Budapest Danube cruise: day boat, night cruise or dinner
There are three kinds of boat trips on the river. The city's day boat takes about one hour and lets you get on and off at several piers. Evening cruises are a separate product category. Dinner and drinks cruises are separate offers with their own menu, length and price. Pick the type first, then the date.
For a Budapest night cruise, remember that the boats do not follow one fixed timetable all year. Evening departures run on certain dates in the season, and the water level can change the stops. Check the current timetable before you go.
Our picks: Danube cruises
The evening cruise with commentary is the usual choice, and the plain one-hour trip is for those who just want the water. Take the dinner cruise only if you want a long, sit-down evening.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide and Viator. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Candlelit dinner cruise with live music
- Four-course dinner
- Live music
- Welcome drink
A 2.5-hour evening on the river with a sit-down dinner, a long, formal evening compared with the other cruises.
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One-hour sightseeing cruise on the Danube
- One-hour boat trip
- Welcome drink
A plain river trip with one drink on boarding, without a live guide or audio guide. Pick it if you just want to be on the water.
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Evening cruise on the Danube with welcome drink
- Welcome drink
- Audio guide incl. German
- Panorama deck
An evening boat trip of about an hour with an audio guide on board. The dock depends on the option you pick, so check it before you book.
Check availability →Danube cruises in Budapest
Day boats, evening cruises and dinner departures on the Danube, with live prices and availability.
Boat trips compared
Adult prices in forint, 2026. Each row is one example, not a market range.
| Trip | Length | Adult price | Children |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funicular return plus day boat | About 1 hour on the boat | HUF 7,000 | HUF 3,000 (ages 3 to 14) |
| Funicular single ride plus day boat | About 1 hour on the boat | HUF 6,000 | HUF 2,500 (ages 3 to 14) |
| Daytime hop-on boat, summer 2026 example | Several stops | HUF 5,000 | HUF 2,500 (ages 2 to 14), under 2 free |
| Evening or night cruise | Depends on the offer | Check the offer | Check the offer |
| Dinner cruise | Depends on the offer | Check the offer | Check the offer |
Students pay HUF 3,500 on the hop-on example. For most first-time visitors, the day boat or the funicular and boat combination is the simplest start. Choose an evening departure if you prefer the city after dark, and read the offer for what is included.
The city's day cruise
What the one-hour boat does.
Route
The round trip starts at Kossuth Lajos tér, continues to Margaret Island, Batthyány tér and Várkert Bazár, reaches Petőfi tér and returns. The boat is a daytime sightseeing ride. It is not a night, dinner or party trip.
Low water
At low water the boat skips the piers at Margaret Island and Centennial Memorial and at Petőfi tér. Check the stops again before you travel, because they change with the river.
The funicular and boat ticket
The combined ticket is HUF 7,000 for adults with a return funicular ride and HUF 3,000 for children from 3 to 14. With a single funicular ride it is HUF 6,000 and HUF 2,500. It is valid for 30 days, and it does not include dinner. The boat part runs in an afternoon window, so confirm the hours when you buy.
Funicular guide →Not a public transport boat
The old river line that was part of the public transport network is suspended. An ordinary bus ticket, or the former weekday pass rule, does not cover today's sightseeing boats.
Hop-on example
One daytime hop-on offer for summer 2026 is HUF 5,000 for adults, HUF 3,500 for students and HUF 2,500 for children aged 2 to 14 and for seniors, and children under 2 travel free. A summer timetable does not apply automatically outside the summer, so check the season.
Budapest night cruise and dinner cruise
Evening trips are their own category.
A Budapest night cruise is an evening or after-dark departure from a private operator. In the 2026 season, evening cruises are one product type, and mulled wine departures run on Saturdays into late December. Departure times differ, so read the times in the offer. The day boat of the city is not a night boat.
A Budapest dinner cruise adds a meal to the trip. Menus, prices and the minimum age for children differ by offer, so read it before you pay. Do not assume that a funicular and boat ticket includes a meal, because it does not. Lighting times for the monuments are not fixed, so no cruise can promise a particular sight at a given minute.
What to check before you book
The same river, different rules.
Departure pier and date
Check the pier, the date and the season. A summer timetable, a Saturday mulled wine trip and a daytime boat all run on different schedules.
What the price covers
The funicular and boat ticket is a transport and sightseeing ticket. Drinks, meals and the age limit for children are part of the individual offer.
Low water and stops
Piers can be skipped when the river is low. If one stop matters to you, ask before you buy.
Plan the rest of the day
Pair the boat with the funicular up Castle Hill, a Parliament tour or the Széchenyi bath.
Budapest Danube cruise: frequently asked questions
How long is a Danube cruise in Budapest?
The city's day cruise takes about one hour, with stops where you can get on and off. Evening and dinner cruises differ by offer.
Can I take a Budapest night cruise every night?
No fixed year-round timetable applies. Evening departures run on set dates, so check the dates in the offer you want.
Does a funicular and boat ticket include dinner?
No. It is a transport and sightseeing ticket, and it is valid for 30 days.
Why is a pier skipped?
Low water can mean that the boat skips piers such as Margaret Island, Centennial Memorial or Petőfi tér. Read the current notice before you go.
Does a normal bus ticket cover the boats?
No. The old river line within the public transport network is suspended, and an ordinary bus ticket does not cover today's sightseeing boats.