Historic Hungarian Cycling Tour
Connect with a rich history
This extraordinary adventure cycling tour in Europe takes us along the River Danube from Vienna, Austria, where the art and culture scene is ranked amongst the world’s best, to Budapest, Hungary, a beautiful city where history is evident at every turn.
Our two week guided Hungarian cycling tour combines varied terrain that ensures an authentic experience of the unspoiled land. Medieval Castles, beautiful stretches of wooded countryside, lovely villages, healing thermal spas, wineries, and museums will fill our days. One of the best features of this trip is our accommodations: a combination of beautiful old castles, mansions, and pleasant country inns. Plenty of local cuisines and wine tastings are also on the menu, featuring gourmet dinners in the most perfect settings—on occasion, inside actual wine cellars.
This cycling tour should be considered easy to moderate with mostly flat terrain and averaging between 10–35 miles daily.
Read notes from our travel journal and view highlights from our most recent Hungary trip!
Itinerary
A typical Hungary trip schedule:
Arriving in Vienna
Departing from Budapest
Day 1: After checking in to our hotel, we’ll begin our tour of what we feel is one of the most vibrant cities in the world: Vienna, Austria. Our tour of includes the Vienna Pass, which provides free transport and entry to many of the city’s top attractions. We’ll take a two-hour walking tour that acquaints us with Vienna’s rich and colorful history, and afterward, you will be able to explore more on your own or stay with the group.
Day 2: After a complimentary breakfast, we’ll tour the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and visit the Schonbrunn Palace. There, we’ll see how the Habsburg family—rulers of Austria for nearly 650 years—lived in one of the most influential European royal houses. We’ll also visit St. Stephen’s Cathedral, one of Vienna’s most important and symbolic churches, and the Treasury, where some of the most precious objects from the Cathedral are on display.
Day 3: After a complimentary breakfast, we’ll tour the Hofburg Palace, the former principal imperial residence of the Habsburg dynasty rulers. The tour begins at the Spanish Riding School where we’ll see the morning exercises of the famous Lipizzan Stallions. Then we move on to the interior of the Imperial Palace, which houses some of the most impressive collections of art once belonging to the Habsburg’s. We’ll also visit the Imperial Apartments, Imperial Collections museum, and the Albertina museum, home to prestigious art galleries showcasing masterpiece works from Monet, and Picasso, among others.
Day 4: Today, we begin a leisurely morning with a complimentary breakfast, then some shopping, people watching, sightseeing, or a visit to a famous coffee house. This afternoon, we’ll transport the group to the charming old wine village of Grinzing, famous for its Viennese Wine Taverns. Tonight, we’ll meet our tour guides and enjoy local wine, and delicious traditional Austrian specialties.
Day 5: After a complimentary breakfast, we’ll begin our cycling tour along Austria’s largest lake, Lake Neusiedl, also known as Austria’s seaside. We will definitely be off the beaten path as we cycle through picture-perfect villages with thatched roofs, and vineyards belonging to local wineries, all while listening to the operetta of the wild birds surrounding the lake. We’ll stop in Rust, a town not only bursting with historic wineries but large populations of storks as well. We’ll complete the day in the vibrant city of Sopron. Our accommodations for the next two nights are in an eloquent monastery, the perfect combination of 500 years of cultural heritage and 21st-century amenities.
Distance: 30 miles
Elevation gain: 325 ft
Terrain: Paved surface - flat
Difficulty 2/5
Day 6: After a complimentary breakfast, we’ll tour the town of Sopron, often referred to as the “jewel box” of Hungary, situated at the base of the Austrian Alps. We’ll see original Roman city walls, the infamous Fire Tower, and walk amongst some of the most impressive architectural monuments known to Hungary. Our bike ride today will take us back into the forest on our way to Lake Fertö, a UNESCO World Heritage site that features natural labyrinths of saltwater canals and many rare birds and wildlife. The lake is also a popular spot for fishing, wind-surfing, and other water activities as well. We’ll enjoy a short boat trip, then cycle through a beautiful vineyard on our way back to the hotel. Tonight, we’ll enjoy fine wine from the Sopron region, and a very special traditional Hungarian gourmet dinner.
Distance: 15 mies
Elevation gain 150 ft
Terrain: Paved surface / bike trails
Difficulty: 1/5
Day 7: After a complimentary breakfast, we’ll visit the Baroque Esterhazy Palace. Built in the 13th century, and once owned by King Louis, has been home to many famous tenants, including composer Joseph Haydn. The scenery from our bikes includes unspoiled wetlands of Fertö-Hanság National Park, rich in flora and fauna, as well as home to purple herons, black storks, and white-tailed eagles. This afternoon, we’ll admire an amazing Romanesque church, and tonight, we’ll enjoy authentic Hungarian cuisine, prepared by the owner along with a wine tasting from their private cellars.
