đ Editor's #1 Choice
My recommendation: Easily the most complete sightseeing cruise experience in Budapest. Comes with a welcome drink and an audio guide. You can't go wrong with Legenda.
Going on a river cruise in Budapest is a must. But with so many options available, it can be tough to choose the best one. That's where I come in!
I've tried out eight of the top boat tours in the city and spent hours researching and comparing them.
From my trips, I've selected the 5 best river cruises that offer a fantastic experience.
Be sure also to check out my top 10 tips for maximizing your enjoyment during the cruise.
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Cheapest: Mahart's Sightseeing Cruise
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Best Value: Mahart's Sightseeing Cruise
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Most Complete: Mahart's Sightseeing Cruise
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Best Dinner Cruise: Mahart's Sightseeing Cruise
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Best Party Boat: Mahart's Sightseeing Cruise
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Best Vibes: Mahart's Sightseeing Cruise
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It's simple, really. The best way to marvel at the cityâs beautiful sights is via a river cruise.
âOn most river cruises, youâll see the following major sights and attractions:
On two cruises (Legenda and Hungaria Koncert), youâll also see these less famous sights:
In addition to sightseeing cruises, Budapest offers a variety of other fun cruise options to choose from, including:
Bonus: For something a little different, try the Amphibious Bus Tour, which combines land and water sightseeing.
âď¸ The best all-around sightseeing experience, with everything you need for a complete experience.
âď¸ Includes a welcome drink â choose from champagne, wine, beer, a soft drink, or mineral water.
âď¸ The ship is modern, spacious, and well-maintained, with great views from both decks.
âď¸ The audio guide is available in 30 languages and has excellent sound quality, with headphones provided.
âď¸ The route is longer, going all the way down to the National Theatre.
â Pricier than other sightseeing cruises (19âŹ) but offers more value.
â Lemonade is not included â contrary to the description (except in the summer).
A standard evening sightseeing cruise with one welcome drink and an audio guide via headphones. You can also go during the day.
Legenda is the oldest and most reputable cruise company in Budapest. Theyâve been operating since (at least) 1990 and are still going strong.
Cruise duration:
The ship:
The top deck:
The lower deck:
Audio guide:
đĄ Tip: Immediately put on the headphones once you sit down - so you don't miss parts of the narration as I did.
âď¸ The best value for money cruise in Budapest (40-50% cheaper than Legenda).
âď¸ Offers the second-best all-around sightseeing experience in the city
âď¸ Includes a welcome drink (options include prosecco, a seasonal cocktail, mulled wine, or a soft drink).
âď¸ The open-air top deck is spacious, unobstructed, and offers a 360° view.
â The meeting point is a bit out of the way, making it slightly inconvenient to reach.
A standard sightseeing cruise with a welcome drink.
Portum Lines is a solid company operating since (at least) 2014. Their offerings are pretty slim compared to others but still superb in quality.
Cruise duration:
The ship:
The top deck:
The lower deck:
Other observations:
đĄ Tip: You must arrive early to snatch the best seats.
âď¸ Provides the best vibes, giving you the feeling of being on the Titanic.
âď¸ Features the best live folklore music show with authentic and award-winning performers.
âď¸ Includes a welcome drink â there are also several ticket options with different drinks packages and there's a bar with reasonable prices.
âď¸ The ship takes a longer route â going all the way down to the National Theatre.
âď¸ Lasts 90-120 minutes, 50-75% longer than the average cruise in this price range.
â I would not recommended it for sightseeing â the views from the ship are mediocre as you don't have 360-degree views.
A unique evening cruise focused on a live folklore music trio performance rather than sightseeing. Drinks included, but food or an audio guide are not.
Hungaria Koncert offers a variety of cruises and they organize other touristic activities too. Nevertheless, they've been rolling since (at least) 1995.
Cruise duration:
The ship:
The top deck:
The lower deck:
Folklore and operetta performance:
Confusion on where to hang out:
đĄ Tip: I recommend staying downstairs and "sneaking up" the main stairs to catch a glimpse of the views, then going back down.
âď¸ Best-value booze cruise â Budapest's most affordable unlimited drinks cruise.
âď¸ Unlimited drinks â you can choose either prosecco or lemonade.
âď¸ 90 minutes long â 50% longer than the average cruise in this price range.
â The audio guide is inaudible â the passengers crowd out the sound.
â The assorted food platter is skippable â it's not worth the extra $10.
â The meeting point is a bit out of the way â getting there will be a bit of a hassle.
It's a booze cruise with unlimited drinks. You can buy an optional food platter for $10, but I recommend skipping it.
Rubin Group is another solid company, operating since (at least) 2015. They specialize in gastro-themed events rather than standard sightseeing cruises.
Cruise duration:
The ship:
The top deck:
âThe lower deck:
âAudio guide:
âDrinks refills:
Assorted food platter:
âď¸ The cheapest cruise in Budapest
âď¸ Includes unlimited cruises for the same day with one ticket
â It's a low-quality sightseeing tour with minimal value
â No public reviews, since it's not on Getyourguide or Viator
âUpdate: This ride is unavailable from 2022 October until Spring 2023.
This sightseeing cruise is dirt cheap, but ranks lower in terms of quality compared to other options. If your budget is tight, this may be the right choice for you.
