The Budapest Card is the city’s official sightseeing pass, sold by the transport company BKK. Its price went up on 1 May 2026, and most of the pages ranking for “is the Budapest Card worth it” still quote older prices, a 120-hour card that no longer exists, or a free Matthias Church visit that isn’t on the official list. This guide uses BKK’s current price list and partner list, and runs the maths for three real trips.
If you’re still planning the trip itself, start with our 3-day Budapest itinerary, which this post uses as its baseline.
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How much is the Budapest Card in 2026?#
The Budapest Card costs 17,990 HUF for 24 hours, 23,990 HUF for 48 hours, 29,990 HUF for 72 hours and 38,990 HUF for 96 hours, at the prices in force since 1 May 2026. There are also two 72-hour variants, the Plus and the Flexi:
| Card | Price | About | Same-length BKK travelcard | Free entries must be worth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 hours | 17,990 HUF | €49 | 2,750 HUF | 15,240 HUF |
| 48 hours | 23,990 HUF | €66 | 5,500 HUF (2 × 24h) | 18,490 HUF |
| 72 hours | 29,990 HUF | €82 | 5,750 HUF | 24,240 HUF |
| 96 hours | 38,990 HUF | €107 | 8,500 HUF (72h + 24h) | 30,490 HUF |
| 72 hours Plus | 39,990 HUF | €110 | 5,750 HUF | 34,240 HUF |
| 72 hours Flexi | 27,990 HUF | €77 | 5,750 HUF | 22,240 HUF |
Prices checked September 2026 on BKK’s official price list. Euro amounts are approximate.
The last column is the whole question. Subtract the travelcard you’d buy anyway, and what’s left is the value you need to get from the card’s free entries. BKK doesn’t sell a 48-hour travelcard, so the 48-hour comparison uses two 24-hour cards.
Three facts the older guides get wrong:
- There’s no 120-hour card any more. BKK’s price list and FAQ list only 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours.
- There’s no child or student card. Everyone pays the adult price, which is why families rarely come out ahead.
- It doesn’t skip queues. Each free venue can be used once, and discounts as often as you like.
What’s included in the Budapest Card?#
The Budapest Card includes unlimited public transport, one sightseeing cruise, Lukács Bath, guided walking tours and free entry to more than 30 museums and attractions. Other big names are only discounted, and some aren’t included at all. Here’s what matters most, from BKK’s official 2026–27 partner list:
| Attraction | With the card | Normal adult price |
|---|---|---|
| Public transport (metro, tram, bus, HÉV in the city) | Free | 2,750 HUF per 24 hours |
| One sightseeing cruise (choose from 4 operators) | Free | about 7,300 HUF (Legenda’s day cruise, €20) |
| Lukács Bath | Free (14+ only) | 7,000 HUF Mon–Thu / 8,000 Fri–Sun |
| Hungarian National Gallery (permanent exhibitions) | Free | 5,800 HUF |
| Museum of Fine Arts (permanent exhibitions) | Free | 5,800 HUF |
| Castle Museum + St Stephen’s Hall | Free | 5,900 HUF combined |
| Citadella exhibition | Free | 4,900 HUF |
| Pál-völgyi Cave | Free | 3,900 HUF |
| Hungarian National Museum | Free | 3,500 HUF |
| Zugliget Chairlift (Libegő), both ways | Free | 4,000 HUF return |
| Memento Park | Free | 3,000 HUF |
| Walking tour, Pest or Buda | Free | Tip-based elsewhere |
| Széchenyi, Rudas and Palatinus baths | 20% off, on site | 13,200 HUF at Széchenyi Mon–Thu |
| St Stephen’s Basilica | 20% off | 6,800 HUF all-in (5,400 with the card) |
| Dohány Synagogue, Hospital in the Rock | 10% off | 14,500 HUF / €30 |
| Parliament, Fisherman’s Bastion, Matthias Church, House of Terror, Opera tour | Not included | n/a |
Prices checked September 2026 on each venue’s official site and the Budapest Card partner list.
The walking tours run in English with no booking needed: Pest at 10:00 on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and Buda at 14:00 on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The cruise is one free trip in total, chosen from four options: a day of BKV’s public boats (13:00–17:00), the hourly Sightseeing Cruise from Vigadó tér (11:00–21:00), a 90-minute paddle-steamer cruise, or Legenda’s Duna Bella daytime cruise. Other Legenda cruises, including its evening sailings, are only 25% off. Low water on the Danube can suspend some of these services, so check before you plan around one. Our river cruise comparison covers the operators.
