Last Updated on 20 July 2026 by ZoliBP

Last Updated on 20 July 2026 by ZoliBP
A close-up of a Christmas decoration featuring pine branches, pinecones, and bright red berries against a dark, textured background.

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.

Budapest city scape at night with the Chain Bridge and the Royal Palace in Buda Castle illuminated - photo was probably taken from a cruise boat
The Chain Bridge & Buda Castle

➡️Budget-Friendly Christmas Cruise with Welcome Drink (cc. 12 EUR) – $

a young woman with long blondish hair and a red blanket draped over her shoulders taking a selfie on a cruise boat on the Danube on a cloudy day
the historic black steam paddle boat near the Chain Bridge around sunset
a young blonde woman in a white hat and gloves drinking ice coffee probably on ship cruise
the historic steam boat, Kisfaludy sailing past the Parliament Building on a clear, sunny day
a young blonde woamn having cappuccino with biscuits on a cruise boat, the green Liberty Bridge is visible in the background
people sitting at the cherry wooden desks on board the Kisfaludy vintage boat, red blankets draped over the back of the chairs

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!

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We Offer You Two Wonderful Christmas Dinner Cruises in 2025:

  1. Cruise with 4-course served dinner and welcome drink with live piano music: Dates: December 24 & 25. Price: from 150 EUR/person
  2. Cruise with multi-course buffet dinner and unlimited drinks and live music: December 24 Price: 159 EUR/person

#1. ➡️Christmas Cruise with Dinner and Piano Show (From 150 EUR) – $$

Looking for a unique Christmas?

Skip the traditional and try a Christmas Cruise in Budapest! Enjoy a festive dinner, live music, and amazing city views.

It’s the perfect gift for yourself and/or a loved one to celebrate the winter holiday in style.

You can relax and enjoy a truly festive atmosphere with 4-course dinner by candlelight.

Pleasant live piano music accompany the 3-hour program which includes a scenic tour on the river Danube.

Festively Decorated Restaurant on the Christmas Cruise Ship
Festively Decorated Restaurant on the Christmas Cruise Ship
a young man hugging two long brown haired women for a selfie, possibly in a restaurant on a ship- the woman on his right is holding up the phone for the photo, the other woman is holding a glass of rose wine in her hand
Fun, Relaxed Atmosphere
A modern river cruise boat gliding along the Danube at night with the illuminated Hungarian Parliament Building glowing in the background in Budapest.*
The Enchanting View of the Parliament at Night

Quick Overview:

Welcome Drink

knife and fork icon

4 Course Dinner

Live Music

Duration 3h

€150

🛒 Check Booking Options

Christmas Dinner Cruise
Christmas Dinner Cruise (4 courses)

Christmas Dinner Cruise 4 Course Served Dinner + Welcome Prosecco + Piano Show

December 24 & 25

Cruise Starts: 19.30 and 20.00

Duration: 180 min. – Price: €150

Book Christmas Dinner & Cruise

What’s Included?

Meeting Point:

  • Welcome drink: a glass of prosecco
  • Dinner by candlelight: 4 courses – including vegan options – served at your table (See dinner menu here!)
  • 3-hour river tour
  • Live music: live piano featuring classics and traditional holiday tunes

Christmas Cruise Dinner Menu:

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
A bowl of creamy tarragon chicken meatball soup garnished with fresh herbs, thinly sliced vegetables, and chili threads, served in a gray ceramic bowl on a dark background.
Chicken Meatball Soup with Cream & Tarragon
Two slices of toasted bread topped with Sicilian-style caponata made of diced vegetables and olives, garnished with basil leaves, cherry tomato halves, and leek curls, served on a black slate plate.
Caponata Schiacciata
A bowl of pesto and wild mushroom gnocchi served with a crispy herb-crusted fillet on top, garnished with microgreens and fresh herbs, presented in a beige ceramic dish against a dark background.
Pesto chicken roulade with risotto bianco

Main Dishes – 6 Options (Incl. A Vegan Dish)

  1. Porcini and wild mushroom gnocchi with (optional) cod fillet baked in mushroom crust
  2. Pesto chicken roulade with risotto bianco
  3. French pork chop with Dijon mustard jus and potato gratin
  4. Beef tenderloin Stroganoff with pappardelle
  5. Lamb Sarratoga rack with Tokaji-infused peach salad
  6. Vegetarian option: Goat cheese and zucchini casserole woth sun dried tomato and basil
A plated dish of glazed lamb chops served on a bed of mixed greens and sautéed vegetables, garnished with cucumber ribbons and a sprig of fresh mint, presented in a light gray bowl against a dark background.
Lamb Sarratoga Rack with Peach Salad
A grilled French-style pork chop served with creamy potato gratin, fresh greens, fig slices, and a drizzle of sauce on a light purple plate against a dark background.
French Pork Chop with Potato Gratin

Desserts:

  1. Pistachio tiramisu
  2. Lemon curd with coriander, mascarpone and sweet crumble
  3. Avocado Chocolate mousse
A dessert glass filled with rich avocado chocolate mousse, topped with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, chopped nuts, and a sprig of fresh mint, set against a black background.
Avocado Chocolate Mousse
A layered dessert glass with lemon curd, whipped cream, and biscuit crumbs, garnished with fresh coriander leaves and a decorative honeycomb-shaped sugar piece, presented on a black background.
Lemon curd with coriander, mascarpone and sweet crumble

Program Schedule:

  • 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.

