See Budapest’s castle from a hop-on, hop-off bus tour.
One of the best ways to understand the layout of Budapest’s twin cities is to take a hop-on, hop-off bus tour of the city on open-top buses riding around the city, stopping off at all the main sights and viewpoints.
The route taken by the hop-on, hop-off bus tour of Budapest includes the Castle, the Pest district and bridges across the Danube; there are 20 stops along the way on a two-hour loop that runs daily between Heroes’ Square (Hosök tere) and Castle Hill, with stops also available at Gellért Spa for a traditional Hungarian steam baths experience, and the extravagantly Baroque Hungarian State Opera House. A multi-lingual commentary accompanies the bus journey and tickets are valid for 48 hours, giving visitors plenty of time to see all the sights en route. Buses run between 9.30am and 6.30pm, with departures every 30 minutes between April and October, every hour from November through to March. All stops are clearly labeled and staff members are available at each stop to answer any queries and point visitors in the right direction.
Also included in the ticket price are other Budapest tours that fit in with the schedule of the hop-on, hop-off bus; morning walking tours last 1.5 hours, beginning at Deák Ferenc Square and culminating at the vast Parliament Building along the Danube river front. Come the afternoon, a walking tour takes in the Buda castle district, encompassing sights such as the Mattias Church and the museums and galleries of the castle. Frequent boat trips down the Danube leave from Dohany Street Synagogue and end at Báthory Street, while a further bus-tour option in Budapest includes a twilight trip (start times vary from season to season) around the illuminated city, including Buda Royal Palace, Dohany Street Synagogue and Fisherman’s Bastion. Just ask the Big Bus staff for more details of start times and costs.
Hop-on, Hop-off Bus Tour of Budapest from Budapest Things to Do