4 Lake Balaton Day Trips from Budapest Worth Booking

1.Lake Balaton Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 107 reviews · 9.5 hours · from $128Our pick

Spend 9.5 hours exploring Lake Balaton from Budapest. Walk Balatonfüred’s marina, take a one-hour cruise, and visit Tihany Peninsula for lake views, the abbey, inner lake, and lavender fields. Multilingual guides, including Elizabeth on some departures, lead the trip.

“I don't usually post negative reviews, but I was really disappointed with this one. The guides were lovely, but the train was just of boring backstreets and roads, a complete waste of time. I only booked this tour because it promised swimming in the lake and lavender fields. If swimming was even a possibility, we were never told where to go for it, so I kept thinking it would be a later part. It never happened. Then the same with the lavender fields. I thought it was the last part of the tour, and eventually was disappointed to realise we were on route home. It was mid August so they…”

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2.Private tour from Budapest to a top hidden treasure region of Europe: Lake Balaton

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 79 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $265Top rated

Travel from Budapest to Lake Balaton in a private vehicle with guides such as Attila, Balazs, or Gabriel. See Balatonakarattya, Balatonfüred, Tihany, the Benedictine Abbey, and cross the lake by ferry. Expect about eight hours, hotel or port pickup, and a flexible pace.

“Balazs was an amazing guide. Great character and good sense of humour. Very insightful. Balazs turned up in a fully restored 1965 Volvo Amazon! Amazing car, so unique. That really made the day. This was an awesome experience. Lake Balaton is beautiful ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️”

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3.Lake Balaton & Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 35 reviews · 9 hours · from $100Best value

Spend nine hours exploring Lake Balaton from Budapest, with a visit to 1055 Tihany Abbey, free time in Balatonfüred, and a boat ride. An English-speaking guide, air-conditioned transport, and boat ticket are included. Lunch and abbey entry cost extra.

“Terrible experience. We are ordered English-speaking tour guide but gets nice old lady with some english and most of the group were speaking Spanish. She spoke Spanish to them. Very limited information were given. We weren't informed by company that will not be English-speaking tour guide. Was sewer rain and wind. In the last moment we didn't get any choices as to continue with this group. When we arrived to Lake Balaton, the 99% restaurants were closed and most of the stores too. It was a ghost city. We were put on the boat in sewer rain without seeing anything and were taking around the lake. On the boat we…”

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4.The Turquoise Sea of Hungary: Lake Balaton Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 25 reviews · 8 hours · from $235

Spend eight hours with a private English-speaking guide exploring Lake Balaton, Balatonfüred, and Tihany Peninsula. You’ll visit a historic Benedictine monastery, enjoy a scenic ferry ride, and stop for a meal at a restaurant with an exceptional lake view. Attila and Balascz Ackermann have both guided this outing.

“I travelled with Kids under 11yo. The guide was very empathetic throughout the trip, suggested activities for the kids (feeding ducks, Ground Squirrels, visiting little aquarium). The guide helped with the language during souvenir shopping. The children stayed very grateful for the travel and asked me to rate our guide 10stars if possible 🙂. We also found a little fountain on the promenade and it was a sweet and cooling entertainnent during hot weather (36'C).”

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