Evening Danube cruise
- Parliament and Buda Castle lit up
- Options from 1 hour to 1.5 hours
- Options with audio guide and a drink
4.4 from 403 Tiqets reviews
from €9Check availability
Sold by TiqetsBudapest Danube cruises
The illuminated Parliament seen from the Danube is one of Europe’s great sights. This guide compares every Budapest Danube cruise (evening, daytime, drinks, dinner with music), what it costs, the BKV public boat, and hour-by-hour weather with wind.
TodayTuesday, November 10Fair Heavy rain, 2.4 mm, wind 15 km/h During tour hours (10:00-22:00): 6–7° TomorrowWednesday, November 11Good Cloudy, 0.2 mm, wind 11 km/h During tour hours (10:00-22:00): 3–5°
- Strongest wind
- 15 km/h
- Next rain
- 12:00
- High today
- 7°
- Sunset
- 4:14 PM
Pick a day and book On Tiqets from €9
Budget option → · Budapest, Hungary
Now in BudapestLIVE
6°
Heavy rain
- Wind
- 11 km/h
- Next 3 hours
- 2.4 mm
Weather at 12:00 PM. Boat trips start from 10:00.
Budapest boat tours: which one to choose
Tours compared
| Tour | From | Duration | What you see | Languages | Cancellation | Departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our pickPanoramic boat, eveningTiqets | €9 | 1 – 2 h | Parliament, Buda Castle, illuminated bridges | Audio guide on some options (languages not listed) | Free on some options | Depends on the option, central |
| Panoramic boatTiqets | €12 | 1 h – 1 h 10 | Parliament, Castle, bridges, Margaret Island | Audio guide on some options (languages not listed) | Free on some options | Depends on the option, central |
| Sightseeing boatTiqets | €21 | 1 h | Central Budapest from the river | Downloadable content | Free until 23:59 the day before | Jane Haining rakpart, dock 11 (Pest side) |
| Sightseeing boatTiqets | €32 | 1 – 2 h | Budapest by night | Depends on the option | Free on some options | Depends on the option |
| Restaurant boatTiqets | €45 | 2 h | Budapest illuminated | Depends on the option | Free on some options | Depends on the option |
| Restaurant boatTiqets | €77 | 2 – 2 h 30 | Budapest illuminated | Depends on the option | Free on some options | Depends on the option |
Our pick: the evening cruise from €9. Budapest is at its best after sunset, when the Parliament, Buda Castle and the Chain Bridge light up. It’s very cheap, well rated, and some options include an audio guide and a drink; several options can be cancelled free.
- Prefer daylight? The daytime cruise starts at €12 and shows the bridges and Margaret Island well.
- Winter evening? The one-hour cruise with unlimited mulled wine (from €21) warms things up.
- Party on board: cocktails and folk show, or unlimited prosecco (from €32).
- A special dinner: four courses with a show from €45, or dinner with live music from €77.
Audio guide languages aren’t listed on Tiqets: check them in the option before paying. Local prices are in forints; on Tiqets you pay in euros.
Daytime Danube cruise
- About an hour on the Danube with a sun deck
- The city’s most famous bridges
- Options with audio guide and drinks
4.1 from 1,147 Tiqets reviews
from €12Check availability
Sold by Tiqets1-hour cruise with mulled wine
- One hour on the Danube
- Unlimited mulled wine
- Downloadable content
- Cancel until the evening before
- Drink included
4.5 from 22 Tiqets reviews
from €21Check availability
Sold by TiqetsDrinks cruise
- Option with cocktails and a folk show
- Option with unlimited prosecco
- Views of the illuminated city
- Drink included
4.5 from 72 Tiqets reviews
from €32Check availability
Sold by TiqetsEvening cruise with dinner and show
- Welcome aperitif
- Four-course dinner
- Live entertainment
4.4 from 167 Tiqets reviews
from €45Check availability
Sold by TiqetsDinner cruise with live music
- Dinner on board with one drink
- Live music
- Option with wine tasting
4.4 from 30 Tiqets reviews
from €77Check availability
Sold by TiqetsIndicative prices, checked on October 31, 2026: they may change: the final price is the one shown by the seller.
The budget option in Budapest
The BKV boat – run by Budapest’s transport company – does a one-hour loop on the Danube with guide-style commentary, at a public price.
- Loop route: Kossuth Lajos tér (Parliament) – Margaret Island – Batthyány tér – Várkert Bazár – Petőfi tér, hop-on hop-off.
