Viator Travel Blog

It’s that time of year again, when music concerts swap sticky dive bar floors for well-tramped grass and enormous open-air stages. 2012’s festival season is finally upon us and to get in the mood, here are 10 of the world’s best. From America to Australia via Europe and Japan, just about every artist you can think of, is bringing their music to the great outdoors this year and the only question is, which one do you go to first?

Europe is full of romantic spots. With castles, winding paths through medieval cities, views of sparkling water from cliffs and intimate cafes in which to sip coffee with your significant other, it’s easy to plan a Valentine’s Day holiday anywhere on the continent.

Need some destination ideas?

You’ll find all kinds of activities listed below, including musical field trips in Austria, island-hopping in Scotland, royal history lessons in Russia, castle visits in Portugal and Ireland, and enjoying a little luxury in Monaco. Join us for this tour of the Top 25 Things to Do in Europe!

There are plenty of Budapest tours you can do by bus, foot or bike. Most give no more than a quick stop on the Buda side of the river, the rest of the time navigating flatter and more compact Pest.

Going beyond a stop at the Fisherman’s Bastion and Buda Castle can give you a glimpse of Budapest most foreign visitors don’t see, but it’s an area quite popular with locals looking for fresh air and a view.

With city skylines glittering with illuminations and enough festive delicacies to make everyone loosen their belt buckles a few notches, the Christmas season is upon us once again. The only question is: where should you spend the big day?

Meet Márta Pitti, one of Viator’s local experts in Budapest, Hungary with a license to provide private tours.

In many ways, Budapest is a perfect city break destination. Like many perennial favourites, it is pretty – there are numerous spots for the postcard shot – but there’s also plenty to do. The city has two distinctive characters, split by the River Danube.

On the western bank there is staid, leafy and traditional Buda. This is where a lot of the eye candy – such as the Castle District, Matthias Church and Citadel – can be found. Pest, on the eastern bank of the Danube, is where the city’s action and life is to be found. There are some pretty impressive tourist attractions here too, but it’s shopping, eating and drinking that give Pest its hugely enjoyable edge.

If you haven’t already heard, Viator’s new Member-Only Deals are designed to reward customer loyalty by bringing our members the most unbeatable deals around the world each week, to help you plan that experience of a lifetime!

Hungary has recently become a country of festivals. Hundreds of them are organised year by year in a lot of topics, but practically in two categories: cultural and gastronomy festivals (or the two mixed). Many of the cultural fests offer a great opportunity to get involved with a branch of arts or music either you are an expert or a “beginner”. Some of them even targeted a wide audience, providing a great variety of programmes (concerts, theatrical shows, exhibitions, readers’ meetings, etc) of high quality, using a huge budget.

Celebrate the end of Winter and welcome Spring in Budapest! Pay attention to the afternoon sunshine over the Danube, the fog clearing from above the Castle, the snow melting in the streets, the smell of the park full of new leaves… you can feel it, spring in the air! From Festivals to dress contest and [...]