Private Budapest Danube Bend Tour Lunch And Cruise

Excellent tour. Susan is a very knowledgeable guide who has a real passion for her job. Really appreciated her dedication to her craft. The places we saw on the Danube bend tour were amazing!!

Sofia was a great guide! Very friendly and informative. We enjoyed all three towns on the tour, especially the castle at Visegrad. Lunch was at a very charming restaurant in Szentendre and we had plenty of time at each spot. Great way to see part of Hungary beyond Budapest.

I would highly recommend this day trip tour from Budapest. All three stops were interesting and unique. Our guide, Susan, was great. She was informative and personable.

Our guide was excellent. Not only did we see other places in the country, but we also learned a lot about Hungary, its history, and its people. This tour was very interesting, and above all, we learned a little more about this beautiful country.

Our guide, Nora, made our experience memorable. Her knowledge of the history and culture of the area was extensive. Her easy manner made for a fun day. We would highly recommend this tour.

Wonderful time! Susan was very knowledgeable and knew a lot about the sites we toured and the culture. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide or experience!

Once again we were fortunate to have Nora as our tour guide. We had an awesome time seeing all the sights. Again she is very knowledgeable and answered all our questions. Would highly recommend this trip and hope you get Nora for your guide.

Not quite sure why this tour has mixed reviews. It was an awesome full day of visiting 3 small towns outside of Budapest. Susan, our guide, was an immense wealth of knowledge. I couldn't believe the things she knew! She could answer every question we threw at her. We took the tour on a Thursday. Since the boat doesn't run on this day, we got to choose a nice compensation instead. We spent the perfect amount of time in each city. Susan was with us at the beginning of each city then we were left to spend time on our own. We never felt rushed to get to the next place. Lunch was delicious. The car was a tight fit for 4 adults, but this in no way would keep us from doing the trip again. The conversation alone made it worth it. Please remember to tip your guide 10%. They deserve it!

I was informed that the regular cruise was not going because we were too late in the season. But as an alternative, I was offered a smaller boat that would take us on the same Danube Bend route at the same time. This was not what we got. Instead, we were taken by car to the monuments and villages along the Danube Bend. Our tour guide was great, but we weren't on the River.

Terrible experience. Driver didn’t give correct information as what he is going to cover. We found out later that cruise is not availability that day. Once we called the number on voucher, operator mentioned don’t worry we will give you cruise from city center. Lunch offered was very uncourtious and did not like it at all. It looked like waste of time and money.

I’m a big Viator fan - this is my first ever negative review. This tour was an overpriced ripoff. We paid almost twice the ‘starting from’ price advertised, which made this quite expensive. Not clear why. But ok - I figured the experience will be worth it. Nope - tour started with the guide saying that we pretty much won’t see anything at the first stop since it’s under major renovation and most things are scaffolded or covered. Why is it on the tour then?? She also told us that the ‘good’ cruise doesn’t run on Mondays; I knew that but figured there would be an equitable substitute. Nope, we were offered the standard 15 euro cattle call city cruise that everyone does downtown (and that we had done the day before) - nothing private or special about it. We did enjoy the Visegrad ruins, that part was cool. The final stop was an ok lunch in a completely unmemorable town that was billed as a picturesque shopping opportunity (it wasn’t). On the whole I would’ve been ok with this trip if it wasn’t so ludicrously overpriced. For what we paid I would’ve e expected a good bit more.

Our guide for this tour was Susanne (Zsuzsa) and she was EXCELLENT. Her knowledge of history, culture, economics, religion, architecture, and geopolitics was impressive and was reflective of her lengthy experience as a tour guide. She also has extensive knowledge of the U.S. (and idiomatic English) which made her aware of how we view things which made the tour a conversation rather than a lecture. It would be too easy to spend an entire vacation in Budapest so we turned to this tour as a forcing mechanism to see some of the countryside. Szentendre appears to have a hard bend toward tourists, which is great for souvenir shopping. However, if you venture away from the main street you'll begin to see that it has more to offer. The key for us was the river cruise back to Budapest. There's the obvious romanticism behind sailing / steaming down the Danube, but it is also a great way to get a different perspective of the city. This was a day well spent and we can't thank Susanne enough for her time, energy, and attentiveness.