Is the Budapest Card worth it? Three trips, costed#
The Budapest Card is worth it for museum-heavy trips and not worth it for a classic sightseeing trip built around the Parliament, Széchenyi and a cruise. Here’s the maths for three real 72-hour trips, using normal adult prices and a 72-hour travelcard as the alternative:
| What you’d use | A: Classic first trip | B: Museum lover | C: Baths and views |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transport (72-hour travelcard value) | 5,750 | 5,750 | 5,750 |
| Free cruise | 7,300 | 7,300 | 7,300 |
| Citadella exhibition | 4,900 | n/a | 4,900 |
| National Gallery | n/a | 5,800 | n/a |
| Castle Museum + St Stephen’s Hall | n/a | 5,900 | n/a |
| Museum of Fine Arts | n/a | 5,800 | n/a |
| Hungarian National Museum | n/a | 3,500 | n/a |
| Lukács Bath | n/a | 7,000 | 7,000 |
| Pál-völgyi Cave + Libegő | n/a | n/a | 7,900 |
| Széchenyi 20% off | 2,640 | n/a | 2,640 |
| Basilica 20% off | 1,400 | 1,400 | n/a |
| Dohány 10% off | 1,450 | n/a | n/a |
| Value of what you use | 23,440 HUF | 42,450 HUF | 35,490 HUF |
| 72-hour card (29,990 HUF) vs paying separately | Lose about 6,550 HUF | Save about 12,460 HUF | Save about 5,500 HUF |
Prices checked September 2026. The cruise is valued at Legenda’s €20 day cruise. You could pay less for a comparable cruise on your own (paddle-steamer cruises start at €11), which makes the card look worse, not better.
Verdict:
- Trip A, the classic first visit: skip the card. Buy a 72-hour travelcard and pay as you go. The Parliament and Széchenyi, the two biggest costs, get nothing or only 20% off.
- Trip B, the museum lover: buy the card. Four museums plus Lukács is where it pays for itself, with room to spare.
- Trip C, baths and hills: buy it only if you’ll really do it all. It saves about 5,500 HUF, but only if you ride the chairlift, go down the cave and soak at Lukács. Drop one and you’re roughly back to even.
What about 24 and 48 hours?#
The shorter cards are harder to make pay. A 24-hour card (17,990 HUF) needs 15,240 HUF of free entries in one day. That’s possible (the National Gallery, the Castle Museum and St Stephen’s Hall, and a cruise add up to 19,000 HUF), but it’s a sprint, and museums close at 18:00. A 48-hour card (23,990 HUF) needs 18,490 HUF of entries. That’s two museums, the cruise and Lukács, which is a reasonable weekend for a museum person and a poor one for everyone else. We ran our 2-day Budapest itinerary through it: transport, the cruise, the Citadella and three discounts come to about 23,200 HUF, just short of the price.
Plus, Flexi or Classic: which 72-hour card?#
For most visitors who want a 72-hour card, the standard (Classic) card is the right one. The Plus pays off only if you’d use the airport bus both ways and the Sikló. The Flexi suits people who want transport, one museum and a bath rather than a museum marathon.
| Classic 72h | Plus 72h | Flexi 72h | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 29,990 HUF | 39,990 HUF | 27,990 HUF |
| Transport | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 100E Airport Express | No (the 200E bus + metro is covered) | Round trip included | If you pick it |
| Free museums | 30+ | 30+ | One, from a short list |
| Other free items | Cruise, Lukács, walking tours, chairlift, cave… | Everything in Classic + Sikló ride, a lángos and a chimney cake | 5 of 7: 100E, Lukács, walking tour, folklore dinner show, Castle Bus, one cruise, one museum |
| Best for | Museums | Flying in and out, riding the Sikló | A bath, a cruise and one museum |
Details checked September 2026 on BKK’s Budapest Card pages.
Choose the Plus if… you’d pay for the 100E both ways (5,000 HUF) and the Sikló (4,500 HUF one way) anyway. Those alone cover almost all of the 10,000 HUF difference, and the lángos and chimney cake make up the rest.
Choose the Flexi if… your plan is the airport bus, Lukács, a cruise and the National Gallery. That’s about 25,000 HUF of free items plus transport for 27,990 HUF, and it’s the only variant that suits a light sightseer.
Choose the Classic if… you’re visiting museums. Neither of the others gives you the full list for less.
Budapest Card or a travelcard?#
For getting around, a BKK travelcard beats the Budapest Card every time. The 72-hour travelcard costs 5,750 HUF and covers exactly the same metro, tram, bus and city HÉV network. The card’s extra 24,240 HUF only buys you entries. If the entries you’d actually use are worth less than that, buy the travelcard in the BudapestGO app and pay for sights on the day.
Two transport details catch people out:
- Travelcards aren’t valid on the 100E airport bus (2,500 HUF single), and neither is the Classic Budapest Card. See how to get from the airport to the city centre.
- Contactless bank cards work at metro gates and on the 100E, but not on trams or buses. Our Budapest public transport guide explains tickets and validation.
