46.91° N · 17.89° E
The largest lake in central Europe, less than two hours from Budapest: the abbey and volcanic peninsula of Tihany and the spa town of Balatonfüred.
What to do
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
The Baroque abbey above the lake, with the tomb of King Andrew I and a museum · 3,400 Ft · In winter, 10:00 to 16:00 (Sunday from 11:15)
From the village to the volcanic lake in the interior of the peninsula, among reeds and fields · 1 h 30 there and back · Easy · Free
Eight minutes crossing Balaton at its narrowest point, by car or on foot · Every day of the year · In winter, every 30 minutes from 7:00 to 18:15
Itineraries
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
From May to September, with boats, beaches and terraces; the lavender blooms in late June. July and August are high season. From October until Easter the lake is quiet and many restaurants close, but the abbey, the ferry and the large hotels stay open.
How you travel
Choose how you're travelling and we'll tell you where to stay, how to get around, where to eat and which services you'll need. We only show the ways of travelling that make sense here.
By car, Balaton is seen as it should be: Balatonfüred, the Tihany peninsula, the ferry to the southern shore and, to the west, Hévíz and Keszthely. From Budapest it is about 130 km on the M7, with an electronic vignette. The budget is per person per day, with accommodation, food and petrol.
Without a car, the base is Balatonfüred: the train arrives from Budapest in about two hours and the bus goes up to Tihany in a quarter of an hour. The ferry crosses to the southern shore. In winter there are fewer services: plan your returns. The budget is per person per day, with accommodation, food and transport.
Lake Balaton has no airport of its own with flights from Spain: you fly to Budapest-Ferenc Liszt (BUD), with direct flights from Madrid and Barcelona. From there, Tihany is about 130 km on the M7, around an hour and three quarters by hire car; without a car, take the 100E bus to the centre, a train to Balatonfüred in about two hours and a bus to Tihany.
Who you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
Balaton is the holiday destination of Hungarian families: shallow water, boats and walks without hills. In winter bathing is not possible, but the ferry and the walks carry on.
With small children, Balaton means a boat, the shore and short walks.
For teenagers, summer Balaton is water, sailing and cycling; winter Balaton, a day of walks.
Where to stay
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Why we like it: A five-star hotel in the historic building on Balatonfüred's spa square, with a spa, restaurant and café, two minutes from the lake.
Why we like it: A lakeside complex at the tip of Tihany, next to the ferry, with its own beach, wellness, rooms, suites and cottages for families.
Why we like it: The guesthouse of the Ferenc winery at the top of Tihany, with family rooms and a terrace with a view of the lake; open from mid-March to mid-December.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
What to order: The Jókai cake, with almond cream and rosehip jam, with a coffee.
What to order: If there is lake fish on the menu, order it with a white from Balatonfüred-Csopak.
What to order: Hungarian cooking on the terrace with a house white, and a tasting at the wine museum.
Map
The places to stay and services on the map are the ones for the way you travel. Turn on the layers you want and tap a point to see its details.
Nearby
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
46.77° N · 17.25° E
By carCar-freeBy plane
46.79° N · 17.19° E
By carBy plane
47.65° N · 18.32° E
By carCar-freeBy plane
46.08° N · 18.23° E
Car-freeBy planeBy car
Tips
One night on the northern shore and another in Hévíz, with its thermal bath outdoors all year round.
Even if you are not going to the southern shore, it is the best boat trip that runs in winter.
Tihany's centre is small and fills up.
Balaton is the largest lake in central Europe: almost 80 km long and, in many places, so shallow that you can wade a hundred metres from the shore with the water at your waist. For Hungarians it is "the sea", the place for summer holidays. For a traveller coming from Budapest, the best of it is on the northern shore: the Tihany peninsula, an ancient volcanic landscape with an 11th-century abbey, an inner lake and lavender fields, and Balatonfüred, the oldest spa town on the lake. It is less than two hours from Budapest and calls for one or two nights; an hour to the west you have the thermal lake at Hévíz.
If you are coming from Spain, hire a car at Budapest airport: with it you can fit Tihany, Balatonfüred and Hévíz into a weekend.
Start with the Benedictine abbey, founded in 1055 by King Andrew I, who is buried in it; then step out onto the esplanade to look at the lake. Walk down the paths to the inner lake, surrounded by reeds and volcanic cones, and, if it is late June or early July, pass by the lavender fields. For lunch in season, Ferenc Pince, a family-run cellar with a view of the lake. Finish by crossing on the Szántód ferry: eight minutes in the middle of Balaton, all year round.
Stroll along the Tagore Promenade, by the harbour, and around Gyógy tér, the spa square. Have an afternoon snack at the Anna Café and, if you want a special night, sleep at the Anna Grand Hotel, a five-star with a spa. With children, the Club Tihany Resort, with its own beach next to the ferry.
From May to September, when you can swim, the boats run and the terraces are open. In winter the lake has a different beauty, grey and silent: the abbey, the ferry and the large hotels stay open, but many restaurants and guesthouses close from October until Easter. If you go in winter, combine the lake with a bath in the thermal lake at Hévíz.
Questions
About two hours to Balatonfüred by train and an hour and three quarters to Tihany by car.
Yes, for the abbey, the walks and the ferry, and combined with Hévíz. Don't expect beaches or pleasure boats.
The abbey, the view of the lake from its esplanade and the walk to the inner lake.
In early summer, between late June and early July.
Yes: train to Balatonfüred and a bus to Tihany. With a car you see much more.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/hungary/lake-balaton