Distance: 40 miles
Elevation gain: 100 ft
Terrain: Paved surface
Difficulty 3/5
Day 8: After a complimentary breakfast, we’ll begin our bike ride through a beautiful lush forest, and around the picturesque lakes of Tata. Today will be especially pleasing as we cycle through a variety of landscapes that include a medieval castle, exquisite views of the Danube, Baroque homes, and enchanting villages. A highlight of today’s adventure includes a refreshing swim at one of the best thermal spas in Hungary. Our accommodations for the next two nights are in a quaint antique hotel once owned by the noble Esterhazy family.
Distance: 20 miles
Elevation gain: 100 ft
Terrain: Paved surface & Bike path along the Danube
Difficulty: 1/5
Day 9: After a complimentary breakfast, we’ll enjoy a casual ride in Tata, a cute little town surrounded by baroque houses and a beautiful lake. Our tour today will also include visiting a medieval castle, and a Benedictine Abbey. We’re in for a treat as we will be cycling alongside a stream on our way to one of Hungarys award winning vineyards for a wine tasting. Tonight our dinner table will include a beautiful view of the lake and nearby castle.
Distance: 18 miles
Elevation gain: 100 ft
Terrain: Paved surface through a forest / bike path along the Danube
Difficulty: 1/5
Day 10: After a complimentary breakfast, we’ll visit the small town of Esztergom where the largest church and the tallest building in Hungary are located. Esztergom is currently the seat of the Catholic Church in Hungary, and home to exquisite statuary depicting the first King St. Stephen being crowned, dating back to the year 1000. We’ll continue on our bikes, passing through the towering walls of the Citadel of Visegrad, the summer palace of legendary King Matthias Corvinus. While there, we’ll enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view of the Danube Bend, considered to be one of the most magnificent areas of Hungary.
Distance: 16 miles
Elevation gain: 100 ft
Terrain: Paved surface / cycling along the Danube River
Difficulty: 1/5
Day 11: Today, we’ll cycle downhill along the Danube and experience Old Buda via ancient streets and beautiful bike paths, passing popular resort areas as well as quaint Baroque homes. We’ll visit a very unique Marzipan Museum before continuing our final ride into Budapest, enjoying incredible views of the Renaissance Royal Palace from the 15th century and Danube River. Our accommodations will be in a charming hotel near the Chain Bridge in Budapest. Tonight, we say goodbye to our tour guides and new friends with a farewell dinner.
Distance: 17 miles
Elevation gain: 100 ft
Terrain: Paved surface along the Danube River
Difficulty: 1/5
Day 12: For the next three days of this adventure we will explore Budapest, and all this incredible city has to offer. One major attraction is the Chain Bridge, a beautiful suspension bridge that crosses the Danube River and connects the Buda to the Pest side of Budapest. We’ll enjoy a guided tour of the Iconic Parliament building which is the government center and a famous landmark.
Day 13: After a complimentary breakfast, with cameras in hand, we’ll begin our day on the Buda side of town. Our tour includes several iconic buildings: the Mathias Church, Fisherman’s Bastion, and Gellert Hill Citadella. We’ll also visit the historic Buda Castle, once home to Hungarian kings.
Day 14: After a complimentary breakfast, we’ll continue our tour on the Pest side of the city. We’ll visit The St. Stephen’s Basilica, Hero’s Square, and the Great Market Hall that offers everything Hungarian that you might want to take home. We’ll also stop by The Shoes on the Danube Bank, a somber memorial honoring the thousands executed along the Danube riverbank during WWII.
Day 15: Today, it’s time to say goodbye as our adventure comes to a close. We’ll provide transportation to the airport for your journey back home.
INCLUDED IN THE PRICE: Transportation to and from the airports in Vienna and Budapest, all transportation, hotels, and accommodations in monasteries, within the scheduled tour, all meals with wine while on the bike tour, two additional wine tastings, bikes (21 speed hybrids), cycling guides, all museums, thermal spa, ferry tickets while on the bike tour and Vienna Pass sightseeing card while in Vienna.
NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE: Air travel, travel and health insurance, meals and beverages (other than what is listed above); and any additional tours or entertainment not scheduled on the itinerary.