Note that this cruise does not have public reviews, as it is a quasi public service operated by a government-owned company (Mahart). Tickets must be purchased on the spot and cannot be reserved in advance.
Cruise duration:
The ship:
Lower deck:
Upper deck:
5 stops:
No pre-booking:
Choose the ships with the best sightseeing facilities.
In other words, choose ships with large and spacious open-air decks with unobstructed 360° panorama for the perfect views and Instagram-worthy photos. Legenda and Portum both meet this requirement.
If you absolutely want an audio guide, I found Legenda's to be the best executed, but I still experienced some technical issues (see Legenda cruise summary).
â
Most cruises don't offer audio guides. If they do, it's always pre-recorded and broadcast via headphones or a loudspeaker. Every loudspeaker audio guide was subpar and nearly inaudible.Â
â
I have yet to see any cruise company offer live tour guide commentary, except the Floating Bus Tour.
â
Common issues with audio guides include un-synced commentary, irrelevant sights/details mentioned, and infrequent or inaudible audio.
About 70% of river cruises in Budapest are held in the evening. This is because the sights are prettiest at night when they're lit up.
If you're after a sunset cruise, Google "Budapest Sunset Time [Date, e.g., Oct 11th]" to time your cruise.
The main attractions are lit about 30 minutes after sunset. I'd recommend the night cruises over trying to catch the sunset.
Daytime cruises are great in the summer when it's hot. It's a great way to escape the summer heat and have a little breather.
The meeting point locations differ wildly. Some are in the dead center of the city, while others are further away, near Margaret Island.
ââUse Google Maps when you're traveling to the meeting point. I messed up the location and almost missed my ride twice! It's incredibly easy to mix up the place.
âArrive 30 minutes before departure and wait first in line at the entrance to get the best seats.
Boarding usually starts 15 minutes before departure. Expect a chaotic and disorganized line. Seats are generally on a first-come, first-served basis.â
âYou'll be waiting in line on the pier/pontoon without any protection from the elements (e.g., rain, snow, wind, sun). The only exception is on Legenda's cruises - they have a floating facility where you can wait.
Have an umbrella at hand at all times.
Welcome drinks usually come in 80ml glasses. You can usually between sparkling wine, prosecco spritzer, mineral water, or a soft drink.
â
Food is seldom included on cheap cruises, as it's not the point - that's what dinner, brunch, or lunch cruises are for. However, snacks are usually available at the bar if you have low blood sugar.
Summer is the high season - everything will be swarming with tourists.
Apart from coming off-season, one thing you can do to avoid the crowds is opting for slightly more expensive cruises.
Prepare in advance.
Winter:Â The windows in the heated cabin are prone to fog up, thus blocking the views, depending on how well the windows are insulated.
You can always go out to get a few photo shots, then rush back to the safety of the heated cabin.
Open-air sightseeing is less pleasant during the winter due to cold weather and winds. Wear warm clothing, dress in layers and protect your face.
Summer: Have sunscreen, water, an umbrella, and sunglasses at hand for daytime cruises in the warmer months.
In rainy weather, the open-air deck is closed. In stormy weather, cruises are canceled. They'll either refund you or offer an alternative cruise if this happens.
Be early.
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It's impossible to reserve the exact seat you want, except on certain high-end cruises (e.g. dinner cruises), usually on the company's website.
Rides don't get overbooked - they can't sell more tickets than available seats. However, most people flock to the upper, open-air decks to see the views and take photos. This causes the feeling of overcrowding.
I recommend going on at least two river cruises to make the most of Budapest. One for dedicated sightseeing, another for something thematic, like dinner cruises.
âSightseeing cruises (0-20$)Â are perfect for just that - you can bask in awe of the gorgeous sights for 60-90 minutes straight without distraction.
âDinner cruises ($40-$75) are centered around more than just the food! Yes, they're about having good food but also about enjoying Hungarian folklore entertainment and the unique "dinner cruise" vibe that's hard to describe.
You can get better food in any mid-to-high-end restaurant if mind-blowing food is your primary goal.
âBooze, party, or food cruises ($20-$40)Â are self-explanatory - sightseeing won't be the focus here either.
Most standard cruises cover the distance between Margaret Bridge and just after Liberty Bridge. It covers the major sights of Budapest
Legenda's daytime and dinner cruise circles Margaret Island, while the Mahart-BKK public service cruise touches the southern half. The island is not a remarkable sight from the river - it's just trees. There aren't any sights on the Buda or Pest side either.â
âYou can optionally disembark on Margaret Island on both Legenda's daytime cruise and the BKK-Mahart cruise, stroll around the island, then rejoin the next cruise later.â
âSome rides go down the river as far as the National Theatre/Palace of Arts. The Palace of arts is uniquely lit with changing light patterns, but it's not a must-see per se - more like nice-to-see.
Yes. You can purchase tickets in person, but I recommend reserving your ticket in advance to ensure your place on the ship.
Most river cruises are between 1-1.5 hours long, while dinner cruises are 1.5-3 hours.â
â60-minute cruises are fine, but it may end up being -+10 minutes in either direction.
Seventy minutes feels just right. Dinner cruises of about 1.5-2 hours are ideal. Anything above 2 hours is overkill.