• Private Tour
• Carbon Neutral

Zigzag across the city and learn how the Hungarian secret police (ÁVO) tried to honey trap, blackmail and compromise Western diplomats and their Hungarian contacts during the dark days of Communism.

Destination

Budapest, Hungary

Category

Art Culture Tours

Duration

3.5 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English

Included

• Private guide
• coffee

What you can expect

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with Ivan.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at Liberty Square - Budapest to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Stop 1

   Liberty Square: Symbolic place where the Soviet War Memorial and the U.S. Embassy stands

4. Stop 2

   Parliament: And close to it a seemingly mundane American building with dense (and unpublished) Cold War history

5. Stop 3

   Crossing the Danube on Margaret bridge, visiting secret meeting places with deadly history on the Buda side

6. Stop 4

   Castle District: Cold war spy stories with stunning views

7. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

I can personalize this tour for you

• Tell me your preferred date and group size
• Tell me your preferences and wishes so I can customize the tour for you
• Wait for my personal offer in your inbox!

Contact me

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Brett🇦🇺 Australia

17 February 2025

From the get go, Ivan was eager to share his knowledge and kept it interesting throughout. Such a great way to see a different side of Budapest and get a true sense of what it was like during the Cold War, particularly as a Diplomat. I highly recommend anyone with an interest in this space to take this tour and learn from Ivan. Thanks Ivan!Highly informative and memorable!

Katherine

3 February 2025

Ivan was an incredibly knowledgeable and interesting guide. His insight and attention to detail was fascinating and he seemed really happy to adapt the tour to our questions and interests. It felt more like a thought provoking conversation than a tour. If you want an experience that goes beyond the usual, and makes you think about Budapest, and twentieth century history, in a new light, this is the one for you. Excellent tour

asimonlago🇧🇷 Brazil

6 January 2025

Highly recommend the tour with Ivan. Learned a lot about history and how the cold war has impacted contemporary Hungarian history. Ivan has also shared comprehensive research and privately-held pictures from the 1956 uprising. Amazinz tour

Susan🇦🇺 Australia

4 January 2025

An extraordinary experience with Ivan, his depth of research and knowledge on 1947-1956 era of Hungary is fully shared in this amazing walking tour. I feel like I’ve met the ‘Stephen Ambrose’ of Hungary such is his ability to bring the stories of fascinating men and women from this era to life from his years in the archives! I can not wait to read his book - I know it will be a bestseller 😎😎😎😎😎Extraordinary trip back in time to 1956

Sally

16 October 2024

Ivan was the best part of our trip to Budapest. Really interesting and he gave us insights to the Cold War which you can’t read in a book. Highly recommend this experience.Inside the Cold War

Christopher

16 October 2024

My wife and I participated in Ivan's private tour. We both throughly enjoyed the experience. Ivan is a real expert on the subject. You can tell he put in a lot of time and effort into his research, reviewing primary sources and conducting first-hand interviews. The tour was a great pace and we both enjoyed his conversational approach. You won't find another tour like this. If you have an interest in 20th century history and the cold war, this is a must experience when you're in Budapest. We are looking forward to reading his book when the English version is released.Fantastic Private Tour

Stan🇺🇸 United States

3 October 2024

If you are fortunate enough to engage Ivan for the Budapest Cold War Tour you will certainly be delighted. Our intention during our visit to Budapest was to develop a better understanding of the life of the average Budapest resident through the changes of WWII, Soviet occupation, the 1956 uprising and the subsequent 'cold war'. Our guide, Ivan, brought so many insights that can only be brought by a local. He customized our tour to include the topics we were most interested in. The city's monuments and buildings took on a greater meaning as we added history to each site. We left the tour feeling truly educated. Highly recommended for anyone who would like to be transported to the not so distant past of Budapest's darker history as well as Hungary's relationship to the modern world.Cold War Tour with Ivan

Alan🇺🇸 United States

19 June 2023

This tour with Ivan far exceeded our expectations for learning about the untold cold war history of Budapest. We came away with a far deeper understanding of not only the uprising but the previously unknown American involvement in it. Ivan was an engaging and highly informative host whose passion for this subject and for his city was evident. Highly recommend this tour.Outstanding experience in Budapest

Amber🇺🇸 United States

1 June 2023

Ivan was absolutely wonderful and had so much information and answered all our questions. He showed us so many hidden gems in Budapest! Ivan is writing a book and so he has done an amazing amount of research so get ready to learn a lot. Thanks for everything, we highly recommend!Great Cold War Tour!!

