Budapest Historical Sightseeing - Free Walking Tour
Overview
Available languages
2 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
This walking tour covers all the major historical sites and attractions of Budapest. Explore and gain a historical understanding which covers 50 points of historical interest.
The tour will give you the chance to view, explore, and gain a historical and cultural understanding of the country. The tour covers 50 points of interest. The tour gives an introduction to the arrival of the first Magyar tribes, the Ottomans, the Hapsburg Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, WW1, WW2, The Soviet Occupation, and life in current-day Hungary. Complete with recommendations for the best bars, restaurants, spas, and cultural spots in the city.
You can tip the guides as little or much as you wish depending on the experience. There is a booking fee payable to trip adviser.
Our tours are fast-moving and our guides are professional historians. We also keep our tour groups small, below 25 people, to allow you to hear and see the guide easily and to have plenty of time to ask questions.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Not recommended for travelers whom are unable to walk 3 miles.
We suggets bringing water to drink and sunscreen, umbrellas or warm jackets depending on the weather.
The tour is best enjoyed by adults and children over the age of 12 years. Younger children are welcome.
Dogs are not permitted on this tour. However guide dogs are permitted the owner must carry the dogs offical papers with them.
Metro and bus to Kalvin ter have wheelchair access.
Please inform us in advance if you need wheelchair access, the guide needs to make 2 slight adjustments to their route to accommodate you.
We do not offer a hearing induction loop.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Hungarian National Museum
Stand in the gardens of the National Museum: -See the statue of the mythical turul bird. -Learn about the museum, its collections, and its founder. -Hear about the 1948 uprising. -Discover the secrets of the notorious viii district, once home to grand palaces.
Kalvin Square
Meet the your guide at 12 Kalvin ter. Our guides are dressed in yellow. The square is French Protestant Reformer John Calvin. the area has places to sit and shelter from the elements.
What‘s Included
In-person guide
A short 5min break to buy drinks and go to the toilet there is no food/drink served on this tour. Guests should pay for their own if they wish to have them.
Cost of using a public toilet. 100huf to 500huf
Tips for the guides.
Guides are not able to carry guest luggage or equipment
Options
Budapest Historical Sightseeing - Walking Tour
Reviews
1,278 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Budapest Historical tour
Susan S,,Jan 5, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Lots of walking. Budapest has an amazing history. Our guide was great. Canbook elsewhere for free. Guide gets paid from tips.
Informative guide who...
Laura S,,Jan 5, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Informative guide who brought Budapest’s past and present history to life. Would be good to have a takeaway coffee stop along the route. Tour was 2.5 hours in very cold weather for tourists not familiar with that level of cold.
Best way to see and understand Budapest now and then
John G,,Jan 5, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Victoria was a timely, extremely knowledgeable, courteous, and well-prepared tour guide. She had a whole notebook full of photos for us to get a better sense of certain subjects of discussion. Her own family’s backstory in Hungary is moving and piqued our interest.
Inspired and (unfortunately) boring
Michael O,,Jan 4, 2026
- Review from Viator
2.00Sometimes very long-winded and uninteresting. Very good English skills should be brought. Our listless guide was very quick to speak and still good at complaining.
Too large a group
MelanieW73,,Jan 4, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Have been on similar free walking tours in many countries this was similar to others with one notable difference the size of the group was very large. The number of people made it difficult to hear what the guide was saying. The guide was informative enough and we enjoyed the tour however due to the large number of people I wouldn’t recommend.
Awful and miserable attitude - avoid Victoria 😢
Camille B,,Jan 3, 2026
- Review from Viator
1.00I don’t like to leave negative views, I consider myself a very understanding and flexible person. I enjoy writing good reviews when I’ve received a good or awesome experience. Unfortunately Victoria seemed to be having a terrible day, or really does not enjoy her job (yes I am aware, and as she said, she gets no money from the tours and relies on tips). She was rude, harsh, (and late with no apology), short and snappy with people and I felt like I was a burden to her for being on the tour. She was very negative about the country, pointing out many things she doesn’t like (yes, Hungary doesn’t have the most cheerful history), but did not point out much of the beauty and uniqueness that exists. She was basically shouting and when a couple were talking together (which was disrespectful of them of course), she went off at them like an angry teacher. I was close to leaving a quarter of the way in but I was hoping her attitude would warm, which it didn’t. She was knowledgeable however, but spoke very quickly and monotone as if she were reading off a screen and was just wanting to get it done with. It seemed she absolutely did not want to be there. I’ve done many of these $5 tours through Europe and they’ve all been so exceptional because of the tour guide. But unfortunately this one is memorable for the wrong reasons. I hope that Victoria’s life situation improves/her company treats her better, or whatever was the reason/s for her being so incredibly unpleasant. I wish I had left the tour early and spent my morning elsewhere. If you get her as your guide, she may be in a better mood, but be mindful, it may be unpleasant. I wanted to cry after.
Around Pest with Victoria
I8749LHelisam,,Jan 2, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We were lucky enough to have Victoria as our guide on this tour, she accompanied us for over two and a half hours, she is fantastic, the tour was extremely interesting. If it were possible we would always choose her!
Must do tour
craigbJ9506MO,,Dec 31, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I took this tour with my two older daughters (15yrs and 17yrs). Victoria was an amazing guide and yes does give an honest view of the do's and don'ts when visiting the city, which we found very useful. Her deep knowledge of the history of the city and Hungary gave a great insight into how it has evolved over the centuries and this was reinforced by some of her own family experiences which were humbling. The tour is 2.5hrs so be prepared, but the sights and stories are incredible. Thank you Victoria you were one of our highlights of a fantastic few days in Budapest and worth every penny of the tip we gave you.
Very knowledgeable guide- Victoria.
Jordan R,,Dec 31, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Excellent tour with Victoria. Very knowledgeable and kept us moving in cold conditions. Talked us through Hungarian History and modern day life in Budapest and Hungary. Her voice projected well too, making it easy to understand and follow.
Have fun and learn something new!
Kristen K,,Dec 30, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00The historical walking tour was very informative and well organized. Our guide was very knowledgeable, easy going and made sure everyone was accounted for. The tour included many of the famous sites on the Peat side of the Danube; we did. It go to Buda. I saw a lot of notable sites and leaned a great deal of interesting history as well as modern day customs in Hungary. I would highly recommend this tour.
Related Experiences
Operated by Perfect European Tours - Budapest FREE Walking Tours.