Christmas Cruise Budapest With Dinner & Live Music 2024

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 2024 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
The Chain Bridge & Buda Castle

➡️Budget-Friendly Christmas Cruise with Welcome Drink (cc. 14,5 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 Kisfaludy Paddle Steamer!

Enjoy the heated cabin, warm blankets, and festive atmosphere as we 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!

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We Offer You Two Wonderful Christmas Dinner Cruises in 2024:

  1. Cruise with 4-course served dinner and welcome drink with live piano music: date: December 24 & 25. Price: from 130 EUR/person
  2. Cruise with multi-course buffet dinner and unlimited drinks and live music: December 24, 25 Price: 159 EUR/person

#1. ➡️Christmas Cruise with Dinner and Piano Show (130 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.

a young couple clinking glasses of white wine on a cruise boat in Budapest

Quick Overview:

Welcome Drink

knife and fork icon

4 Course Dinner

Live Music

Duration 3h

€130

🛒 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

Duration: 180 min. – Price: €130

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:

Amuse Bouche:

  1. Vegan cranberry-pecan cheese ball

Soups:

  1. Traditional Hungarian veal ragout soup with potato dumplings or a
  2. Seasonal soup
Hungarian ragout soup in a ceramic bowl

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

  1. Black sesame crusted salmon steak with chili-mint pea purée and pea fritter
  2. Chicken breast fillet on celery purée, with bread and spinach dumpling and pickled red onions
  3. Duck leg confit with gravy sauce and fried cabbage and noodles in chimney cake
  4. Pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon, served with grilled potato and red onion chutney
  5. Beef ragout made with dark beer, mushrooms and dark chocolate, served with bread dumpling
  6. Hungarian vegan ratatouille (known as lecsó: a vegetable ragout made with bell peppers, onions and tomato)
3 pieces of roasted chicken breast on a white sauce and with pickled red onion decoration
Roasted chicken breast fillet
vegetable ragout with two slices of white bread
Letcho: Hungarian vegetable ragout of peppers and tomatoes

Desserts:

  1. White chocolate lemon-pistachio sponge cake
  2. Chili chocolate mousse with pecan nuts
  3. Strawberry-basil chia pudding
a square piece of a white cho lemon sponge cake with chopped pistachio on top
White chocolate lemon-pistachio sponge cake
chocolate mousse in a glass dish
Chili Chocolate mousse

Program Schedule:

  • December 24. & 25. 2024., at 19.30/7.30 pm
  • Duration 3 hours
  • Boarding starts: 18.55/6.55 pm Dock 11 next to the Elizabeth Bridge (see map above)
  • Cruise ends: 22.30/10.30 pm

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 highly 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 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 130 EUR.

#2. ➡️Christmas Cruise With Buffet Dinner, Unlimited Drinks & Live Music (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.

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!

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.

an elegantly dresse waiter offering a bottle of wine for sampling to a guest possibly on a dinner cruise ship

Quick Overview:

Unlimited Drinks

knife and fork icon

Buffet Dinner

Live Music

Duration 3h

€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 24-25-26

Cruise Starts: 19.00

Duration: 3 Hours – Price: €159

What’s Included?

Meeting Point:

  • Welcome drink: a glass of prosecco/orange juice
  • Multi-course buffet dinner (See dinner menu here!)
  • Unlimited drinks: wine, beer, mineral water, soft drinks, coffee and tea
  • 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

Side Dishes:

  • Rice
  • Egg dumplings
  • Roast pottaoe seasoned with parsley
goulash soup in a round white plate
Goulash soup

Desserts:

  1. Strudel with various fillings: sweet cottage cheese, apple and sour cherry
  2. Somlói galuska: layered shot glass dessert: sponge cake with raisins, vanilla sauce, ground walnuts and chocolate sauce with whipped cream on top
  3. Beigli: traditionalChristmas roll filled with walnut and poppy seed
3 pieces of strudel with cottage cheese, apple and sour cherry filling, a cup of espresso to the left of the plate
Strudel selection

Open Bar (For Two Hours)

  • Wine: red, rose and white
  • Beer on tap
  • Mulled wine
  • Fruit juices
  • Soda drinks
  • Coffee and tea
a bartender woman with long black hair behind a classic wooden 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 and 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.

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 .
the dinner hall of a cruise ship with dimmed blue lighting, a small stage with a piano and a Xmas tree with the lights on in the foreground
Festive Setting Of The Xmas Cruise & Dinner

More Programs in Budapest At Christmas & New Year

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