Independent guide
City Sightseeing Budapest: routes, stops and tickets
Independent guide, not operated by or affiliated with City Sightseeing.
We list one City Sightseeing ticket option in Budapest, from 1 hr, 50 min. City Sightseeing Budapest runs the red-line hop-on hop-off buses and is sold on Viator through City Sightseeing Ltd. This guide covers the route, its 21 distinct stops, when to ride and who it suits, then lines up the tickets.
- Routes1
- Stops21
- Full loop1H 30M
- Ticket1
Route and stops
- Red Line
Starts at St. Stephen's Basilica in Pest and runs out along Andrassy Avenue to Heroes' Square, then returns through the city centre and crosses the Danube to the Buda side. It then passes the Citadel, Gellert Bath and the Castle Garden before returning to Pest at Parliament.
Red Line
Show all 21 stops
City Sightseeing tickets in Budapest
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What riders say
Across these tickets travellers rate City Sightseeing Budapest 2.6 out of 5 from 65 reviews.
On Saturday we were stuffed into a crowded bus and could not see or hear anything.. On Sunday afternoon we were able to get a seat in the open top section and enjoyed the tour.
Excellent.Convenisnt. Economical. Commentary with head phones was superb Many stops
We purchased a two day ticket so today after we did a tour of St. Stephens Basilica we caught the bus out the front and did the round trip staying on the bus. We didn't get off at Heroes Square because we had visited here the previous day. Budapest is a beautiful city and there are lots of spectacular buildings to see.
Best time to ride
Spring and early autumn are the most comfortable for an open-top ride, with mild temperatures and long daylight. Summer afternoons can be hot on the upper deck, and winter rides are cold.
Who it suits
- Families
- Audio commentary in 16 languages and stops at Heroes' Square and the Castle Garden give easy hop-off points for children.
- Couples
- The Buda-side stretch past the Citadel, Gellert Bath and the Castle Garden is a scenic section for two.
- Seniors
- The funicular stop and Castle Garden stop reduce the uphill walk toward the Buda Castle area.
- First-time visitors
- The Red Line connects the Basilica, Andrassy Avenue, Heroes' Square and Parliament, which makes it an efficient first overview.
Tips before you go
- A shorter Yellow Line is also reported (about 10 stops, with extra stops such as Corvin Plaza), though no stop list could be confirmed.
- The Funicular / Sikló stop is the way up toward Buda Castle without a long walk.
- The Basilica stop is Stop 1 and the usual place to start the loop.
- Resellers state the boat trip may no longer be part of some tickets, so check what a ticket includes before buying.
Good to know
- Commentary languages listed by the operator: Hungarian, English, Spanish, Turkish, Chinese, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Arabic, Polish, Portuguese, Russian.
- Buses: about every 10 to 20 minutes.
Sights along the way
St. Stephen's Basilica, Andrassy Avenue, Hungarian State Opera House, Heroes' Square, Keleti Railway Station, Citadel, Gellert Bath, Buda Castle, Chain Bridge, Hungarian Parliament.
Top-ranked in Budapest: House of Parliament (Országház), Buda Castle (Budai Vár), Chain Bridge (Széchenyi Lanchid) , Matthias Church (Mátyás Templom), Budapest Danube River. All things to do in Budapest.
Other hop-on hop-off options in Budapest
Questions about City Sightseeing Budapest
How many stops does the Red Line have?
The operator's routes page headlines 20 stops but prints 21 names, starting at the Basilica and ending at Parliament.
How long does the Red Line take?
Resellers give about 90 minutes for the full loop, though one listing gives 110 minutes, so the exact time varies by source.
Which languages does the audio guide offer?
Two resellers list 16 languages, including Hungarian, English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese.
Is there another line besides the Red Line?
A reseller guide mentions a Yellow Line of about 10 stops taking roughly an hour, but its stops were not confirmed.
Does the bus go to Buda?
Yes. After Pest the Red Line crosses to the Buda side, serving the Citadel, Gellert Bath, the Castle Garden and the funicular.
How many City Sightseeing ticket options are there in Budapest?
We list 1 City Sightseeing ticket option in Budapest, lasting 1 hr, 50 min, rated 2.6 out of 5 across 65 traveller reviews.
Route and stop details checked 2026-10-15, from the operator's own pages where they could be read and from independent guides where they could not; where sources differ, the list may be incomplete. Routes and times change with the season, so confirm on the ticket page before you travel.