Day 1

Today you will board flight to Hungary from Montreal Trudeau Airport in the late afternoon at 05:10 pm. You will be flying to Paris, France with Air France, which has over 75 years of great reputation. In Paris, you will get a connection flight with Air France as well at 07:40 am to Budapest, Hungary on 04 July. Since there is a time difference between Montreal and Budapest (Budapest is 6 hours ahead of Montreal), you might feel a bit tired of this long journey, but I am sure that you are much more excited to see this historic country.

Day 2

You will be arriving in Budapest, “Pearl of Danube” , at 09:45 am. A minivan will pick you up to bring you to Danubius Hotel Gellert , which is an impressive Art-Nouveau building, situated on the Danube riverbank, at the foot of Gellért Hill. After check in, you can have a rest in your room with a view of Danube River, to have the first feeling of this peaceful and bustling city.If you are eager to see the city, get out of the Hotel, walk along the Danube River, you can start your first journey in this “Little Paris of Central Europe” with your Budapest Card (3-day), which allows you unlimited free travel in the city, and also gives you discounts at museums and restaurants. It’s good to mention that Danubius Hotel Gellert shares its building with the famous Gellért Spa – guests have free access through a private elevator down to the city’s most beautiful thermal bath. you can get relaxed and refresh yourself after visiting the city.

Day 3

Today, after the breakfast, you will be picked up in your hotel 9:30 am, at 10:00 am you will start a Budapest Half-Day Sightseeing Tour. It’s a guided tour.
We start the tour from the Chain Bridge, which is the oldest, arguably most beautiful and certainly the most photographed of Budapest's bridge. First, we take the Margaret Bridge, the second permanent bridge in Budapest, and drive over to Buda. We stop in the Castle District,where you can find interesting museums, charming, crooked streets following the shape of the hill, little cafés and restaurants.During a short walk we show you the main attractions of the area. We walk to Matthias Church, which is one of the principal sights of the Hungarian capital. It is the successor to a church built in the time of King Béla IV between 1255 and 1269, which was rebuilt on several occasions. Its side aisles were extended and given polygonal ends in the 14th C; the magnificent south doorway with its relief in the tympanum depicting the "Death of Mary" also dates from that period. In 1309 Charles Robert of Anjou was crowned King Charles I of Hungary in this church. Under King Matthias, after whom the church is named, side-chapels were added, together with an oratory for the royal family and a new south tower, which bears the arms of Matthias Corvinus, dated1470. In 1526 the building was destroyed by fire and fifteen years later was converted into a mosque. When the Turks were driven out by the Austrians the Jesuits made themselves responsible for the Church of our Lady and renovated it in Baroque style. In 1867 Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria and his consort Elisabeth ("Sisi") were crowned rulers of Hungary here; Franz Liszt composed the famous coronation mass.
Then we walk to the Fishermen’s Bastion,which is on Castle Hill, at the spot where in the Middle Ages the fishermen had their defense installations, the Fishermen's Bastion (Halászbástya) was built behind the Matthias Church between 1895 and 1902. Its towers, colonnades and embrasures, which were designed in Neo-Romanesque style by Frigyes Schulek, were renovated a few years ago. From the bastion there is a magnificent view over the city and the Danube.
Next, we drive to the Gellért Hill and show you the most spectacular view of Budapest. We then take you across the Elisabeth Bridge to Pest, this bridge is named after Queen Elisabeth, a popular queen and empress of Austria-Hungary, who was assassinated in 1898. Today, her large bronze statue sits by the bridge's Buda side.Then we show you the famous Central Market Hall, the largest indoor market in Budapest, followed by the largest Synagogue of Europe and the City Park. The synagogue is 75m long and 27m wide, and was built between 1854 and 1859 in the Moorish Revival style, based chiefly on Moorish models from North Africa and Spain.Then we pass by Europe’s largest thermal spa, the Budapest Zoo and the Amusement Park, after which stop at the Heroes’ Square (with statues of the most famous Hungarian kings and dukes). We then take the Andrássy Avenue to downtown Pest, pass by the Opera House and the St Stephen’s Basilica (Hungary first king, St Stephen is kept in the chapel), Something interesting to know about the Opera House is that this is Hungary's greatest Historicist architecture, it is designed for the Millennium celebrations in 19th century. Budapest Opera House will enchant you not only with its ballet and opera performances but with its fine neo-Renaissance architecture.
We then get off the bus again and take an interior visit of the impressive neo-gothic House of Parliament (guided tour incl.). The Parliament is 268 m long and 123 m wide accross the centre. It occupies 18.000 square metres on the surface and 473.000 cubic metres of space. About 50 five-story apartment blocks could fit into the Parliament, just to give you an idea about its vastness.Budapest Parliament is the third largest parliament in the world. Today it seems too big for such a small country, but at the time of its construction Hungary formed part of the Habsburg Empire, that stretched from the Tatra Mountains to the Adriatic.The Parliament has 691 rooms. The length of all the stairs together measures about 20 kilometres. The most impressive is the grand staircase. The building contains spacious halls. The central dome's height reaches 96 m.The building has 27 entrance gates. 90 statues and the coats-of-arms of various cities adorn the exterior. There are 152 statues and pictures of national fauna. The decorations needed about 40 kg 22-23 karat gold.During the tour we offer a brief overview of the last 1000 years of Hungarian history.
The Tour ends in the city-centre around 02:30 pm.The rest day at leisure to explore the city on your own with Budapest card.

