Hungary - The Danube Bend Walking Holiday

Arrive in Budapest

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

Accommodation

Overnight

4 star hotel in Visegrád (7 nights)

Walking tour of Visegrád Hills

Morning

Embark on a 1 hour orientation tour along the banks of the Danube with your 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. Explore the waterfalls the fishpond and the arboretum. Close to the Ördögmalom waterfall, you can enjoy the ‘Kneipp-experience’ by walking barefoot on the small rounded rocks in the river bed.

At leisure or Visegrád Castle

Afternoon

In the afternoon, those who chose the moderate route will return to the hotel by foot where the remainder of the day will be free for further independent exploration. Those who chose the challenging route will continue walking up towards Visegrád Castle.

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

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

Nagymaros & Zebegény

Full Day

This morning, take the ferry to the town of Nagymaros with your 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 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

The Danube Bend

Full Day

Today there will be a moderate and a challenging route exploring the Danube Bend and its most spectacular geological features. Keep your 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 less 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 place 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

Free time at Leisure

Full Day

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

Walking day in the Pilis Mountains

Full Day

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

The Buda Hills & Budapest City Tour

Full Day

This morning you 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 you will ride on the Gyermekvasút, or “Children’s Railway” in to 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 days walking.

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

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

Fly home from Budapest

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