Built for groups. Thirteen days, 723 km, and five regions of western Hungary ridden end to end, as a private departure for your cycling club, your company or your own circle of friends, on dates you choose.
This is border country. We ride west from the Danube at Győr to the Austrian frontier, along both shores of Lake Fertő, then south into the Őrség, where the kingdom once kept its western watch. From there east to the volcanic hills above the Balaton, and home through the Bakony and its abbeys.
The riding is rolling rather than brutal: 60 km and 415 m of climbing on an average day, almost entirely on asphalt, on bike paths, backroads and the occasional rail trail. Every day has a bailout, and several have a beach.
Non-cyclist friends and family are welcome.
Minimum group of 8 riders. This tour runs as a private departure only: we set the dates with you.
Price includes: accommodation for 12 nights in guesthouses; three meals a day; wine tastings; bike rental and helmets; luggage transfer; support vehicle; entrance fees; English-speaking local guide.
Doesn't include: your flight, airport transfer, insurance, personal expenses. The sailing day at Balatonfüred is optional and charged separately.
Bus transfer: 30 minutes · Overnight: Fertőd (night 1 of 3)
Győr is conveniently located between the international airports of Budapest, Vienna, and Bratislava, each roughly an hour away. It is therefore an easy place to arrive a day early and explore the baroque old town, where the Rába meets the Danube.
We start flat, following the Danube's meandering oxbow branches through farmland and one-street villages to Mosonmagyaróvár and its 16th-century castle. Then we cross into Austria almost without noticing; the border here is a line on the map and little else on the ground. We finish at Schloss Halbturn, Maria Theresia's summer residence, a baroque box sitting in its own parkland. A gentle start: 68 kilometres and barely 100 metres of climbing.
Bus transfer: 50 minutes · Overnight: Fertőd (night 2 of 3)
Lake Fertő, Neusiedl on the Austrian side, is a steppe lake ringed by the largest reed bed in Europe. It is nowhere much deeper than a metre or two, and a strong wind can shift the water from one end of it to the other.
We ride the eastern shore on quiet bike paths and lakeside roads, through reeds and vineyards and the tidy wine villages of the Seewinkel, out to Jois, a winemaking village on the slope above the water where the vines run down towards the lake. If the day is hot, there's swimming most of the way round.
Bus transfer: 45 minutes · Overnight: Fertőd (night 3 of 3)
The western shore is the dramatic one, with hills rising straight up behind the vineyards.
We stop at Fertőrákos, where limestone was cut for centuries and shipped off to build a good deal of Vienna. What the quarrymen left behind is a cathedral-sized hollow with remarkable acoustics, now used as a concert hall and opera stage.
Then Sopron, whose inner town still follows the outline of the Roman walls it was built on. In 1921 it voted to stay Hungarian and has been called Civitas Fidelissima, the most loyal town, ever since. Time to wander before we head back to Fertőd.
Overnight: Kőszeg
We start with the Esterházy Palace on our doorstep: 126 rooms, a marble hall and an opera house, built by a family wealthy enough to keep Joseph Haydn on the payroll for thirty years.
Then a gently rolling day south through vineyards to Kőszeg, pressed against the Austrian border under the last foothills of the Alps. In 1532 a few hundred defenders held the castle against Suleiman's army for 25 days, long enough for the campaign season to run out and Vienna to be spared. The square at the center of town still carries the name of Jurisics, the captain who held it.
Bus transfer: 30 minutes · Overnight: Őriszentpéter (night 1 of 2)
Our longest day, and the best riding of the first half. We climb gently out of Kőszeg, cross back into Austria and pick up a rail trail, an old railway line, resurfaced and dead flat, running straight through the woods.
We pass below Güssing, whose castle sits on the plug of an extinct volcano and is visible an hour before you reach it. We finish at Heiligenbrunn, a hamlet of thatched wine cellars, some of them three centuries old, where the local speciality is Uhudler, a rustic wine made from American vine stock that you will either love or quietly put down.
Overnight: Őriszentpéter (night 2 of 2)
Őrség means "the Guard". Frontiersmen were settled here to hold the kingdom's western edge, and they built in szer, scattered clusters of farmsteads on hilltops rather than a village strung along a road. You can still read that pattern in the landscape.
Our loop takes in the essentials: the potters of Magyarszombatfa, still working the local clay; the skirted belfry at Pankasz, shingle and thatch and pegged timber; and the church at Velemér, whose 14th-century frescoes were painted by Johannes Aquila, who worked his own portrait into them. The bison enclosure at Szalafő is worth the short detour.
Overnight: Zalaszentgrót
A transition day, and a quiet one. We leave the forests of the Őrség and drop into Zala, a county of long low ridges with valleys running between them.
