Christmas Cruise Budapest With Dinner & Live Music

Take a wonderful Christmas Eve cruise on the Danube in Budapest and enjoy a four-course dinner, live music and festive atmosphere!

People in Hungary spend the Eve of 24. December – that kicks off the Christmas and New Year holidays – with their family. Christmas Eve Cruise Budapest calms down for the next two days:

• Christmas Day on 25 December, and

• Boxing Day on 26 December.

A festive river tour with delicious 4-course dinner served at your table (see menu below) or with buffet-style dinner on the Eve of Christmas, 24. December 2025 and on Christmas Day, December 25 at 19.00. allows you to experience the magic of the hoilday and Budapest on a comfortable cruise ship.

Go on a cozy 1-hour winter boat trip on the historic Kisfaludy Paddle Steamer!

Enjoy the heated cabin, warm blankets, and festive atmosphere as you cruise along the river Danube. Hot drinks are served.

Audio guide in 20+ languages is included (need your own phone and earbuds).

Available at Christmas on December 25-26 and the New Year Holidays: December 31, January 01.

👉 Book Your Place in EUR! / 👉 Book Your Place in USD!

Starter:

1. Caponata Schiacciata: flatbread or focaccia topped with the sweet and sour eggplant relish known as Caponata

Soups:

1. Chicken meatball soup with cream and tarragon or a
2. Seasonal soup

• December 24. & 25. 2025., at 19.30 and 20.00
• Duration 3 hours
• Boarding starts: 19.00/19.30 pm at Dock 11 next to the Elizabeth Bridge (see map above)
• Cruise ends: 22.30/23.00

Attractions You’ll See – Cruise Itinerary:

• Dock #11 next to the Elizabeth Bridge
• Cruise route: Elizabeth Bridge – Chain- Bridge (Pest end) – Parliament – Margaret Bridge (Pest end) – Margaret Island – Margaret Bridge (Buda end) – Church of St. Anne – Chain Bridge (Buda end)- Buda Castle – Elizabeth Bridge – Gellért Hill – Liberty Bridge – Gellért Bath – Petőfi Bridge – National Theatre – Palace of Arts: then back on the same route to the dock at Elizabeth Bridge.

Main Dishes

1. Roasted chicken breast fillet in ragout
2. Beef stew with Villány red wine and dumplings
3. Stuffed cabbage
4. Vegetable casserole baked in oven
5. Couscous with steamed vegetables

Side Dishes:

• Rice
• Egg dumplings
• Roast pottaoe seasoned with parsley

Desserts:

1. Strudel with various fillings: sweet cottage cheese, apple and sour cherry
2. Somlói galuska: layered shot glass dessert: sponge cake with vanilla sauce, ground walnuts, raisins and chocolate sauce with whipped cream on top
3. Beigli: traditional Christmas roll filled with walnut and poppy seed

Open Bar (For Two Hours)

• Wine: red, rose and white
• Beer on tap
• Mulled wine
• Fruit juices
• Soda drinks
• Coffee and tea

• 18.30 – Boarding starts at Akadémia 2 next to the Chain Bridge (see map above)
• 19.00 – 2-hour cruise starts, buffet dinner
• 22.00 – Return to Akadémia 2 Dock

Attractions You’ll See – Cruise Itinerary:

• Dock #11 next to the Chain Bridge
• Cruise route: Chain- Bridge (Pest end) – Parliament – Margaret Bridge (Pest end) – Margaret Island – Margaret Bridge (Buda end) – Church of St. Anne – Chain Bridge (Buda end)- Buda Castle – Elizabeth Bridge – Gellért Hill – Liberty Bridge – Gellért Bath – Petőfi Bridge – National Theatre – Palace of Arts: then back on the same route to the dock at the Chain Bridge.

• Most restaurants, cafes, shops close in the afternoon on 24. December and stay closed over the next two days.
• Apart from some winter holiday concerts, there aren’t much things to do in the city on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so a boat excursion with festive dinner by candlelight offers a memorable and romantic program.
• The Danube banks are home to Budapest’s oldest and most famous landmarks from the imposing Parliament in Pest, to the Royal Palace in Buda Castle or the Gellért Hill.
• You can admire these sights and the captivating night city view during the 3-hour excursion.
• After dinner you can also enjoy the panorama from the open upper deck of the ship and snap photos to put on Instagram/Facebook.
• Price of the program is not extremely high considering it’s the year-end holiday season and includes the 3-hour river tour, a warm dinner of 4 courses served at your table, welcome prosecco: – you can swap it for a non-alcoholic drink .