Uncover the best of Cold War the local Way

"Our walking tour of Budapest with Ivan was nothing short of excellent. He was engaging, informative, knowledgeable, and eager to answer our questions, of which we had many. We did not feel rushed and felt that the tour was everything we were looking for as an introduction to the city. Ivan made great recommendations not only about Budapest but the surrounding areas as well. We would very highly recommend WithLocals and specifically Ivan if you’re looking for an informative walking tour about the history of Budapest. "

"It was fun and super interesting to go on this tour with Ivan. We learned so many new things with a feel of proximity with the events of 1956 and the era of the USSR occupation. He’s been very open and answered all our questions very freely. He even toon us to an authentic cafe of the USSR times and offered us a book from a Hungarian poet. Thank you from the whole family ! This tour was definitely the highlight of your trip. "

"My Tour with Ivan could not have been better and definitely made a difference in my first visit to Budapest. He was warm, engaging, authentic and knowledgeable, but most importantly he was passionate about history. The tour I booked was for three hours and he ended up spending nearly 5 hours with me. I highly recommend!"

"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!"

"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. "

"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. "

"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 😎😎😎😎😎"

"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."

"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."

"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."