BUDAPEST Pearl of the Danube

5  days | £2995 per person with flights | 21 - 25 October 2026

Pearl of the Danube

Budapest, the Paris of the East or the Pearl of the Danube, enjoyed a renaissance at the close of the 19th century. The Hungarian Millennium provided the impetus; the nation-state is said to have been founded in 896 AD and national pride during the national millennium celebrations helped to transform the city into a modern metropolis. The stunning Parliament building, echoing London’s Palace of Westminster, graces the shores of the Danube, the river that divides the city. However, if the river is a necklace from which the jewels of Budapest are suspended, the Hungarian Parliament is but one of many. St Matthias Church is one of the best-known and most impressive landmarks of Buda, while Pest’s Andrássy út, an elegant avenue two miles long, takes you to the magnificent Heroes’ Square. This Art Pursuits tour will begin to untangle the complex history of a fascinating and eclectically beautiful city.



Day to day Itinerary

Day 1

Fly from London to Budapest. En route to our hotel we will stop at the iconic Heroes’ Square, a huge semicircular colonnade featuring, amongst other heroes of Hungarian history, the statues of the Seven Chieftains of the Magyars — the leaders of the seven tribes of the Hungarians at the time of their arrival to the Carpathian Basin in 895 AD. Continue to our hotel situated on the spectacular Andrássy Avenue, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002. Continue to St. Stephen’s Basilica and the intriguing tale of ‘The Holy Right’, hand of St Stephen, first Hungarian king (1000-1038). Enjoy our first group meal together.

Day 2

‘Budapest’ is the amalgamation of the cities Buda and Pest, which, together with Óbuda, united in 1873 to form the modern-day metropolis. In the morning, enjoy the delights of Buda: from the Church of St Matthias, the site of many important coronations, the Fisherman’s Bastion, to the Hungarian National Gallery, which will introduce you to the celebrated national artists, Mihály Munkácsy, József Rippl-Rónai and Aladár Körösfői-Kriesch. In the afternoon we cross back over to Buda to visit the Hungarian Parliament, the third largest parliament building in the world. Inaugurated on the 1000th anniversary of Hungary in 1896, the building is a magnificent example of Neo-Gothic architecture. Our tour of the building will also take in the Holy Crown of Hungary, one of only two Byzantine crowns to survive. We return to our hotel on foot via the very moving Jewish Shoes Memorial on the riverbank. Evening at leisure.

Day 3

A visit to the Sipeki Villa designed by architect Ödön Lechner in 1903 for Dr. Béla Sipeki Balás and completed in 1905. A coffee break in the park, followed by visits to two more villas; . György Ráth (1828–1905) was the first director-general of the Museum of Applied Arts. His art collection, one of the most significant private collections of the era, earned him widespread recognition even in his own time. The former home of opera singer Rózsi Walter and her family, a residential building designed by József Fischer and Eszter Pécsi, is a unique architectural landmark in Budapest and the only publicly accessible modern villa in Hungary. We enjoy an included lunch in Gundel palace, one of Budapest’s best-known historical restaurants. The Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest, opened in 1906 and underwent a major renovation, reopening in 2018. It is one of Europe’s leading museums, known for its extensive and historically rich collections of international and Hungarian art. Independent evening.

Day 4

We start the morning visiting one of the workshops contributing to the decorative buildings of Budapest. Glass painter Miksa Róth’s sparkling windows, panels and mosaics are celebrated at the Miksa Róth Memorial House. These decorative elements are brought together and explored in context at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, boasting some of the city’s richest Secession interiors. Independent lunch followed by an afternoon exploring the city’s magnificent Secessionist architecture. Our wandering will take us to the Kazinczy Street Synagogue, which reveals an unexpected and characterful Art Nouveau interior in contrast to the Moorish Revival style of The Great Synagogue, the largest in Europe. Farewell meal.

Moments Hotel

Hotel Moments is an elegant hotel located on the stunning World Heritage site of Andrássy Avenue, only a few steps away from the Hungarian State Opera House, the St Stephen’s Basilica and other spectacular sights of Budapest. Rooms feature WiFi, air conditioning, television minibar and hairdryer, with free tea, coffee and water in the Lounge Bar.

With Flights:   £2995

Join Direct:   £2845

Single Supp:   £195

Deposit: £450

Departure Dates:

21 - 25 October 2026

Duration:

4 nights / 5 days

Your Holiday Includes:

• Return flights (Economy class) from London to Budapest
• Four nights’ bed and breakfast at the Moments Hotel
• Private coach transfers and excursions
• Two evening meals and one lunch
• Guided visits to the sites and monuments listed in the programme
• Services of the tour lecturer and a tour manager
• Detailed programme and study notes
• All entrance fees, taxes, and gratuities for coach drivers and serving staff
  

Tour Lecturers

Travel Information

The price does not include extras at the hotels or travel insurance.

Please note that Art Pursuits use hotels of character featuring a variety of rooms & styles.

Stamina

Please note that most of our tours involve a large amount of walking, across uneven ground and often without the opportunity to sit down for at least half an hour. We ask that clients inform us if they have difficulties before booking to avoid any issues whilst on tour.