Meredith🇺🇸 United States

24 May 2023

Ivan was a spectacular guide! We particularly enjoyed his great ability to balance friendly conversation with interesting and some little known facts about Hungarian history. Ivan has done extensive research, and he has tracked down some very interesting individuals as part of his research. Because of this, he had a unique perspective, which we really appreciated. We booked Ivan’s tour on our first day in Budapest, and I’m so glad we did, because as we were able to think about everything we learned from Ivan as we explored the city. I’d recommend Ivan’s tour to anyone visiting Budapest with an interest in learning about Hungary’s fascinating history. Thanks Ivan for a wonderful experience! Simply Wonderful!

Ben🇬🇧 United Kingdom

23 May 2023

We had a really interesting trip with Ivan. He is very knowledgeable and has conducted extensive research into the history of Cold War espionage in Budapest. Our tour took in a number of easily overlooked but pivotal sites during the period from the end of WWII to the fall of communism in Europe. Our afternoon really couldn’t have been better. Thank you Ivan. Fascinating Cold War stories

Sabrina🇩🇪 Germany

24 April 2022

We began the journey with Ivan with high hopes and in none of the time he missed to fulfill them. The best part were the storys of real person of the past, which made history feel- and relatable. So if you think about to book this Citytour. . .stop thinking and begin booking. Thanks for your time Ivan!:)Absolutly unique and interresting

Daryle🇺🇸 United States

14 November 2021

Ivan was a fantastic guide, steeped in Cold War and WW2 history. His original research brought our walking tour alive. My husband and I found the tour a perfect way to get a feel for the modern history of this beautiful city. If you’re into spy thrillers, some of Ivan’s stories prove fact is more interesting than fiction! In short, highly recommend this tour! Amazing afternoon exploring Budapest!

Gilbert🇬🇧 United Kingdom

8 March 2020

Excellent guide. Very knowledgable and has clearly taken some great time and study to know and understand the history behind the stories he tells. Thoroughly enjoyable and very highly recommended. Spies and the Cold War

Emmaline🇺🇸 United States

22 August 2019

We really enjoyed our tour with Ivan! He was extremely knowledgeable about Hungarian history during the Cold War. We were excited to talk about spies and the impact of spies during the Cold War, which we did, I just wish we did more of it. Furthermore, Ivan is obviously very passionate about his own personal research about the Cold War in Budapest, which was great to hear about, but at times this took away from the purpose of the tour. If anything, I would recommend this tour to extreme history buffs. All in all, Ivan was a ​great guy with an interesting story that gave us a unique view of Budapest.Great perspective and history!

Diane

3 March 2019

Ivan was extremely well prepared. He had original research that was fascinating. His tour kept the adults an an 8 yr and 6 yr old engaged. I would highly recommend him.Ivan’s tour was GREAT!,,

David

12 February 2019

My family and I learned a tremendous amount about the Cold War and Budapest’s history during our tour with Ivan. His knowledge and passion on the subject is tremendous and I highly recommend this tour to everyone. It is WELL worth your time. Ivan is incredible. Book now!Outstanding!

Betty🇫🇷 France

27 December 2018

Ivan is not only an absolute expert on the subject.. he's also a great guy! Everything you ever wanted to know on the cold war and MORE! Pictures and personal stories make you live this from the inside. We highly recommend.Excellent!

Thomas🇺🇸 United States

22 November 2018

My tour of Budapest with Ivan was the intellectual highlight of my two weeks in Central Europe. He was cordial, entertaining, smart and informative. The sights within the city were definitely among the hidden treasures, and as we stood on the Danube and looked at the former American Residence, others walked by not knowing the significance of that building, or observant of the still evident damage from Soviet tanks. Ivan customized my tour to include Memento Park (well outside the city) and it exceeded my expectations. The remnants of the communist era are erie and evocative. I highly recommend Ivan. He is extremely knowledge and admirably articulate: The Perfect Teacher!A warm wecome to a Cold War city

Suzanne

21 November 2018

Excellent tour. Ivan's insights and overview of political happenings during the time of the cold war years and up to current day were extremely enlightening. The scope of the tour included significant sights within both Pest and Buda with engaging details about individuals and their impact on the outcome of the events of the day not generally known. The tour was enhanced with relevant visuals and documents pivotal to decisions being made behind the scenes. Thank you!!! Cold War insights - Budapest

Laura🇨🇭 Switzerland

18 November 2018

Ivan is an astute and engaging host that weaves in historical facts and primary sources to enhance one’s experience and understanding of mid 20th century Hungary. As a gracious and friendly host, he’s keen to answer questions and it’s clear that he has put much thought and care into curating and refining an interesting, engaging tour. Compelling & Thoughtful

Suzanne🇨🇦 Canada

13 November 2018

This tour was excellent. Ivan was very prepared. All of his research and stories were interesting and had a personal touch. There are so many events and personalities that i do not believe we could have found information about anywhere else. Ivan also took us to locations off the beaten track and explained the events that made thar place so important. I highly recomend this tour.Spies & Masters: Cold War Tour in Budapest

Mary🇺🇸 United States

16 September 2018

If you are a history buff, especially interested in WW II and the Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe, then this tour is a must. Ivan was very knowledgeable of the time period and had many stories to tell with archival photos to share. He was also helpful with directions and how to maneuver local transportation. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with him. This is a most interesting tour, not to be missed!!!Awesome tour!!

