Cheap Budapest River Cruises: Best Options Under $20
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Going on a river cruise is one of the best things to do in Budapest! Even as a local, I love going on a boat tour. Going on a cruise doesn’t have to cost that much, there are many cheap Budapest river cruises that are equally worth it!
On the cruise, you can see the famous landmarks from the river, like the Parliament, Buda Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion. What I like about the cruises is that you get to see the city from a completely different perspective than if you were just walking around.
The more expensive cruises include either unlimited drinks, dinner, live music or dance shows, but there are also cruises without any of these extras and they are much cheaper! Some of the cheap cruises also include an audio guide or a welcome drink, so they are also enjoyable.
Cheap Danube River Cruises in Budapest: Comparison
City Highlights Sightseeing Cruise
- Departures: Evening (departures between 6-10 pm)
- Price: USD 18
- Rating: 4.6/5 based on 46,575 reviews
- Duration: 1 hour
- What’s included: Welcome drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic)
- Audio Guide: not included
The City Highlights Sightseeing Cruise is great because it goes in the evening (so you get to see the city in the evening lights), it includes a welcome drink, plus, it’s affordable, only $18. There is a also bar on board if you want to buy extra drinks.
The cruise is one hour, which is alright. Some of the cheaper cruises are only 50 minutes, which can feel short. Even one hour passes by quickly, but it’s worth it for one hour with a welcome drink.
You pass by famous buildings along the way, you get to see the Parliament, Buda Castle, Gellért Baths, and bridges.
The seats are unassigned, so make sure to get to the boat at least 30 minutes before departure, so you are at the front of the queue. This way, you can choose your preferred seat. If you are at the back of the queue, there’ll be no good seats left by the time you get on the board.
➡️ Book the City Highlights Sightseeing Cruise: one of the best budget-friendly options for a cruise in Budapest. It goes in the evenings so you can see the city in the evening lights, plus, it also includes a welcome drink!
Nighttime or Daytime Sightseeing Cruise
- Departures: Day and evening (departures between 11 am -10 pm)
- Price: USD 14
- Rating: 4.3/5 based on 24,293 reviews
- Duration: 1 hour
- What’s included: no food/drinks included (option to buy on board)
- Audio Guide: Included (bring your own headphones)
This sightseeing cruise has both daytime and evening options. Daytime is best if your schedule is busy and you cannot take a cruise in the evening. Otherwise, I recommend taking the evening cruise, so you can see the city in the evening lights. The cruise passes by all the iconic places: the Parliament, Buda Castle, Gellért Hill, Chain Bridge, and Liberty Bridge.
There is an audio guide available on the cruise but you have to play it on your phone and bring your own headphones. Food and drinks are not included in the price, but you can purchase them on board.
The seats are not assigned, so I recommend arriving early, around one hour before. The best seats by the window and upper deck fill up quickly. If you arrive late, you’ll be at the back of the queue and you won’t get a good seat.
➡️ Book the Nighttime or Daytime Sightseeing Cruise: one of the most budget-friendly cruises in Budapest. It doesn’t include and food or drinks, but it does have an audio guide available. An epic one hour cruise along the river for $14!
Historical Cruise with Welcome Drink
- Departures: Evening or Day time (departures between 1 pm – 10 pm)
- Price: USD 13
- Rating: 4.7/5 based on 8,652 reviews
- Duration: 1 hour
- What’s included: Welcome drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic)
- Audio Guide: Included
This is a unique cruise because the boat trip is on a historic paddle steamer. It’s like taking a step back in time, and enjoying the views of Budapest on a boat that a recreation of a 19th century paddle steamer.
An audio guide available in 30 languages (French, Chinese, German, English and more), but you have to bring your own phone and headphones to play the guide. When you get on board, you have to scan a QR code, and then you can listen to the guide.
This cruise is great because there is also a welcome drink (wine or juice) is included in the ticket price. There is a bar on board if you want to purchase some snacks or extra drinks. Both cash and card payments are accepted.
Has departures both during the day and evening. I recommend taking the boat in the evening for the best views. The seats are first-come, first-served, so arrive early to get the best seats. I recommend arriving around 45-30 minutes before departure.
Overall, I like this cruise a lot because despite the low price, you get an audio guide, welcome drink, and the cruise itself is on a unique boat.
➡️ Book the Budapest Historical Cruise: step back in time, and see Budapest from a historic paddle steamer!
Boat Cruise with Seating on Rooftop + BYOB
- Departure: Evening (departures between 6 pm – 10 pm)
- Price: USD 12
- Rating: 4.5/5 based on 807 reviews
- Duration: 50 minutes
- Audio Guide: Included (bring your own earphones)
The BYOB cruise is a short 50 minutes cruise at the sunset or evening, with a view of the most famous landmarks in Budapest, such as the Buda Castle, Fisherman’s Bastion, Parliament, Chain Bridge and Liberty Bridge.
The cruise has guaranteed seating on the rooftop (some cruises don’t have enough seats on the rooftop for everyone), so this is a great addition. Because the rooftop has the best seats, I think it’s best to take this cruise in the summer when the weather is good. In case it rains, there is an indoor seating area, but the views are better from the rooftop.
The cruise is very affordable, only $12, and it’s a bring your own food and drinks! On other cruises, you are not allowed to bring your own food and drinks, but here the concept is different. The price is kept low because it doesn’t include any extras like drinks or food, but you can bring your own.
An audio guide is available that you can play on your phone. Bring your own headphones to play the guide. There is also an option to buy a pair of headphones on board in case you forget to bring yours.
➡️ Book the BYOB cruise, the most affordable cruise in Budapest. Bring your own food and drinks!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it worth doing a river cruise in Budapest?
The river cruises in Budapest are really cool! They are not a tourist trap, and you should definitely go on a boat tour while in the city. While it’s mostly foreigners who go on the cruises, locals like to go too on special occasions.
Tips for Booking
- Book it in advance to guarantee your preferred cruise
- Arrive at least 30 minutes before boarding. Most cruises have unassigned seats, and are first-come first-served. You’ll get the best seats if you are at the front of the queue
- Bring your own headphones. Some cruises include an audio guide, but you need to have your pwn headphones.
My Advice for Booking a Budapest River Cruise
The river cruises are great but there are a few things I recommend keeping in mind. The cruises are very popular, especially in peak seasons (summer, Christmas), so to guarantee your spot, it’s good to book the cruise in advance. There are many different types of cruises, so in case you decide to go on a cruise spontaneously, you’ll still be able to book a cruise in short notice, just maybe not your preferred cruise.
In the evenings, the famous buildings are lit up, and that’s the best time to go on a cruise. It’s best to book the cruise after sunset, so you’ll see the city in the evening lights.
The queues can be pretty long for the cruises before departing. One time, we went on a cruise with my family and we got there just a bit before the departure time. By that time, the queue was already very long, the seats were unassigned, and by the time it was our turn to get on the boat, all the best seats were already taken.
➡️ Book the City Highlights Sightseeing Cruise in Budapest: it’s affordable (USD 18), includes a welcome drink, and has departures in the evening, so you can see the famous buildings lit up.
