This post provides details about each tourist pass in Budapest.
We include tips on how to use them, how much money you can save, and even advice on which pass will best fit your needs.
Are Budapest Cards and Passes Worth It?
There are a few different passes you can use to save money on a variety of popular attractions and activities.
If youโre planning to visit multiple locations or take more than one tour, these services are definitely worth consideration.
Here are a few of the most popular things to see and do with these tourist attraction discount passes:
- Hop on Hop off Bus Tours
- Danube Sightseeing Cruise
- Fishermanโs Bastion
- St. Stephenโs Basilica
- Museum of Fine Arts
- Kiscelli Museum
- Hungarian Museum of Trade
- The Ludwig Museum
- Gellert Spa & Bath
- Szechenyi Baths
- Royal Palace
- Buda Castle
- And more!
Depending on which pass you choose, you should be able to save at least 20% - 50% off general admission prices for various historic landmarks, museums, points of interest, tours, and other activities.
If youโre wondering how each discount pass and/or combo deal works, here are a few details you should consider before deciding which pass is best for your needs.
Do you need transportation?
Itโs worth noting that one pass includes a public transport ticket including airport transfer, while the other pass has simply a bus tour instead.
While a hop-on hop-off bus tour will take you to most of the notable landmarks in Budapest, public transportation could be a better option depending on where you want to go and what you want to see.
What are your plans?
Although some of these services are better for visiting museums, others focus more on taking tours of Budapest.
If youโre interested in having a guide to help you learn more about the city, chances are the pass providing several tours would be your best bet.
However, visitors who want to experience Hungary's beautiful capital at their own pace and without a guide should consider an alternative instead.
How much time do you have?
While each pass is valid for up to 6 days, the best way to save money with these services is by using them for as many different activities as possible.
If you have limited time to spend in Budapest, we recommend getting a combo package instead.
Combination deals typically include at least 1 to 2 tours and at least 1 notable attraction or activity.
BUDAPEST CARD
This is the most popular tourist pass in the city, and it includes free admission to the following activities for one flat price:
- 19 Museums
- Public Transport ticket
- Discounts of up to 50% on other attractions & tours
The Budapest Card is valid for increments of 1 to 5 days.
So, no matter how much time youโre planning to spend here, thereโs a version of this tourist pass that likely fits your itinerary.
In addition to the 1 to 5-day pass options, there is also a 3-day pass that includes the following extra activities and services:
- Budapest Airport Transfer
- Danube River Cruise
- Buda Castle Funicular
- Matthias Church Admission
- Hungarian Dessert
This 3-Day pass costs more than all the other options, but it might be worth it if you're interested in any of the above items.
If you purchase a longer pass, youโll pay less per day than you would for a 1-2 day card, so itโs actually easier to save more money when you choose the longest option.
Here are just a handful of the great museums and services included for free with this tourist pass:
- Museum of Fine Arts | โฌ9.50
- The Ludwig Museum | โฌ4.75
- Hungarian National Museum | โฌ7.75
- Budapest History Museum | โฌ7
- Hungarian National Gallery | โฌ9.50
- St. Lukรกcs Thermal Bath and Swimming Pool| โฌ12
- Cityrama Walking Tour | โฌ10
- Mai Manรณ House | โฌ4.50
- Budatower | โฌ4.50
In addition, the Budapest Card includes free public transportation on trams and metro lines (a โฌ5 - โฌ12 value) for the duration of time that the pass is valid.
Plus you can ride the Zugliget Chairlift for free. You even get free luggage storage.
As if that werenโt enough, they also offer discounts of 10% - 50% off various additional museums, tours, historic landmarks, and more, including some of the following examples:
- Hop on Hop off Bus Tours | 20% off
- Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden | 25% off
- Gellert Thermal Bath | 20% off
- Pinball Museum of Budapest | 10% off
- Szechenyi Thermal Baths | 20% off
- Budapest Bike Tour | 50% off
- Hard Rock Cafe | 10% off
- Aquaworld | 20% off
- And more!
As you can see, even if there arenโt many locations included for free that you want to visit, the additional discounts might still make the pass worth consideration.
Here are the prices for each Budapest Card, as well as the price per day:
- 1-Day Pass: โฌ33
- 2-Day Pass: โฌ49
- Price Per Day: โฌ24.5
- 3-Day Pass: โฌ63
- Price Per Day: โฌ21
- 4-Day Pass: โฌ77
- Price Per Day: โฌ19.25
- 5-Day Pass: โฌ92
- Price Per Day: โฌ19.25
- 3-Day Pass +: โฌ96
- Price Per Day: โฌ32
Purchase the Budapest Card online or learn more.