Marshland, open farmland, and a finish in Zalaszentgrót, a small spa town on the Zala. Thermal water is Hungary's other great natural resource, and after 75 kilometres you'll be glad it is.
Overnight: Badacsony (night 1 of 2)
Today we reach the lake, with two stops on the way. First Hévíz, the largest thermal lake in Europe you can swim in. The water turns over completely every few days and never drops below about 24°C, even in midwinter. Then the Festetics Palace at Keszthely, whose Helikon library and park are worth the detour on their own.
We finish at Badacsony, where the vineyards climb the slopes of an old volcano. In the evening we walk up to a cellar on the hillside to taste Kéknyelű, a white grape so awkward to grow that it has never really left these few hundred hectares.
Overnight: Badacsony (night 2 of 2)
The Káli Basin sits inside a ring of flat-topped volcanic hills, and the villages here are built out of the stone that came off them.
We ride to Hegyestű, a hill sliced open by quarrying to expose a wall of basalt columns standing on end like organ pipes, a volcano in cross-section. Around it are the stone-strewn meadows of Salföld and Kővágóörs and some of the emptiest roads on the tour. A short day, and the one people tend to talk about afterwards.
Overnight: Balatonfüred (night 1 of 2)
The best day on the bike and the hardest, with 810 metres of climbing along the north shore.
We cross the Balaton highlands, which locals call Hungary's Tuscany, and for once the comparison holds. Then down to Tihany, a peninsula of lavender and reed with a Benedictine abbey on top. Its founding charter of 1055 is the oldest document containing Hungarian words. It's kept at Pannonhalma, which we reach on the last day.
We finish in Balatonfüred, the oldest resort on the lake, where the promenade is still the place to be seen at seven in the evening.
Rest day · Overnight: Balatonfüred (night 2 of 2)
A day off the bike, spent on the water with a local sailing instructor, learning the ropes. The actual ropes. Balaton is shallow enough to build a serious chop in half an hour, which is why the sailing school here turns out good sailors. The sailing day is optional and charged separately.
If sailing isn't for you, Füred is a good town in which to do very little: the promenade, a mineral spring you can drink from, and a long afternoon in a café.
Overnight: Zirc
We turn our backs on the lake and climb into the Bakony, a range of beech forest and hidden valleys that was for centuries the sort of place people disappeared into on purpose.
Veszprém comes first, the city of queens, laid out over five hills with a castle district along the ridge and a spell as European Capital of Culture in 2023. From there it's rolling roads to Zirc, where the Cistercian abbey holds a library of some 65,000 volumes in a hall panelled in Hungarian oak that has barely changed since the day it was finished.
Downhill more often than not, out of the Bakony and back onto the plain.
Our last stop is Pannonhalma, the Benedictine archabbey on its hill, founded in 996, four years before Hungary had a king. Monks have lived here almost without interruption ever since, through the Mongols, the Ottomans and the twentieth century, and the archive holds that Tihany charter we talked about on day ten. There's a library of 400,000 volumes, a herb garden and a genuinely good winery. Tihany, Zirc, Pannonhalma: you could fairly call this the Abbey Road tour, and yes, the pun is fully intentional.
Then the last easy kilometres into Győr, and sad goodbyes. Trains leave for Budapest and Vienna about every hour, so there's no need to rush off: stay a night, walk the old town, eat something enormous. If you need a guide for whatever comes next, you know where to look.
We offer small-group, guided cycling adventures in Hungary. You ride at your own pace while we handle the logistics: vehicle backup and local tips. Expect family-run guesthouses and traditional meals.
Tours are guided in English by Peter, our founder and a local with deep knowledge of these regions.
This is a moderate 13-day tour averaging 60 km and 415 metres of climbing per day, almost entirely on asphalt. The riding is rolling rather than mountainous, but there are thirteen days of it, so it suits riders who are used to consecutive days in the saddle. Day 10 along the Balaton is the hardest at 810 metres. Regular recreational cyclists will be comfortable, and the support vehicle is there for anyone who wants a shorter day.
This tour runs as a private departure for groups of 8 or more. We have run it for cycling clubs, companies and groups of friends traveling together. If you are fewer than 8, get in touch anyway and we will see what we can arrange.
No worries! We're confident you'll make a new friend! Our guides and friendly guests will make you feel right at home.
Even our trips are designed to bring the group together with many community events, like grill-parties, wine tastings and even some ice-breakers on our first evening together.
100%!
Ask us about the makeup of each group, and we'll let you know the demographics.
Yes! Just because you don't ride doesn't mean you can't eat, drink, relax and discover the best our destinations offer.
Since all our tours include the cost of bike and gear rental, these costs will be subtracted from the price. Please make an inquiry and ask for an exact price for non-riders.
Children under 12 are welcome as long as they're accompanied by one non-riding adult. Cycling children must be 14 or older. eBikes are available for riders aged 16 and over.
