The 5 Best Tours From Vienna to Budapest - She is Lost Around the World

I’ve visited both Budapest and Vienna and I absolutely love Budapest. If you want to visit Budapest while you’re in Vienna without having to organize the entire day yourself, there are several tours from Vienna to Budapest that take care of the transportation and give you a guided day trip instead.

Some of the tours also include Bratislava, which means you can visit two different capitals in one day, while there is also an option that focuses specifically on Budapest.

There are also private tours priced per group rather than per person, which are worth looking at if you’re traveling with friends or family.

Here are the best tours from Vienna to Budapest.

Quick Guide to the Best Tours From Vienna to Budapest

Tour	Best for
From Vienna: Bratislava and Budapest Guided Day Trip	Best overall and most popular
From Vienna: Budapest Small-Group Guided Day Tour	Best Budapest-only tour
From Vienna: Bratislava & Budapest Guided One-Day Round Tour	Another Bratislava + Budapest option
Day Trips From Vienna: Bratislava and Budapest With a Guide	Best for groups of up to 3
From Vienna: Bratislava & Budapest Guide One Day Tour	Best for groups of up to 8

From Vienna: Bratislava and Budapest Guided Day Trip — Best Overall

The From Vienna: Bratislava and Budapest Guided Day Trip is the most popular option on this list and the one I’d choose if you want to see as much as possible in a single day.

Instead of traveling directly from Vienna to Budapest and back, you’ll also visit Bratislava along the way. That means you can visit Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary in the same day, without having to organize transportation between the three cities yourself.

It’s obviously going to be a packed day, but if you only have a limited amount of time in Vienna and want to use one of those days to see both Bratislava and Budapest, this is the easiest option.

Best for: Travelers who want to visit both Bratislava and Budapest in one day.

Book here: Bratislava and Budapest Guided Day Trip

From Vienna: Budapest Small-Group Guided Day Tour — Best for Budapest Only

If Budapest is the main reason you’re looking at tours from Vienna to Budapest, I’d choose the From Vienna: Budapest Small-Group Guided Day Tour.

Unlike most of the other options on this list, this tour doesn’t try to squeeze Bratislava into the same day. Instead, the trip focuses on Budapest.

That makes much more sense if you’ve already visited Bratislava, you’re planning to visit it separately, or you simply don’t care about trying to collect another city during an already long day trip.

It’s also a small-group tour, which is another advantage if you don’t want to spend the day traveling as part of a large tour group.

Best for: Travelers who specifically want to visit Budapest rather than combining it with Bratislava.

Book here: From Vienna: Budapest Small-Group Guided Day Tour

From Vienna: Bratislava & Budapest Guided One-Day Round Tour

The From Vienna: Bratislava & Budapest Guided One-Day Round Tour is another option if you want to visit both capitals during the same trip.

You’ll travel from Vienna and combine Bratislava and Budapest into one day, making this an alternative to the first tour if that one isn’t available on your dates or you prefer this option.

Again, I’d choose a combined tour like this if your priority is seeing as many places as possible rather than spending the entire day focused on Budapest.

Best for: Travelers looking for another tour combining Bratislava and Budapest.

Book here: From Vienna: Bratislava & Budapest Guided One-Day Round Tour

Day Trips From Vienna: Bratislava and Budapest With a Guide — Best for Groups of Up to 3

If you’re traveling with friends, your partner, or as a small family, the Day Trips From Vienna: Bratislava and Budapest With a Guide is worth comparing with the per-person tours.

The biggest difference is that the price is per group for up to three people, rather than each traveler buying an individual ticket.

That means the total price can initially look considerably higher than the other tours. If there are two or three of you traveling together, divide the total price between everyone before comparing it with the per-person options.

The tour combines both Bratislava and Budapest, so you can still visit both cities during your day trip from Vienna.

Best for: Private groups of up to three people.

Book here: Day Trips From Vienna: Bratislava and Budapest With a Guide

From Vienna: Bratislava & Budapest Guide One Day Tour — Best for Groups of Up to 8

The From Vienna: Bratislava & Budapest Guide One Day Tour is the option I’d look at if you’re traveling with a larger group.

This tour is priced per group for up to eight people, so it’s particularly worth comparing if you’re traveling with a group of friends or a larger family.

As with the previous option, don’t compare the total group price directly with the price of one ticket on another tour. Work out how much you’re effectively paying per person based on the size of your group.

For a group approaching the eight-person limit, that can give you a very different price comparison than it initially appears.

Best for: Families and groups of friends of up to eight people.

Book here: From Vienna: Bratislava & Budapest Guide One Day Tour

Which Tour From Vienna to Budapest Should You Choose?

If you want to combine Budapest and Bratislava, I’d start with the From Vienna: Bratislava and Budapest Guided Day Trip. It’s the most popular of the options on this list and lets you visit both capitals in one day.

If you only care about Budapest, choose the Budapest Small-Group Guided Day Tour instead. You’ll avoid trying to fit another city into an already busy day.

If you’re traveling with several people, compare the group-priced tours before booking. One is available for groups of up to three and the other for groups of up to eight, so they may make more sense depending on how many people you’re traveling with.

Is Budapest Worth Visiting on a Day Trip From Vienna?

Budapest is absolutely a destination where you could spend several days, so a day trip isn’t going to let you see everything.

But if you’re already staying in Vienna and don’t have enough time to add several nights in Budapest to your trip, a day tour gives you a way to visit without having to organize the transportation and logistics yourself.

I’d choose the Budapest-only tour if actually seeing Budapest is the priority. If you’re more interested in fitting as much as possible into your trip, one of the combined Bratislava and Budapest tours makes more sense.

Can you visit Budapest from Vienna without a tour?

Yes. You can travel from Vienna to Budapest independently by train or bus, but keep in mind that it’s a long day trip.

The journey takes around 2.5–3 hours each way, whether you go by train or bus, so you can easily spend 5–6 hours of the day just traveling. Bus tickets can start at around €15 each way, while train prices vary depending on when you book.

When I first visited Budapest, I was on a three-month solo backpacking trip around Europe. I spent three days there, then took the train to Bratislava and later another train from Bratislava to Vienna.

I also went back to Budapest while working as cabin crew and spent a month there, and it became one of my favorite cities in Europe. So if you have the time, I’d personally stay for a few days rather than try to squeeze Budapest into a day trip.

But if you’re based in Vienna and only have one day available, doing it independently is completely possible. I’d just compare the cost and travel time with one of the tours above before deciding.

→ Compare buses and trains from Vienna to Budapest here

Final Thoughts on Tours From Vienna to Budapest

There aren’t hundreds of tours from Vienna to Budapest to sort through, so choosing between them mostly comes down to whether you want to visit only Budapest or combine it with Bratislava.

The From Vienna: Bratislava and Budapest Guided Day Trip is my top choice if you want to visit both cities, while the Budapest Small-Group Guided Day Tour is the better option if Budapest is your main priority.

And if you’re traveling with friends or family, don’t overlook the private options. Since they’re priced per group rather than per person, they’re worth comparing once you divide the total cost between everyone traveling.