My father and I cycled around (almost) the whole Lake Balaton in Hungary - the largest lake in Central Europe.

I would like to point out that I’m not particularly fond of cycling and I’m not naturally a fit person. I am, however, always up for a challenge. This post is for those non-cyclist, like me, as well as for the avid cyclist, like my father.

My father has cycled the Argus on numerous occasions. I, on the other hand, have never cycled for more than 25 kilometers straight prior to this. So when he came to visit me in Hungary earlier this year cycling around Lake Balaton seemed like a good bonding trip.

The circumference of Lake Balaton is ±230 kilometers according to Wiki. Most guided tours cycling around Lake Balaton lasts for a week, but we only had 3 days to attempt it.

We rented two bicycles with one carry bag from Budapest Bikes. We left to Siófok on a Thursday night in August and started cycling early the next morning.

We cycled clockwise towards Keszthely. This choice allowed room for a backup plan. The backup plan is a shortcut that uses the ferry between Tihany and Siófok.

The cycling route is clearly marked and even if you lose the path you will find it again at the next corner. There are also plenty of cyclists along the way if you need to ask for directions.

Day 1: ±90 km from Siófok to Balatongyörök

This day is spent cycling from town to town and watching people stream down to the lake side with cool boxes and inflatables. The south side of the lake is flat which aided us in getting the most kilometers behind us on the first day.

We stayed at Star Villa which I highly recommend if you’re not on a bicycle. There is quite a steep hill to the guest house which is torture after a 90 km cycle.

Day 2: ±65 km Balatongyörök to Tihany

The best thing about the south side of Lake Balaton is that it looks over the north side of Lake Balaton —Anonymous

This day is spent cycling through green and lush vineyards. The path is hilly until you reach the last uphill to Tihany.

Malackrumpli was our guest house. It is above a restaurant which serves amazing food and drinks. Everything you need after a long day of cycling.

Tihany was the highlight of the trip for me. The town has a 360 view over the lake.

Day 3 backup plan: ±15 km Tihany to Siófok via the ferry

On Day 2 we decided to opt out of our trip and use the backup ferry plan. We still had to travel home on Day 3 which left us with a few hours to cycle the last 50 kilometers. After Day 1 and 2, we weren’t feeling too confident about completing it on time.

My advise is to leave enough time for traveling to and from Budapest (±1.5 hours by train). I recommend to add an additional day for traveling back after your trip so that your last day of cycling is not spent rushing to catch a train.