Budapest Parliament Tours

As well as learning about the political organisation of Hungary, you can also get a close-up look at one of the most beautiful buildings in Europe, which offers incredible views at night. Undoubtedly, one of the essential activities when deciding what to see and do in Budapest.

For a place like this, it is ideal to take a guided tour with an authorised guide. The "Pearl of the Danube", or the "Paris of the East", has a lot to offer and it would be ideal to have an expert accompany you so that nothing is overlooked. Take note of these recommendations for the best guided tour of the Budapest Parliament.

The best option

Budapest Tour with Parliament Visit

Get to know the Budapest Parliament with a professional guide in English.

A comprehensive tour of Budapest's most important sights, ending with a tour inside the Parliament.

From £45 at Hellotickets

This option offers you first of all a tour of the city in a private vehicle, so that you can appreciate some of the sights on the Pest side and enjoy the panoramic views from the Buda Hills, among other stops. The tour ends with a guided visit inside the parliament.

Recommended if... you don't want to miss a visit to one of the most imposing buildings in the whole European continent, with the possibility of having an expert guide explaining every detail of the parliament in English.

It is well worth taking a guided tour of the Parliament, as it is an official, historic building and one of the symbols of Hungary. Please note that the tour inside the parliament is always accompanied by multilingual official guides. The advantage when you book an organised tour, like the one I described at the beginning, is that you have the possibility to see more places before you enter the building, so in many cases you save money and time, as you don't have to buy your own entrance ticket to the building, as it is already included in the tour.

These tours usually have an agreement with the Parliament, so they are authorised to admit groups at the time of the visit.

There is no doubt that visiting the Budapest Parliament with a guided tour in your own language is an experience not to be missed. This place is full of history, and its architecture and details will be even more attractive. It is definitely a must on your list of thingsto see and do in Budapest.

Advantages of the guided tour

• You can take the opportunity to see more of the city with an expert guide, in addition to the guided tour inside the Parliament.
• You save time by booking this experience online, as you can skip the queues at the ticket office.
• You can always choose a time slot and organise the tour in your own language, to make sure there is availability at the time that suits you best.

The Parliament offers an official website to purchase tickets, which include a 45-minute guided tour with professional guides who will accompany you throughout the tour and answer any questions you may have. The cost of tickets for EU citizens is 3,200 Ft. (Florin Hugaro), approximately €9.

There are different types of tickets to the Budapest Parliament, depending on whether you are an EU citizen, i.e. if you are a national of one of the EU countries, or if you are not. There is also a difference if you are an EU or non-EU student. Children under the age of 6 get free admission to the Parliament.

• EU adults: 3,200 Ft. (Florin Hugaro), about 8,60 € and 9 €.
• EU students aged 6 to 24: 1,600 Ft. (Hugaro guilder), about €4,30.
• Non-EU adult: 6,400 Ft (Florin Hugaro), about €17,23 and €17,50.
• Non-EU students aged 6 to 24: 3,200 HUF (Hugaro Guilder), about €8.60 and €9.00.

The Budapest Parliament offers a guided tour lasting 45-50 minutes with professional guides who speak different languages, including English. If you book an organised tour, in some cases it includes entry to the Parliament, which is open to tour groups. Once inside, you will join the official visits by following the established route.

More than 700,000 people visit this place every year, one of the symbols of this country, and of its democracy and political organisation. The visit to Parliament takes you on a tour of the Main Staircase, the Dome Room, the Chamber of Deputies and the Chamber of Peers. The tour gives you architectural details about the building and some of the works on display.

Importantly, Parliament also offers tours for the visually impaired and physically handicapped. In order to guarantee access for everyone, [email protected] has been set up to schedule this type of visit in advance.

Visiting Budapest with children has many possibilities, including taking them to the Budapest Parliament. There are no guided tours exclusively for children, but a family ticket is offered and children under the age of 6 are admitted free of charge. The Parliament Office offers various events and programmes for children and young people from local schools throughout the year, as well as special summer programmes.

Please be aware of the regulations when planning your visit and ask your guide about any details you need to take into account so that children can enjoy the Parliament without any problems.

Visiting the Budapest Parliament is definitely on the top list of things to see and do in Budapest. This guided tour takes you on an informative tour. An experience for lovers of history, architecture and world political organisation. This tour is divided into different stations, and at each of them you will learn special details about this historic building.

• Main staircase: the red carpet on the main staircase of the Parliament will give you a hint of what you are about to see. A majestic setting that shows you from the very first moment neo-gothic and baroque details. All designed by architect Imre Steindi.
• Dome Hall: here you will be able to appreciate the interior of the dome and different statues of the kings of Hungary, including Saint Stephen or Stephen I, the first king of this country.
• Old Upper House: currently used only for tourist purposes, where you can imagine what the old parliament used to be like.
• The Council of Deputies, where the deputies of the Hungarian parliament meet today, is also on the premises but cannot be visited by tourists.

The guided tour of the Budapest Parliament takes 45-50 minutes. I recommend that you choose the morning hours for your visit, so that you can enjoy the area around the Parliament and get more out of your visit.

Also, depending on the opening hours of the parliament, you can take the tour in the afternoon, and then enjoy the wonderful night views that this building offers along with the majestic Danube. From here you can also take amazing cruises to see the city by night and the illuminated Parliament.

Here it all depends on your availability. I always recommend looking for less crowded seasons or seasons where the weather is milder, such as spring and autumn. However, summer has many possibilities as well and besides the Parliament you can visit other places and make your visit to Budapest unforgettable.

If you decide to come during this season, you will find many things to enjoy in Budapest in summer, one of the most active and enthusiastic times of the year.

I also recommend you to always check the official opening hours, as in some cases and due to official scheduling the Parliament is closed to the general public.

If you decide to take your guided tour of the Budapest Parliament, there are a few tips to keep in mind:

• If you take an organised tour that includes a visit to the Parliament, make sure that the guided tour you book is guaranteed and that you have all the authorisations to enter the parliament and to take the tour.
• Read a little about the history of Parliament- this will give you a clue as to what you will see and you can get more out of the professional guide by asking about particular things that interest you.
• Remember that this is an official building, so security measures are strict, so be aware that you will go through a security check.
• If you buy your tickets and guided tour on your own, I recommend you do it online through the official website. Remember that tickets at the Parliament's ticket office are limited, so it is best to buy them in advance.
• For security reasons, you will not be able to take photographs in the Great Hall of the Dome. For the rest of the tour you will be able to do so, and depending on the location, you may be able to use cameras and video cameras.
• Be prepared for strict security checks at the entrance to the parliament. Avoid carrying large bags or suitcases, bags, parcels or anything else that may impede your access.
• There are accessible areas for people with disabilities, and you can always notify special needs prior to your visit so that parliament staff can assist you upon arrival.
• Visitors to the parliament who have any radioactive isotope treatment for curative purposes must also provide some medical documents prior to their visit.

The Parliament building is open daily from 8 am to 4 pm. Group tours start at the Visitor Centre. There may be special dates throughout the year when it will be closed to the general public, so I recommend you always check before scheduling your visit to make sure it coincides with the time of your visit.

If you decide, instead of taking an organised guided tour, to visit the parliament on your own, take into account everything to get your tickets without any problem, and not miss this experience full of history, besides being one of the must-see tours of the city, as well as visiting the Buda Castle or taking an excursion inside the Gödöllo Palace, just to name a few of the alternatives in this fascinating city.