Budapest is best explored on foot, and this year’s themed city walks promise a heady mix of architecture, secret interiors, culinary stops, and big-city legends—on both the Pest and Buda sides. Guided by Imagine, the guaranteed-date tours open doors that usually stay shut: think closed thermal baths, restored palaces, after-hours church access, and the once-mighty Stock Exchange Palace. It’s a family-friendly lineup with story-packed routes, charismatic guides, and options for team building, too. Here’s what’s coming from early February through early March, with dozens more slots rolling out throughout spring—the organizers reserve the right to change times and programs, so check before you go.
Feasts, Legends, and a Luxury Arcade
Start February with Italian flavors: on 02/03 at 17:30, Kóstoló Olaszországból brings tastings from Pomo D’Oro along with bite-size tales from the past. Food meets storytelling right in the heart of Budapest.
On 02/05 at 17:30, step into Párisi Udvar (Paris Court), a deep dive into the city’s most opulent arcade hotel. Multiple sessions run through the month (02/07 at 15:00 and 16:30; 02/08 at 11:00 and 15:00; 02/12 at 17:30; 02/14 at 11:00, 15:00, 16:30; 02/15 at 11:00, 13:00, 15:00; 02/19 at 17:30; 02/21 at 11:00, 13:00, 15:00; 02/22 at 11:00, 15:00, 16:30; 02/26 at 17:30; 02/28 at 11:00, 16:30). The tour is all gleam and grandeur—glass, mosaic, and that dizzying arcade light.
Behind Closed Doors: Baths, Palaces, and a Cathedral After Dark
Budapest’s bath culture gets up close and atmospheric with Egy törökfürdő meséje on 02/04 at 17:30 and 02/08 at 10:00—an inside walk through the closed Király Bath (Király Fürdő), a rare chance to hear its Ottoman-era story under its shadowy domes. Gellért fans get their fix on 02/05 at 18:00, 02/16 at 18:00, and 02/24 at 18:00 with A legendás Gellért, covering the hotel and bath’s glamorous highs and architectural charm.
The Exclusive After-Hours Tour of Matthias Church (Mátyás-templom) turns the lights low and the magic high on 02/16 and 02/19 at 19:00—an after-hours visit to Matthias Church, when the crowds are gone and the frescoes take center stage.
Stock Exchange to TV House: Liberty Square, Unlocked
The heavy hitter of February is 17 Szabadság Square, the former Stock Exchange Palace (Tőzsdepalota). It’s a rare multi-slot building tour titled From Stock Exchange Palace to TV Headquarters. Pick your time: 02/07 at 09:00, 09:45, 10:30; 02/08 at 09:45, 10:30, 11:15, 12:00, 13:30, 14:15; 02/14 at 09:00, 09:45, 10:30, 11:15, 12:00, 12:45, 14:15; 02/15 at 09:45, 10:30, 11:15, 12:00, 13:30, 14:15; 02/21 at 09:00, 11:15, 13:30, 14:15; 02/22 at 09:00, 09:45, 10:30, 11:15, 12:00, 12:45, 14:15; 02/28 at 11:15, 13:30, 14:15; 03/01 at 09:00. Expect grand halls, market folklore, and a century of media footprints.
Reborn Icons: W Budapest, Adria Palace, Andrássy Codes
B, mint balett, W, mint W Budapest maps the rebirth of an iconic building now home to W Budapest. Slots are stacked: 02/07 at 10:00 and 12:30; 02/08 at 10:00 and 12:30; 02/14 at 10:00 and 12:30; 02/15 at 10:00 and 12:30; 02/21 at 10:00 and 12:30; 02/22 at 10:00 and 12:30; 02/28 at 10:00 and 12:30.
Adria Palace (Adria-palota), billed as Atlantis Above Ground, surfaces on 02/07 at 10:00; 02/08 at 10:00; 02/14 at 10:00 and 14:00; 02/15 at 10:00; 02/21 at 14:00; 02/22 at 14:00; 02/28 at 10:00. Another architect’s dream with sunlit state rooms and seafaring history in the city center.
Puzzle lovers: City Codebreaking (Városi kódfejtés) brings palace tales from Andrássy Avenue (Andrássy út) on 02/08 at 10:00—decode symbols, façades, and aristocratic whispers.
Hidden Neighborhoods, Diva Tales, and a Legendary Restaurant
Diva and Nightingale (Díva és csalogány) asks, with a wink, what a woman is worth—on 02/18 at 18:00. It’s a performance-infused cultural walk tapping into star power and social expectations.
The grand Hungarian hospitality tradition gets its spotlight with The Great Gundel Story (A nagy Gundel-sztori) on 02/13 at 18:00—recipes for generosity, and the restaurant family that built a culinary brand.
Angyalföld reveals an overlooked chapter on 02/21 at 10:00 with From Synagogue to Fencing Hall (Zsinagógából vívóterem), charting how a synagogue morphed into a fencing hall and what that says about the city’s 20th century.
On 02/22 at 14:00, Literary Gastro Walk on the Lágymányos Plains (Irodalmi gasztroséta a Lágymányosi pampákon) pairs literature with bites—more than “spiritual nourishment,” as promised.
Palatial Lifestyles, Organs, Gossip, and the Yellow House
Visit to the Csekonics Palace (Látogatás a Csekonics-palotában) sets the aristocratic table on 02/14 at 16:00, with décor, etiquette, and the everyday extravagances of a noble address.
Music lovers: on 02/28 at 10:00, Rendezvous with the Queen of Instruments (Randevú a hangszerek királynőjével) leads a downtown organ tour, complete with a mini-concert—pipes thundering under vaulted ceilings.
Craving intrigue? Word on the Street… (Azt beszélik a városban…) drops crime stories and big-city gossip on 02/28 at 10:00—murky corners, loose lips, and cases that defined Budapest’s rumor mill.
History with a chill: on 02/25 at 18:00, Once Upon a Time There Was a Yellow House (Volt egyszer egy Sárga Ház) recounts the story of the National Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, its breakthroughs and shadows.
Jewish Quarter Triangle and More in March
Round out the month on 03/01 at 10:00 with Stories from the Synagogue Triangle (Történetek a zsinagóga háromszögből), a walk through the Pest Jewish Quarter’s emblematic triangle—architecture, memory, and community life.
And don’t miss the recurring favorites: The Legendary Gellért (A legendás Gellért) returns on 02/16 and 02/24; Matthias Church after-hours on 02/16 and 02/19; while Párisi Udvar (Paris Court) and the Stock Exchange Palace fill most weekends with multiple time slots, making it easy to mix and match—even at short notice.
More dates are rolling out, with a total of 310 entries planned. Budapest’s stories are layered, luminous, and very much alive—pick a time, tie your laces, and walk straight into them. The organizers reserve the right to change schedules and programs.
