Budapest Departures & Prices Airport Departing Time Returning Time Cost Availability Heathrow 13 Sep 16 08:50 18 Sep 16 20:35 1220 9 spaces left Heathrow 18 Oct 16 08:50 23 Oct 16 18:50 1220 Good Availability What's Included Return direct scheduled flights Five nights accommodation in your own spacious room All evening meals and two lunches with drinks (including three evening meals out) Porterage Personal audio guiding system Hosted welcome drinks reception Guided excursions as follows: Budapest city tour, Budapest Parliament, St. Stephen s Basilica, day trip to Szentendre and Visegrad (including views over the Danube Bend), Museum of King Matthias and day trip to Lake Balaton (including lunch) Wine tasting in a family-run winery on Lake Balaton Dinner cruise with drinks on a private boat on the Danube Traditional evening gypsy style show with dinner and drinks Executive coach throughout Exclusive services of two One Traveller Tour Managers Not Included Holiday Insurance You need to arrange your own but we can help. For more information, please see our suggested insurance services. Itinerary Key:
Breakfast Lunch Dinner Drink Afternoon Tea Longer walks and steps may be involved on this day 1 Travel to Budapest Morning: meet your One Traveller representative at the main departure airport and fly to Budapest. On arrival, transfer to your hotel for your five-night stay. Afternoon: lunch in the hotel followed by an orientation walk. Evening: drinks reception hosted by your two Tour Managers with your fellow travelling companions and included evening meal. 2 Budapest city tour Morning: city tour with a local guide, including the castle district, Great Market Hall and the famous Vaci Street. Afternoon: Free to enjoy Budapest at your own pace or relax in the peaceful surroundings of your hotel. Evening: traditional gypsy-style show with dinner and drinks. 3 Budapest; Parliament and Basilica Morning: guided tour of the stunning Budapest Parliament Building, including the Holy Crown of Hungary and some of the crown jewels. After a coffee break you will see the interior of the Roman Catholic St. Stephen s Basilica - named after the first King of Hungary whose right hand is housed in the reliquary. Afternoon: Free to enjoy Budapest at your own pace. There will be an optional trip to enter the House of Terror Museum (the former headquarters of the Hungarian equivalent of the KGB the Államvédelmi Osztály or AVO). Evening: Loosen a belt notch for a Hungarian feast in a historic restaurant in the city centre. 4 The Danube Bend; Visegrád and Szentendre
Morning: drive through the hills, stopping for magnificent views over the Danube Bend before entering the Museum of King Matthias (the former Royal Palace) in Visegrád for a short guided tour. Afternoon: a short drive from Visegrád is Szentendre, a beautiful pedestrianised artists town on the banks of the Danube where you will be free to explore and have lunch. Evening: meal and a drink in the hotel. 5 Wine tasting on Lake Balaton Morning: drive through the Hungarian countryside, taking the ferry across the lake to the town of Tihany to enjoy views over Lake Balaton. Lunch today is included in the resort town of Balatonfüred. Afternoon: taste some of the best quality wines the area has to offer in a picture-perfect family-run vineyard in the rolling hills of Balaton. Evening: farewell drinks and dinner on a private Danube cruise to see this breathtaking city lit up at night; a wonderful farewell to Budapest. 6 Return flight to the UK Today after a leisurely breakfast you will be escorted to the airport for your flight back to the UK. Included excursions Budapest city tour (Half day sightseeing part by coach and part on foot followed by a free afternoon in the city) With a population of approximately 2 million people, Budapest is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Its World Heritage sites include the banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter, Andrássy Avenue, and the Millennium Underground railway, the first on the European continent. Believe it or not in 2008 the largest thermal water cave system in the world was discovered under Budapest! The city attracts over 20 million visitors a year. On our tour of this pretty city we will stop off at Heroes Square and the Old Castle District. You will take a slow drive past the Parliament Building and finish in the pedestrianised centre at the Grand Market Hall. The central site of Hero's square, as well as a landmark of Budapest, is the Millennium Memorial with statues of the leaders of the seven tribes that founded Hungary in the 9th century and other outstanding figures of Hungarian history. This landmark is 5 minutes walk from your hotel.
