Private Tour
Private Budapest Hammer & Sickle Communist Times Tour
Overview
Available languages
3 hours
Mobile ticket
The way it was, comrade! This tour takes you back in time to explore life during 50 years of Communism and Big Brother's control.
Get a comprehensive overview of Hungary’s communist era. Learn about child-rearing, family life, travel restrictions, and life behind the Iron Curtain.
You will walk along the river to visit World War II-era Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial.
We’ll explore the history of the Communist government after World War II, whose policies led to the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. The tour provides an overview and highlights major locations where significant events unfolded.
Visit Budapest's last remaining Soviet monumen and the Hungarian Parliament, where the first shots of the 1956 revolution were fired—we'll also explore the related exhibition there.
You will pass the "White House," the former party headquarters, and end at the memorial of Imre Nagy, the executed prime minister of the 1956 revolution. The tour includes a refreshment break at a retro café
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Due to the topic, it is not recommended for children under age 14
The tour runs in all weather, so please dress appropriately
This tour involves 2.5 hours of continuous walking on high curbs, stairs, and slippery surfaces, making it unsuitable for people with limited mobility.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Licensed English speaking expert guide
Pick-up
Refreshment stop with a beverage
Drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
What To Expect
Budapest
Meet your guide at your accommodation and start exploring the sites of central Budapest.
St. Stephen's Basilica (Szent Istvan Bazilika)
Learn about how communism affected the religious life and operation of the different churches
Options
Private Budapest Hammer & Sickle Communist Times Tour
Pickup included
Reviews
47 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great tour guide
Juan C,
Mar 9, 2020
- Review from Viator
5.00We had a great experience, great tour, HONZA was a GREAT tour guide. All questions answered. Perfect length of tour
Prague Communist walking tour with Museum visit
Alan R,
Oct 8, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Very informative & enlightening! Was especially illuminating since our guide lived through the communist system & enjoyed the transition to a capitalist system.
Excellent Tour of Communism
travels4everever,
Sep 2, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This tour was excellent, highly highly recommended. Our tour guide was Zuzana who was so enthusiastic to tell us the story of communism including prior events leading to it. She lived it so it was first hand. REAL.... Very knowledgeable. An eye opener for our family of three, private tour which we were so lucky to have. She even took us to other places that I happened to mention. I just can't say enough of this tour and Zuzana. You want to dive into your history books to learn more! LOVED this tour!!! This was one of the best!
Fabulous Hammer and Sickle Tour
Patrick K,
Jun 15, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We got off the train, dropped off our bags and headed round the corner to do this tour with Tamas, a Budapest local with great English and a quirky sense of humour and in in-depth knowledge of Hungarian history. It was a superb introduction to life in Hungary during the 20th century, a lot of fun and not too much walking in the hot sun. Highly recommended
Zsolt was the best tour guide ever!
Rose R,
Aug 6, 2018
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We took the 3-hour Communist walking tour of Budapest and Zsolt was our guide. He was fabulous. I've had my fair share of tour guides and have found they are hit or miss. He was in the top 3 best tour guides I've ever had the pleasure of touring with. As a history teacher and someone whose family has lived in Budapest for generations (both pre-communism, communism and post-communism, he has a very informed view and is able to deliver a quality, balanced history lesson. He's very personable, too! The tour included a stop at one of the local eating establishments where we were offered refreshments and a sampling of traditional Hungarian food. This tour was worth every penny.
Our tour guide Jan was enthusiastic...
Michael D,
Mar 13, 2018
- Review from Viator
3.00Our tour guide Jan was enthusiastic and knowledgeable, but my reaction was that the tour order could have benefited from being a bit more chronological, than issue by issue as we went in a pre-planned circle of the inner ring of Old Town. There was more of an emphasis on the period immediately prior to the velvet revolution and not as much about the WWII resolution that lead to communist rule, and life under communism.
A very sweet guide, who was very...
Bradley R,
Sep 27, 2016
- Review from Viator
4.00A very sweet guide, who was very passionate about her home country, gave us a wonderful tour of Prague as is was during the Communist era. A bit too much time was given to the museum. It would have been better to add that to the end of the tour as something we could do on our own.
I was privileged to have a great...
Jeremy M,
Sep 13, 2016
- Review from Viator
5.00I was privileged to have a great guide Martina who had lived through the Communist period. Her insights made the tour an unforgettable experience. It was so good to have this personal attention compared with the large groups that swarmed around.
Unfortunately when we turned up we...
colin w,
Jun 3, 2016
- Review from Viator
4.00Unfortunately when we turned up we were advised that the tour had been changed to communist history only! However as there were just the 2 of us John honza our tour guide was quite happy to adjust the tour on the day to meet our particular requests for ww2 history and the velvet revolution! His knowledge as a philosophy student was excellent and the pace for us retired folk was just right! many thanks john for an excellent tour...well done
Very disappointing as our guide...
Susan E,
Sep 22, 2015
- Review from Viator
1.00Very disappointing as our guide Peter had us standing in one spot for 1hour and 15 mins before we had even started the walking tour on quite a hot day. He talked more about him and his family and how they hated the Russians and showed us were he had demonstrated when he was younger with his parents. I would have expected a guide to be impartial on his views about history, therefore we were very disappointed in this tour and having used Viator in the past we would have to consider very carefully using Viator in the future to book tours.
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