Jolet🇳🇱 Netherlands

4 June 2018

Ivan is a nice guy, historical researcher and journalist. It is very clear that he knows a lot about the era and can answer any question. He tells you stories of local sites or buildings of interest and persons who were spies or who were target of counterintelligence operations in the cold war era. Ivan shows intriguing (and also unpublished and unique) photos duiring his tour as well. Personally I found it very interesting and am quite excited about his specific field of research. Ivan is very understanding and flexible in accommmodating your specific needs during the tour. I recommend to take the tour with a smaller group. Intersting tour, unique historical knowled

Ana🇲🇽 Mexico

4 March 2018

We had such a great time with Ivan on the tour, it was so interesting to hear all the stories he had and look at the pictures from those years. Definitely would recommend if you want to do something different and fun next time you're in Budapest! Fascinating!

Chris

5 February 2018

This is not just a tour for foreigners but every Hungarian should hear this story!! Ivan doesn't just know the story and the history of the Cold War period but what makes this tour so interesting is that he knows the stories of the individuals that made the history!! This is a fasinating trip and not just the best thing we did in Budapest but one of the best things I have done on any holiday!!Highlight of our trip!! Unmissable

Jodi🇺🇸 United States

23 January 2018

We had a great time with Ivan. Not only did he give us an insider's view to the war & diplomats involved, but also just every day live in Budapest (food, politics, music, etc.). What a perfect way to learn the history of a country -- he truly made it come to life. My teenage son soaked up too (esp when he and Ivan started talking about their favorite rock bands!). Great guy -- Highly recommend this tour. Can't wait for his book to come out! Highlight of Budapest!

Stacey🇷🇴 Romania

7 December 2017

Ivan is an easy and personable guide with whom you can walk Budapest. He shared many interesting stories, details, and photos that we would not have otherwise seen or known about. What I enjoyed most was that he had a plan for the morning, but the stories and information were tailored to our questions and interests. I really wanted to hear about the female spies which he eagerly told me about. We also just had a lovely morning of intelligent conversation, sharing of experiences, and getting to know each other. My friend and I would both recommend Ivan's tour to others interested in the lesser known stories of Budapest's history.An interesting morning of stories

Martijn🇳🇱 Netherlands

19 October 2017

Ivan listens to your wishes (in a group everyone expects something different) and builds a tailor made experience in the great city of Budapest to make it interesting for everyone. His knowledge about the subject seems bottomless and he is able to transfer this knowledge in an enjoyable way. Budapest is easy to explore by yourself, but it's hard to experience the full potential without Ivan. Custom made unique experience

Elisabeth🇫🇷 France

26 September 2017

We had the good luck to take Ivan's tour yesterday and it's been the highlight of our Budapest stay. Ivan is a mine of information, full of interesting spy stories and anecdotes rhat you won't hear anywhere else. He's also very personable and charming and made the tour most interesting. I highly recommend taking his tour if you get the opportunity. Thank you Ivan ! Wonderful tour and great guide

Diane

24 August 2017

What a pleasure to tour the Budapest espionage hot spots with knowledgeable and personable Ivan ! This tour is part sightseeing, part walking ,part history and a whole heap of espionage. We enjoyed learning about the history and looking at Ivan's personal archives over a short beer break near the American Embassy. Fascinating stories! Even better we managed to squeeze out great Budapest food and ice cream recommendationsFascinating stories!

Alessandro

21 August 2017

I found the tour historically accurate and extremely engaging. Ivan knows how to tell stories. You'll laugh, you'll think, you'll be amazed by normal people who stood up for their beliefs during difficult times and you'll feel pity for the ones forced to sell out in order to surviveSpies & Masters: Cold War Tour in Budapest

Isabel

19 August 2017

Even if I am not an expert or very enthusiastic about the topic, I really enjoyed this tour. Why? Because, opposite to what happens in most of the tours, I didn't just hear a general story but a bunch of incredible spy stories in the locations they took place. The guide is also very friendly and you can see how passionate he is about the topic.Spies & Masters: Cold War Tour in Budapest