To Sum Up:

If you want to treat yourself or your loved ones to a romantic dinner on Christmas Eve then we look no further, beacuse we can say with absloute certainty that this is one your best options this year.

Splendid 4-course meal at private, candle-lit table, lovely hosts, pleasant live music and the wondrous night view of Budapest that you can admire during the sightseeing tour that you’ll get for 150 EUR (+ 20 EUR on Dcember 24/Christmas Eve)

#2. ➡️Christmas Cruise With Buffet Dinner, Unlimited Drinks & Live Music (89/159 EUR) – $$

The spacious and classically elegant Széchenyi ship hosts the festive Christmas cruise on 2 evenings with

  • Buffet dinner – including Hungarian dishes – and
  • Unlimited beer/wine/ soft drinks from the bar – on 24. December/Christmas Eve.

Treat yourself to the tasty dishes from the buffet table that includes both Hungarian and international choices!

Try the classic local dishes like the

  • hearty beef goulash soup or the
  • stuffed cabbage!

On December 24 you can get as many drinks from the open bar as you like:

  • wine and beer,
  • spicy hot wine but there is a
  • wide choice of non-alcoholic drinks too: fruit juices , coffee or tea.
A festive dinner cruise on the Danube with guests dining at elegantly set tables covered in white and black linens, decorated columns with warm lights, and waiters serving food in a cozy, holiday-themed atmosphere.
Christmas Dinner Cruise on the Széchenyi Ship
View of the Budapest waterfront on a winter evening with the illuminated Hungarian Parliament Building in the distance, seen from a docked cruise boat decorated with balloons and string lights along the Danube River.
View of the City from the Danube at Sunset

Quick Overview:

Unlimited Drinks – on Dec 24

knife and fork icon

Buffet Dinner

Live Music

Duration 3h

€89/€159

🛒 Check Booking Options

Christmas Cruise on Szechenyi Ship
Christmas Cruise on Szechenyi Ship

Christmas Cruise with Buffet Dinner + Unlimited: wine/beer/soft drinks

December 24

Cruise Starts: 19.00 -Duration: 3 Hours

Price: €159

Book Dec. 24 Cruise

December 25, 26

Cruise Starts: 19.00 -Duration: 2 Hours

Price: €79

Book Dec. 25 Cruise

What’s Included?

Meeting Point:

  • Welcome drink: a glass of prosecco/orange juice
  • Multi-course buffet dinner (See dinner menu here!)
  • Unlimited drinks on Dec 24: wine, beer, mineral water, soft drinks, coffee and tea, other days – Dec 25, 26: one glass of wine or beer, mineral water
  • 2-hour river tour
  • Live music and folk dance performance

Christmas Cruise Buffet Dinner Menu:

Soups:

  1. Traditional Hungarian goulash soup (beef, vegetables, noddles)
  2. Creamed vegetables soup

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
Roast chicken in gravy with boiled potatoes and steamed veggies, stuffed cabbage - both dishes served on round white plates, a glass of white and rose wine on the white clothed table
Buffet Dinner of 5 Courses & Diverse Food Choice

Side Dishes:

  • Rice
  • Egg dumplings
  • Roast pottaoe seasoned with parsley
A tray of traditional stuffed cabbage rolls arranged around a bed of braised sauerkraut, topped with sour cream drizzle, chopped herbs, tomato slices, and onion rings, served hot in a stainless-steel chafing dish.
Suffed Cabbage

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
3 pieces of strudel (cottage cheese, apple, sour cherry filling) on a round white dessert plate, a cup of coffee next to it
Strudel selection
Small dessert glasses filled with Somlói-style trifle topped with whipped cream and chocolate sauce, served on a white table alongside wine glasses and plates of food during a festive dinner.
Somlói Layered Cake Dessert
Slices of traditional Hungarian Christmas beigli rolls filled with poppy seed and walnut fillings, arranged on a white plate with whole nuts scattered around, and whole rolls displayed on a serving tray in the background.
Traditional Hungarian Christmas Roll (Beigli)

Open Bar (For Two Hours)

  • Wine: red, rose and white
  • Beer on tap
  • Mulled wine
  • Fruit juices
  • Soda drinks
  • Coffee and tea
A smiling bartender standing behind a wooden bar beneath racks of hanging wine glasses, with a colorful cocktail, fresh fruit garnishes and bottles on shelves behind her while another server works in the background.
Soft Open Bar

Program Schedule:

  • 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.

To Sum Up:

A vintage ship hosts this dinner cruise on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Dinner served buffet style that includes some classic local dishes like goulash and stuffed cabbage and a spectacular folk dance show to the tunes of live music presented by a gypsy orhcestra ensure a an enetertaining evening.

The other highlight is that you can drink all you can – fro 2 hours during the 3-hour program. All these for 159 EUR on Christmas Eve (with unlimited drinks) and 89 EUR on the other two days.

Why Go?

  • 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 .
Dining room on a cruise boat dramatically lit with purple and pink neon lighting. Tables are set along the sides with velvet chairs, and large windows offer a potential city view. A small stage with a small Christmas tree stands at the far end.
Festive Setting Of The Xmas Cruise & Dinner

More Programs in Budapest At Christmas & New Year

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About The Author

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ZoliBP

ZoliBP is a Budapest-based editor and long-time local resident. He has lived in the city for more than 20 years and reviews Budapest By Locals guides with a practical eye: how places really work, what is worth your time, and what visitors should know before they go. Away from the site, he enjoys urban photography and baking sourdough bread.