Destination: Hungary

Hungary; small group tours for seniors

Odyssey offers easy, convenient, and relaxed escorted small group tours across Eastern Europe and beyond. We explore Hungary’s incredible natural beauty, its imperial heritage, World Heritage Sites, and stunning cities, all with some truly spectacular scenery along the way. This and more is all waiting to be explored on one of Odyssey’s small group tours of Hungary, designed for the senior traveller, and led by experienced, and enthusiastic like minded people.

Our escorted tours to Hungary take the mature traveller to one of Europe‘s oldest nations, with over 2,000 years of history. Our small group guided tour shows you the vibrant culture that reflects both its storied past and colourful traditions in Eastern Europe. Historical sights that once where part of the Habsburg empire include an imperial palace, grand neoclassical buildings, fairy tale forests and rolling green hills make the perfect backdrop for UNESCO world heritage site ancient monasteries, a Medieval town and castles as well as Roman ruins. Your tour guide and tour director (tour leader) will share with you on this small group tour of Hungary, a thriving folk culture, discover traditional music, exquisite embroidery and hidden folk paintings on the walls of tiny churches beyond Budapest and the Danube river.

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Hungary Tours

Hand crafted tours for mature World Travellers

Habsburg Art and Classical Music small group Tour

22 days

Aug

Habsburg Art and Classical Music small group Tour

Visiting Austria, Czech Republic

From the mediaeval jewel of Cesky Krumlow to the grandeur of the Habsburg’s summer palace in Vienna, our small group will embark on a 21 night journey to learn about these vibrant and artistically rich cities. We delve into the history of the famous artists, musicians, writers, architects and composers from Austria, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic.

From A$15,245 AUD

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Budapest

23 days

Sep

Sofia, Bucharest and Budapest | Small Group Tour

Visiting Bulgaria, Hungary

Bulgaria and Romania have been at the crossroads of civilisations for centuries. This is a small group tour from one of the best small group tour companies for Europe, whose trips each day, select destinations from local guides that provide authentic experiences for our guests who are on holiday.

From A$13,995 AUD

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Houses in Amsterdam The Netherlands

75 days

May, Aug, Apr

Grand tour of Europe

Visiting Austria, Belgium, Croatia

For the senior couple or mature solo traveler seeking a small group educational tour focussed on exploring and learning with like minded people in Europe.

From A$47,275 AUD

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The Hungarian capital, Budapest, sits on the mighty Danube river and brings together on a city tour, when sightseeing, the old grand neoclassical buildings, an old town and majesty of the Habsburg Empire with a new post-Communist cosmopolitanism. Explore Art Nouveau coffee houses, Turkish baths from the Ottoman empire, the elegant Buda Palace, the opera house Soviet-style statues and the ominously-named museum, the House of Terror can be explored on a walking tour with a local tour guide. Pecs in southern Hungary, close to Croatia is known for its glorious summer-lengthening micro-climate. It is the perfect base for the Villany wine region if you’re interested in sampling some of the best Hungarian wine.

With alpine hills, beautiful national parks, lakeside villages and delicious, hearty local dishes waiting to be discovered, Hungary is not to be missed as part of your collection of small group journeys.

Hand crafted tours for mature World Travellers

Articles about Hungary

Budapest

Mature Travellers Discovering Hungary

Travellers Discover Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe, bordered by Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Austria. It is best-known for its capital Budapest, the country’s cultural and commercial centre and home…

7 Sep 18 · 8 mins read
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Budapest, Hungary gothic revival architecture

Questions About Hungary for senior travellers

Escorted small group tours for mature and senior travellers to Hungary. Designed for couples and solo travellers who like to explore and enjoy learning about the History as they travel to Bucharest and beyond.

7 Nov 19 · 2 mins read
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Stari Most in the city of Mostar

The Balkans: The Influence of the Land on its People

The Human History of the Balkans The aptly-named Balkan region comes from the Turkish word for “mountain“. It was so named because of the vast number and expanse of the mountain ranges that have been…

18 Jun 19 · 8 mins read
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Hungary, Budapest

History of Modern Hungary

The foundations of the Hungarian state were established way back in the late ninth century, the story of Hungarian statehood is a complex one. How Hungary came to be is undeniably gripping and allows the keen traveller to further understand the rich culture of the country today.

