Buda Castle: tickets, tours, opening hours and more

One of the things that catches your attention when you are studying what to see in Budapest is its division into two large areas: Pest and Buda. In the case of the second sector nobody can miss the complex that forms the so-called Buda Castle.

The enclosure itself does not require the payment of an entrance fee, although the museums inside it do: the National Gallery, the Museum of History of Budapest and the Museum of History. Below, I leave you all the information about tickets, tours, schedules and prices for your visit.

The gardens, the main courtyard and the surroundings of the Castle are free, so you can walk around as long as you want. However, the three wings of the main building house different institutions that do require an entrance fee to visit. However, you can book the Budapest Card and get discounts or even free admission to some of these institutions.

I leave you more information about the different entrances:

• Hungarian National Gallery: around 9 € for the permanent exhibitions, with a 50% discount for young people of the EU between 6 and 26 years, as well as for over 62 years. Free with the Budapest Card
• Budapest History Museum: about 6,5 € per person, with 50 % discount for young people and seniors. Free with the Budapest Card
• Széchenyi National Library: free admission
• Buda Labyrinth: just over €8 for adults. Students, teachers and senior citizens pay about €6.80 and children under 12 pay only €1.6. Budapest Card holders pay about 6,20 € for the entrance fee.

The best way to make the most of the visit to the Buda Castle and the surrounding neighborhood is to book a tour of Budapest. Keep in mind that, although in Budapest you can hire several bike tours, the slopes and narrow streets of this area do not allow to do it with this means of transport.

The main advantage of the guided tours is the presence of an expert guide who will be explaining the history that houses the complex, as well as the narrow streets around it. These tours usually cover the entire castle complex, although entrance fees to the museums are usually not included. They also show the historic houses and churches in this part of the city, as well as the remains of a medieval synagogue.

When choosing a tour to Buda Castle you should pay attention to one of the main differences between them: the Matias Church. While some do not include it, there are others that do. My advice is to opt for the latter, as it is a really impressive monument.

What is usually included in this type of tours

The tour of a tour of Budapest that includes the Castle district usually lasts about 3 hours, is priced from 31 € and the journey is made in an air-conditioned vehicle. It includes several stops:

• Walk through the Castle district.
• Heroes Square.
• Isabel Bridge.
• Andrássy Avenue.
• St. Stephen's Basilica.
• Matthias Church.
• Fisherman's Bastion.

In principle, both the gardens and the courtyards are open 24 hours a day. I recommend you to check if any concerts or festivals are held in them, as they are usually paid.

The National Gallery is open every day except Mondays, from 10 am to 6 pm. The History Museum has the same opening hours as the gallery. In both cases, the closing time in winter is brought forward to 4 p.m.

If you want to visit the National Library, you will have to book in advance by telephone, as it is not possible to visit it on your own. Finally, the Buda Labyrinth is open daily between 9:30 am and 7:30 pm, as well as at night between 8:30 pm and 8 am.

To save money during your visit to the paid facilities of the Buda Castle (and other places in the city) you can buy the Budapest Card.

There are three different modalities of this card that allows you to enter free or with important discounts to the main attractions of the city. Thus, you can choose between a card for 24, 48 or 72 hours, with a price from 45 €.

To calculate whether you should buy it, you not only have to take into account the price of each museum, but also the price of public transport (included in the card) and a free thermal bath.

The first thing to know is what you can visit in the Buda Castle, also known as the Royal Palace. Given its history, this castle has suffered attacks that meant the destruction of much of its structure, although it has always been rebuilt every time this happened.

• Today, the exterior of the castle is quite austere, especially if we compare it to the exuberance of the decorations present inside and that are able to make the visitor travel back in time to its greatest splendor. The first thing that stands out is its position within the city: on a hill about 300 meters high with stunning views of the Danube.
• The main building, the castle itself or Royal Palace (so called because it was the residence of the Magyar kings for a time) consists of several wings built around the so-called Lion's Courtyard.

The vast majority of tours and individual visitors usually enter the grounds through St. George's Square, as this is where the funicular stop that connects the hill to the Chain Bridge and, therefore, to Pest is located. To enter you have to go through a beautifully ornate gate dating from the early twentieth century. Next to it you will see a bronze statue of a bird on a pedestal, the symbol of the Kingdom of Hungary.

What to see in Buda Castle

• Lion's Courtyard: it is worth walking through thiscourtyard to see the exterior of the various museums now housed in the castle.
• National Gallery: this great museum occupies no less than four of the wings into which the palace is divided. Here you can see the works of Hungarian artists since the Middle Ages. One of its most interesting rooms is the former throne room.
• National Library: opposite the gallery is the wing of the palace that occupies the National Library, founded no less than in the early 800. It is said that today contains at least one copy of all the books published in the country.
• Museum of History of Budapest: the last part of the castle is occupied by the Museum of History of the city. Inside you can learn the history of the Hungarian capital from prehistoric to modern times. If you enter, I recommend you not to miss the Gothic Chapel and the Hall of Arms.

When we talk about visiting the Buda Castle we usually include the neighborhood surrounding it. In its streets, really interesting, you will see some of the most famous monuments of the city, not to mention the great views of the Danube that can be seen from some of its viewpoints.

• Fishermen's Bastion: possibly there is no better place to see the whole city from above. The building was built on an ancient fortress and you can admire seven towers symbolizing the seven chiefs of the Magyar tribes. You will also see a large statue of St. Stephen.
• Matthias Church: built in the thirteenth century in Gothic style, the continuous renovations have not made it lose any of its great prestige. Its interior is divided into three naves, in which the decorations of the chapels stand out. Several Hungarian kings were crowned in this temple and, if you are lucky, you may be able to attend one of the concerts that are held there today.
• Vienna Gate Square: it is located in the upper part of the Buda Castle district. Formerly it was the place where the market was held and today you can see a beautiful gate with a rich ornamentation.
• Buda Labyrinth: one of the great attractions of the area is this labyrinth of caves and natural tunnels that cross much of the hill. In total, there are 4 kilometers of these tunnels, although only the first kilometer can be visited. Inside there are exhibitions and guided tours.

If you like contemporary history you should not miss a visit to the Museum of the Rock Hospital and Nuclear Bunker located in the tunnel system of the neighborhood.

If you want to go up to the Buda Castle on your own, there are several ways to get there. My recommendation is that, at least, you make the ascent or descent on foot to be able to walk through the streets of the neighborhood at your leisure. To do this, you can use one of the two main entrances to the Royal Palace:

• The first one is reached by going through a decorated gate (located a few meters from the funicular station) that leads to the Habsburg Staircase. Climbing this staircase will lead you to the Castle courtyard.
• The other option is to reach the Corvinus Gate from Dísz Tér, near the Buda Labyrinth. This gate is easily recognizable by an ornament in the shape of a crow holding a golden ring representing Matthias Corvinus.

In addition to walking up (or down), you can also access the Castle by the Budavári Sikló funicular The ticket price per way is around 3,30 €, with discount if you buy the round trip. Finally, bus lines 16, 16A and 116 also drop you off at the Buda Castle so you can start your visit.