The all day tour was over-priced, in our opinion. The tour guide was fantastic, but the car we were driven in was small and not great for a full day of touring. I think this tour could be cut in half, with only a visit to the local village. The lunch was ok - the entree was very dry, over-cooked chicken. We skipped the cruise back as there is really not too much to see along the river, until you get to Budapest. The cruise would have been one hour. Again, the best part of this tour was Tibi, our guide. The itinerary and restaurant should be adjusted by the local tour organizers.

The best part of the tour was spending the day with our tour guide Steve. He is an excellent guide and a really nice and patient person. He gave us great insight into both historical and modern day Hungary.

What a wonderful tour. Full of beautiful scenery, history and such varied sights. Everything was so well organised by Susanna in the office with whom I corresponded beforehand. Our guide, Susan, was very experienced, knowledgeable and extremely personable. She ensured that everything went to plan, that we had plenty of information about each venue and that we were also given time to explore/take photos in our own time. After a delicious lunch and time for shopping/sightseeing in Szentendre, we took the ferry back to Budapest, a peaceful journey along the river Danube. This was a trip that we will remember for a long time. Excellent.

This was our second private tour we took while in Budapest (see separate review of “4 hour first class private tour of Budapest”). We were fortunate to also have the same excellent driver/guide, Steve, for this tour as well. This was an all day out of Budapest “Danube Bend” tour. I didn’t know what to expect but we ended up visiting historical castles, cathedrals and other sites, some dating back nearly 1000 years. Parts of the Danube River serve as the boundary between Hungary and Slovakia. At one point we visited a bridge joining the two countries which was pretty cool. The tour was fairly physical climbing up and down steps and oaths to get to some of the historical sites but the exertion was well worth it at each site. We had some incredible views of the Danube as it wound its way through the Hungarian countryside. We stopped in an artist village for a simple but tasty three course lunch. When we returned to Budapest Steve was flexible and took us to revisit a shop near Buda castle to secure a gift at a shop we had seen the day before. Throughout the tour our guide was informative, fun, helpful and interesting. At the end of the day we were given a voucher for a 90 minute Danube River cruise through Budapest. That tour was very relaxing and a fun way to finish the day. Overall, a fantastic private tour with a truly wonderful guide, Steve. Highly recommend.

Thomas was a knowledgeable and engaging guide for the day. Had a great time on this private tour. Highly recommend.

We expected a Danube cruise back after a car ride to destination. Told that there’s not been a cruise back since Covid and it is still being advertised! We got a local river ride after we drove all the way back to Budapest! This did not make up for the discrepancy.

This was a wonderful trip to the Hungarian countryside. To begin, Susanna from the tour company answered all our questions and arranged a wonderful vegetarian lunch for us taking into account our dietary requirements. The original tour vehicle had an issue but Susanna immediately arranged another vehicle and a wonderful guide in Geza who was very knowledgeable and friendly, patiently answering our questions. He went into detail in each of the tour stops linking them to the Hungarian history. Great guide! Susanna even gave us a complimentary boat tour for the slight delay in tour start. All in all, if you are looking into exploring the Hungarian countryside small towns, this is the tour!

This is a two part review. Nora, our guide was super as nothing was too much trouble to her. The tour without the return by river cruise represents a very overpriced tour. Our river return to Budapest was not possible (The pope’s visit was the given reason). We did receive a compensation offer of a night river tour of Budapest which we enjoyed. The lunch stop was good. The soup and dessert were very good. The key point though is the price of the tour which, I feel, was distinctly overpriced. If we had known that there was no return by river beforehand, we would have canceled. I think the tour company has that responsibility to inform if the cruise cannot be done.

