Budapest’s most beautiful landmarks and juiciest stories take the spotlight with Imagine’s themed city walks on both Buda and Pest. These aren’t your average tours: think deep dives into architecture, culinary trails, hidden interiors, playful guides, family-friendly routes, and even team-building options. From Art Nouveau glamour to stock exchange secrets, from legendary baths to sweet-tooth wanderings, the calendar is packed with guaranteed dates through January and February—with more coming soon.
Hidden Lives, Divas, and Turn-of-the-Century Tales
It starts intimate and a little cheeky. On January 13 at 6:00 PM, Intimate Secrets at the Turn of the Century peeks into women’s everyday lives in old Budapest. The next evening, January 14 at 6:00 PM, Diva and Nightingale: What Is a Woman Worth…? explores iconic female figures and the myths around them. These walks blend social history with a wink, strolling through the city’s memory with personality.
Palaces, Legends, and Gilded Atria
Architecture lovers can feast on Párisi Udvar: Dream in Luxury, returning repeatedly across the schedule: January 15 (5:30 PM), January 17 (3:00 PM and 4:30 PM), January 18 (11:00 AM, 3:00 PM, 4:30 PM), January 22 (5:30 PM), January 24 (11:00 AM, 3:00 PM, 4:30 PM), January 25 (11:00 AM, 3:00 PM, 4:30 PM), January 31 (11:00 AM, 3:00 PM, 4:30 PM), and February 1 (1:00 PM, 3:00 PM), February 7 (11:00 AM, 3:00 PM, 4:30 PM), February 8 (11:00 AM). Expect that jaw-dropping arcade and an overdose of old-world opulence.
Another fan favorite is The Legendary Gellért: Stories from the Hotel and the Bath’s Past, running January 15 at 6:00 PM and January 17 at 3:00 PM. It’s thermal waters plus grand-hotel lore—Budapest in a nutshell.
Csekonics Palace (Csekonics-palota): Aristocratic Lifestyle on Repeat
Csekonics Palace becomes a stage for noble living with multiple entries on January 17 alone: 9:30 AM; 12:00 PM; 12:30 PM; 1:00 PM; 1:30 PM; 2:00 PM; 2:30 PM; 3:00 PM; 3:30 PM; 4:00 PM; 4:30 PM; and 5:00 PM. If you’ve ever wondered what a gilded lifestyle looked like in Budapest’s heyday, this is your chance to wander the halls and imagine the etiquette and excess.
Gossip, Crime, and Sweet Escapes
January 17 at 10:00 AM brings They Say in the City… Crime Stories and Gossip in Budapest, a tour that dishes on the capital’s darker corners and whispered rumors. Sweet Life: A Gastro Walk in Search of Desserts pops up the same day at 10:30 AM and returns on January 31 at 10:30 AM—dessert culture, patisserie stops, and confectionery tales included.
W Budapest and Ballet: An Icon Reborn
B as in Ballet, W as in W Budapest: The Rebirth of an Iconic Building runs frequently: January 17 (12:30 PM), January 18 (10:00 AM, 12:30 PM), January 24 (10:00 AM, 12:30 PM), January 25 (10:00 AM, 12:30 PM), January 31 (10:00 AM, 12:30 PM). The focus is the makeover of a marquee property and the artful dance of preservation and reinvention.
Stock Exchange to TV: Inside Szabadság Square (Szabadság tér) 17
From stock exchange palace to television headquarters—this building tour is a hit, with entrance slots on January 17 at 12:45 PM; January 18 (9:00 AM, 9:45 AM, 12:45 PM); January 24 (9:00 AM, 9:45 AM, 1:30 PM); January 25 (9:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 11:15 AM, 12:45 PM, 1:30 PM); January 31 (11:15 AM, 12:45 PM, 1:30 PM); February 1 (9:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 11:15 AM, 12:45 PM, 1:30 PM); February 7 (9:00 AM, 9:45 AM, 10:30 AM, 11:15 AM, 12:00 PM, 12:45 PM); and February 8 (9:45 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:00 PM, 12:45 PM). It’s a walk through power, media, and architecture at a single address.
Jewish Quarter, Adriatic Palace, and Literary Bites
Stories from the Synagogue Triangle leads through the Pest Jewish Quarter on January 18 at 10:00 AM. Adriatic Palace: Atlantis Above Ground surfaces on January 18 at 2:00 PM, January 24 at 10:00 AM, and January 31 at 2:00 PM—expect dramatic façades and lost-world vibes. Over in Buda, Literary Gastro Walk on the Lágymányos Pampas: Not Just Food for Thought lands January 18 at 2:00 PM, pairing texts with tastes.
Quizzes, Legends, and Big Names
Budapest Quiz Station goes live January 22 at 6:00 PM for a social trivia night. Once Upon a Millennium: An Evening with Csaba Katona appears January 20 at 6:00 PM and returns January 31 at 4:00 PM—history storytelling with flair. The Big Gundel Story: The Ingredients of Hospitality serves up restaurant lore on January 25 at 3:00 PM. Once Upon a Yellow House: The Story of the National Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, a cult-favorite deep dive into a notorious institution, arrives January 28 at 6:00 PM and February 3 at 6:00 PM.
Decoding the City and Tastes of Italy
Urban Codebreaking: Palace Stories on Andrássy Avenue runs January 31 at 10:00 AM and February 8 at 10:00 AM, unlocking the boulevard’s aristocratic secrets. Tastes of Italy: Flavors from Pomo D’Oro, Stories from the Past drops February 3 at 5:30 PM, fusing a culinary sampling with historical tidbits.
February Keeps Rolling
February continues strong: Intimate Secrets returns February 4 at 6:00 PM; The Legendary Gellért is back February 5 at 6:00 PM; Párisi Udvar repeats February 5 at 5:30 PM and February 7 and 8; and Szabadság Square (Szabadság tér) 17 remains open with multiple time slots. These are guaranteed tours with guides who keep it light, curious, and immersive.
New dates are being added, and the total number of events clocks in at 310. Organizers reserve the right to change dates and programs, so keep an eye on updates—and lace up for Budapest.
