Lac Balaton & Croisière

This was a nice trip but probably not as informative as I was hoping. There was a lot of free time which probably not so necessary when it was not a long tour

Did not think this was value for money. Although we were at the pickup 30 minutes early, the guide left without us 10 minutes before departure time. He had to come back and then wait for another four who were all on time. The bus trip was four hours round trip with a one hour boat ride. Nothing special scenically or historically about the trip or the cruise. Guide took us all to a restaurant of his choosing with no other choices close. Most expensive meal I have had in four weeks. Two entrees, coke and beer $57. Filled in a lot of time walking past old homes and small markets. Had to refuel on the way home because we started the tour with half a tank and driver didn’t refuel when we were on the boat, at lunch or walking the markets. We were away for 9 hours for what was effectively a one hour cruise.

We had a rainy day, but the Vera Guide was very pleasant and friendly and the trip became more fun. In the end the weather improved, after trying the gulasch in a typical place, we visited the village of Tihany and bought some souvenirs, with Lake Balaton in the background, highly recommended.

This trip was amazing. Who would of thought that this beautiful lake existed. Vera was a great guide and very knowledgeable. It is definitely worth a visit if staying in Budapest.

Tour operator did not take us to factory as promised in the viator description, giving a lame excuse that the entrance prices of the factory have gone up. Also, they didnt provide/pay for any tea/coffee to any of us, and in fact took us to a cafe that overcharged on all types of drinks. They made us take a local transport for an additional fee of 8 Euros saying that is a must for all. Not a great experience.

Lovely day on the lake Balaton. We were a small group of four with a guide. Had a wonderful day visiting the Herend porcelain factory and the lake. Had a wonderful lunch and actually had a swim in the lake

The guide Gguri was an excellent guide and adjusted to our needs and the situation of the trip. He went out of his way to make us feel at home and enjoy the visit. The porcelain workshop at Hereld was nice to see and its guide explained the process of making the pieces very clearly. It took us two hours to get to Lake Balaton and Tihany. Unfortunately, it wasn't a good day for a swim and we could only see the amazing lake. All in all, a short but wonderful experience.

This is a very worthwhile day trip from Budapest. Lake Balaton and its surrounds are really beautiful and I could imagine staying there for a vacation. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that the Cityrama guide kept moving on without checking that the slower walkers were keeping up. She often started explaining things, including pickup times and locations, before everyone was together.

It was great trip. We liked the porcelain making demonstration in Herend and the views of lake Balaton and also the village which we stopped by to have lunch.

Whilst I enjoyed visiting the Herend porcelain factory, Tihany, and Balatonfured, there was no communications from the english/spanish speaking guide to set expectations and timings for the day. There was another guide who spoke Italian and she spoke with ease, presented well, and added other fun facts to the stories she told. The english/spanish speaking guide just gave us basic facts and figures you could get off google. It was also almost impossible to understand her as she had quite a monotone voice, didn't enunciate her words and and spoke too closely to the microphone. Very disappointed. It appeared it was the drivers first go at this tour as he missed a turn, sped, didn't stop at stop signs, and took a photo whilst driving. Despite this, the sights were lovely and we enjoyed good company from our fellow travellers.