Christmas Light Tram in Budapest

The special trams services decorated with outdoor LED strips, garlands, and nets, totaling more than 5 kilometers in length and featuring over 140,000 energy-efficient LED lights, operate for the 12nd time in 2023 – 2024.

The light fleet covers almost the entire city, contributing to the festive atmosphere of the capital.

They are an essential part of the holiday season in Budapest this year between December 01 2023 – January 07, 2024.

Besides the Christmas trams, buses wearing charming light and other holiday-themed decorations will carry passengers on 4 lines: No. 91, No 105, No 7 and No 26. See timetables below!

You can travel on this special trams with normal tickets and passes.

The original Christmas light tram, often referred to as UV, operates on

• lines 2, 19, 47, 49, 14, 69, 50, 42, 42-50, 14-41, while the
• Tatra tram appears in Buda and Pest on lines 1, 17, 41, 56, 61, 59, 14.

The Combino tram operates on lines 4 and 6.

The KCSV-7 tram runs on lines 2 and 23, the Ganz on lines 47 and 49, and the Hannover on lines 42, 50, and 51A.

Passengers can board the solo Mercedes-Benz Conecto light bus on

• lines 105 and 91, and the articulated bus
• on lines 7 and 26.

Each festive tram and other public transport service has its own designated timetable. The Christmas trams and buses run between December 01 2023 till January 01, 2024 between 16.00 – 21.00.

The Christmas cogwheel railway starts operation on December 10.

The best-known Christmas tram line is tram No. 2 travelling along the Danube bank in Pest between

• Közvágóhíd and
• Jászai Mari tér (near the Parliament) stations.

It is one of the most beautiful tram routes in the world offering an amazing view of Budapest’s World Heritage listed sights along the river.

You can travel on the festive heritage line covered in nearly 40 000 white and blue LED lights till 07. January 2024 on Mondays and Wednesdays after 16.00

• December 04., 06., 11., 13., 18., 20., 25., 27
• January 2024: 01 (Monday), 03 (Wednesday)

Tram 2 is the most popular Christmas service due to its spectacular route along the river bank in the Pest side. It’s a great program for families visiting Budapest with kids!

The interior also boasts festive lighting.

You can see

• Most of the bridges,
• Gellért Hill,
• Whale building,
• Buda Castle with the Royal Palace and Matthias Church, and the impressive
• Parliament building.

Route of Tram 2:

Közvágóhíd – Müpa/National Theatre – Boráros tér – Zsil utca – Fővám tér/Great Market Hall – Március 15- Square – Vigadó tér – Eötvös tér – Széchenyi tér/Chain bridge – Kossuth Square – Parliament/Visitor Centre – Jászai Mari tér

Besides tram 2 we recomemnd the following holiday trams for tourists.

Services run after 16.00 till 21.00 on the days listed below.

Tram 4 & 6

Tram 4 and 6 runs along the Grand Boulevard (Nagykörút) – a very popular service connecting Buda and Pest.

Special Christmas-decorated Combino trams will run every day between December 01 – january 07.

These two lines run quite frequently at every 4 – 6 minutes during the day and 10-13 minutes at night.

• Tram 4 Route: Újbuda Központ – Széll Kálmán tér
• Tram 6 route: Móricz Zsigmond körtér – Széll Kálmán tér

Tram 23

Route: Jászai Mari tér – Keleti pályaudvar/Train Station

Tram 23 basically operates on the same route as Tram 2 regarding the section most important for tourists.

The festive cogwheel tram, with a history dating back a century and a half, operating as line 60. will carry start running every day from December 10, 2023.

You can travel with it up to Széchenyi Hill in Buda where you can take a ride on the Children’s Railway a 11 km long narrow-gauge railway with 7 stations operated by kids.

The Children’s Railway is a unique attraction of Budapest meandering in the Buda Hills and we highly recommend if you’re looking for one of a kind activity.

Route of the cogwheel railway:

• Városmajor – Széchenyi-hegy, Gyermekvasút/ Széchenyi Hill, Children’s Railway