The Kaán Károly lookout tower is a wooden tower built in a peaceful woods on top of Nagy-Hárs-hegy hill (454 meters), on the Buda side of Budapest. Among Budapest hikes, this is so easy that it may actually qualify as a walk, instead of a hike.
Reaching Kaan Karoly tower is easy, quick and rewarding, which makes it a great activity for locals and travellers alike, to take a break from the capital or to see it from a different point of view.
Thanks to its advantageous location North-West of Budapest, the panorama includes lush woods, busy Budapest, the quiet towns in the nearby valleys, and layers of hills disappearing into the horizon.
Are you a couch potato? So are we! Nonetheless, when we do manage to get up from our lovely sofa, we enjoy spending time outdoors. We share our super-easy hikes, stories and adventures on our series “Hiking for couch potatoes“. If we can do it, you can do it too!
Get ready to go to Kaán Károly tower
What do you need?
- comfortable shoes for the stony path in the woods
- one/two more layers of clothing than in the city, e.g. a jumper/jacket/scarf (don’t make our same mistake!
- at least 2 bus tickets, one per way from Szell Kalman Ter square
- charged phone/flashlight if you plan to come back in the darkness)
- Google maps, one of our favourite apps: search and save Kaán Károly kilátó (“lookout” in Hungarian)
How long does it take?
This is a very short Budapest hike: starting from Szell Kalman Ter square, it’s just 15 minutes by bus, and 20 minutes of easy walk. The same to go back to Budapest.
Of course, count with enough time to admire the scenery, plus bonus time for pictures, videos, snacks
Overall, approximately 2-2,5 hours, up to 4 if you stop for lunch, probably a whole day if you organize a barbecue (see end of the post).
When is it best to go?
The landscape is gorgeous, be it cloudy, sunny, snowy, and in any season (ok, perhaps not under the rain). Bus connections allow also going there for the sunset!
Keep in mind that temperatures will be lower than in the city, and it can get quite windy. The price of the gorgeous foliage is a possibly muddy path, and a snowy panorama will require suitable shoes.
How much does it cost?
Nothing! The tower is always open and there is no ticket fee. The bus ride is included in your 24 or 72-hour ticket, otherwise a single ticket comes at 350 HUF (1,20 eur ca.) and a package of 10 comes at 3000 HUF (10 eur ca.).
Itinerary to Kaan Karoly Lookout Tower
Depart from Széll Kálmán Tér (Square) with bus 22, 22A or 222 (make sure you check the timetables here) in the direction of Budakeszi. On the 15-minute ride, the scenery will change gradually from residential areas to woods. Keep an eye out on the left for the cute trams! Here is the Google Maps itinerary.
Get off the bus at Szépjuhászné stop, which is also one of the stops of the lovely Children’s Railway, complete with a small restaurant. Different routes around the hill will lead you up in approx. 20 minutes walk. The path is wide, not too steep (watch out for runners and cyclists!), hard enough to make you deserve that slice of cake later 🙂 Here is the path on Google Maps.
From Budapest to Hars-hegy 
From the bus stop to Kaan Karoly lookout tower
We set out on a late Sunday afternoon with our friends Adam, who is a local tour guide at Behind Budapest, and Lars, who was more into the final reward (pancakes!). It was amazing to be able to leave the city behind us and be immersed in a forest so quickly! Considering our long hours in the office, or the intense city-sightseeing programs we prepare for friends and family visiting us, this place wins a spot in our Top 5 of relaxing places in Budapest.
Kaan Karoly lookout tower
The tower, a wooden structure with stone foundations, looks like it belongs to another era, even though it was built just in 1988-89. The stairs may look steep and narrow, but don’t let it scare you, they are very solid.
The scenery gets better and better until the 5th floor, when suddenly your gaze embraces Budapest, the Parliament and Castle hill, lush woods on rolling slopes, peaceful towns in the valleys, and layers of hills showing and hiding until the horizon.
The atmosphere was quite intimate, as it was only the four of us and another couple. The tower made some squeaking noises in the wind, but nothing to be worried about! We spent a while taking pictures, videos, time-lapses of the clouds, and watching the rain move over Budapest.
The view is really magnificent, and so many details slowly pop up once you look closely: a green dome in the middle of the forest, blooming branches, fields and trees of countless shades. I did not expect to be able to see the Parliament building so clearly from this distance! On a nearby hill, you can see Elizabeth tower, another lovely destination for a half-day hike or a trip with the Children’s Railway.
We miscalculated our time and our clothing: we aimed to watch the sunset at 8.30 PM, but by 7 we were done with our pictures (if you can ever be done under an ever-changing cloudy sky), and we were shivering in shorts and light shirts. At 7.30 we decided it was not worth waiting for such an uncertain sunset, so we headed down and jumped on a bus just as the rain started to pour.
Should you go to Kaan Karoly lookout tower?
Yes, certainly! Nature, fresh air, and beautiful views. No leg pain guaranteed by your favourite couch potato.
We will definitely go back with better conditions! Nearby the tower, to the right, there is a clearing with benches and a stone circle on the ground suitable for a barbecue, perfect for a hot, summer evening.
If you’re looking for a longer hike, have a look at the Visegrad hike.
Do you know this beautiful place? Do you plan to go? Let us know in the comments 🙂 Cheers!
