The 12 Lake Balaton Day Trips That Earn Their Price

1.Lake Balaton Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 108 reviews · 9.5 hours · from $128Our pick

Full-day Lake Balaton trip from Budapest with cruise, Balatonfured nostalgia train, and the Tihany Peninsula abbey. Solid value.

“The drive to Lake Balaton was good and enable us to see another part of Hungary. The little train journey was fun, however as other comments have said the only disappointment was it was in Hungarian - the guide doesn’t come on the train with you. You are given a booklet but to see everything you can’t be reading the booklet at the same time. The boat trip on the Lake was great and there was a good mix of shaded and sunny seats. There was a toilet on board and you could also purchase drinks. Th views of the peninsula were fabulous and then the drive up to the…”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Lake Balaton Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 107 reviews · 9.5 hours · from $128

Full-day Lake Balaton tour from Budapest with Balatonfüred promenade, a 1-hour cruise, and Tihany Peninsula views plus lavender fields.

“Nella descrizione del tour viene detto che si può fare un bagno nel lago, ma risulta invece impossibile sia per i tempi sia per l'organizzazione. Ci è stato fatto fare un tour su un trenino su gomma, a mio giudizio totalmente inutile, non ho visto cose interessanti. Il posto è estremamente turistico e caro.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Private tour from Budapest to a top hidden treasure region of Europe: Lake Balaton

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 79 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $265Top rated

Private day trip from Budapest to Lake Balaton, with Tihany walks, Bencés Apátság views, ferry crossing, and hotel pickup.

“Our trip to the Lake Balaton area was perfect Our guide, Atilla was helpful, prompt, courteous and entertaining. He truly went above and beyond to make our day beautiful and Comfortable!”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Lake Balaton & Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 35 reviews · 9 hours · from $100

9-hour Lake Balaton day trip from Budapest with Tihany Abbey, Balatonfüred promenade, and a boat ride on Hungary’s largest freshwater lake.

“Escursione completa al Lago Balaton, la suora ha spiegato molte cose interessanti; luogo tranquillo, dorata e tappe giuste”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Lake Balaton: Paddle Board Tour of Tihany National Park

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · 2 hours · from $94

Paddle SUP through Tihany National Park on Lake Balaton. Get clear instruction, calm water, wildlife reeds, and swim time if it’s warm.

“We had an amazing time with our guide Hetti! She taught us how to sup and she was so kind. The lake is beautiful and the temperature of the water was around 26 degrees so really nice! I recommend this a lot, we had so much fun. The trip was relaxing due to the sunbathing and swimming we had in between but at the same time it was a great outdoor activity to bring some action into your holiday :)”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Lake Balaton:Private Sailing Cruise with Skipper

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 11 reviews · 2 hours · from $330

Private Jeanneau sailing on Lake Balaton from Balatonfüred, with skipper, Tihany Peninsula views, swim time, and optional wine.

“Ich hab die Tour mit unseren Kindern gemeinsam als Überraschung für meinen Mann zum Geburtstag gebucht. Wir hatten Glück mit dem Wetter jetzt im Oktober. Unser Skipper Adam war sehr freundlich. Es hat uns an nichts gefehlt und wir würden die Tour jederzeit wiederholen ❤️danke”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Balaton: All-Weather Private Stargazing & Planetarium Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $62

Private hilltop planetarium and telescope viewing near Lake Balaton, with a retro 4x4 ride, ESA 360 film, and space-food tasting.

“Ein wundervoller Abend mit vielen Informationen. Nicht nur um das eigentliche Thema, sondern weit darüber hinaus. Gastfreundschaft wird hier, im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes, großgeschrieben. Vielen Dank nochmals für die schönen Stunden in eurem privaten Bereich und die damit verbundene Herzlichkeit!”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Lake Balaton & Herend Porcelain Private Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 7 reviews · 9 hours · from $412

Private 9-hour Budapest day trip to Lake Balaton, the Herend porcelain workshop with a 3D film, and the panoramic Tihany Abbey at the nature reserve.

“Le Lac balaton est à voir au moins une fois si vous êtes de passage en Hongrie et la visite de la fabrique de porcelaine de Herend est très sympa à faire, tout comme le village de Tihany. Néanmoins, notre guide était très moyen !!! (comme l'atteste l'évaluation générale de notre journée). Elle répondait que brièvement à nos interrogations, elle nous a laissée que très peu de liberté concernant les itinéraires à suivre surtout au cours de notre promenade au cœur du village de Tihany et le pire est qu'elle s'est ajoutée d'elle même à notre table pendant notre diner au restaurant panoramique de Tihany sans nous demander si cela…”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Balaton Half-Circle Tour with Ferry Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 7 hours · from $372

Guided Lake Balaton half-circle from Budapest in a 9-seater, with Tihany Abbey, hill views, and a ferry ride across the lake.

“It was a fantastic trip with Mate. We had an unforgettable experience. Mate's generosity, flexibility, and extensive knowledge made our trip truly amazing. Mate is completely dedicated to making his guests happy and ensuring their every need is met. A highly recommended trip to the beautiful Lake Balaton. Thank you Mate!”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Lake Balaton 3 hour SUP tour – self-guided

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 5 reviews · 3 hours · from $58Best value

Self-guided 3-hour SUP on Lake Balaton from Club Tihany, with classic Tihany National Park views, wildlife spotting, and free parking.

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Lake Balaton: Sunset SUP Tour along the Tihany National Park

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 4 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $94

Sunset SUP on Lake Balaton at Tihany National Park. Paddle about 3 km, spot wildlife, and enjoy 2.5 hours on the water.

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Lake Balaton and Herend Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 3 reviews · 9 hours · from $412

Lake Balaton views from Tihany, Balatonfüred promenade, and a guided visit to Herend Porcelain Manufactory from Budapest in 9 hours.

“Beautiful area of Hungary that was interesting to see. Nice combination with the lake and manufacturing tour. The quality of the tour does not match the price.”

Check availability →Read our full review