Budapest Cruises

If you’re planning a trip to Budapest a cruise on the river Danube is an absolute must-do activity.

This is a fantastic way to explore the beautiful city and enjoy its stunning views from a unique perspective.

We offer several river tours a day so can you include it in your travel itinerary where it fits the best. If something comes up and you won’t be able to take the cruise you can cancel it any time free of charge.

• ✅ Unbeatable views: Budapest’s skyline is stunning from the water, and a cruise on the Danube river is the best way to take it all in.
• ✅ Iconic landmarks: You’ll see all of the city’s iconic landmarks from the river, including the Hungarian Parliament Building, Buda Castle, and Fisherman’s Bastion.
• ✅ Relaxing activity: A river excursion is a relaxing way to explore the city without having to worry about getting around on foot or by public transport.

• Meal – usually dinner serviced at your table of buffet-style In most case it will be an international/Hungarian mixed menu. Some cruise dinners are just OK or average re food quality but there some offering relly fine food (these are table-serviced)
• Hungarian dinner all-you-can-eat buffet style (Goulash soup with beef, Chicken paprikash, Strudels with various fillings)
• Street Food: Pizza or Lángos (local deep-fried pastry)
• Wine Tasting & Cheese Plate/Snacks – You’ll sip Hungarian wines from various regions of the country
• Craft beer tasting – Taste local specialty brews
• Cocktails: – 2 or 3 Cocktails of your choice
• Free cancellation – if something comes up you can cancel the program anytime.

If you’re a budget-conscious traveler seeking a remarkable experience on the Danube River, look no further.

These budget-friendly Danube cruises promise an excellent blend of affordability, scenic beauty, and cultural immersion.

What’s more, daytime boat tours aren’t too long – 75-85 minutes – so even toddlers or babies will have a good time, not to mention their parents!

With a wide selection of cruise options available on the Danube, it can be overwhelming to choose the right one without breaking the bank.

Our top-notch recommendations for the best cheap Budapest cruises cater to a variety of preferences, ensuring there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

We really enjoyed this evening boat excursion with delicious served dinner and entertaining piano duet.

It departs at 19.30 / 7.30 pm from a dock next to Elizabeth Bridge.

The cruise is 3-hour long and you may think it’s too long but the serving of food plus muisc combined with a peformance of a talented singer is extremely well-organised.

Even as locals who’ve already taken a couple of Danube cruises since living in Budapest this one stands out because of the:

• Quality of food – really tasty soup (choose from 2 options), a main dish and a dessert.
• level of entertainment – talented musicians and a singer
• Kindness and professionalism of staff .

So if you’re looking for a pleasant night program in Budapest we can’t recommend the cruise with 3- or 6-couse dinner highly enough.

Date & Time

• Every day at 19.30 / 7.30 pm

We also recommend taking the 19.00 o’clock evening tour with a Hungarian or multi-course buffet dinner, accompanied by a spectacular Folk Dance Show & Live Music.

It’s ideal for those who want to sample typical Hungarian dishes all at once.

Date & Time:

• Every day at 19.00 – 21.00 (except for 14. Feb, 20. Aug, 24. Dec and 31. Dec)

Depending on which river tour you choose you will enjoy the followings:

• A 2- or 3-hour river tour where you will see the charming city scape at sunset and that’s is part of the UNESCO World Heritage project
• Welcome drink + additional drink at dinner (or you can go for a complete drink package)
• Warm buffet or served dinner (if you choose this option): international dishes or Hungarian-style dinner, with a glass of wine/juice + a small bottle of mineral water (See dinner menu here!)
• On the Wine/Craft Beer Tasting Cruise: testing of 7 local wines or 5 craft beers (dependig which options you book)
• Cocktail Cruise: 2 or 3 Cocktails from a drink menu that included concoctions like Cuba Libre, Old Fashioned, Mojito, Pina Colada, Sex on the Beach, Tequilla Sunrise, Gin Fizz
• Piano & Singing Show or Folk Dance Performance and
• Live music by a Gypsy orchestra – all depending on which option you choose.
• Free cancellation

Besides the fine meal (served at your table of buffet-style), drinks and live entertainment let’s not forget the sightseeing value of a river tour.

You’ll see among many other stunning landmarks, the

• Impressive Parliament building in Pest, the
• Elegant neo-renaissance buildings of the Castle Bazaar at the foot of Buda Castle
• Gellért Hill and two of the thermal baths
• All the major bridges spanning the Danube, and the other
• Prominent sights under the protection of the UNESCO World Heritage program.