Budapest Parliament Guided Tour Possibly the most magnificent building in the city and the largest Parliament building on mainland Europe. Our tour covers the main entrance stairs and hall, one of the lobbies, the old House of Lords and the breath taking Hungarian Crown Jewels. The Hungarian Crown Jewels were lost and stolen numerous times. After World War II, they were transported to Western Europe and eventually given to the American Army for safekeeping from the Soviet Union. For much of the Cold War, the Crown Jewels were held at the United States Bullion Depository (Fort Knox), eventually returned to Hungary in 1978. St. Stephen s Basilica - Guided Tour St. Stephen s Basilica - (also known as Budapest Cathedral, this is the largest church in Budapest). It is the largest church in Budapest and can hold up to 8,500 people. Although in architectural terms it s a cathedral, it was given the title of basilica minor by Pope Pius XI in 1931. It took more than 50 years to build the Basilica and the inauguration ceremony took place in 1906 and was attended by Emperor Franz Joseph. The dome is 96 meters high, the exact same height as the Budapest Parliament Building. In fact current building regulations stipulate that no other structure in Budapest can be taller than 96 meters. Having the same height as the Parliament also symbolizes the balance between church and state in Hungary. The patron saint of the church is St. Stephen, the first king of Hungary. His mummified right hand is kept in a glass case in the chapel to the left of the main altar. The beautiful interior is also noteworthy as it is decorated by famous artists of the era. Day trip to Szentendre and Visegrad (including views over the Danube Bend and the Museum of King Matthias) This is a fabulous day out taken at a nice relaxed pace. First you will be taken to the former capital (Visegrad meaning high fortress) to see the curve in the Danube River from high up very spectacular. After a coffee break you will be driven to Szentendre where you will have plenty of time to wander the pedestrianised cobbled streets, do some shopping and take in a nice Hungarian lunch. The picturesque town of Szentendre sits at the foot of the Pilis Hill, on the Danube bank north of Budapest. They call it the artists village and no wonder why; it is great for pottering. Day trip to Lake Balaton (including lunch) South west of Budapest lies the stunning Lake Balaton (affectionately known as the Hungarian Sea ). It is a freshwater lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the largest lake in Central Europe and a place where Hungarians come in their droves to relax and to get away from the hussle and bustle. We take the ferry across the lake to the village of Tihany to see the twin towered Church before heading to the resort town of Balatonfured for an included lunch and time to potter. The highlight of the day is the included wine tasting in a family run vineyard set in a beautiful country region. Traditional evening gypsy style show (with dinner) A trip to a wonderfully atmospheric restaurant in Budapest named Márványmenyasszony. The restaurant boasts attractive architecture, first-class service from staff in traditional costumes, and traditional Hungarian food. Folklore is deeply ingrained in the local culture and we have reserved a place for you to
see a wonderful folklore show and taste some Hungarian delicaies. Farewell Private Cruise on the Danube A fitting finale to the holiday is a private dinner cruise along the Danube to see what has to be the most beautifully lit city at night time. If you have been to Paris and taken a night cruise and enjoyed it then prepared to be wowed by Budapest. Dinner and drinks will be served as you cruise the main part of the river. Optional excursions House of Terror Museum Ever wondered what it was like to survive two terror regimes and what life was like for Hungarians in those times? The Museum, while presenting the horrors in a tangible way, also makes people understand that the sacrifice for freedom was not in vain. Ultimately, the fight against the two cruellest systems of the 20th century ended with the victory of the forces of freedom and independence. The building itself was the former KGB building; the tour itself is very moving. Hotels Budapest - Benczur Hotel In Budapest the three-star superior Benczur Hotel (we feel it's worthy of a four-star rating) is centrally located in the peaceful surroundings of the Embassy district; it has very comfortable rooms and WiFi throughout the hotel. The street that the hotel is situated on runs parallel to the famous Andrassy Street and is only five minutes on foot from Heroes Square and the famous Szechenyi Spa Baths complex, making it ideally located for all sightseeing trips. You will have a superior room with a balcony and all rooms come equipped with a shower, satellite TV, air conditioning, hairdryer and fridge.