Budapest Card - Is It Worthwhile For Me? (2023 price)

Going on a city break to Budapest? Going sightseeing? Wanting to use public transport? Do you like discounts and free access?

Let me introduce you to the Budapest Card, the Official City Pass.

Content

1. Why Budapest Should Be Your Next City Break Destination

2. Exploring Benefits

3. Relaxing Benefits

4. Visiting Benefits

5. Going Out Benefits

6. Dining Benefits

7. 72-hour PLUS Card Additional Benefits

8. Prices

9. Where Can I Collect a Budapest Card?

10. Budapest Card Holders Must Dos

11. Is the Budapest Card Worthwhile? - Things to Consider

Why Budapest Should Be Your Next City Break Destination

Budapest is the Hungarian capital also known as the 'pearl of the Danube River'.

With major budget European airlines such as Ryanair and EasyJet flying into Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport it makes a city break getaway to Budapest more assessable and affordable.

Budapest, a beautiful European city home to 1.7 million people, is split into two. Buda is the hill and Pest is the flat land. Danube River splits Buda and Pest. The city has 9 bridges that connect the two parts of the city.

During the day you can admire the architecture, wander around the city's parks and relax in one of the city's thermal bath complexes.

At night the city lights up as historical landmarks and buildings that hold significant importance such as Hungarian Parliament are well lit to showcase what the city has to offer throughout the night.

Benefits of the Budapest Card

Exploring Benefits

​FREE	BKK public transport - trams, trolleybus, metro and bus services Zugliget chairlift - a 15 minute journey along a 1040 metre cable into the hills of Buda along with breathtaking panoramic views along the way Budapest Castle bus - electric busses providing the perfect way to explore the Buda Castle district if you have tired feet or want to get out of the sun Buda walking tour - an afternoon visiting Buda's main sights Pest walking tour - a morning exploring the history of Pest
50% OFF	Universal airport hub luggage storage - perfect if you have to check out of a hotel but still have time in the day to explore more of the city before your flight departs
25% OFF	​Legenda city cruises - 60 minute boat ride down the Danube River with a drink of the house (day and evening departures) Budget Rent A Car - if you want to explore Budapest and it's surrounding areas then a hire car will allow you more freedom to discover places at your own pace compared to being restricted by public transport
20% OFF	Door-to-door airport transfer - if you don't want to reply on public transport to reach your hotel the this is the service for you Bike tour - 2-3.5 hour guided tour of the city on and E-bike City sightseeing hop-on hop-off bus - a great way to tour the city and be able to spend more time in certain locations and not be restricted to the timescale of a tour guide Dinner and cruise with Folklor show - get panoramic views of the city while floating past some of the main attractions while watching a live performance over a romantic dinner Bike carriage - located on Margaret Island you can hire pedal carriages and bicycles
10% OFF	Lunch and cruise - buffet of Hungarian dishes to feast on while you cruise under the city's 6 bridges Riverride - firstly explore Budapest from the roads then get ready for the bus to drive into the Danube River to see Budapest from a different perspective Royal Car sightseeing tour - 60-90 minute tours of the city in a private, unique and traditional ride Jewish heritage tours - 2.5-35 hour tour of the city's Jewish landmarks including Europe's largest synagogue

Relaxing Benefits

FREE

​St Lukás thermal bath - outdoor pool, indoor pool, heat treatment rooms and wellness services

20% OFF

Széchenyi Thermal Bath - Europe's largest bath complex Ruda Thermal Bath - rooftop pool and sauna make this 500 year old bath complex special Palatinus Thermal Bath - Budapest's first outdoor bath Római Bath - site of a spring that was once worshiped by Romans Aquaworld Resort - One of Europe's largest indoor water parks Lupa Beach - a natural park with lots of activities including a water adventure park, wakeboarding, extreme waterslide and a natural crystal clear water pool

Visiting Benefits

FREE	Hungarian National Museum Hungarian National Gallery Museum of Fine Arts Kunsthalle Castle Museum/Budapest History Museum Aquincum Museum Kiscell Museum Budapest Gallery Medieval Jewish Prayer House Budatower Ludwig Museum Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Centre House of Hungarian Photographers Vasarely Museum Memento park Margaret Island Open-Air Theatre Water Tower and Panoramic Lookout Tower Hungarian Museum of Trade and Tourism Ferenc Hopp-Museum of Asiatic Arts Liget Budapest Visitor Centre Underground Railway Museum Museum of Óbuda Goldberger Textile Industry Collection St. Stephen's Hill Szamous Chocolate Museum
50% OFF	Guided tour at the Pesti Viagadó Exhibition of the Postal Museum
25% OFF	Nuclear Bunker Museum
20% OFF	Museum of Ethnography St.Stephen's Basilica Parish Church of the Assumption in Downtown
15% OFF	Gödöllő Royal Palace
10% OFF	House of Hungarian Music Museum of Illusions Light Art Museum Synagogue in Kazinczy Utca Dohány Street Synagogue Hungarian Jewish Museum and Archives Holocaust Memorial Centre

Going Out Benefits

FREE	Pálinka Experience Interactive Museum Pál-Völgyi Cave Urban Betyár Restaurant and Visitor Centre Madame Tussauds
25% OFF	Zoo and Botanical Garden
20% OFF	House of Unicum Exhibitions at the Pesti Vigadó Timetrap Exit Game Ferris Wheel (champagne included)
15% OFF	The Shark Zoo
10% OFF	Szamos Chocolate Tour Organ Concert in St.Stephen's Basilica Rajkó Folk Ensemble and Orchestra Premier Outlet Budapest Budapest Pinball Museum Arcadia Savoya

