Day 1: Budapest Arrival — Heroes’ Square & Ruin Bars

Arrive in Budapest and settle in. Afternoon: Andrássy Avenue walk to Heroes’ Square and City Park. Evening: ruin bar crawl in the Jewish Quarter — Szimpla Kert is the essential start.

Accommodation: Pest (2 nights). Hostel €12–20, hotel €40–70.

Entry costs: Free orientation day.

Day 2: Buda Castle, Parliament & Széchenyi Baths

Full Budapest day. Morning: Buda Castle, Matthias Church, Fisherman’s Bastion. Midday: Parliament Building tour (book ahead). Afternoon: Széchenyi Thermal Bath. Evening: Danube sunset cruise.

Entry costs: Parliament €13, Matthias €5, Széchenyi €18–22, cruise €12–20.

Day 3: Budapest to Eger — Castle & Wine Valley

Take the morning train from Budapest Keleti to Eger (1h40min, €6–9). Check in and spend the afternoon at Eger Castle — explore the medieval ramparts and underground passages with sweeping views over the city. Evening: head to the Valley of the Beautiful Women for introductory wine tasting. The cellars are most welcoming in the late afternoon.

Accommodation: Eger city centre (2 nights). Guesthouse €20–35.

Entry costs: Castle €6–8.

Day 4: Eger Thermal Bath & Bükk Mountains

Morning: Eger Thermal Bath — enjoy the historic Turkish bath and modern outdoor pools. Afternoon: take a bus (30 min) to Szilvásvárad in the Bükk Mountains for a hike through the Szalajka Valley to Hungary’s largest natural waterfall. Return to Eger for a final wine cellar visit in the evening.

Entry costs: Thermal bath €10–15, bus to Bükk €3.

Day 5: Eger to Debrecen — Hortobágy National Park

Train from Eger to Debrecen (1h45min, €5–8). Drop luggage at accommodation in Debrecen, then take a bus (45 min) to Hortobágy National Park. Spend the afternoon exploring the UNESCO-listed puszta — see the Nine-Hole Bridge (Hungary’s longest stone bridge), herds of Hungarian Grey Cattle, and the traditional csárda (inn). Evening bus back to Debrecen.

Accommodation: Debrecen (2 nights). Hostel €12–20, hotel €30–50.

Hortobágy: Bus €4–6, park free, visitor centre €4–6.

Day 6: Debrecen — Great Reformed Church & Aquaticum

Morning: explore Debrecen’s historic centre — climb the Great Reformed Church’s south tower for panoramic plain views, visit the Déri Museum to see Munkácsy’s famous “Christ in the Tomb” painting. Afternoon: relax at the Aquaticum Thermal & Wellness Bath — 18 pools including outdoor thermal pools in a beautiful park setting.

Entry costs: Great Reformed Church free (tower €3), Déri Museum €4–6, Aquaticum €12–18.

Day 7: Debrecen to Szeged — Paprika Capital

Train from Debrecen to Szeged via Budapest (3h total, €12–18). Check in and spend the afternoon walking through Szeged’s Art Nouveau boulevards — the city was rebuilt after the 1879 flood in spectacular style. Visit the Paprika Museum, then see the magnificent Votive Church at Dóm tér. Evening: Szegedi halászlé (fisherman’s soup) at Hági Restaurant.

Accommodation: Szeged (1 night). Guesthouse €20–35.

Entry costs: Paprika Museum €3, Votive Church €3–4.

Day 8: Szeged to Pécs — Zsolnay & Mosque Church

Morning train from Szeged to Pécs (2h, €8–12). Check into your Pécs accommodation. Afternoon: explore the Zsolnay Quarter — the transformed 19th-century porcelain factory with its iridescent green-glazed buildings and museum. Then visit the unique Mosque Church (Gázi Kászim Pasha Mosque) — a 16th-century Ottoman mosque converted to a church, complete with minaret and cross on the dome. Evening: dinner at a restaurant on Széchenyi Square.

Accommodation: Pécs (2 nights). Guesthouse €18–30.

Entry costs: Zsolnay Museum €4–6, Mosque Church €3.

Day 9: Pécs — UNESCO Necropolis & Villány Wine

Morning: visit the UNESCO-listed Early Christian Necropolis — 4th-century Roman tombs with remarkably preserved frescoes. Afternoon: take a bus 35 km south to Villány, Hungary’s finest red wine region. Walk the main street of Villány town, visiting cellars along the way for tastings of Villányi Portugieser and Cabernet Sauvignon. Return to Pécs for a farewell dinner.

Entry costs: Necropolis €8–10, bus to Villány €3.

Wine tasting: €4–10 per cellar in Villány.

Day 10: Pécs to Budapest — Departure

Morning train from Pécs to Budapest Déli (2h45min, €9–13). Arrive around midday. If your departure allows, spend a final couple of hours in Budapest — last-minute souvenir shopping at the Great Market Hall or a final coffee at Liszt Ferenc Square before heading to the airport or station.

Train: Pécs to Budapest €9–13.