Big Bus Budapest: routes, stops and tickets

Route and stops

Big Bus tickets in Budapest

• 

  無料キャンセル

  ビッグバスブダペスト乗り降り自由バス＆ウォーキングツアー

  1 時間 50 分3.6(2千)口コミ2千件·Big Bus Budapest

  最安$45

Want to see every hop-on hop-off bus in Budapest, not just this one? Compare hop-on hop-off tours in Budapest.

What riders say

Across these tickets travellers rate Big Bus Budapest 3.6 out of 5 from 2,312 reviews.

Friendly staff, good long bus ride. Walking tour was great. Boat ride also good length and great views.

It was great, opportunity to see all the key sites and get around the beautiful city. We took the full tour which was smooth

We can only blame any fun that we could have had on the wind and cold. We froze on the top level. Other than that, it would have been great.

Best time to ride

Late spring and early autumn tend to be mild enough for an open top deck, while midsummer can be hot and winter cold and grey. Riding earlier in the day usually means calmer boarding at the Basilica stop.

Who it suits

Families

Hopping off at Margaret Island or Heroes' Square gives children green space and room to move between bus legs.

Couples

The Buda side stops near the funicular and Matthias Church suit a slower afternoon, and the Danube views from the bridges are a draw from the top deck.

Seniors

Hop-on hop-off lets riders pick a few stops instead of climbing between Pest and the Buda hills. Check the operator for current accessibility details before booking.

First-time visitors

The Red Route covers the Basilica, Chain Bridge, the castle district, Parliament and Heroes' Square, and the listing includes a guided walking tour of the centre.

Tips before you go

• Stop 1 is in front of St Stephen's Basilica, but you can hop on at any stop.
• Listings disagree on the stop count, from 18 to 20 on the Red Route, so rely on stop names.
• Resellers describe buses on the Red Route every 10 to 20 minutes.
• The listing includes a guided walking tour in English; check the live schedule for its days and meeting point.
• Some listings mention a shorter Green Route and a river cruise add-on; their details vary, so check what your ticket includes.

Sights along the way

St Stephen's Basilica, Chain Bridge, Buda Castle district, Matthias Church, Fisherman's Bastion, Hungarian Parliament, Margaret Island, Heroes' Square.

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.

Why take the bus in Budapest

The main reason is the river and the hill. Pest is largely flat and walkable, but Castle Hill is a climb, and the sights on either side of the Danube are far enough apart that a day on foot can turn into a day of crossing bridges and waiting for connections. A hop-on hop-off bus removes that friction and gives you a first look at the layout of the city, which is useful on a first visit when you are still deciding where to spend your time.

It also suits the sights that are spread out. Heroes' Square sits at the far end of Andrássy Avenue, well away from the Parliament and the Chain Bridge, and the bus links it with the centre in one ride. For anyone short on energy, or travelling with children or older relatives, riding between the big stops and walking only around each one is a realistic way to cover a lot.

Walking or the metro is better in a few cases. If your days are built around Pest, the Basilica, Andrássy Avenue and the Opera House are close together and pleasant on foot, and the bus adds little there. Two sights have no stop within walking distance on the Red Route: the Széchenyi Thermal Baths in City Park and the Central Market Hall. Reach those by metro, tram or on foot, and plan a bath or a market lunch as a separate block rather than a bus stop.

A walking tour is the other alternative. Many visitors combine the two: the bus for orientation and the far-flung stops, a walk for the old streets. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons for an open top deck, and the hotter and colder months favour shorter rides with more time indoors.

How the routes work together

A further leg runs out to Heroes' Square, so think of it as the central loop with an extension to the park end of the city.

That shape tells you how to use it. The Buda stops are the ones where the bus saves the most effort: the Funicular stop is about 150 metres from Buda Castle, and the Matthias Church stop is about 50 metres from Fisherman's Bastion. The Chain Bridge and Parliament stops sit right at their landmarks. St Stephen's Basilica is about 50 metres from the first stop, and the Opera House and Andrássy Avenue are a walk of roughly 400 and 450 metres from it.

Some listings mention a shorter Green Route and a river cruise add-on. Their details vary, so treat them as extras to look for on the ticket page rather than part of the plan.

Because the central sights sit in one cluster, with the Parliament, the castle district, the Chain Bridge, the Basilica and the Opera House all in the same area, the bus is mostly a way of linking the pieces and saving your legs on the climb.

A sample day on the bus

Start in the morning at the Basilica stop, when boarding tends to be calmer. Spend a few minutes inside or around St Stephen's Basilica, then take the bus across the Chain Bridge.

Get off on the Buda side at the Funicular stop and walk the short distance to Buda Castle. From there it is an easy stroll to the Matthias Church and Fisherman's Bastion, the white turrets that look back over the river. Allow a long pause here, since this is the part of the city that rewards slowing down, and the cafes around the church make a natural lunch break.

Back on the bus in the afternoon, ride on past Margaret Island. Families may want to hop off for green space and room to run around; otherwise keep going.

If energy remains, use the extension to Heroes' Square for the end of the day, then walk or take transport to the Széchenyi Thermal Baths nearby. A soak in the yellow baths is a good way to end a day that has involved a lot of stairs and cobbles. If you only have half a day, drop the island and the square and keep to the Basilica, the bridge, the castle district and the Parliament.

Booking advice

Decide how much of the city you want from the bus before choosing a ticket. If you plan to hop off at the castle district, Margaret Island and Heroes' Square, a longer one gives you room to do it without watching the clock.

Check a few things before you buy: whether a guided walking tour is included and in which language, whether a river cruise is bundled in, which commentary languages are offered, and how the route is described. Some bundles pair the bus with an attraction or a second activity, which suits a short trip but is wasted if you will not use the extra.

The ticket page describes each route and what comes with it, so read that rather than relying on general descriptions. Pick a day with decent weather for the open top deck, and keep the thermal baths and the market hall for a separate part of the trip.

Sights worth the stop

The Parliament is the one to see from the river as well as up close, and its stop sits at the building itself. Buda Castle and the Matthias Church are the heart of the Buda side, with Fisherman's Bastion only a short walk from the church stop and a strong choice for views over the Danube. The Chain Bridge is as much a viewpoint as a crossing, and St Stephen's Basilica is worth going inside before you board.

Heroes' Square is the monumental end of Andrássy Avenue and the gateway to City Park. The Opera House and Andrássy Avenue are within walking distance of the first stop, and make a good short walk before the ride. The Széchenyi Thermal Baths and the Central Market Hall have no stop within walking distance, so give them their own time on foot or by public transport.

More on Budapest sightseeing

• Big Bus Budapest FAQ: Routes, Stops and Tickets

Questions about Big Bus Budapest