Dining Benefits

​50% OFF	Champion Wine Vinarium and Gastro Boutique - 500 award winning local wines
20% OFF	Molnár's Kürtőskalács - traditional cake of Hungary Párisi Passage Restaurant - Hungarian cuisine Fisherman’s Bastion Restaurant - luxury restaurant with panoramic views of the city from the terrace Zsolnay Cafe - speciality handmade cakes Vén Hajó - the restaurant is a docked old ship serving worldwide flavours Molnár’s Kürtőskalács Café - serving traditional Lángos Madhouse Budapest Bistro and Craft Beer Bar - laid back bistro Mad Garden Buda - all day beer garden vibes Bonnie Restro Comics - brunch and coffee specialists Yellow Bistro and Bar - has a terrace facing Danube River
10% OFF	Cafe Astoria Restaurant - a restraint with over 100 years of history Lang Bistro and Grill Restaurant - picture perfect view of the parliament building Old Street Cafe - cosy vibe Hard Rock Cafe - Worldwide recognised chain

72-hour PLUS Card Additional Benefits

On top of all the benefits listed in the tables above the 72-hour PLUS card grants you 100% off the following services and attractions:

• door-to-door airport transfer

• Buda Castle Funicular entry

• Duna Bella Sightseeing Cruise by Legenda Cruises

• Church of Our lady At Buda Castle

• Molnár's Kürtőskalács (traditional Hungarian celebration cake)

Sound Good? Here are the Prices

72-hour plus card £83

72-hour card £55

24-hour card £29

48-hour card £42

96-hour card £67

120-hour card £80

You have two options for how to purchase a Budapest Card:

1. Online - pay online to receive a voucher which you then exchange for a physical card at one of the official Budapest Tourist locations (listed here)

2. In Budapest - choose the most ideal location for you from the list of collection points in the city (listed here)

Where Can I Collect a Budapest Card?

You can collect the Budapest Card at 7 different locations so you can start making the most out of your card's benefits as soon as possible during your time in Budapest.

Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport BKK Customer Service Centres

1. Terminal 2A

2. Terminal 2B

Train Stations

1. Déli pályaudvar M station - BKK Customer Service Centre

2. Keleti pályaudvar M station M4 underground - BKK Customer Service Centre

3. Kelenföld M station Őrmező exit - BKK Customer Service Centre

Budapest City Centre

1. Városháza Park Hütte - Budapestinfo Tourist Information Centre

2. Deák Ferenc tér M (location where the airport shuttle terminates in the city centre) - BKK Customer Service Centre

Budapest Card Holders Must Dos

1. Complete the back of the card filling in your name, starting date and identification number to make the card valid.

2. State before using a service/buying a ticket that you are a Budapest Card holder.

Is the Budapest Card Worthwhile For Me? - Things to Consider

Museums shut on a Monday

A big proportion of offers that the Budapest Card entitles you too is discounted administration tickets into Museums.

If you are in Budapest on a Monday, especially if you have only come for 2-3 days, then I would suggest thinking about what else you could be doing on a Monday with the Card's discounts to see if it is going to be a worthwhile investment for you.

How much time you have

This city pass is packed with attractive offers but realistically you will never be able to do all of the things listed in the tables above. Think about the practicality of your trip before jumping into buying the Budapest Card.

It is a fantastic arrangement in the city to help tourists see more for less but are you wanting to see all the tourist locations or are you going for a more relaxed city break? Depending on the type of trip you are after will alter the level of value the Card will give you.

How busy you want to be

You can do a lot in a day but like said above, what kind of trip are you after?

The first time I visited Budapest I fell in love with the thermal baths and stand there for 6 hours! Now for me, if I had bought the 72-hour Budapest Card, have I wasted hours there where I could have been making more savings seeing more? Maybe. But I was happy exploring all the facilities in the bath complex and wouldn't have wanted to change my plans or been any busier.

On the other hand, I have then done busy city breaks where I want to see as much as I can in the time I have so having access to a city pass like the Budapest Card would have been beneficial.

What public transport have you planned to use? What places have you planned to visit?

Unlimited use of free public transportation sounds good but think about how much public transport you would really need to be taking and the cost of this.

Budapest is a city covering 525.2 km² so the ability to use the transport links around the city will defiantly help you see more.

For some people like myself on my first trip I just used the airport shuttle, which IS NOT included in the Budapest Card, and then explored the city by foot for the rest of my time there.

However, depending on which Budapest Card you purchase you can get free or discounted airport transfers. Like all of these points, its just something to consider and really think about how much value the card is going to be on your trip to Budapest.

Likewise with the transport, how many places you want to visit and maybe costing the normal administration tickets up would be a good start to evaluate how much of a saving you could make if you purchase a Budapest Card.

More Freedom

Maybe you have no idea what you are going to fancy doing in Budapest and that normal when you are exploring a new place for the first time. An official city pass like the Budapest Card would give you more freedom to explore spontaneously.

Especially if you travel with a budget in mind, maybe purchasing the Budapest Card would be a great option for you as you know the more you see, the more you will save!

Thank you for reading, if you have any questions about Budapest don't hesitate to message me on Instagram @create.resfeber or send me an email to create.resfeber@outlook.com

I hope you love Budapest as much as I did,

Keep Creating Resfeber!