Private Guide Budapest

My recommendation is to obtain a copy of the Rick Steves Budapest guidebook. I am confident that it will include information about local guides and small group tours that you can arrange for your day in Budapest. It will also include suggestions for self-guided walks using the guidebook to help you have a fantastic experience in Budapest.

I have yet to find a Budapest guide that I would recommend and I have burned through quite a few. Well there was a very good one 20 years ago ..... but hes not as spry as he once was.

About a week ago a trusted source said I should try this one. That I would finally be impressed. I haven't had the opportunity to yet, but I pass along the name: https://lovefromhungary.com/tours/budapest-art-nouveau-walk/

We hired Julia from Love From Hungary for a full day tour next week while we are in Budapest. I will let you know how it goes.

We had a wonderful experience with Julia (Love From Hungary) last week. She tailored our tour to our interests and was very knowledgeable. She loves her city and it shows. She showed us how to use the buses and trams and even helped us get tickets for sights that we had not asked for in the tour. She also said if we needed help during our stay to call her. She is a great guide and sweet person.

Thank you! Finally a good guide!! So happy for that.

Excellent. I have her booked for December.

Contact George Farkas in Budapest. He's part of a group called My Budapest Tours: https://mybudapesttours.hu/. He's also a contractor for Rick Steves, where I met him. In 2022, he was my guide in a seven-country tour of Central Europe, including Hungary. He has a Rick Steves email: [email protected]. Tell him Craig from Chicago says hi.

Hi Marie,
I was reading Rick Steves 2023 version of Budapest, and tried to locate a guide that was highly recommended: Peter Polczman at www.budapestyourself.com and his domain is for sale. I e-mailed him too w/o a response. I'm going to try Julie.

Hi Marie,
I heard back from Peter Polczman who was recommended in Budapest Rick Steves (2023).
He is not available but gave me the following names and contact information for personal guides.

George Farkas:
1. Email: [email protected]
2. Phone: 0036703358030
3. Web: www.mybudapesttours.hu

Andrea Makkay:
1. Email: [email protected]
2. Phone: 0036209629363
3. Web: www.privateguidebudapest.com

Eszter Bokros:
1. Email: [email protected]
2. Phone: 0036706256655

Is there an approximate hourly rate that private driver/guides charge? A recommendation of an individual who can help me out? I like to set up my own itinerary of places of particular interest to me. Because I am a slow and limited walker, it helps to have a driver for an afternoon in the city, or for a countryside excursion. It is just one person. The group daytrips almost always charge a minimum of at least two persons and might park where it requires alot more walking. Thanks for any help!

Is there an approximate hourly rate that private driver/guides charge?
A recommendation of an individual who can help me out? I like to set
up my own itinerary of places of particular interest to me.

Pretty good list above. I have now heard from 3 individuals that used Julia (Love From Hungary), with good results. One posted above.

“We had a wonderful experience with Julia (Love From Hungary) last week. She tailored our tour to our interests and was very knowledgeable. She loves her city and it shows. She showed us how to use the buses and trams and even helped us get tickets for sights that we had not asked for in the tour. She also said if we needed help during our stay to call her. She is a great guide and sweet person.”

The top-rated ones are now charging about 180euro for 4 hours and 290 euro for 8 hours. That’s a lot more than some years back. I am certain there are a number of good ones building a reputation that will charge less. But without the reputation, its hard to know.

Because I am a slow and limited walker, it helps to have a driver for
an afternoon in the city, or for a countryside excursion.

Trying to see the main attractions in Budapest by car is really challenging as parking can take longer than the trip. A good guide will give you a great introduction to life here by using the trams and on a few occasions the metro. Both can be fun. The vast majority of the top sites have a tram stop within 100m. https://youtube.com/shorts/8cKMZSI12uo?si=698-p8PpX8GCpe48

It is just one person. The group daytrips almost always charge a
minimum of at least two persons and might park where it requires alot
more walking. Thanks for any help!

With a little advice and planning you can do most of this without a guide. But guides are great if you want to learn a lot about a particular subject … Jewish Budapest, or Art Nouveau Budapest for instance. But to just enjoy the city and visit the top sights, not a necssity.

It’s a large city, but amazingly well connected, above ground (trams) for the most part (with maybe one metro ride), and every trip is as interesting for what you see between the sights as for the sights themselves. You can plan whole days with trams and 100m walks from tram stops. It really isn’t that intensive. If you go that route ask for ideas here and, get DK Eyewitness Top Ten Guide to Budapest as it fits in your pocket and you can use it to fill in the information you are curious about.

For instance, for a couple of dollars a day.

• The Historic old M1 Metro goes to or within 100m on average of the: Vorosmarty ter / Corso, Vaci utca, 47/49 Tram, Basilica, Opera, 4/6 Tram, House of Terror Museum, Heroes’ Square, Széchenyi Baths, City Park.
• The 47/49 Tram to or within 100m on average of the: The M1, Great Synagogue, Great Market Hall, Vaci utca, 2 Tram, Gellert Bath House, 19/41 Tram
• The 2 Tram to or within 100m on average of the: The Great Market Hall, Corso, Parliament, 4/6 Tram
• The 19/41 Tram to or within 100m on average of the: The Gellert Bath Houe, the Funicular to Castle Hill, 4/6 Tram.
• The 4/6 Tram to or within 100m on average of the: Margrit Island entrance, Nyugati Station, M1, Andrassy ut, New York Café

And there is lots of good architecture and unique Budapest in between the stops.
When using the M1, it runs under Andrassy ut, one of the most beautiful avenues in Europe. So you dont hide underground, you walk what you are comfortable walking and take the Metro when you get tired.

Finally, not to beat this to death, but I do that from time to time. In another post you asked about the Parisi Udvar Hotel. It is simply stunning. BUT, if you want to reduce walking, while not a "bad" idea, maybe not the best either. You will be a 10 minute walk to either the 2 Tram or the 47/49 Tram. The M3 platform is only about a 5 minute walk, but its a shame to spend too much time underground to reach a tram stop. This is why I always push staying along Andrassy ut and the M1 so much. Just so well connected for tourism. But like I said, not a horible location, just a heads up. Oh and you asked for a cafe or somehting near. Never answered that. One of my favorites https://maps.app.goo.gl/hjq7EeYszMPrvWy87 is just a 3 minute walk away from the Parisi Udvar Hotel. If you go, do check out the courtyard and the 1st floor (US = 2nd floor) artist shops.

Thank you Mr. E! What a wonderful thing you are doing, to share so much good info.

Marie, I am sorry. I hijacked your thread. My apologies.

Tizzette, I just got to the keyboard before the others did. We have a half dozen or so really helpful people on Budapest in the forum. If you start a new post with your dates, hotel, interests, etc. I suspect you will get a lot of good advice.