After Dark Night Walk, English

Budapest after dark is a free, pay-what-you-want night walk run by George, a GuruWalk listing rated 4.8 out of 5 across 50 GuruWalk reviews. The walk runs in English for 2 hours 30 minutes and meets at St Stephen's Basilica in Lipótváros. As with every walk here, it is free to reserve and you tip the guide whatever the evening was worth.

Overview

This is an evening walk in English that sets out from the main entrance of St Stephen's Basilica, where the guide waits with a red umbrella. It runs for 2 hours 30 minutes and starts on the Pest side before crossing the river and riding a bus up to Buda Castle. The guide describes the route as different from the usual daytime circuits, so people who have already done a daytime walk can still see the city from a fresh angle.

The tone is relaxed and informal. History sits alongside everyday life, funny stories, food and drink, and the guide's own recommendations for restaurants, museums, bars and thermal baths. Photographers get a lot out of it, since the lit-up buildings and the Danube do most of the work after dark. Reviewers describe the guide as informative and say his route and stories made the walk both enjoyable and a different perspective on the city.

The walk is listed on GuruWalk. Booking is free and you pay the guide what you think the walk was worth at the end. The guide notes the tour is not about spooky subjects despite the name: the point is simply how beautiful Budapest looks at night.

Itinerary

1. Meet at St Stephen's BasilicaThe meeting point is the main entrance of St Stephen's Basilica, where the guide stands holding a red umbrella. Arrive at least five minutes early; the group leaves promptly five minutes after the indicated starting time.
2. The Policeman StatueA stop on the Pest side early in the walk.
3. Széchenyi Chain BridgeThe route continues through Pest and reaches the Chain Bridge before crossing the river.
4. Bus up to Buda CastleAfter crossing to Buda the group takes a bus up to the castle. You will need one or two bus tickets for this, which are not part of the walk, and the guide explains how public transport works along the way.
5. Buda Castle and the walk's endThe route has 8 stops in all, and the guide's GuruWalk page shows the first 3.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points from the guide's own description and from what travellers have said afterwards.

• Eat beforehand. The start is late and the walk lasts about 2 hours 30 minutes, so the guide recommends having dinner before you join.
• Bus tickets. The route crosses the river and takes a bus up to Buda Castle, so bring what you need for one or two bus rides. The guide explains how public transport works during the walk.
• Relaxed pace. The guide describes the pace as relaxed and the atmosphere as informal and friendly, suited to everybody. Several reviewers said they enjoyed simply walking around the city and taking in the history at that pace.
• Good for photos. The guide singles out photographers and says you will not find a better setting than the city lit up at night. Reviewers echo this, mentioning the experience of exploring the city by nightfall.
• Small group. The guide calls it a small group tour and says not to expect a big crowd. Each departure shifts a little depending on what the participants are most interested in and what they have already seen in Budapest.
• Not a ghost tour. The guide warns that some people assume the name means spooky stories. It does not; the aim is to show how beautiful Budapest is after dark.

Common issues. The walk needs bus tickets for the crossing to Buda, which are separate from the tip. Because it starts late and runs long, the guide recommends having dinner beforehand. If a date shows as unavailable, the guide asks people to message him rather than give up.

Questions Before Reserving A Tour