30 Dec 19 · 9 mins read
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Touring Hungary

The need to know

Getting around

When on small group tour of Hungary, these small group journeys travel by coach and occasionally uses local transport, including trains and ferries. Specifics are always outlined in your tour itinerary. Hungary‘s capital, Budapest, has a well-developed public transport system, with rail services linking all major cities, and bus services readily available. Taxis can be found in all major cities and are reasonably priced, though it’s best to call a reputable taxi company rather than hail one off the street.

Accommodation

In major cities such as beautiful Budapest, Odyssey selects for Private tours and small group tours the group stays in centrally located good quality 3-4 star hotels, with easy access to public transport.

In smaller towns or rural areas, we usually stay in family-run hotels or guesthouses. On our long stay tours, during which you spend the length of the tour in a single location, we use serviced apartments.

Tour guides

Odyssey always engages a local tour guide with regional knowledge to ensure an authentic experience during which you can learn as much as possible about the history and culture of places you visit.

Geography, environment and weather

Hungary is a landlocked country covering 93k square kilometres. Hungary has 2 major rivers, the Tisza and the Danube, the latter of which stretches over 418 kilometres of Hungarian territory.

Hungary is a largely flat country, and has three main geographic regions – the North Hungarian mountains, the hilly region of Transdanubia, and the Great Alfold (the Great Hungarian Plain), east of the Danube River.

Hungary has a continental European climate, with warm to hot summers and cold winters.

Depending on the time of year you intend to travel, check the weather reports and prepare accordingly.

World Heritage sites

Hungary has some 8 UNESCO World Heritage Site locations. You can view the official list of the sites here (https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/hu). While every site is worth a look, here are a few highlights:

  • Christian Necropolis of Pecs, featuring beautiful early Christian art and decorated murals
  • Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst caves, a cave system of over 712 caves with a geological history dating back millions of years
  • Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma, the second largest territorial abbey in the world

Festivals and events

Hungary has an eclectic mix of different festivals and events throughout the year. Hungarians are proud of their heritage, with festivals such the Koros Valley Folk Arts Festival celebrating folk traditions with music, dance, drama and crafts. The Busójárás celebration is a truly unique spectacle – held in the town of Mohacs, it involves the men of the town donning carved masks and furry costumes and parading through the streets of the town.

Hungary hosts numerous international events, including the Hungarian Formula 1 Grand Prix and the Budapest International Circus Festival.

Reading list

  • A Concise History of Hungary by Miklós Molnár
  • The Will to Survive: A History of Hungary by Bryan Cartle
  • Eclipse of the Crescent Moon,by Géza Gárdonyi
  • Budapest 1900 by John Lukacs

Eating and Drinking

No discussion on Hungarian cuisine would be complete without mentioning goulash – the famous meat stew is the country’s national dish, made out of beef, potatoes, carrots, and generous quantities of paprika. Paprika features prominently in Hungarian cuisine; aside from goulash, paprika is used to flavour numerous other dishes, including paprika chicken, halászlé (fishermen’s soup), and lecsó (a vergetable stew with a base of tomatoes, peppers, and paprika).

On a culinary walking tour your tour leader or local tour guide may entice you Sweeter offerings include kürtőskalács (‘chimney cake’, rolled in cinnamon, sugar, and nuts), palacsinta (crepes) and rétes (Hungarian strudel).

Hungary’s national drink is unicum, a herbal liquer, while the country also produces numerous other liquers and varieties of wine.

Health and safety

Central Europe and Hungary including Budapest is generally safe to travel around in, though always exercise common sense whenever you travel.

Electrical supply

Whenever you travel overseas, it’s always wise to take an appropriate travel adapter. Hungary operates on a electricity supply of 230V and 50 Hz. Hungary uses both the Type C and Type F plug, so be sure you have an adapter handy as needed.

Tour Reviews

Every day was different with so much to see and do. Volcanoes, craters (including the pseudo ones), bubbling mud pools, and the active Strokkur Geyser, the bird life, black sand beaches, and those beautiful Icelandic horses. The time flew by...

