Please sign in to post.

Etyek wine tour: is it worth spending the time

We'll be in Budapest for 3 full days prior to a Viking cruise. I booked a half day wine tour to Etyek and wondered if it was worth spending part of a day taking that tour or would it be best spending that time in the city seeing the sites.

Rough Itinerary:
Arrive: late afternoon, check into hotel, dinner walk around the city.
Thursday: Day 1: Am tour of Parliament, (maybe switch this to another day and go to the Great Market instead along with other sites) pm Monument Park and Baths, evening dinner and Danube night cruise
Friday: Day 2: Half day wine tour returning to Budapest about 1, more site seeing then check into cruise, evening on our own
Saturday: Day 3: All day in Budapest seeing sites on our own. I believe the cruise departs at 5.
Thanks you for your input

Posted by
19710 posts

I have some ideas, but I can be a lot more help if I know your hotel. Then I will get silly with the detail....

In general:

You are skipping Jewish Budapest which on your schedule is best done on Thursday.
You haven't made it up to Buda yet (unless that's where Viking stuck you)
Monument Park? Save if for your next trip unless you are really into Socialist Realism Art (I sort of am, but I'm quirky).

Unless the Viking Boat dock has moved as a result of the construction along the river front, the best day for both the Parliament and the Great Market Hall might be Saturday.

Etyek is a great trip if you like villages and wine.....
Which bath house and are you prepared for it to be a 4 hour event? But always a good idea.

Good traditional upper end 100 year old restaurant that you wont find a lot of tourists; when I first went about 20 years ago you could still smell the old Soviet party bosses in the place.... inhttps://kiraly100.hu/en/king100restaurant/

And my favorite for pastry is https://auguszt.hu/auguszt-belvaros/ and while there are a number of locations around town and the one in Buda is very famous, but I like this one because of the location, few tourists and the courtyard behind it (just walk out the back door: https://www.google.com/maps/@47.494097,19.05784,3a,75y,310.13h,125.76t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipPTVcN0lCmnqxlSVar_oJZfeH2Nllb2S0ARI7uP!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPTVcN0lCmnqxlSVar_oJZfeH2Nllb2S0ARI7uP%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi0-ya344.24857-ro-0-fo100!7i8704!8i4352?hl=en&authuser=0 )

Here is a list of some other old restaurants in town https://www.itinari.com/get-to-know-budapest-s-history-through-its-oldest-restaurants-e0y5

Always check before planning. Unfortunately a lot of good restaurants did not survive COVID>

Százéves Restaurant is also one of my favorites but as far as atmosphere it’s a step down from Kiraly 100 Bistro (but on a nice evening the sidewalk tables are lovely).

The New York Café is always worth a visit. Sat there one day for hours watching my two sons playing chess. You have to read the history to really appreciate it and that’s saying a lot because without the history it’s the most beautiful café in Europe.

Márványmenyasszony Restaurant, don’t know if it is still in business.

Gundel Restaurant recently dropped the pretense and went back to its roots. But I haven’t been there since that happened.

Posted by
19710 posts

REVISED based on your notes to me.

Okay, I have time again. Understand that so much of the beauty of the city is in the places inbetween. So riding the trams is perfect.

Arrival Day (Wednesday) Flight Arrives: 4:30 , taxi to hotel, Casati Budapest Hotel Superior in Pest near the Opera house. (not part
of Viking) settle in. Walk to ruin bar near restaurant, have a drink,
dinner, walk, see the city lights. Table booked at the Getto Gulyas. 7
pm

Yes you will walk up Kazinczy utca where a few of the more famous ruin pubs are. It being early they will be pretty much okay.
Coming back look at walking back through the Gozsdu Udvar (Udvar = Courtyard) just pubs and food and stuff, but lively at least.

But if you have the energy, continue past the hotel to Andrassy ut. That is indeed pretty all lit up at night. Better yet go to the river front for the lights (M1 metro to Vorosmarty ter and a short walk).

