Budapest City Passes

BOOK MY TOUR!
Updated: Juli 13, 2023

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 you’re 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
  • Fisherman’s Bastion
  • St. Stephen’s 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 you’re 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?

It’s 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 you’re 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 you’re planning to spend here, there’s 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, you’ll pay less per day than you would for a 1-2 day card, so it’s 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 | €9.50
  • The Ludwig Museum | €4.75
  • Hungarian National Museum | €7.75
  • Budapest History Museum | €7
  • Hungarian National Gallery | €9.50
  • St. Lukács Thermal Bath and Swimming Pool| €12
  • Cityrama Walking Tour | €10
  • Mai Manó House | €4.50
  • Budatower | €4.50

In addition, the Budapest Card includes free public transportation on trams and metro lines (a €5 - €12 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 weren’t 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 aren’t 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: €33
  • 2-Day Pass: €49
    • Price Per Day: €24.5
  • 3-Day Pass: €63
    • Price Per Day: €21
  • 4-Day Pass: €77
    • Price Per Day: €19.25
  • 5-Day Pass: €92
    • Price Per Day: €19.25
  • 3-Day Pass +: €96
    • Price Per Day: €32

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 €10 per person, so it’s 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. Lukács Thermal Bath | €12
  • Cityrama Walking Tour | €10
  • Museum of Fine Arts | €9.50
  • 3-Day Public Transport Pass | €12

Day 2

  • CSOPA Science Center | €10.75
  • Hungarian National Museum | €7.75
  • Ferenc Hopp Museum of Asiatic Arts | €5.25

Day 3

  • Memento Park | €5
  • Pálvölgy Cave | €6.50
  • Budatower | €4.50

Total Value: €83.25

Total Cost: €56

Total Savings: €27.25 (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 you’re 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 Városháza Park Hütte
  • BKK Customer Service Centre at Deák Ferenc tér M

At train stations:

  • BKK Customer Service Centre, Keleti pályaudvar M station – M4 underground
  • BKK Customer Service Centre, Kelenföld M station – Őrmező exit
  • BKK Customer Service Centre, Déli pályaudvar 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, it’s 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 | €22
  • Budapest Tuk Tuk Tour | €47
  • City Park Segway Tour | €32
  • Budapest Night Bike Tour | €25
  • Buda Castle District Walking Tour | €36
  • Jewish Heritage Tour | €30
  • And more!
Budapest Explore Card

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 | €21
  • Gellert Thermal Spa & Bath | €22
  • Wine, Cheese & Charcuterie Tasting | €34
  • Hungarian Folk Dancing Performance | €24
  • Organ Concert in St. Stephen’s Basilica | €20
  • Budapest Caving Adventure | €44
  • 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 you’ll 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: €55/Adults | €41/Children
    • Price per Attraction: €18.33/Adults | €13.66/Children
  • 4 Attraction Pass: €75/Adults | €56/Children
    • Price per Attraction: €18.75/Adults | €14/Children
  • 6 Attraction Pass: €109/Adults | €89/Children
    • Price per Attraction: €18.16/Adults | €14.83/Children
  • 8 Attraction Pass: €149/Adults | €109/Children
    • Price per Attraction: €18.63/Adults | €13.63/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 €40 per person, so it’s 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). 

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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 (€18.16 per activity), while the lowest price for children comes from the 8-attraction pass (€13.63).

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 you’re visiting Budapest with your family, you’ll have to compare and contrast each of the activities included before making up your mind. 

However, it’s 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
  • Széchenyi Spa Tickets
  • Great Synagogue
  • And more!

Prices

  • €62/EU Adults
  • €74/Non-EU Adults
  • €37/EU Youth (7-11)
  • €43/Non-EU Youth (7-11)
  • €23/EU Children (0-6)
  • €29/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 you’re 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 aren’t technically combo packages, 1-Day, 2-Day, and 3-Day tickets include additional activities you may enjoy.

Budapest Big Bus Tour Map

1-Day (24-hour) Ticket

  • 1 Day Hop on Hop off Bus Tour
  • Guided Budapest Walking Tour
  • Danube River Cruise
    • €35.79/Adults | €32.21/Children

2-Day (48-hour) Ticket

  • 2 Day Hop on Hop off Bus Tour
  • Guided Budapest Walking Tour
  • Danube River Cruise
    • €40.76/Adults | €36.68/Children

3-Day (72-hour) Ticket

  • 3 Day Hop on Hop off Bus Tour
  • Guided Budapest Walking Tour
  • Danube River Cruise
    • €41.16/Adults | €45.73/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
    • €39.77/Adults | €31.81/Children & Students

2-Day Ticket

  • 2 Day Hop on Hop off Bus Tour
  • Danube Cruise
  • Free Walking Tour
    • €45.29/Adults | €36.23/Children & Students

3-Day Ticket

  • 3 Day Hop on Hop off Bus Tour
  • Danube Cruise
  • Free Walking Tour
    • €50.81/Adults | €40.65/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

  • €75 per person
  • Not currently available as of November 2022.

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