We've put together a full packing list covering cycling gear, clothing, toiletries, and travel essentials — including what to leave at home. Read the full packing list.
Travel insurance is not included in the tour price. We strongly recommend purchasing a policy that covers adventure activities — the kind typically used for skiing, covering medical evacuation and cycling-related incidents.
Our tours run from April to October. The best months are May, June, and September — comfortable temperatures, quiet roads, and the landscape at its best. July and August are fine for most tours but can be hot. April and October offer dramatic scenery but colder mornings and occasional rain, so pack layers.
Wiredonkey tours are mostly all-inclusive:
Prices don't include the following:
There are no fixed departures to fill. We agree the dates with you and run the tour for your group, with a minimum of 8 riders.
Not this one. The Great Western Trail is built as a private departure for groups of 8 or more, and the price is based on that. If you are a couple or a small group, reach out and we will put together a custom itinerary for you.
Since we set the dates with you, the earlier the better. Six months ahead gives us the best choice of guesthouses, and summer dates go first. We can sometimes put a group together at shorter notice, so it is always worth asking.
Airport transfers are not included in the tour price. Trip groups meet at a centrally located meeting point. Details are provided upon booking.
If needed, we can arrange a transfer from the airport or your accommodation to the meeting point (an extra charge may apply).
The deposit is 70% refundable up to 30 days before the tour start date.
Bookings are 100% transferable to another person up to 30 days before the tour.
If Wiredonkey Cycling Tours cancels the tour for any reason, 100% of all payments made will be refunded.
No refunds are provided for no-shows or late arrivals once the tour has started.
Yes. Any of our tours can be run as a private group — just get in touch to discuss dates and pricing. If you'd like a fully custom itinerary, we're happy to build something around your preferences, pace, and dates. Find out more about custom cycling tours.
Most of our bike tours are designed in a 'slow ride' spirit, allowing our guests to truly immerse themselves in the local culture and landscape. However, a lot of tour days offer the possibility for multiple ride options to accommodate rides of different levels. Some may take a detour to include an additional site. Some might go over the mountain, while others might want to go around. Please ask your guide to recommend you the best option.
The support vehicle also offers up some additional options. You can hitch a ride over a major climb or head to the next town for extra exploration time.
If you feel you can't finish the whole distance because you're tired, we'll take a rest. No one is in a hurry.
If you're really feeling out of it and can't continue, you can hop in our support vehicle, which is always near.
If you'd like to pedal for a bit longer than planned for the day, contact your guide. Our guides are prepared with alternative routes and ideas for additional sights. Just make sure you have something left in the tank for the next day!
Yes. A support vehicle accompanies every multi-day tour. It carries your luggage between stops, keeps spare gear, tools, water, and snacks on hand, and is always nearby if you need a lift over a tough climb or a mechanical fix.
You can choose between a road bike or a trekking bike based on your preference. We typically ride Scott Speedster or Scott Addict road bikes and Scott trekking bikes, but the exact model depends on availability. The route is 96% asphalt, with the rest on gucci gravel and one rail trail. eBikes are available for a supplement of €380.
All of our tours provide an eBike option; however, the type of eBike might not match the style of the tour. E.g. we might be able to only offer electric mountain bikes.
Absolutely!
And since all of our tours include the cost of bike and gear rental, these costs will of course be subtracted from the price. Please inquire and ask for an exact price if you plan to bring your bike.
When you sign up for your trip, we will work with you to determine your bike size and fit. On the first day of your trip, your guides will adjust your bike to your comfort and preferences to ensure an excellent fit. Your guides are always available to make small adjustments throughout the week.
All bikes come with a helmet and lights (front and rear).
All bikes come with a push pedal by default. If you plan to bring your own cycling shoe, let us know in advance so we can accommodate you with a suitable pedal.
Family-run guesthouses and small hotels in the historic centers of Fertőd, Kőszeg, Őriszentpéter, Badacsony, Balatonfüred and Zirc. Comfortable, locally owned, and always within walking distance of dinner. A single room is available for a supplement of €420.
Yes. Our prices are per person based on two people sharing a room. Guests who wish to have their own room will be charged a Single Supplement fee provided a room is available on the desired trip.
If you wish to arrange a pre or post-night stay for your tour, please contact us, and we'll try to accommodate you. However, please understand that we might not be able to always accommodate you at the same guesthouse or hotel or in the same room.
All our tours include 3 meals per day. The exception is the first day when there is no breakfast and the last day when no dinner is provided.
We also provide one water bottle per person.
Meals are at pre-tested local restaurants or cafés.
Sometimes we organize a picnic or grill-party along the route.
We'll do our best to accommodate guests with dietary needs. Please specify your dietary requirements when talking to our representatives.
Ask us
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