Participant 2016

Iceland cultural and wilderness small group tour

Our guide Filiz was wonderful, very well informed, historical insights very helpful, her care for our well being exceptional. Could not have wished for a better tour leader.

Participant 2017

Small group tour of Ancient Turkey

Our guide was a great ambassador for his country, wide knowledge of literature, history, customs, industry, fishing - also a perceptive and sensitive person who inter-acted so willingly with all of us!

Participant 2016

Iceland cultural and wilderness small group tour

The country was apparently calm and safe. People were friendly and helpful. Such a pity there has been such a down turn in tourism. Ros & Tony S. Sep '17

Participant 2017

Small group tour of Ancient Turkey

It is hard to believe that such a small country can contain so much dramatic scenery. Icecaps and glaciers, huge waterfalls, volcanos and hot bubbling mud, and those wonderful fjords and high mountain passes

Participant 2016

Iceland cultural and wilderness small group tour

We felt safe in Turkey and found the people friendly and helpful. Prices were excellent and the food almost universally magnificent. There is so much to see in the natural and built environment and the wonderful archaeological sites. It is sad to see the ordinary people and businesses suffering from the lack of tourists. Mary B. Sep '17

Participant 2017

Small group tour of Ancient Turkey

I was impressed by the number of places we visited. It was a very full itinerary which I like. We saw things of interest every day. I see no fault with the tour.

Participant 2017

Anglo French Tour | Normandy, Brittany, Channel Islands tour

The geographical wonders offered by Iceland and Greenland left me in awe. The grandeur and spectacle of the countryside is breathtaking. Our leader (Rob) was excellent: well-researched, friendly, organized and good-humoured.

Participant 2017

Iceland cultural and wilderness small group tour

FAQs

What time zone is Hungary in?

Hungary has a single time zone, Central European Time (UTC+1). Daylight savings starts on the last Sunday of March and ends of the last Sunday of October.

Is tipping customary

If you’re on an Odyssey tour, we take care of tipping so you don’t need to give it a second thought. However, in your free time, or if travelling independently, it’s essential that you tip an appropriate amount for services. In Hungary, tipping is appreciated though not mandatory. Tips in restaurants, bars and taxis are usually 10% of the price, though if tipping in a restaurant or bar, tip the server directly rather than leaving a tip on the table.

What is internet like in Hungary?

Wifi is widely available in cafes, bars, restaurants and hotels.

Can I use my mobile phone?

Check with your cell phone provider to see whether you’re able to make calls and use data while in Hungary. Many providers will allow you to pay a daily fee that allows you to make calls and check the internet while only being charged your regular rates. However, be certain to inform your provider that you’re heading overseas, because just like a bank they can turn off your service as a result of unusual activity.

Articles about Hungary published by Odyssey Traveller

For all the articles Odyssey Traveller has published for mature aged and senior travellers, click through on this link.

External articles to assist you on your visit to Hungary

Responsible travel tips for Hungary

  • Learn at least the local greetings to break the ice. Although many locals speak English, the more you know of the native language, the greater your experience of the country will be.
  • Carry a business card in your wallet or purse from your local hotel, to assist you with the return journey if you do become lost.
  • Always ensure that you are covered by travel insurance. If you need advice on this feel free to contact Odyssey and we’ll be able to help.
  • When travelling independently, make sure you check the opening hours of shops and museums so that you don’t miss out! Museums and galleries are often closed on Mondays. Also be certain to check whether your trip coincides with any public holidays, so you can plan accordingly.
  • Consider contacting your bank to inform them that you may be making purchases overseas. Otherwise, they may flag any activity on your account as suspicious. Also, check which ATMs and banks are compatible with your cards, to ensure you can withdraw cash with minimal fees.
  • Before departing, make sure you have a number of Hungrian notes, the forint, in a range of denominations. You don’t want to be carrying around enormous amounts of cash, but take enough to make it easy to pay in locations that might not accept credit card. It will also help you avoid card transaction fees, and it makes tipping a breeze.

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