Hungary - The Danube Bend Walking Holiday

Upon arrival in Budapest, we will be met by our local representative and transferred to our 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.

4 star hotel in Visegrád (7 nights)

Let's embark on a 1-hour orientation tour along the banks of the Danube with our 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. We'll see the waterfalls, the fishpond and the arboretum. Close to the Ördögmalom waterfall, we can enjoy the ‘Kneipp-experience’ by walking barefoot on the small, rounded rocks in the river bed.

In the afternoon, those who chose the moderate route will return to the hotel on foot, where the remainder of the day will be free for further independent exploration. Those who prefered the challenging route will continue walking up towards Visegrád Castle. Also known as the "Castle in the Sky", this historic fortress is nestled on a hill overlooking the Danube River, offering breathtaking panoramic views of the Danube Bend and the surrounding lush landscape. 

Difficulty: Moderate / Distance: 7 km / Duration: 5 hours / Incline: 100 m

Difficulty: Challenging / Distance: 20 km / Duration: 6.5 hours / Incline: 750 m

This morning, let's take the ferry to the town of Nagymaros with our 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 to get 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

Today, there will be a moderate and a challenging route exploring the Danube Bend and its most spectacular geological features. Let's keep our 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 fewer 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 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

You will have today free to spend at your leisure. You might like to sit back and recharge 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. Our local guide will be on hand to make some suggestions to suit your taste.

This morning, we take a coach to Pilisszentkereszt village with our local expert walking guide. Today, there will be a moderate and a challenging route exploring all that 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

This morning we 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 we will ride on the Gyermekvasút, or “Children’s Railway”, into 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 day's walking.

Difficulty: Moderate / Distance: 8 km / Duration: 5 hours / Incline: 200 m

Difficulty: Challenging / Distance: 12 km / Duration: 6 hours / Incline: 600 m

Today we will transfer from Visegrád to Budapest airport for your flight home.