Hungary - The Danube Bend Walking Holiday
Your Guided Walking Holiday To Hungary
Travel with us on a 7-night adventure to the Danube Bend region on this guided walking holiday. A particularly popular destination with outdoor enthusiasts, Hungary is mainly a rural country boasting stunning scenery including mountains, forests and the sparkling Danube. The Danube Bend, a region of peaks and river towns, is where the hills on both banks force the river to turn sharply and flow southward. It is arguably the most picturesque stretch of the Danube. On this spectacular holiday, we’ll explore the highlights of this breath-taking region up close as we take daily walks through the countryside with an expert, local guide. Our home for this holiday will be the small town of Visegrád, Hungary’s 'Camelot' in the 15th century and home to Renaissance-era palace ruins and incredible views from its forbidding hilltop fortress.
During this holiday, the group will be divided into two parties; moderate and challenging, depending on the participant’s fitness levels, during all five walking days. The moderate walks will be a between 7km - 11km with a maximum daily walking duration of up to 6 hours. The challenging walks will be between 12km – 20km, with a maximum daily walking duration of up to 6.5 hours.
Trip Itinerary
Activity Level: Challenging
Day
Travel to Hungary
Arrive in Budapest
Upon arrival in Budapest, you will be met by our local representative and transferred to your hotel in the town of Visegrád, a small castle town situated to the north of Budapest on the right bank of the Danube in the Danube Bend.
Accommodation
4 star hotel in Visegrád (7 nights)
Visegrád
Walking tour of Visegrád Hills
Embark on a 1 hour orientation tour along the banks of the Danube with your local expert guide before beginning a walking tour of the Apalykut Valley and surrounding areas. There will be a moderate and a challenging route this morning, taking the same path but at different paces. Explore the waterfalls the fishpond and the arboretum. Close to the Ördögmalom waterfall, you can enjoy the ‘Kneipp-experience’ by walking barefoot on the small rounded rocks in the river bed.
At leisure or Visegrád Castle
In the afternoon, those who chose the moderate route will return to the hotel by foot where the remainder of the day will be free for further independent exploration. Those who chose the challenging route will continue walking up towards Visegrád Castle.
Difficulty: Moderate / Distance: 7 km / Duration: 5 hours / Incline: 100 m
Difficulty: Challenging / Distance: 20 km / Duration: 6.5 hours / Incline: 750 m
Nagymaros & Zebegény
Nagymaros & Zebegény
This morning, take the ferry to the town of Nagymaros with your local expert guide. There will be a moderate and a challenging route today. The moderate route will set out from Nagymaros towards the town of Zebegény, a picturesque historic town located in Pest county. The challenging route will also walk from Nagymaros to Zebegény but will encounter more difficult terrain, embarking on an ascent of St Mihaly Mountain. Those who tackle the summit of St Mihaly Mountain will be rewarded with wonderful panoramic views of the area and the chance to see the River Danube from above, where it takes its famous bend. From Zebegény a return ferry ride will be taken back to Visegrad.
Difficulty: Moderate route / Distance: 8 km / Duration: 5 hours / Incline: 200 m
Difficulty: Challenging / Distance: 20 km / Duration: 6.5 hours / Incline: 600 m
The Danube Bend
The Danube Bend
Today there will be a moderate and a challenging route exploring the Danube Bend and its most spectacular geological features. Keep your eyes peeled for the moss and lichen clad rock formations which provide a resting place for different birds, including the saker falcon and the raven, along with mammals like the pine marten and the wildcat. The moderate route will take a walk with less inclines along the Lukács ditch, while the challenging route will leave from Dömös and walk to the Rám-gulch. Both groups will meet at a picnic spot place close to the Rám Mountain. Afterwards the moderate route will return via the Téry road and the challenging route will return via the Lukács ditch. Both routes will reunite at Dömös and from here make their way back to the hotel.
Difficulty: Moderate / Distance: 11 km / Duration: 6 hours / Incline: 300 m
Difficulty: Challenging route / Distance: 13 km / Duration: 6 hours / Incline: 400 m
At Leisure
Free time at Leisure
You will have today free to spend at your leisure. You might like to sit back and re-charge the batteries after your walking days or you can also try rowing, take a ferry boat along the Danube, relax at the thermal bath at Leányfalu or explore the trails that lead to Vac, one of the lesser known Danube Bend towns. Your local guide will be on hand to make some suggestions to suit your taste.
The Pilis Mountains
Walking day in the Pilis Mountains
This morning take a coach to Pilisszentkereszt village with your local expert walking guide. Today there will be a moderate and a challenging route exploring all the Pilis Mountains have to offer. The moderate group will take two short, but very scenic walks; the first along the Dera Creek and the second, through the Holdvilág Ditch. The challenging route will climb up to the highest peak, Pilis, following the famous serpentine road. Upon reaching the top there are stunning panoramic views of the surrounding areas. There will be time to take it all in before descending back down towards the starting point of Pilisszentkereszt village.
Moderate route - Distance: 8 km / Duration: 5 hours / Incline: 200 m
Challenging route - Distance: 20 km / Duration: 6 hours / Incline: 500 m
Buda Mountains & Budapest
The Buda Hills & Budapest City Tour
This morning you will transfer by coach to Hungary’s capital city, Budapest, for a panoramic city tour, taking in the main highlights, followed by a walk in the Buda Mountains. The panoramic coach tour will end at Huvosvolgy and from here you will ride on the Gyermekvasút, or “Children’s Railway” in to the Buda Mountains, a low mountain range of numerous hills which dot the Buda side of Budapest. There will be a moderate and a challenging route available. Both routes will end with a chairlift ride back towards Buda Valley to end the days walking.
Difficulty: Moderate / Distance: 8 km / Duration: 5 hours / Incline: 200 m
Difficulty: Challenging / Distance: 12 km / Duration: 6 hours / Incline: 600 m
Return home
Fly home from Budapest
Today you will transfer from Visegrád to Budapest airport for your flight home.
* We aim to operate your tour itinerary according to the format shown. Occasionally, local conditions and unexpected events may result in adjustments to the planned schedule. We kindly ask for your understanding and flexibility in the event of any changes.
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Know before you go
What if there is an emergency?
We have local representatives in all of our destinations who are available 24/7 as well as an emergency contact number for our offices in Ireland should you ever need it.
Do I need a Visa?
Please visit our visa page for information on requirements for each country's entry requirements
Will I be met at the airport?
You will be met on arrival at your destination airport and transferred to your accommodation. You will be accompanied on all included excursions by your TD active guide. Your expert local guide is also available to give you tips and advice on any aspect of your holiday.