Day 1: (Thursday) Full Day on our own: Parliament tour 10:00 (allow 1 hour) 10:00-11:15 can switch times and days walking tour on
own see RS Lunch? Afternoon Szechenyi Baths: I'd like to include a 45
min. massage, allow about 2 hours for total experience.
*House of Terror afterwards?? or save it for day 3 Dinner table booked: Hungarikum Bisztro ( can be cancelled) 9:00 Danube River
Sightseeing night cruiseL: Can be cancelled

This is about walking the route.

From the hotel, breakfast at Lion’s Locker, then up Andrassy ut on foot. Great sightseeing. Along the way is the House of Terror, then the great apartment blocks (19th and early 20th century), then the manisons and embassies, then Hero’s Square, then the Bath House.

Before the bathhouse, from Hero’s Square it is a short walk to http://paprikavendeglo.hu/ for good Hungarian food, then to the bath house.

Take the M1 Metro to the Opera Stop and do the Opera Tour (by this is really pushing hard)
I have walked past Hungarikum Bisztro a few times, I hear its good, also its very touristy. But still good I hear.

Not sure where your boat departs from. They vary. The Legenda is using dock 8 which is about a 3 minute walk from https://www.dunacorso.hu/hu/index.php where the food is good and the view is unforgettable.

Walk home. Nice evening walk; stop at Kadarka, sit outside and have a glass of wine.

Posted by
19710 posts

Day 2: (Friday) Wine tour to am: 10-1 (can be cancelled)* this would beun since I we like villages and wine but maybe it's trying to
cram too much in

The Wine tour, do it and take your luggage.

This time go to https://twentysixbudapest.com/ for breakfast, you will be happy you did; maybe the guide will pick you up there.
I am guessing you eat lunch on tour. Ask the guide to drop you at the boat and check in,

Then the 2 tram to the Great Market hall (stop under the bridge) and up the stairs but skip the Market and get on the 47/49 tram out front for a couple of stops to the Synagogue. In the summer its open till 4pm on Friday and closed all year on Saturday for obvious reasons.

Then hop the 47/49 Tram back and head straight for The Great Market Hall. You will want to be there by about 4pm while everything is still open (closes at 6pm). Make sure to see the basement. See? I mean smell….. Then either the 2 Tram back to the boat or walk Vaci utca back towards the boat.

Don’t know why you would want to eat ship food? How about a meal with Gypsy band? https://www.rezkakasbistro.hu/ nice walk. 8pm isn’t too late there.

Day 3: (Saturday) Buda Funicular to top Coffee house Pastry at the See sites from Castle Hill (castle park) need not enter Fisherman's
Bastion Buda: Memento Park maybe Fisherman's bastion Hospital in the
Rock Need to figure this out:
**Opera House, I believe it's still under renovation-construction. Holocaust Memorial Center? New York Coffee house

Big day I guess. Wake early and walk to the 2 Tram and take it to the Parliament building. Buy your tickets well in advance. Rear, right-hand side I believe.

Then back on the 2 Tram to the end of the line (upriver past the Parliament) and you will find the 4/6 tram. Take it across the Margit Island bridge and get off in Buda. Now get on the 19/41 Tram to the stop just past the Chain Bridge. Get off and take the funicular up (TravelCard not good for that).

Hospital in the Rock is interesting if you are into WWII, otherwise it’s a lot of time which you haven’t got. And I understand lately you can only get in as part of a tour group, but not sure.

Everything you listed is there. All tourism. Get a guide book and use it (Eyewitness Guide to Budapest Top Ten is good for this).

Now if you want to see the NY Café, can’t blame you. I love it, but it’s the other end of the world, but fortunately you can walk to Széll Kálmán tér (maybe 5 minutes) where you will find the M2 Metro station. Take it towards Örs vezér tere but get off at Blaha Lujza tér and you are less than a 3 minute walk away.

To the boat (4/6 Tram to the Oktogon and the M1 to Vorosmarty ter and a short walk) to clean up then dinner. Either dinner on the ship or someplace else. I think I would go to Callas Café as there should be music on Saturday; or Kiraly 100 if you feel adventurous.

Walk back to the boat.

Sorry we missed the Holocaust Memorial Museum