- Loop fare: HUF 3,000 for adults (about €8), HUF 1,700 reduced; the youngest children ride free.
- Note: a winter timetable applies from 1 November, and at low water some stops are skipped. Check bkv.hu before you go.
The old public-transport boat lines (BKK) through the centre no longer run: today the only BKK ferry is the D14, outside the centre. That’s why the €9 evening cruise on Tiqets costs about the same as the public boat.
Where to board in Budapest
- Pest side, along the Danube: most sightseeing boats leave from the quays between the Chain Bridge and Elisabeth Bridge, near Vigadó tér, and from Jane Haining quay.
- Kossuth Lajos tér: in front of Parliament, for the BKV boat.
- The exact pier is on your ticket and depends on the option.
Budapest boat tour times and best time to go
The best months are May to September: highs between 22 and 28 °C and warm evenings on the river.
- Evenings: the best time in any season, with the Parliament lit up.
- Winter: cold (highs of 3 °C in January); choose a boat with a heated saloon – and maybe the mulled wine.
- Times: vary by company and season; the day’s times are on the tour page.
Month by month
| Month | Average high | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3° | 6.1 |
| Feb | 6° | 5.6 |
| Mar | 11° | 5.9 |
| Apr | 18° | 5.7 |
| MayBest | 23° | 8.4 |
| JunBest | 26° | 6.6 |
| Jul | 28° | 7.6 |
| Aug | 28° | 5.3 |
| SepBest | 23° | 5.5 |
| Oct | 16° | 6.2 |
| Nov | 9° | 7 |
| Dec | 4° | 7.1 |
1991–2020 averages for Budapest-Pestszentlőrinc: mean daily high and days with at least 1 mm of rain. Source: NOAA, table published on Wikipedia (“Budapest”).
Fair
Budapest weather and wind today
Fair: heavy rain, 6 to 7 °C, 2.4 mm, wind up to 15 km/h.
| Time | Sky | Temperature | Rain | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 | Heavy rain | 6° | 1.5 mm | 11 km/h |
| 13:00 | Rain | 6° | 0.7 mm | 9 km/h |
| 14:00 | Light rain | 6° | 0.2 mm | 8 km/h |
| 15:00 | Fog | 6° | – | 5 km/h |
| 16:00 | Fog | 6° | – | 3 km/h |
| 17:00 | Fog | 6° | – | 4 km/h |
| 18:00 | Cloudy | 6° | – | 6 km/h |
| 19:00 | Cloudy | 6° | – | 10 km/h |
| 20:00 | Cloudy | 7° | – | 13 km/h |
| 21:00 | Cloudy | 7° | – | 15 km/h |
Good
Budapest weather and wind tomorrow
Good: cloudy, 3 to 5 °C, 0.2 mm, wind up to 11 km/h.
| Time | Sky | Temperature | Rain | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00 | Fog | 3° | – | 9 km/h |
| 11:00 | Cloudy | 3° | – | 11 km/h |
| 12:00 | Cloudy | 4° | – | 11 km/h |
| 13:00 | Cloudy | 4° | – | 11 km/h |
| 14:00 | Cloudy | 4° | – | 11 km/h |
| 15:00 | Cloudy | 4° | – | 10 km/h |
| 16:00 | Light rain | 4° | 0.1 mm | 9 km/h |
| 17:00 | Light rain | 5° | 0.1 mm | 10 km/h |
| 18:00 | Cloudy | 5° | – | 10 km/h |
| 19:00 | Cloudy | 5° | – | 10 km/h |
| 20:00 | Cloudy | 5° | – | 9 km/h |
| 21:00 | Cloudy | 5° | – | 9 km/h |
Budapest weather this weekend and in the coming days
- Tue, Nov 10 Fair Heavy rain · 6–7° · 2.4 mm · 15 km/h Tours
- Wed, Nov 11 Good Cloudy · 3–5° · 0.2 mm · 11 km/h Tours
- Thu, Nov 12 Fair Heavy rain · 7–12° · 4.3 mm · 13 km/h Tours
- Fri, Nov 13 Good Cloudy · 6–7° · 0.3 mm · 22 km/h Tours
- Sat, Nov 14 Good Clear · 2–8° · no rain · 6 km/h Tours
- Sun, Nov 15 Good Cloudy · 4–5° · no rain · 10 km/h Tours
- Mon, Nov 16 Fair Rain · 5–6° · 4.7 mm · 8 km/h Tours
- Tue, Nov 17 Good Partly cloudy · 6–11° · no rain · 6 km/h Tours
- Wed, Nov 18 Good Cloudy · 10–12° · no rain · 13 km/h Tours
- Thu, Nov 19 Not ideal Heavy rain · 10–13° · 7.9 mm · 6 km/h Tours
Today and tomorrow are accurate hour by hour; up to day seven the trend is reliable; the last days give a rough idea. Above 30 km/h the water gets choppy and small boats may postpone departures. Updated every hour.