Day 4

Today, after breakfast, you will have a full day excursion into Hungary’s history at 10:00 am.This is an unforgettable tour along the "Blue Danube" with stops in Visegrád, Esztergom and Szentendre.

Visegrád: we walk on the 750 year-old stones of the formal Royal Residence (entrance fee included), learn about life in the middle ages and enjoy the fascinating panorama on the Danube valley.

Esztergom: the Northern gate of Budapest – the centre of the Catholic Church. We visit the largest cathedral of Hungary (also burial place of famous cardinals of Hungary, like Primate József Mindszenty). Afterwards, we glance across the river and enjoy the view over to Slovakia.

Szentendre: On the way back we stop in the artist's village of Szentendre. It is a small baroque city at the gate of the Danube Bend, at the meeting place of the river Danube and the Pilis Mountains, in a beautiful natural environment. We walk around the baroque settlement, built on medieval ruins and go up the narrow streets to the panorama point to see the Danube. We then simply enjoy the special atmosphere of this village. You can also take the opportunity to visit the museums (for example the world-famous Margit Kovács Ceramic Museum, the Confectionery Museum-with buildings and people made of marzipan), or you can choose to visit the shops of the village.Then we return to Budapest on the Danube by boat. The tour ends at the pier / city centre around 06:30 pm. During the tour we stop for lunch (optional, not incl.).

Day 5

Today, you will have a chance to know the historical icon of Hungary, Elisabeth.Visit the second largest Baroque Palace of the world in Gödöllő! After only a 30-minute drive from Budapest we arrive to the former summer residence of Queen Elisabeth (Sisi) and Francis Joseph (Habsburg Emperor & Hungarian King 1867-1916). This interior visit of the Museum and the tour through the garden of the Chateau, gives you a glimpse of times under the Austro-Hungarian Empire. You will become acquainted with the secrets of the private life, the hidden doors, rooms and lovers of the royal couple. Opportunity for coffee break (optional, not incl.) Your tour will be ended around 01:00pm in Budapest.

The rest day is on your own.

Day 6

Today you will start your own journey with Hungary Pass to explore the country. You will be provided a recommendation list which will give you some information on attractions, restaurants, transportations, etc.

First you will explore the Eger-Tokaj Hilly Wine Region,to taste the world renowned Hungarian wine.
After a fresh breakfast in the morning, you will board the train at 09:03 am at Budapest Keleti Pu Station.After 2-hour travel, you will arrive in Eger at noon, check in Panorama Pension, which is situated in Downtown. The train station is located about a ten minute walk from the downtown area, it’s your option to take a taxi or just walk to the hotel if you don’t have many baggages. After check in, you are on your own to get around the town, since most attractions are in downtown, you can easily visit historic buildings, including the northernmost Turkish minaret. The minaret is a 42 meter high symbol of the Turkish occupation. It is 97 steps to the top, but be warned, the climb up is in an incredibly enclosed space on uneven and slippery steps and there is little room to move around up top so those who are afraid of heights or tight places should just enjoy it from the outside. The castle of Eger, you walk along walls with arrow slits and those bastions which have born witness to many a battle to reach the most important and oldest part of the fortress, the inner castle. Almost every bit of the inner castle area has its own story. Parts of the original castle walls are still standing and cannons are positioned on the cannon hill from where there is a fantastic panorama of the city.
Exhibitions are arranged in the cellars, just as in the Dobó Bastion and several other places. The underground corridor system and the arrow headed (or Italian) bastions can be visited, as can the excavated remains of the first cathedral of Eger.
The two-storey Bishop's Palace (püspöki palota) dominates the courtyard. The oldest building of Eger, it was built in the years before 1475 and was later extended and renovated. However, its most beautiful part, the Gothic arcades have remained in their original splendour. Do not forget Valley of Beautiful Women, the main place to go for wine tasting in the town. It’s only about 15-20 minutes walk from centre of town.

Day 7

Today is an adventure day, a horseback riding is highly recommended in one of Europe's most beautiful horse tracks to appreciate the breathtaking scenery, along and across vineyards; up the hills; through the forest; in beautiful fields. It’s only 5 minutes by taxi from center of Eger.


In the Afternoon, a hiking in Bükk Mountain is suggested, which is just to the northeast of Eger, a lush, rugged terrain of cliffs and forest land. To seek rest and relaxation in the seclusion of the mountainous country before next new journey. You can rent a taxi to get in on road No. 25. from Eger. A public bus from Eger stops there as well. Get the best area map, called Bükk hegység (Bükk Hills); it shows all the area hiking trails in good detail. You can find the map in most area bookstores and map stores.In the evening, you can have a delicious dinner in one of the restaurants on the recommendation list. Then Have a good rest, be ready for your next new destination.