The tour guide Steve was the most memorable for me. Steve is a life long Hungarian who had intimate knowledge of the history of the area, Steve took us through the country side safely to three different villages. We got to see a spectacular church in Esztergom. Steve was a experienced tour guide who knew when and where to stop for food, bathroom breaks, souvenirs etc…. The tour company picked us up at our hotel and we had a choice or returning in the tour van or on a boat ride on the river Danube. We chose the boat trip it was fabulous. We have used Viator on all our vacations and never have been let down. I highly recommend Steve as a guide and Viator as the guide service Mike and Anna 4/27/2023

Steven was an excellent tour guide. We saw 3 different towns in one day, got a taste of great Hungarian food at a local restaurant and still had time left over for shopping. Plenty of things to entertain our 9 year old. Would recommend this tour and Steven!

A great day out of the city seeing charming towns and historical sites. The lunch and wine cellar was a nice touch. We even saw the Roman Ruins (thank you Susan). Of all the tours we have ever taken, Susan was among the most professional, informative and friendly hosts. She went our of her way to make sure we had a great experience.

Sophia is an excellent guide and let us tailor the tour to our needs. She was very friendly and also incredibly knowledgeable. One of the best tours.

Susanna made our trip memorable! She was very informative and taught us a lot about the Hungarian History. She was very accommodating and worked around our schedule that day. We loved all of it and would recommend the trip as well as Suzanna as a guide.

This was a private tour for 2 people. Suzanne is a wonderful tour guide with years of experience and extensive knowledge of Hungary and the locations (Esztergom, Visegrad, and Szentendre) visited by this tour. She picked us up and returned us to our hotel. She speaks fluent English and is very easy to understand. She is an excellent, safe driver. She is very friendly and easy to talk to and can discuss historical and current day events of Hungary at any depth you want. On the way to Esztergom she took us through the countryside and provided a good history lesson and information on current events of Hungary and its leaders throughout the Holy Roman Empire years, the following eras up to WWI and the effects and perspective of Communism post WWII. At Esztergom she took us across the river to Slovakia to view the Basilica from the other side of the Danube river. It is a stunning structure from afar, atop the cliff/mountain. She explained the historical background and what has happened throughout the years at the Basilica. There is renovation occurring at the Basilica, apparently the largest of its type, so you can expect to be continually awed by improvements in the structure, which is in excellent condition. Inside, there are many artifacts to see. Suzanne pointed out the key ones and provided background on their significance, artistic relevance, and answered questions. The paintings and statues are gorgeous. This is an active mass church. We were fortunate to experience a mass being conducted, though we did not participate. They accommodated visitors throughout the mass. They have a nice gift shop in the back that does take credit cards and has some very affordable mementos to take home or share with friends. Similarly, on the way to Visegrad, Suzanne explained the significance of the Visegrad Castle. It has been rebuilt from the ruins. Again, a phenomenal structure. Suzanne walked us through the castle, provided the historical perspective of the king and his reign. There were very good artifacts to see and a complete explanation of the crown replica contained within. Suzanne shares her knowledge very effectively on this historical period. From Visegrad, we traveled to Szentendre. Along the way, Suzanne explained the significance of the community. Here we were provided lunch at an excellent restaurant with a massive wine cellar that is essentially a museum on the wines of Hungary. The food was traditional Hungarian and very good in a charming outdoor setting. This is included in the tour. Once we finished lunch, Suzanne pointed out the historical structures to visit and we walked around the town. This gave us some free time. Szentendre is a nice market area to shop. The people are very friendly with quality products that are fairly priced, many of which are handmade in Hungary, some by the shop owners themselves. We were at Budapest as part of a river cruise extension. We decided to do this tour versus the offered options in Budapest. We wanted to see the countryside. We had been to Szentendre as part of a river cruise excursion the day before, but glad we were able to go back. On the way back to Budapest from Szentendre, Suzanne made sure we experienced the breadth of the Roman Empire ruins for an entire city uncovered. While the excavations continue, it is easy to see the expanse of the city. She provided a recap of the details known about the city, Aquincum, which was for the people. The Roman soldiers were located elsewhere. Suzanne provides a very personalized tour to these locations based on your interest and ability to walk the structures. Her friendly and engaging approach makes the experience enjoyable for an 8 hour day. We would gladly tour with her again.