Purchase the Budapest Card in person.
Some of the tickets included with this pass are more than โฌ10 per person, so itโs easy to see how you could rack up the savings just by using the card for 2-3 activities.
Here is an example of how you can use the 3-day pass to save some money while touring Budapest.
Day 1
- St. Lukรกcs Thermal Bath | โฌ12
- Cityrama Walking Tour | โฌ10
- Museum of Fine Arts | โฌ9.50
- 3-Day Public Transport Pass | โฌ12
Day 2
- CSOPA Science Center | โฌ10.75
- Hungarian National Museum | โฌ7.75
- Ferenc Hopp Museum of Asiatic Arts | โฌ5.25
Day 3
- Memento Park | โฌ5
- Pรกlvรถlgy Cave | โฌ6.50
- Budatower | โฌ4.50
Total Value: โฌ83.25
Total Cost: โฌ56
Total Savings: โฌ27.25 (33% off)
Needless to say, if you can manage to fit even more activities into your day, you could save even more money!
With all of the additional discounts on family-friendly activities, this could be a great deal for families.
That said, the main services included in the price of this pass are certainly museums and cultural landmarks.
In other words, if youโre not planning to take advantage of the Budapest Card discounts, this service is probably best for visitors who want to experience more of the culture of this city.
Where you can purchase the Budapest Card in person
At the airport:
- BKK Customer Service Centre, Liszt Ferenc Airport Terminal 2A
- BKK Customer Service Centre, Liszt Ferenc Airport Terminal 2B
In the city:
- Budapestinfo Tourist Information Centre at Vรกroshรกza Park Hรผtte
- BKK Customer Service Centre at Deรกk Ferenc tรฉr M
At train stations:
- BKK Customer Service Centre, Keleti pรกlyaudvar M station โ M4 underground
- BKK Customer Service Centre, Kelenfรถld M station โ ลrmezล exit
- BKK Customer Service Centre, Dรฉli pรกlyaudvar M station
EXPLORE BUDAPEST PASS
This tourist pass is now fairly different from its competition, as you have the option to choose between 3, 4, 6, or 8 attractions.
Another big difference is that this pass does not include free access to public transportation.
While a hop-on hop-off bus tour is available, itโs not always going to be a great alternative to other forms of transport.
In addition to that, the Explorer Pass focuses primarily on a variety of different tours and includes free entry to far fewer museums and points of interest than its competitors.
Here are some of the best tours included:
- Hop on Hop off Bus Tours | โฌ22
- Budapest Tuk Tuk Tour | โฌ47
- City Park Segway Tour | โฌ32
- Budapest Night Bike Tour | โฌ25
- Buda Castle District Walking Tour | โฌ36
- Jewish Heritage Tour | โฌ30
- And more!
Though the offerings may be slightly fewer, there are several interesting locations you can visit and events you can enjoy with this service, including some of the following examples:
- Szechenyi Thermal Baths | โฌ21
- Gellert Thermal Spa & Bath | โฌ22
- Wine, Cheese & Charcuterie Tasting | โฌ34
- Hungarian Folk Dancing Performance | โฌ24
- Organ Concert in St. Stephenโs Basilica | โฌ20
- Budapest Caving Adventure | โฌ44
- And more!
In addition to these tours and other activities, the Budapest Explorer Pass also provides extra discounts for a few other services:
- Dry Martini Budapest Boat Tour | 15% off
- TimeTrap Escape Rooms | 30% off
Another notable distinction is that this tourist pass is available in increments of either days or activities.
In other words, you can purchase this service either for 1 to 2 days or 4 to 6 of the included tours, attractions, and more.
While the day passes are only valid for the amount of time specified, each activity pass is valid for 3 months, giving you plenty of time to use it at your leisure.
Although youโll probably save the most with a day pass, you could also save a lot of money with the activity pass.
Here are the prices for each option and the cost per day:
- 3 Attraction Pass: โฌ55/Adults | โฌ41/Children
- Price per Attraction: โฌ18.33/Adults | โฌ13.66/Children
- 4 Attraction Pass: โฌ75/Adults | โฌ56/Children
- Price per Attraction: โฌ18.75/Adults | โฌ14/Children
- 6 Attraction Pass: โฌ109/Adults | โฌ89/Children
- Price per Attraction: โฌ18.16/Adults | โฌ14.83/Children
- 8 Attraction Pass: โฌ149/Adults | โฌ109/Children
- Price per Attraction: โฌ18.63/Adults | โฌ13.63/Children
This pass is not currently available as of April 2023.
