big windows free of obstruction, it made for some amazing sightseeing and video opportunities.
Upon arrival to Budapest, we got to see how the city is split into 2 districts: the medieval Buda and the more modern Pest.
I admittedly didn’t know much about the Austro-Hungarian Empire before, but seeing it up close and personal taught me quite a bit about why it was once separated.
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Seeing the Vajdahunyad Castle was really breathtaking, and I learned that it is actually a copy of the Hunyad Castle or Corvin Castle in Romania! The Heroes’ Square was also quite interesting, with the different statues of the Seven Chieftains of the Magyars.
We passed by some neo-Gothic Parliament buildings which were super cool-looking, as well as the Citadel that sits up on a hill overlooking the city.
This is one place that you don’t want to miss, especially if you want to get some great panoramic photos of Budapest down below! We also got to see the Hungarian State Opera House, which was definitely in my top 5 favorite constructions in the entire city.
Finally, we couldn’t miss the latest church in Budapest: the Roman Catholic St. Stephen’s Basilica!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
4. Budapest Small Group Day Trip from Vienna
- Duration: 12 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off included
- Departure Time: 7:30 AM
- Includes: Transportation in air-conditioned vehicle, professional English-speaking driver
Budapest is often compared with Paris, and seeing how I genuinely love Paris outside of the massive crowds of tourists, I figured I’d love Budapest, too.
It turns out that I may even love it more, as there really is something for everyone: from the history buff to the raver!
The Budapest Small Group Day Trip from Vienna tour is ideal for solo travelers, couples, and even entire families, as the guides do such a great job of changing things up and keeping everyone engaged!
The blend of its vibrant heritage along with its modern culture is something I absolutely loved, and even though we spent a full day here, I had to go back and explore more.
Our day started off with a convenient hotel pickup around 7:30 am, where we got settled in a comfy private vehicle. I do recommend bringing some comfortable walking shoes and a jacket, as there’s plenty of walking involved, and it can get chilly when you’re inside castles or up on a hill.
There are tons of Budapest tours offered, but I found most to be cookie-cutter, relatively monotonous experiences filled with information that you can gather from a quick Google search.
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However, this tour involved a local guide who was so passionate for their city and culture, that it completely transformed the vibe and made it that much more intriguing.
Our driver not only did a great job taking us from Vienna to Budapest, but was also a life-saver with how they managed to maneuver within the city, itself.
We got to see and learn about the history of Budapest, and how it essentially was born in 1873 with the unification of 3 different cities: Buda, Obuda, and Pest.
You can see the differences between the old Buda and modern Pest today, which we don’t often get to see in the United States. This Hungarian powerhouse is definitely worth checking out, and with this tour you can be guaranteed to have a great time.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
5. Budapest private day trip from Vienna
- Duration: 12 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off available
- Departure Time: 8:00 AM
- Includes: English-speaking driver, flexible and customizable itinerary, air-conditioned vehicle, private transportation and tour guide
Last but certainly not least is the Budapest Private Day Trip from Vienna tour which is a completely personalized experience with the ability to customize your itinerary!
No more having to go along with a pre-planned tour that just anyone can go on – you get to give your guide input into exactly what you and your party want to do based on your interests.
If it’s your first time in the area, this is a great way to get the most out of your day as you will be seeing all the sites that you want to see, and get to leave out the rest.
As you can imagine, this tour does include a hotel pickup, although the most notable difference here is that our tour took place in a private car rather than a bus or van, like the others.
Our ride there was so much fun, with our tour guide chatting about our specific interests, where we’re from, and relevant historical info as we passed different towns and regions.
What I really enjoyed about this tour is that yes, we got to see plenty of the main attractions, along with many places no one else took us to. In fact, our tour guide was so sweet that she even took us to this local place for some of the best macarons I’ve ever tried!
She was full of different recommendations for restaurants, souvenirs, clothing, and knew just about everything about everywhere we went.
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We saw the Chain Bridge, the Parliament buildings, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, and even took some time to shop at the famous Vaci Street.
We then had plenty of time to check out the city at our leisure – around 3 hours or so, which was more than enough to have dinner and shop around.
I was able to take plenty of photos and videos of sites I was really interested in, and was grateful we were able to go back and take out time at each location.
With so many tours, you’re just rushed around to each spot, checking off boxes rather than really experiencing them. This is a fantastic tour that I encourage you not to miss!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
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The Budapest Small-Group Day Trip from Vienna is our Editors Choice for the best Budapest day trip from Vienna
