Budapest - Royal Palace and Parliament Building
Hello,
This is a long shot but we are on a Tauck Danube river cruise that ends in Budapest at the end of September and have added on a few extra days. We would like
to visit the Royal Palace and the Parliament Building on our own as Tauck doesnt take us inside those sites. I am reading a lot of conflicting information on the web about visiting them, concerning tickets etc.
I think we can go into the Palace without tickets but if we want to see the museums housed there we need tickets. If so, can they be purchased at the entrance on the day we are there?
What about the Parliament Building? It looks like they do have an admission fee but I dont want to purchase the tickets ahead of time unless necessary as our plans could change.
Thanks for thoughts on this!
Comments
We took the Tauck land tour that included a visit inside the gorgeous parliament building. This was pre pandemic and even back then it was essential to get tickets way in advance, especially if you want a tour in English. I would advise chancing buying tickets well in advance, surely they are not expensive and it’s lovely inside.
It was quite some time ago, but I was able to purchase tickets on-site at the Parliament Building. My suggestion now would be to procure them in advance and through an official Hungarian Tourism site. It might even be a requirement now. I am sure someone with more recent experience will post comments.
I can't help you with the palace visit. Nonetheless, have a wonderful tour and please report back.
For Buda Castle/Royal Palace there are 2 museums to visit. Both require tickets though you might want to look into the discount card to see if it saves you money :
Budapest History Museum - https://budacastlebudapest.com/budapest-history-museum/
Hungarian National Gallery - https://budacastlebudapest.com/hungarian-national-gallery-buda-castle-district/
Budapest Discount Card - https://budacastlebudapest.com/budapest-card-discounts-in-buda-castle/
Hungarian Parliament bldg - also requires tickets
General Information website - https://www.parlament.hu/web/visitors
Official ticket website - https://jegymester.hu/event-host/900/parlament - if this site loads in Hungarian click on the tiny "hu" at the top of the page and change it to "en" for English
Keep in mind that the two sights are about a mile apart on opposite sides of the river. Walking by crossing the Chain Bridge takes about half an hour. Also the castle side is fairly hilly walking.
Thanks for your quck responses and suggestions.. It sounds like I should get the tickets before we leave. We are spending 4 days in Budapest. This is my husband and my 2nd visit but our travel companions have not been. We didnt see much when we were there before and we need to make up for it. Our plan is to go to Szentendre one day, the Jewish Qurter and Great Synagogue another day, Buda side on day 3 and Pest on day 4. I have already acquired tickers for Szentendre and the Great Snyagogue.
I always appreciate all that you three write on the Tauck message boards. Thank you!
Wed did Szentendre as part of an all day small group tour of the Danube Bend which we booked thru Viator. Overall the day was good but after an excellent lunch there it started pouring rain and we just spent a couple of hours trying to stay dry before it was time to take our boat back to Budapest. The Synagogue is well worth seeing. We only had time for the basic tour and not for the museum behind it. It has a sad history but it's a unique building.
Hi Birder49!
We’re doing the Blue Danube as well but in mid-October. We are extending our time in Budapest by 4 days! And we added 3 days at the beginning in Prague. Everything is Prague has been booked. I’m almost ready to book Budapest. Send me a PM and I can share my lists!
Birder49,
Your plans sound great. I think you will be glad to spend a full day visiting the Synagogue. It is atypical for a synagogue primarily due to its immense size; I believe it can hold several thousand worshipers. For anyone who has traveled to the Iberian Peninsula, the first thing they notice is how the exterior resembles Moorish architecture--even its color schemes. Stunningly beautiful.
There is a small cemetery on the grounds--another very atypical feature for a Jewish worship site. Please don't miss the Holocaust Memorial with the Tree of Life sculpture with thousands upon thousands of names engraved on its leaves in remembrance of those Hungarians who perished at the hands of the Nazis. Very poignant.
Again, have a wonderful trip!