What’s more, an impressive dance show will introduce you to the rich traditions of Hungary’s folk heritage.

Following dinner you can enjoy the romantic night vista of Budapest from the upper deck of the boat.

The city is just magnificent after sunset when the lights turn on in the streets, on the historic buildings in Buda Castle (the Royal Palace, matthias, Church, Fishermen’s Bastion), the Parliament and of course the bridges.

You’ll see Budapest in a whole new light on a

• 2.5-hour romantic river excursion with dinner by candlelight starting at 20.30 or on a
• 1.5-hour Danube tour with buffet dinner and live gypsy music departing at 22.00.

A multiple-course dinner served at your table or buffet style makes the program even more pleasant.

If you don’t want to have a meal you can sip some excellent local wines on the Wine & Cruise program starting

• In the evening at19.00/7 pm (2 hours) or
• Late night at 22.00/10 pm (1,5 hrs) 

You’ll be served 7 top-quality Hungarian wines, 80 ml of each, or in case you prefer to take our Tokaji wine cruise then you can enjoy a glass of the famous Hungarian dessert wine the Tokaji aszú.

• Tokaji Furmint Grand Selection – Tokaj region
• Büttner Pinot Grigio – Badacsony Region/Lake Balaton
• Molnár rosé – Mátra Hills region
• Merlot by György-Villa Vinery (Villány region)
• Pastor Red for Meat – a red cuvée from the Szekszárd region
• Tokaji szamorodni – a lovely sweet wine
• Tokaji aszú 5 puttonyos – an exquisite dessert wine with long-lasting aftertaste.

Discover the exciting world of Hungarian artisan beers!

Sample 5 high-quality craft brews by the country’s best micro breweries on a 2-hour river excursion.

Each sample is 150 ml and at the end you’ll get an extra pint of your choice of the tasted beers.

Live Gypsy music, snacks, and you can soak in one of the world’s most captivating cityscapes from a deck of a sightseeing ship.

See the city at its most beautiful when the rays of the setting sun paints it in the hues of orange, pink and blue.

A great time to make some memorable photos while cruising on a boat and sipping cocktails to the tunes of an orchestra!

You can choose 2 Cocktails from these:

• Cuba Libre,
• Old Fashioned,
• Mojito,
• Pina Colada,
• Sex on the Beach,
• Tequilla Sunrise,
• Gin Fizz

Budapest hosts a spectacular Fireworks Show on 20th August National Holiday to celebrate the foundation of Hungary by King St. Stephen (975 – 1038).

The fireworks are launched form ships anchored on the Danube river and some of the bridges. No doubt, a crusie ship provides an excellent viewing spot for the shop.

You can also enjoy a fine 3-course dinner served buffte style.

Price:

• 145 EUR (Full price only.)
• Free cancellation

Note: Tickets usually sell out quickly for this event so if you want to ensure your place book the program in advance.

You will receive an E-Ticket with all the details in email, that you just present to the hosts/hostesses (on your mobile/tablet or in print form). No need to stand in queue in the summer heat!

Date & Time: 31. December 2023/01. January 2024, 19.00 – Unlimited Drink Included

Say farewell to 2023 on a fabulous cruise with 5-course gourmet dinner, live music with dance show and party till dawn.

Relaxed atmosphere on a spacious 400 sqm event ship delicious food served at your table, second dinner at midnight and open bar the all-inclusive drinks guarantee a memorable New Year’s Eve in Budapest!

The best time to go on a Danube river cruise in Budapest is between

• April-May and
• September-October.

At this period, the climate tends to be temperate with pleasant temperatures both during the day and at night.

Another advantage is that there is less crowd during these months compared to summer but still you will find a pleasant mix of locals and tourists relishing the warmer weather.

This creates a vibrant atmosphere that you can absolutely absorb during your visit, especially on a Danuber river tour.

A typical river cruise in Budapest will take you on a scenic tour of the city’s most famous landmarks.

Most boat tour last between one and two hours and some include an audio guide with information about the sights you’ll see along the way.

You can choose from cruises with unlimited prosecco, a welcome drink, cocktails or beer.

For a more mmeorable

Here are some things you will experience when taking a river cruise in Budapest:

We took the evening boat trip with live music and dinner on a pleasant summer day.

The sightseeing ship departed from a dock near the Chain bridge at the foot of the Chain Bridge in Pest.

The Kossuth Museum Ship (or Kossuth Vénhajó) is a standing ship with a small exhibition about the 20th-century history of navigation in Hungary