Shambolical Museum closed and cruise not operating on the day of booking Lunch cafe also seemed hostile like we didn’t have booking

Great tour with a really fun guide, Sofia. Even on a rainy day the views were unbelievable. Great way to see some sites outside of Budapest.

Great tour. Sophia was very informative and took us to some great sites and places to eat. Would recommend this tour to get out of the city.

We have found that one of the best ways to really get to know about a country in a short time is to get out into the countryside with a local guide. We have done this in numerous times and this tour did not disappoint. There was a mix up on the pickup location and even though we were a bit late on beginning the tour we were able to get to see everything without being rushed. Our guide was friendly and informative and the sites we visited were perfect. Would definitely recommend this tour.

Our lady guide was very informative, knows her country and history very well. We had problems walking due to injuries and she was very helpful and accommodating. She gave us really good restaurant recommendations for dinner. Great goulash! Great service overall! Heartwarming hugs for good bye:) Highly recommended!

had a wonderful tour with Susan. Since it was a Sunday she picked us up at the hotel at 8.30 so we could see the cathedral in Eszterson before services started. I am glad they did since the cathedral is magnificent. visited the castle at Visegrad where Susan explained the history of the kings of Hungry and continued on to Szentendre where we had a very nice lunch and visit to the town for touring and shopping .On the way back we passed the roman ruins outside of Budapest and had a chance to take some photos Susan is very knowledge and helpful and brought the history of the area to life. bottom line, a very enjoyable day and certainly worth it

This was a beautiful, informative and delightful tour of the Danube Bend. My guide, Nora, had a wealth of information and history of the area. The villages we visited were each special in their own way and we had a delicious lunch in a quaint restaurant under a grape arbor. Lots of fun places to shop. I highly recommend this tour if you want to explore the beautiful countryside outside of Budapest. Nora was a wonderful guide and very responsive to my needs and wishes!

Our guide Susan is the best in the business. She was knowledgeable in every aspect of Hugarian history and culture, with excellent command and pronunciation in English, very careful and safe driver. What makes her standout is Susan personality, her attention to the needs of us, not rushing us, but keeping the schedule, accommodating us in a very relaxed way. Thank you Susan. You made our Hungarian experience memorable. Next time I will travel only with Susan and nobody else. I highly recommend Susan as a guide for you. She is worth any penny and more you paid for the trip

Excellent tour by all means, interesting visits, amazing views and delicious lunch. The super guid (Susan Martonfi) is friendly and very knowledgeable, I learned a lot about Hungary history. Many thanks to my wonderful guid and I highly recommend this tour.

Tour was great . It gave us a chance to see the Hungarian countryside and small towns. Our guide, Susan, was very knowledgeable and informative. We had to return to Buda Pest slightly early to get our COVID-19 test results and Susan worked it so we still got to see everything and get back in time. The included lunch was very good—especially the venison soup! Would recommend this tour.

Very good tour. Nora was a perfect guide. We share the visit of the 3 stops visegrad estergem and sztendre.

