Big Bus runs the same red route as City Sightseeing, 21 stops round Pest and Buda, but its ticket comes with more in it. There is a live-times app, a second walking tour on Castle Hill on some days, and, if you book it on Tiqets, a Danube cruise.
The catch is the refund. The Tiqets ticket with the cruise cannot be cancelled or moved, so it suits a trip with fixed dates. Below are the three ticket levels, the cruise, the walks, and where to swap your voucher on the day.
Big Bus Budapest tickets
Big Bus Budapest: Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour
Best for: Seeing the city from the bus and the river on the same ticket
- 1, 2 or 3 days. The full loop takes 2 hours 50 minutes
- Audio guide in 16 languages, with headphones
- Non-refundable, cannot be moved
What’s included and more details
What’s included
- Hop-on hop-off bus on the red route
- A walking tour
- A river cruise
- The Big Bus app
- Choose
- Discover (1 day), Essential (2 days) or Explore (3 days)
- Starts
- MAHART pier, Dock 6
- Buses
- From stop 1 between 9:00 and 17:00, every 10 to 20 minutes
Budapest: Big Bus Hop-on/Hop-off Tour by Open-top Bus
Best for: The Big Bus with free cancellation, and money off a cruise at the pier
- 1, 2 or 3 days
- Audio guide in 16 languages
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead
What’s included and more details
What’s included
- Hop-on hop-off bus ticket for 1, 2 or 3 days
- Audio commentary in 16 languages
- A 1-hour guided walking tour in English
- 30% off a Danube cruise bought at the pier
- Choose
- 1, 2 or 3 days, each with the walking tour
- Cruise discount
- Buy at Dock 6 (Vigadó), Jane Haining rakpart
- Not included
- Hotel pick-up
- Also
- Reserve now and pay later
- The cruise is the whole difference between the two. Tiqets includes it and cannot be refunded; GetYourGuide gives a discount and can be cancelled free
- Discover, Essential and Explore differ only in how many days they last
- Every stop and the walks from each: route and stops
What’s included
One, two or three days
Unlimited rides on the red route on consecutive days, from 10:00 at Stop 1 to the last bus at 17:00.
Guided walking tours
The Pest walk at 11:00 every day, and on the Big Bus site a Castle District walk on even-numbered days. Both in English.
Live bus times
The free Big Bus Tours app tracks the buses, and the buses have free Wi-Fi on board.
Big Bus river cruise, walking tours and app
Take the cruise at the end of the day
The Tiqets ticket includes one 60-minute cruise, run by MAHART PassNave from Dock 6 on the Pest embankment, near the Váci utca stop. Look for the red Big Bus sign, show your ticket to the Big Bus staff, then board. The boat has audio commentary in 8 languages, and you can join it only once.
Departures are at 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00 in the day, then 17:30, 19:00, 20:00, 20:30 and 21:30. Take one of the evening sailings. The buses have stopped by 17:00, and the Parliament and the Castle are lit up after dark.
Book on GetYourGuide or with Big Bus direct and there is no cruise in the ticket. You get 30% off a sightseeing boat from Dock 6 instead, bought at the pier.
Do the Pest walk, and the Castle walk if the date suits
The Pest walk leaves at 11:00 from the Basilica with an English-speaking guide, lasts about an hour and ends near the Chain Bridge. Show your ticket to the Big Bus staff before you join.
The Big Bus site also lists a Castle District walk on even-numbered days, at 14:30 from the Holy Trinity column in front of Matthias Church. It is not on the booking pages, so ask at the shop when you swap your voucher. If it runs on your day, ride to the funicular stop, go up, and meet the group at the top.
Follow the bus on the app
The free Big Bus Tours app shows the route and live arrival times, which makes the biggest difference at the far end of the loop. At Heroes’ Square or the Citadel you can see how long the next bus will be before deciding whether to wait or walk.
The commentary on board is recorded, in 16 languages through headphones at your seat, and it names each stop by number as you arrive.
Ride in any season
Big Bus says its buses are air-conditioned in summer and heated in winter, and the route runs every day of the year, with a revised service on 15 March, 20 August and 23 October.
Summer afternoons are still when the red route struggles, with full buses and waits well past the timetable at the busier stops. That is when the app earns its place, so check the next bus before you queue for it.
How to book and board Big Bus
Decide on the cruise first
If you will take a river cruise anyway and your dates are fixed, the Tiqets ticket saves buying one separately. If there is any chance your plans change, book on GetYourGuide, which you can cancel free up to 24 hours ahead.
Swap your voucher at the shop
Take the voucher, printed or on your phone, to the Big Bus shop at Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 17, about 2 minutes from Stop 1. Staff check it and give you a receipt to board with. There are also Big Bus desks on Március 15. tér, Károly körút 21 and József Attila utca 24.
Board at any stop
Once you have the receipt, you can get on at any of the 21 stops. The first bus leaves Stop 1, behind the Basilica, at 10:00.
Check the child ages when you book
Big Bus’s own site sells child tickets for ages 6 to 18, with ages 5 and under free. Tiqets sells child tickets for ages 5 to 15 and adult tickets from 16. Buy the option the booking page gives for your child’s age.
Insider tips
Swap the voucher on your way to Stop 1
The shop on Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út is about 2 minutes from Stop 1 and the start of the walking tour. Go there first, and you have your receipt in hand for the 10:00 bus or the 11:00 walk.
Leave Dock 6 time in your evening
The cruise and the bus do not share a stop. The walk from the Váci utca stop to the Vigadó tér embankment is about 9 minutes, so allow more if you are coming from the Buda side.
Use the app before you commit to a wait
At the stops out on the edges of the route, check the next bus on the app. If it is a long way off, the metro or a tram back to the centre may be quicker.