Beaver safari and the magic of Hortobágy

5.0 (2 reviews) 4 hours

out of 5

2 reviews

5.0

Beaver safari and the magic of Hortobágy — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Beaver safari and the magic of Hortobágy, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

Join us on a trip to the realm of beavers, surrounded by sunset lights and untouched nature.

Meet Europe’s largest rodents face-to-face and in their own home, the Eurasian beaver, once on the brink of extinction due to hunting, now the population in steady recovery, and a key player in the balanced ecosystem of wetlands.

You can travel by comfortable minibus from Budapest to the location of the tour, where we will embark on a wildlife boat trip, explore the rich fauna of the Hortobágy River and meet Eurasia’s largest rodents, beavers weighing up to 20-30 kg and reaching up to 1 metre in length, and their spectacular constructions. During the more than two-hour water safari, you’ll have an unforgettable experience while becoming one with the unspoilt natural environment.

Half-day Tours Private and Luxury Safaris Water Tours Small Group Adventure Tours Involves Animals DSA non-compliant

At a glance

Duration: 4 hours
Confirmation: Confirmed within 48 hours
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Up to 7 people
People per booking: 1–4
Guide: English, Hungarian
Operated by: Humtour Kalandozások Magyarországon

Ages: Adults (5–100 years)

What is included

Included

Included: All Fees and Taxes
Included: Boat tour on the River Hortobágy
Included: Our dinner is the traditional Puszta dish, Slambuc. Slambuc is a pasta and potato dish flavoured with bacon, a traditional meal of Hungarian shepherds. It is cooked in a kettle.
Included: In-vehicle air conditioning: Air-conditioned vehicle

Itinerary

Pusztai Allatpark

2 hours Admission included

After one and half hour bus trip, we arrive at the Puszta Zoo (Pusztai Állatpark). The Puszta Zoo was founded in 1997 by the Hortobágy Nature Conservation and Gene Preservation Nonprofit Ltd. to present our traditional Hungarian domestic animals and to promote the preservation and popularization of these breeds in Hungary. Thus, whoever enters here can not only get in closer contact with the Transylvanian bald-necked hens, the Parlag goats and donkeys, Racka sheep and Mangalica pigs, Hucul horses, Hungarian grey cattle, the domestic buffaloes relaxing in the mud, and other livestock, but also contribute to their husbandry. In the petting zoo, children (and adults too, of course) can get to know the lambs, kid goats, donkeys and donkey foals.

Here, at 17.30 our hosts will be welcoming us with dinner, which is the traditional Puszta dish, Slambuc.
Nine-holed Bridge

Passing by

One of the Hortobágy National Park most iconic sites is the Nine-arched a Bridge, World Heritage Site. After dinner, we hop in a boat next to this bridge and set off up the Hortobágy River. Far from traffic and settlements, this stretch of the river is an ideal home for beavers. Here, the canopy of the floodplain forest almost closes over the water, and the rodents, which can grow up to 20 kilos, find plenty of materials to exercise their “environmental engineering creativity”: they can build huge beaver castles from branches and logs.
Hortobagy

2 hours

Our tour will take place in the Hortobágy, which is Hungary's largest protected area, and the largest semi-natural grassland in Europe, but the area is also rich with folklore and cultural history.

our guide, Balázs Kiss, a renowned conservationist, an experienced tour guide and expert on Lake Tisza and the Hortobágy,

During our tour we will get to admire their creations - beaver castles and dams up to 2 metres high - but it is almost guaranteed that as dusk approaches we will also meet some of the industrious rodents, who are more active at night.

Our boat trip on the river will end after sunset, and the group is expected to arrive back in Budapest at 23.00.

Meeting point and pickup

The operator picks every participant up from their accommodation or the points below.

Pickup points

You will be picked up by our comfortable minibus, driven by an experienced driver who is a professional tour guide himself and knows the whole country inside out and also speaks perfect English.

You will be transported in complete comfort to the location of the tour (Hortobágy) and our driver will also take you back to Budapest.

Cancellation

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

If you cancel	You get back
Less than a day before	0%

The operator may cancel if the weather does not allow it; you then get another date or your money back.
The operator may cancel if too few people book; you then get another date or your money back.