This was the highlight of our 5 day trip to Budapest! Well worth the money, your guide will personally wait for you in your hotel lobby and drive you through all locations. Steve was amazing and was so knowledgable, educating us all 8 hours about Hungarian history, culture, economics etc, etc. We were very lucky to have him. First stop is Esztergom Basilica, a beautiful and really big cathedral, also with beautiful panoramic views of the Danube as it dissects Hungary and Southern Slovakia. Steve kindly drove us across the Danube into Slovakia and gave us plenty of time to take pictures and soak in the views from the other side. Next you head to Visegrád Citadel for lunch in a fantastic restaurant with a panoramic view of Danube bend. Three course lunch with wine included! This seems to be a popular spot amongst Hungarians as several wedding receptions were taking place when we were there. Final stop is Szentendrei my personal favorite. You take a beautiful riverside road to get there and you are offered ample time to explore the beautiful village and relax at the shores of the river. While you could use public transportation to get to these sights, it seems challenging to cover all this ground by yourself in one short day. The tour provides an excellent opportunity for a rich day trip, with an expert contextualizing everything you see. Do yourself a favor and book this! Steve we are eternally grateful, köszönöm!

Our guide and driver was Istvan. He picked us up from our hotel on time and gave us details about our itinerary for the day. On the drive over, he gave us historical facts about Esztergom and Szentendre as well as Visegrad. Very good driver, great guide. Highly recommend this tour. We had a great time with Istvan!

On this particular day, mother nature was uncooperative. We had a dreary, wet day but our guide Susan picked us up from our hotel lobby and proceeded to take us on an informative and thoroughly entertaining tour around the Danube bend. She detailed the regions history and the significance of each place we were visiting. Even though some of the views were completely hidden by the weather, her descriptions brought them to life nonetheless. Bottom line, totally worth it.

Our group of six enjoyed our tour immensely. Our guide was very informative about local history and culture. She went out of her way to answer questions and show us many interesting things on our tour. The lunch of local cuisine was excellent and all enjoyed it. We would highly recommend this experience.

Susan was an excellent tour guide. She is so incredibly knowledgeable and is a wealth of information. The tour itself was a bit pricey for what you get and lasts longer than it should. You can probably do this whole trip in maybe half a day. The town of Szentendre is cute, but filled with pretty commercial souvenir shops that all start looking the same.

Everything in the description was provided: hotel pick up, driving, lunch, river cruise, but seemed a little lack lustre. At the end there was a big push to purchase junky souvenirs. Maybe worthwhile for less money.

We learnt so much on our trip, aided by the marvellous Susan. We were able to admire castles, churches and the beautiful countryside, as well as digest much history.

Susan was an excellent guide. She picked us up exactly on time and the car was clean & comfortable. We enjoyed the beautiful views & architecture. Susan’s vast knowledge of Hungarian history, geography, and politics really enhanced the experience. We thoroughly enjoyed our discussions with her & felt we came away with an enriched understanding of Hungarian culture. She could be a professor for a Hungarian Civilization class. We also enjoyed sharing pictures from home with her & left feeling as though we made a friend.

Though Budapest is a beautiful city, it was nice to tour the surrounding areas. Visiting various sites, steeped in history and stories our Guide educated us not only about the sites but the villages and towns along the way. It was nice to be able to casually converse with her about all things Hungarian and we learnt in greater scope about the economy, culture, lifestyle and 'modern Hungary'. Visiting the huge Basilica at Esztergom was special as was the old medieval castle at Visegrad. After a simple lunch at the quaint town of Szentendre the ferry took us down the Danube back to Budapest. Pros: Great information, very friendly and accommodating guide, good places to visit, no waiting in lines - we got straight in. Cons: small private car, a bit too long.

we had a very good exprience in the private all dayDanube Bend tour form Budapest tour the driver was very good

If you get Attila as your guide, we would highly recommend this tour. We found Attila to be extremely knowledgeable, accommodating, flexible, patient, and interesting. His English is very good, and he has a great sense of humour. His driving was beyond reproach, and his vehicle was comfortable and clean. His choice of Restaurant Nagyvillam for lunch was excellent. Thanks again, Attila, for an awesome day.

nice woman that knew everything about history and much more. Well driven tour. we visited three cities and went to slovania. Nice walking tour of the last city and a perfect lunch. A very nice day that we suggest.