Budapest in rain or wind: what changes
In the rain, boats have a covered saloon with big windows; the top deck is open.
- Low or high water: the Danube level varies a lot; in extreme cases boats skip stops or don’t sail.
- Wind: noticeable on the open river; winter evenings on deck are very cold.
Crowds
- At sunset evening cruises are in demand: book ahead at weekends.
- Annual passenger numbers are not published.
What you see from the boat in Budapest
- The Parliament, the neo-Gothic palace on the Pest embankment.
- Buda Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion on the hill.
- The Chain Bridge, the first permanent bridge between Buda and Pest, and the other lit-up bridges.
- Margaret Island, the park in the middle of the river.
- The Danube banks, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
What to bring
- A warm jacket for the deck in the evening, in any season.
- Your ticket on your phone and the pier shown in your option.
Accessibility, kids and useful tips
- Accessibility: you board from floating piers via a gangway; access to the top deck depends on the boat – ask the company first.
- Children: the one-hour evening cruise suits them best; dinner cruises last 2 hours or more.
- Currency: in town you pay in forints (HUF); on Tiqets in euros.
Budapest and its boats: a little history
- Buda and Pest: the two cities on either bank of the Danube, united in 1873 together with Óbuda.
- The Chain Bridge: opened in the mid-19th century, the first permanent bridge across the Danube in Budapest.
- UNESCO: the Danube banks, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue are World Heritage.
Getting to the Budapest boarding points
By metro: M2 to Kossuth Lajos tér for Parliament, or M1 to Vörösmarty tér, a short walk from the river.
By tram: tram 2 runs along the Danube on the Pest side – a mini sightseeing ride in itself.
From the airport: bus 100E to the centre, then walk or take the metro to the river.
Other destinations nearby
FAQ
How much is a Danube cruise in Budapest?
The evening cruise starts at €9, the daytime cruise at €12. Drinks cruises cost €21 to €32, dinner cruises from €45.
Day or evening cruise?
Evening, if you can choose: the illuminated Parliament and Castle are Budapest’s finest sight. By day you see the buildings’ details and Margaret Island better.
Is there a public boat on the Danube?
Yes: BKV, the transport company, runs a one-hour loop with stops between Parliament, Margaret Island and Várkert Bazár, at HUF 3,000 for adults. The D14 public ferry is outside the centre.
How long is a Danube cruise?
Classic cruises last 1 to 1.5 hours; dinner cruises about 2 hours or a little more.
Where do Budapest cruises leave from?
Almost all from the Pest side, along the Danube between the Chain Bridge and Elisabeth Bridge; the exact pier is on your ticket. The BKV boat leaves from Kossuth Lajos tér, in front of Parliament.
Do cruises run in winter?
Yes, year-round, on boats with a covered, heated saloon. When the Danube is very low or flooding, some departures may be cancelled.
What’s the weather like in Budapest today for a boat trip?
Fair: heavy rain, 6 to 7 °C, 2.4 mm, wind up to 15 km/h.
What will the weather be like in Budapest this weekend?
Saturday, November 14: Good: clear, 2 to 8 °C, no rain, wind up to 6 km/h. Sunday, November 15: Good: cloudy, 4 to 5 °C, no rain, wind up to 10 km/h.
Is there a 15-day forecast for Budapest?
Reliable forecasts go about 10 days ahead: here you get the next 10, hour by hour (with wind) for today and tomorrow and as a trend after that. To choose the month, see the climate month by month.
Where does this data come from?
Forecasts come from MET Norway, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, calculated for the tour area’s coordinates and updated every hour during the day and every 3 hours at night. Tour prices and conditions are checked on the sellers’ pages, with the date.
Budapest boat tours
Evening Danube cruise · from €9
Sources
Forecast by MET Norway, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, calculated for the tour area’s coordinates. Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), updated every hour. Updated: October 31, 2026.