About Activity
With the help of a historian, this 3 hour private walking tour allows you to grasp the “goulash communism” of Budapest’s decades under totalitarianism, the soft dictatorship in which Hungarians had certain liberties in exchange for obedience on major issues. Learn why, for all the suffering of Budapest’s citizens under the communist regime, Hungary was called “the happiest barrack in the Soviet Bloc.”
Includes
- 3-hour guided walk with private historian guide
Excludes
- Tram and metro tickets (Your guide will assist you in purchasing the required tickets if you do not already have a transport pass)
Stop At: Hungarian Parliament Building Traveling by subway to Kossuth Square in front of Parliament, we explore monuments from the 1956 revolution, before continuing to Liberty Square where we discuss aspects of the Cold War before the US Embassy, the monument to the Soviet Army, the statue of Ronald Reagan and an atomic shelter.
Stop At: House Of Terror Museum Admission Ticket:
Tickets are not included We conclude outside the House of Terror, the imposing museum housed in the former headquarters of the communist secret services with a slab of the Berlin Wall in front. (Although the exhibit within is not included in the tour, this is the perfect endpoint for those interested in delving deeper into Hungary’s Cold War experience)
Stop At: Stade Puskas Ferenc Dropping by the former People’s Stadium (now Puskas Soccer Stadium), with classic socialist realist statues still standing, we can explore the heavy-handed propaganda favored by the regime.
Stop At: Ronald Reagan Statue Discover the Ronald Reagan statue and the Hungarian sense of obligation to this US president for his efforts to bring down the Iron Curtain.
Stop At: Bem Square Explore Bem József Square, where the first big demonstration of the 1956 uprising started. On the square is also a coffeehouse that has retained its original interior from the 1960s.
Public transportation options are available nearby Suitable for all physical fitness levels Your guides are local historians who are also enthusiastic hosts and passionate storytellers. We love helping travelers from all over the world discover Budapest. Operated by Insight Cities For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
Historical Budapest walking tourK7328VVjoew
We were lucky enough to spend 3 hours with Peter in the cold and drizzling rain around Budapest and the time flew by. Peter´s encyclopedic knowledge of dates and historical figures was truly impressive and gave us a good idea of the history of Hungary and Budapest from the Middle Ages to the present day, with special attention given to the Communist period. For our teenage kids and I, this was the highlight of our trip and the 3 hours was well rounded off with a cup of hot chocolate and many thanks given to Peter.
Private Communism TourKatalina_S
We had a four hour private tour with Andras that we really enjoyed. Andras is extremely knowledgable and kind and adjusted the tour to suit our interests. We would highly recommend this tour for anyone interested in the history of Hungary.
To learn how digestive communism was in HungaryH2325MWcamilav
We had a wonderful time in our tour. Andras Is extremely knowledgeable and had so much to share with us. Before we started our tour he asked us what we were most interested in learning about communism to make sure we would leave the tour extremely happy. This tour is great for adults, history enthusiasts and even children. Andras was able to make the tour interesting not only for the adults who had more background on the topics covered as well as for the young who needed a bit of introduction to what we would cover in the tour. Hungary is extremely interesting and different to what you usually learn was communism in school books and this tour was wonderful to help us learn about Hungary!
Kata was very knowledgeable and explained everything clearly. She has a broad world view which adds both interest and perspective. A sense of humor, grace and charm also makes for a pleasant as well as informative tour.
Must do for BudapestTrailBlazer824076
Time went spent with Andras to learn about the history. Very knowledgeable and explained well the area and the history. Would highly recommend!
The BEST Tour and Guides918robina
Dec 29, 2021, 11:51:57 AM Remarkably knowledgeable guides and gave such rich narrative and understanding--art, architecture, political history and trivia that informs one's understanding. The team who led and shared were fabulous and accessible--their warmth and enthusiasm for both Buda and Pest! Just fabulous. I would travel anywhere with them! And they made meaningful the scenery we passed.
The Communist Budapest tour was surprusingly informative and enjoyable! I was talked into it by my friend and I was a bit skeptical, because it is usually not my favorite subject - but in this case I was pleasantly surprised. Our tour guide, Izabella, was extremely well-read on the subject and was able to answer many of our interjecting questions about the history of Budapest. That, combined with the fantastic sights we saw during the walk, was enough to provide a very valuable experience - we were able to notice certain details in monuments that we certainly wouldn't have under normal circumstances.
Amazing guide, amazing route!
