Hungary · TICKETS
Here is the list you would hand a friend flying in on Friday: 15 tickets & entry passes that repay the money, with what each costs and the one detail worth knowing first.
Spend a day at Széchenyi, Budapest’s 1913 thermal bath complex, with one-time entry to three outdoor and 15 indoor pools. Choose a locker or private cabin option for changing space. Bring swimwear, a towel, flip-flops, and a swimming cap, and check for pool maintenance before you go.
“Amazing experience! Thoroughly enjoyed our visit and had so much fun in the whirl pool!!!”
Visit Budapest’s Hungarian Parliament with an audio guide, from the red-carpeted Main Staircase to the Hall of the Dome and Crown Jewels. The one-hour plan includes a 45-minute interior tour and audio commentary around Kossuth Square. A host helps you find the right entrance and sort out your ticket, but the tour itself is not led by a live guide.
“There was no hassle to get the tickets and get follow the tour. It saved us time.”
Spend a full day at Gellért Spa on Budapest’s Buda side, where you can move between indoor and outdoor pools, saunas and a steam room in an ornate Art Nouveau setting. Your ticket includes a locker or private changing cabin, depending on the option you book. Bring a towel, slippers and a swim cap for the swimming pool.
“The 40*C pool was our favourite and the saunas were great!”
Cinema Mystica is a self-guided visit to Budapest’s Museum of Lights and Magic. Explore 10 rooms with 23 installations, from projection-mapped spaces and 3D-printed sculptures to short films and an avatar-making room. The ticket is valid for one day, and you can move at your own pace. Staff speak Hungarian and English; no named guide is part of the experience.
“a great experience, very captivating and worth a visit.”
Cat Museum Budapest pairs a relaxed visit with friendly resident cats and an interactive exhibition. Explore cat art, porcelain, breed and biology displays, photo walls, and a children’s drawing corner, with an audio guide in English or Hungarian. You’ll also get a hot drink, and the cats choose when they feel like company.
“It was adorable. The staff was kind and polite. Cozy place, and really adorable cats. I recommend.”
Spend about four hours or longer at Budapest’s Széchenyi Baths, a 1913 Neo-baroque spa with 18 indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, and steam rooms. The ticket includes spa entry and a cabin or locker for the day. Bring a towel and proper flip-flops, and check your voucher carefully if you expect a Pálinka Museum visit or massage.
“Lovely morning spent here. The pool was lovely and although there were lots of people it didn’t seem crowded. Bring a towel or even better a robe as it was cold when you got out. Flip flops a must. There are 3 entrances so please look for the one that says redeem online tickets. We got caught out and stood in 2 separate queues before we got the right one. I would say the Hungarians are not the most helpful not rude but just not helpful. I struggled with the communication aspects and I’m sorry to say relied on google translate. Definitely worth the effort”
Spend a late night at Széchenyi Thermal Bath, where Budapest’s spa tradition meets DJs, lights, performers, and warm pools. Sparty runs from 9:30 PM to 2 AM, with last entry at 1 AM. Choose a ticket to suit your plans, bring swimwear, a towel, and flip-flops, and prepare to pay for bar drinks with a cash-loaded SpartyPay card.
“A must do if you’re visiting Budapest! Great entertainment and vibes inside and it was clean! I wouldn’t bother with the “warm up”, it’s a random outdoor place down the road, but would still recommend buying the premium for the drink vouchers.”
Meet your English-speaking guide at Becketts Irish Bar on Liszt Ferenc tér, then visit four bars and clubs, including Budapest’s quirky ruin bars. Free shots, drinking games, and nightclub entry are included. Guides such as Lumi, Rocky, Mark, and Lucas have led nights with lively groups; the route and venues can vary.
“Michael was an awesome local providing a real down to earth atmosphere to Budapest night life”
IKONO Budapest is a self-guided, interactive art experience with more than 12 surreal rooms, including a lantern room, a labyrinth, an arcade and a ball pit. Plan for roughly 30 to 60 minutes, depending on how long you spend taking photos and playing. Staff speak English and Hungarian.
“Good fun to explore. Like nothing we’d experienced before. We really enjoyed it. Quite expensive though as it’s not that big so we only spent 30 mins in there.”
At Madame Tussauds Budapest, you can pose with stars, play music, try on costumes, and step into scenes inspired by Hungarian landmarks. The 2,000-square-meter attraction in Palazzo Dorottya lists 60 figures, from Franz Liszt and Sisi to Lady Gaga and Freddie Mercury. Admission also includes the nearby Pop&Roll Art Toilet.
“We expected that would be bigger with more statues to see”
This one-day entry ticket gets you inside Matthias Church in Budapest’s Castle District, where you can see its painted walls, stained glass, vaulted ceilings and museum exhibits. The tower is not included. Plan for a possible queue, check opening hours before booking, and watch for the separate church ticket sent by email.
“The church is beautiful and have lots of details. You can access a sort of museum with some replicas and interesting facts. Indeed a great experience!”
Visit Hungary’s largest Baroque palace with admission to the Grassalkovich and Habsburg exhibitions, the palace park and a display on the building’s secret life from 1950 to 1991. You can explore at your own pace; an audio guide is not included. The ticket costs $15 per person and is valid for one day.
“Foi só comprar, pagar e obter os bilhetes. E depois aproveitar a visita. Local recomendado. Lindo!”
Walk Budapest’s Jewish Quarter with an English-speaking guide, visiting Dohány Street Synagogue, the Jewish Museum and Holocaust memorials. The four-hour option adds entry to Rumbach Street Synagogue and the Ghetto Wall exhibition. Guides such as Benjamin and Orshi have brought the area’s past and present to life, though your guide may vary.
“Our guide Benjamin was extremely knowledgeable of the history and the area! Being from a Jewish family from the area from many generation added a real perspective and human touch (if that is even possible) to the whole experience! Our best wishes to you Benjamin!!!!”
Spend a flexible day at Budapest’s Gellert Thermal Spa, built in 1918 above mineral springs on the Buda side of the Danube. Your ticket includes entry and either a private changing cabin or locker, depending on the option you select. Bring a towel and flip-flops, and pack a swim cap if you plan to use the swimming pool.
“We enjoyed this spa. It was impressive and there were plenty of options in respect of different pools, saunas etc. I do understand comments of others that it was a little rundown but honestly this didn’t detract from our enjoyment and I wouRead more”
Spend a day at the Ensana spa on Margaret Island, using its indoor pools, thermal pool, saunas, and seasonal outdoor pool. Towels are included; bring swimwear and flip-flops, and rent a robe if you want one. The spa has five pools overall and 12 massage rooms, but massages, food, and drinks are extra.
“Really enjoyed my time. Clean comfortable and inviting. Would defo go back xxx”
Pick a bank, a bath or a boat.
