Tour to the sacred deer
(5 days of riding)
Date:
22–28 March 2026
Daily program:
Sunday: Arrival
Arrival at the Ópusztaszer Akhal Stud until 5:00 pm (transfer). After arrival, welcome gathering and dinner start at 5:30 PM, followed by an introduction to the weekly program between 6:00 and 7:00 pm. Guests then settle into their accommodation at the nearby guesthouses.
Monday: Test Riding and and stud introduction:
7:00–8:30 am: Breakfast, then transfer from the nearby guesthouse to the horses.
8:30 am: Gathering at the riding hall. Riders receive equipment, meet the horses and mount up.
9:00 am: Trial riding in the arena, pairing riders with suitable horses and assessing riding levels. Morning forest ride: The trail leads through wildlife-rich paths where riders can enjoy nature’s tranquility. Alongside the forests, wide meadows also appear—perfect for long gallops.
12:00–1:00 pm: Lunch at the Yurts.
2:00–4:00 pm: Stud visit with the Steppe Train: The group travels on an “echo wagon” pulled by a tractor (resembling a small train) on an adventurous ride across the plains to view the Akhal-Teke stud and the farm. Riders will see the breeding stallions, working horses, and foals. The Akhal-Teke horses, seen here in their natural environment, were the companions of our ancestors during their arrival in the Carpathian Basin—essentially, these are the horses of the Hungarian Conquest.
Transfer back to the guesthouse. Dinner: 6:00–7:00 pm.
Tuesday: Visit to the Pusztaszeri Tower
7:00–8:30 am: Breakfast, then transfer to the horses.
8:30 am: Gathering at the riding hall; equipment; mounting.
9:00 am: Warm-up in the arena, then departure. Today we guide you into the Pusztaszer Protected Landscape Area, a lesser-known nature reserve. At the outskirts of Munkástelep lies a valuable alkaline habitat known as Büdös-szék, formally Lake Dongér, a seasonal saline lake located on the border of two floristic districts of the Pannonian Floral Province: the Tiszántúl and the Danube–Tisza Interfluve.
12:00–1:00 pm: Lunch beside the Lookout Tower.
2:00–4:00 pm: After a short rest, the ride home offers a chance to experience how the sandy steppe vegetation of the Kiskunság blends in a unique way with the salt-steppe flora of the wormwood–fescue plains. The boundary between the two landscapes is strikingly visible. This reserve is an important habitat for breeding, migrating, summering, and wintering birds. The most significant among the breeding species are the saline steppe birds. The program allows us to observe this special protected wildlife, including free-grazing buffalo, diverse bird populations, hares, and roe deer. Transfer back to the guesthouse. Dinner: 6:00–7:00 pm
Wednesday: Riding to the kurgans in the meadow
7:00–8:30 am: Breakfast, then transfer to the horses.
8:30 am: Gathering at the riding hall; equipment; mounting.
9:00 am – 12:00 pm: Departure for the ancient burial mounds (kurgans). These mounds stretch from the Carpathian Basin to Mongolia. For more than 2000 years, the peoples of the steppe buried their dead beneath these mounds. They can be compared to pyramids—although less monumental, they were widespread across the vast Eurasian steppe. Today, these landscape features are increasingly rare. Of the more than 1,600 burial mounds surveyed on the Great Plain, only a fraction remains.
12:00–2:00 pm: Picnic lunch at the burial mound.
2:00–4:00 pm: After lunch, the exploration of the kurgans continues across the plains. Alongside forests, wide fields suitable for long gallops also appear. The pastoral culture of the Great Plain comes to life along the route.
Dinner: 6:00–7:00 pm. Transfer back to the guesthouse.
Thursday: The Arrows of the Seven Chieftains & the Heritage Park
“According to Anonymus, the conquering Hungarians reached the place called Curtueltou, near the forest of Gyümölcsény. After spending 34 days there, Árpád and his nobles held a great assembly where they established the laws of the land — they ‘set in order’ the affairs of the country. The site was therefore named Szer. This tradition is connected to the Blood Oath, regarded as the earliest fundamental agreement of the Hungarian people.”
7:00–8:30 am: Breakfast, then transfer to the horses.
8:30 am: Gathering at the riding hall; equipment; mounting.
9:00 am: Warm-up in the arena, then departure. This day the group escapes the strong sunlight by riding through forest paths until reaching one of Ópusztaszer’s landmarks: the monumental sculpture representing the Arrow of the Seven Chieftains — said by legend to mark the place where the arrows of the seven Hungarian tribal leaders first struck the ground.
12:00–1:00 pm: Lunch at the Yurts.
2:00–4:00 pm: Afternoon visit to the National Historical Heritage Park, including the monumental panoramic painting by Árpád Feszty depicting the arrival of the Hungarians.
The Heritage Park offers many attractions: besides the Feszty Panorama, the open-air museum (skanzen) is also well worth exploring.
After the visit, transfer back to the guesthouse. Dinner: 6:00–7:00 pm.
Friday: Deerhunting Day
“A day when the legend of our past comes alive, and riders once again conquer the endless plains.”
7:00–8:30 am: Self-served breakfast, then transfer to the horses.
9:00–11:00 am: Departure for a light scouting ride through nearby fields and forests. Riders experience free gallops and the closeness of nature. The group explores the tracks of the stag and discusses tactics necessary for the hunt while surveying the terrain.
11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Team cohesion exercises. The group prepares for the stag chase with hussar-style carousel drills focusing on rhythm, coordination, and teamwork. Exciting but safe group gallop exercises.
12:00–1:30 pm: Lunch at the Yurts. Riders rest in the shade of the yurts while enjoying dishes made from the Cseppentő family’s free-range cattle, along with refreshing drinks. Short rest afterwards.
1:30 pm: Back in the saddle! The anticipation grows as the riders scan the forests and meadows where the mythical stag may appear at any moment. A playful, adventurous “stag chase” follows — its aim is to “capture” the mythical stag while honoring nature, tradition, riding skill, and teamwork.
4:00 pm: Ceremonial return. The successful stag-chasers return in triumph to the riding hall, where the program concludes. Group photo opportunity with the horses. Transfer back to the guesthouse. Dinner: 6:00–7:00 pm.
Saturday: Departure
7:00–8:30 am: Breakfast, followed by farewell and departure (transfer).