Budapest Card with Public Transport & 30+ Attractions

Budapest public transport with one card

The heart of the Budapest Card is unlimited public transport for the whole validity of your card. Budapest has one of the densest networks in Europe: four metro lines, including the little yellow M1 under Andrássy Avenue, opened in 1896 as the first metro in continental Europe; trams such as line 2 along the Danube, often called one of the most scenic tram rides in the world; and buses that climb the Buda hills. With the card you simply board and ride, with no tickets to buy or validate for each journey.

The 72-hour Budapest Card Plus also covers the airport express bus between Budapest Airport and the city centre, so your pass works from the moment you land. Many travellers ask how to get from Budapest airport to the centre: with this card you collect it at the airport customer service centre in Terminal 2A or 2B and take the express bus straight into town.

Museums of Buda and Pest

The card includes free entry to a long list of museums, so you can follow your interests without counting tickets. In Pest, the Hungarian National Museum, housed in a neoclassical palace completed in 1847, tells the story of the country from prehistory to modern times, and the Museum of Fine Arts on Heroes' Square holds one of Central Europe's great collections of European paintings. On Castle Hill, the Hungarian National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum fill the wings of the Royal Palace.

Further afield, the card opens the Roman ruins and museum of Aquincum in Óbuda, the Underground Railway Museum in a historic metro station, the Memento Park statue collection from the socialist era and the Hall of Art on Heroes' Square for contemporary exhibitions. The card is ideal on rainy days, when you can move between museums by metro and tram, and it makes even a short visit to a smaller collection worthwhile.

St Lukács Thermal Bath, the locals' favourite

Budapest is a city of thermal springs, and the Budapest Card includes free entry to the St Lukács Thermal Bath and Swimming Pool in Buda, a short walk from the Buda end of Margaret Bridge. The springs here have been used for bathing since the Middle Ages and through the Ottoman period, and the present bath building dates from 1894, with a courtyard decorated by thank-you plaques from patients who recovered here.

Lukács is less touristy than the famous baths in City Park and on Gellért Hill, which is why many locals choose it for their morning swim and thermal soak. Inside you find indoor thermal pools at different temperatures, outdoor swimming and wellness pools, saunas and steam rooms. Bring a swimsuit, flip-flops and a towel, and plan two or three hours to enjoy the warm mineral water.

Danube boat trip, guided walks and the Castle Bus

Your card includes one free sightseeing boat trip on the Danube, with a choice of routes. From the river you see the Parliament, the Royal Palace, the Chain Bridge and Gellért Hill from their best angle, and an evening departure shows the illuminated riverbanks, a highlight of any stay in Budapest. Only one boat trip is free per card, so choose your favourite time of day.

The card also covers guided walking tours of Pest and Buda, perfect for an introduction to the city on your first morning, and a ride on the official Castle Bus up to the castle district. Combined with the other benefits, these extras are the main reason many travellers find the Budapest Card worth it: they replace several separate bookings with one card in your pocket.

Castle Hill extras: the Funicular and Matthias Church

The Budapest Card Plus adds two experiences on Castle Hill. The Buda Castle Funicular has been carrying passengers since 1870 from Clark Ádám Square at the Buda end of the Chain Bridge up to the Royal Palace, in wooden cabins that glide past the green slope with views over the Danube. The ride takes only a couple of minutes, but it is one of the most charming ways to reach the castle district.

At the top, the Plus card gives free entry to Matthias Church, the Gothic church with the colourful glazed-tile roof where Hungarian kings were crowned. Inside, every wall and column is painted with geometric and floral motifs in red, gold and green, and the church museum displays sacred treasures. The Plus card also includes a traditional chimney cake, the warm spiral pastry of Hungarian fairs, at a city-centre bakery.

Pálvölgyi Cave and the Zugliget Chairlift

For a change from monuments, the card includes a visit to the Pálvölgyi Cave in the Buda hills, part of the longest cave system in Hungary, discovered in 1904. The guided route leads through narrow passages, chambers and stalactite formations, with stairs and ladders, at a cool and constant temperature, so bring a jacket even in summer.

Also in the Buda hills, the Zugliget Chairlift, opened in 1970, takes you up through the forest towards János Hill, the highest point of Budapest. From the upper station a short walk leads to the Elizabeth Lookout Tower, with views over the whole city and the countryside beyond. It is a lovely half-day escape into nature and easy to reach by bus with your card.