General and Jewish Budapest – full day tour

Duration: 7-8 hours
This tour is a perfect choice for all those who are interested in the Jewish history more in-depth, but also would like to see other highlights of our wonderful city.

The city known as Budapest actually consists of three cities: Obuda, the oldest section, with Roman ruins on the Buda side of the Danube; Buda in the gently rolling hills on the western bank, famous for its historic Castle Hill and beautiful residential area; and vibrant Pest with its shopping, government and commercial districts on the flat plain of the eastern bank. United in 1873, Budapest is renowned as the location of one of the most beautiful World Heritage sites. Despite spectacular development, Budapest has preserved its old charm and magic. The visitor will find side by side the remains of fortresses and buildings from Roman times, still operating Turkish baths, Gothic and Baroque buildings, and the incredibly rich Art Nouveau architectural heritage. It is a city where the pleasing harmony of different architectural styles and superb structures, cafe, baths, the food and culture, combined with legendary hospitality blend into an unforgettable experience for visitors.

We start our day on the top of the Gellert Hill, after short introduction of Budapest you can enjoy the best panoramic view to the city, see the Citadel and the Statue of Liberty.

After it we drive back to the city and we focus for the major Jewish highlights of Budapest.
Enjoy a walking tour in the old Jewish Quarter, visit the Dohany Street Synagogue (Europe’s biggest), the Jewish Museum with wealth of artifacts and documents relating to Jewish history in Hungary., see the Holocaust Memorial, dedicated to over 600,000 Jews who perished during the Nazi reign of terror. Then continue our walk to the Orthodox Section of the Jewish Quarter, see the Mikvah building, the Orthodox Synagogue and Community Center, where the moving still stand iron Chuppah is waiting in the Courtyard of the Synagogue for the next wedding…
During our walk we will also see standing but not in used Synagogue, part of the original ghetto wall and other memorials relating to the Holocaust. Besides seeing and feeling the past we enjoy the evidences of some Jewish revivals. Several kosher shops, kosher butcher store, kosher restaurants, Jewish souvenirs all try to recall the original atmosphere of this district.
After this walk we drive to the “Glass-house”. Learn about the rescue and resistance movements during WWII. This is not “just a museum”, but an authentic place as it was used for immigration office and later on shelter and hiding place under the protection of the Swiss Vice-Consul, Carl Lutz.
The next is the Shoes Memorial on the River Bank. This is the memorial place from where the Nazi Hungarians shot the Jews into the Danube River in winter of 1944-45.
After the Jewish part of our tour we drive along the Andrassy Ave, see the Heroes’s Square, City Park, Parliament Building from outside, then the Chain Bridge, and walk around the Castle District.