More about: Budapest Hop-On Hop-Off Buses
There are many ways to explore Budapest. Although much of the city can be easily explored on foot, there are other points of interest further away from the centre, and the tourist bus is an ideal way to reach them all while saving time.
Tour with free stops on the Big Bus tourist bus
Discover Budapest at your own pace with a ticket for the Big Bus sightseeing bus, valid for 1, 2 or 3 days. Hop on and off at more than 20 stops near the main attractions, with panoramic views from an open-top double-decker bus and commentary in several languages.
In addition to the main tour, your ticket includes a cruise on the Danube and a walking tour of the Pest area with a local guide. If you choose the Premium or Deluxe pass, you will also enjoy a panoramic night tour and transport to Buda Castle.
What does the Big Bus sightseeing pass include?
- 1, 2 or 3-day ticket for hop-on hop-off routes
- Audio commentary and free WiFi on board
- Guided walking tour of Pest
- Danube cruise (with 2 or 3-day passes)
- Panoramic night tour (with 3-day pass)
- Transport to Buda Castle (with 3-day pass)
Tour
The red route allows you to hop on and off to visit the most iconic sights, while the blue and night routes are designed as complete panoramic tours with an audio guide.
Itinerary Red Route
- Plaza de los Héroes
- Basilica of St. Stephen
- Hungarian Parliament
- Chain Bridge
- Buda Castle
- Great Central Market
- Opera
- Váci Street
- National Museum
- Andrassy Avenue
- and more than 20 stops in total
Alternative with more routes: City Sightseeing tourist bus
Another option for getting around Budapest comfortably is the City Sightseeing tourist bus. Its distinctive red double-decker vehicles allow you to take a flexible tour of the city, with the option of getting on and off as many times as you like on any of its routes.
With passes available for 1, 2 or 3 days, this service offers you the freedom to discover the most important sights of the Hungarian capital at your own pace, with a multilingual audio guide, panoramic views and the option to add extras such as a cruise on the Danube or a night tour.
What are the advantages of this service?
- Ideal if you are looking for an alternative to public transport to easily connect distant monuments
- Audio guide available in several languages and WiFi on board on all routes
- Option to add a cruise and night tour depending on the type of pass
- Access to discounts at attractions, restaurants and shops with the included tourist card
- Greater coverage thanks to multiple routes covering complementary areas
Routes
- Yellow Route: connects central locations such as Andrassy Avenue, Chain Bridge, 15 March Square, Kálvin Square and the New York Palace.
- Red Route: takes you to St. Stephen's Basilica, the Parliament, Heroes' Square, the Central Market, Keleti Station and the Citadel.
- Night Tour: ideal for seeing the city lit up, passing by the Basilica, Chain Bridge, Heroes' Square, the Citadel and the Opera House.
Alex's Traveller Tip
Take advantage of the night tour to enjoy Budapest illuminated: it's a comfortable and spectacular way to see the city from a different perspective.
Tourist bus and cruise on the Danube
If you're looking for a more comprehensive guided tour of Budapest, this option combines comfortable transport with expert commentary throughout. Over the course of three hours, you'll visit the city's main attractions by bus with a professional guide, and you can add a one-hour cruise on the Danube to complete the experience.
The tour covers iconic sites in both Buda and Pest, with informative stops at each one. You can choose from several times and dates and book easily online. You'll receive a voucher by email, which you'll need to present at the meeting point with your guide.
Main stops on the tour
- Heroes' Square: learn about the history of Hungary's seven founding leaders at this symbolic site at the end of Andrassy Avenue.
- Fishermen's Bastion: from this hill you will enjoy one of the most impressive views of Budapest.
- Hungarian Parliament: the largest building in the country and one of the most representative of the Danube.
- Hungarian State Opera House: a 19th-century Renaissance gem and the second largest theatre in the country.
- Gellert Hill: famous for its spa, it is also a spectacular natural viewpoint.
- St. Stephen's Basilica: its mosaic-decorated interior makes it one of the most impressive churches in the city.
- Great Market Hall: Budapest's central market, perfect for discovering local products and picking up a souvenir.
Other original bus routes to discover Budapest
If you feel like stepping off the beaten track and exploring Budapest in a more fun or unexpected way, there are bus tours that offer experiences very different from the classic tourist routes. From a vehicle that plunges into the Danube to a private tour with beer included, these options are perfect if you're looking for something more original.
Floating bus: land and water in a single tour
The Budapest floating bus offers a 55-minute tour that combines the best of both worlds: it starts on wheels through the city's most central streets and ends floating on the waters of the Danube. This amphibious vehicle allows you to see Budapest from land and water without leaving your seat. With an audio guide included and skip-the-line access, it's a different way to sightsee without any hassle.
Beer bus: private tour with toast on board
On the beer bus tour of Budapest, you'll spend about an hour visiting places such as the Parliament, the National Opera House and the Széchenyi Baths while toasting with beer or prosecco on board. The entire bus is for your group only, making the experience even more relaxed and perfect for celebrating or simply discovering the city in a more laid-back way.
Why is the sightseeing bus in Budapest recommended?
If you visit the city in winter
Tourist buses operate all year round and have an indoor and outdoor section, both of which offer panoramic views of the city's surroundings. If you travel to Budapest in winter, sub-zero temperatures can slow down your walking route, so a good option to save time is the tourist bus.
If you are travelling with children
Children get tired during city walks, but transport on these types of buses distracts them with the views and the completely safe and comfortable open-air area.
If you want an overview of the city
No matter how much you get to know the city by visiting specific monuments and museums, taking a stroll through it without worrying about anything other than the views is always a luxury, and with tourist buses you can do so at an affordable price. What's more, this way you can discover places further away from the city centre that you wouldn't normally visit on your own.
To visit faraway places
As an alternative to public transport, a hop-on hop-off tourist bus can be a great solution. Although public transport works well, it is not always easy to find your way around, as the stops do not correspond to the parts of the city that you, as a visitor, want to see. If you want to leave the city centre during your visit, this service is a good option.
To learn more about what you see
When we arrive in a new city, we are amazed by the beauty of its main buildings or the charm of its hidden corners, but we often don't know their true meaning or the history behind them. This type of service is designed to teach you about each building in the city as you visit it from the bus.
If you are interested in a sightseeing bus tour of Budapest, you may also be interested in
There are three main ways to see the city of Budapest while learning about its monuments and places of interest. One is from the tourist bus and the other two are:
Guided walking tour of the city centre
By purchasing a pass for some of Budapest's tourist buses, you can also enjoy both of these experiences. On the guided walking tour, you will be accompanied by a professional guide who will explain the history of the city from the perspective of someone who lives there and knows its customs and legends beyond the historical facts you might find in a travel guide. In this article I have written about 16 Best Day Trips and Tours from Budapest you can read all about the guided tours of the city.
Danube River Cruise
The Danube cruise is another of the most popular experiences among travellers visiting Budapest and offers a different perspective of the city with audio commentary in several languages. You also have the option of completing this experience with dinner or live traditional Hungarian music during the cruise. I have written a guide about Cruises and Boat Rides in Budapest that you may find useful if you are thinking of trying this experience.