As you can see, this tourist pass is a lot more expensive than its competitors, but that probably has something to do with the value of what is included in the pass.
After all, some of the examples we listed above are over โฌ40 per person, so itโs not difficult to see how a pass like this could save you plenty of money.
The nice thing about the activities included is that while some require a lot of physical activity (like the caving adventure), others are very relaxing (like the Wine, Cheese & Charcuterie Tasting).
To save the most possible money, make sure to use their activity passes for services with the highest ticket prices.
As you may have noticed, the prices per attraction don't necessarily decrease if you get a pass with more options.
The best deal for adults will be a 6-attraction pass (โฌ18.16 per activity), while the lowest price for children comes from the 8-attraction pass (โฌ13.63).
Of course, the 3 attraction pass is only a few cents more per attraction, so even if you only want to use this service for a few activities, it's still a good deal.
While there are a lot of family-friendly activities and services included with the Budapest Explore pass, many of the best things to do are aimed at adults.
If youโre visiting Budapest with your family, youโll have to compare and contrast each of the activities included before making up your mind.
However, itโs fair to say that this pass is definitely a safe bet for couples or visitors traveling on their own.
BUDAPEST PASS
This is more of a prepackaged pass, as it includes a few specific activities and nothing else.
Thankfully, the activities included with this no-frills pass are popular enough that you might want to consider it.
Here's what's included with the Budapest Pass:
- 2-Hour Danube Sightseeing Cruise w/ Drink
- Grand City Tour of Budapest & Hungarian Parliament
- Budapest City Audio Guide
- 10% off additional activities
The 10% discount is valid on any other tour, activity, or attraction that Tiqets offers in Budapest. This includes options such as the following:
- St. Stephen's Basilica
- Hungarian Dance Performance
- Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tours
- Szรฉchenyi Spa Tickets
- Great Synagogue
- And more!
Prices
- โฌ62/EU Adults
- โฌ74/Non-EU Adults
- โฌ37/EU Youth (7-11)
- โฌ43/Non-EU Youth (7-11)
- โฌ23/EU Children (0-6)
- โฌ29/Non-EU Children (0-6)
Purchase the Budapest Pass or learn more.
The only problem with this type of tourist pass is that the amount you can save is very limited.
Most of the time, you'll only be saving 10% - 20% off on everything included.
That said, if you're looking for an affordable pass that covers the cost of all the activities and sites you want to enjoy, this is a quick and easy way to save at least a few euros.
COMBO PACKAGES
If youโre looking for an alternative to tourist passes, this section provides details about combo deals which typically include 3 to 4 activities or attractions for one flat price.
Most of these packages are offered by hop on hop off bus tour companies, which means you can expect their tours to be the primary services included.
Big Bus Tours
While most deals this company offers arenโt technically combo packages, 1-Day, 2-Day, and 3-Day tickets include additional activities you may enjoy.
1-Day (24-hour) Ticket
- 1 Day Hop on Hop off Bus Tour
- Guided Budapest Walking Tour
- Danube River Cruise
- โฌ35.79/Adults | โฌ32.21/Children
2-Day (48-hour) Ticket
- 2 Day Hop on Hop off Bus Tour
- Guided Budapest Walking Tour
- Danube River Cruise
- โฌ40.76/Adults | โฌ36.68/Children
3-Day (72-hour) Ticket
- 3 Day Hop on Hop off Bus Tour
- Guided Budapest Walking Tour
- Danube River Cruise
- โฌ41.16/Adults | โฌ45.73/Children
Purchase tickets or learn more.
City Sightseeing Tours
Much like their competition, this company also offers premium tickets which include additional activities such as cruises, night bus tours, and even a free bike tour.
1-Day Ticket
- 1 Day Hop on Hop off Bus Tour
- Danube Cruise
- Free Walking Tour
- โฌ39.77/Adults | โฌ31.81/Children & Students
2-Day Ticket
- 2 Day Hop on Hop off Bus Tour
- Danube Cruise
- Free Walking Tour
- โฌ45.29/Adults | โฌ36.23/Children & Students
3-Day Ticket
- 3 Day Hop on Hop off Bus Tour
- Danube Cruise
- Free Walking Tour
- โฌ50.81/Adults | โฌ40.65/Children & Students
Purchase tickets or learn more.
Thermal Bath Combo Deals
In addition to the bus tour combo tickets, there is also a company that provides packages with admission to one of the most popular Thermal Baths in Budapest.
Danube Cruise + Szechenyi Thermal Baths
- โฌ75 per person
- Not currently available as of November 2022.
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