Where should you buy the Budapest Card?#
You can buy the Budapest Card from BKK, online at bkk.hu or at a BKK customer centre, or through a licensed reseller such as GetYourGuide. A BKK online voucher that hasn’t yet been exchanged can be withdrawn within 14 days for a refund. You swap the e-mail voucher for the physical card at the Budapest Card Centre in Városháza Park (9:00–19:00), at the airport customer centres in Terminals 2A and 2B, at Deák Ferenc tér, Déli, Keleti and Kelenföld stations, or at any of BKK’s 300+ ticket machines (“Redeem voucher”).
| Where | 72-hour price | Refund / cancellation | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| bkk.hu (official) | 29,990 HUF (about €82) | Unexchanged voucher: withdraw within 14 days | Fixed plans |
| BKK customer centre or airport desk | 29,990 HUF | Buy on the day | Last-minute decisions |
| GetYourGuide | Priced in euros, from €53 for 24 hours | Free cancellation up to 24 hours before, pay later | Flexible plans, keeping all bookings in one app |
Prices checked September 2026.
The GetYourGuide version is the same official card, sold by a licensed reseller, and redeemed at the same BKK desks. It’s priced in euros (from €53 for 24 hours) and comes with “reserve now, pay later” and free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Budapest Card: Public Transport, 30+ Top Attractions & Tours
The official Budapest Card through GetYourGuide, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Pick 24, 48, 72 or 96 hours, or the 72-hour Plus, at checkout, then swap the voucher for the card at a BKK centre or the airport. A good choice if your dates might still change.
How the card works once you have it: write your passport or ID number and the start date and time on the back. The hours run continuously from that moment, not by calendar day, so a 72-hour card started at 15:00 on Friday lasts until 15:00 on Monday. A card with corrections on it is invalid. Lost or stolen cards aren’t replaced. A card bought now can be used until 30 April 2027.
What to buy instead if you skip the card#
If the card doesn’t add up for you, you’ll book the big three separately. None of them is included in, or much cheaper with, the Budapest Card:
Parliament Building Entry Ticket and Audio Guide
The fallback when the official Parliament site (7,000 HUF EEA / 14,000 HUF others) is sold out, which in autumn 2026 meant five weeks ahead. Rated 4.5 from 6,059 reviews, with free cancellation.
View Tour →Széchenyi Spa Tickets with Optional Upgrades
The card gets you only 20% off Széchenyi, and only at the ticket office. This full-day ticket costs a little more than the official weekend price but can be cancelled for free up to 24 hours before. See our Széchenyi Baths guide.
View Tour →Historical Cruise with Welcome Drink
A one-hour evening paddle-steamer cruise with a drink, rated 4.7 from 9,060 reviews. At €11 it costs less than the €20 value we gave the card’s free cruise, which is the easiest way to see why the card rarely pays for a light sightseer.
View Tour →Who should skip the Budapest Card?#
Families should skip it. There’s no child card, so a child pays 29,990 HUF for 72 hours, and most children can’t use Lukács (14+) anyway. See Budapest with kids. Students and over-65s get reduced museum tickets (the National Gallery is 2,900 HUF reduced), which usually beats the card. Anyone whose trip is Parliament, baths and a cruise will lose money on it, and so will anyone planning a day trip, because it covers only the city.
Buy it if you’re a museum person staying 72 hours or more, if you want Lukács and the Citadella anyway, or if the Plus’s airport bus and Sikló match your plans. For the city’s thermal baths compared, including Lukács, see our guide to the best thermal baths in Budapest. For a full budget, see how much a trip to Budapest costs.
FAQ#
How much is the Budapest Card in 2026?#
Since 1 May 2026 the Budapest Card costs 17,990 HUF for 24 hours, 23,990 HUF for 48 hours, 29,990 HUF for 72 hours and 38,990 HUF for 96 hours. The 72-hour Plus costs 39,990 HUF and the 72-hour Flexi 27,990 HUF, according to BKK’s official price list as of September 2026.
Is the Budapest Card worth it?#
Only if you visit museums. On a typical first trip with the Parliament, Széchenyi and a cruise, the 72-hour card saves nothing, because the Parliament is not included and Széchenyi is only 20 percent off. A visitor who adds three or four paid museums or Lukács Bath comes out 10,000 HUF or more ahead.
What is free with the Budapest Card?#
Public transport, one sightseeing cruise from four operators, Lukács Bath, guided walking tours in Pest and Buda, the Zugliget Chairlift, Pál-völgyi Cave and more than 30 museums, including the Hungarian National Gallery, the Castle Museum, St Stephen’s Hall, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Hungarian National Museum, Memento Park and the Citadella exhibition.
Does the Budapest Card include the Parliament?#
No. The Parliament tour is not on the Budapest Card’s official partner list, and neither are Fisherman’s Bastion, Matthias Church, the House of Terror or the Opera tour. Parliament tickets must be booked separately.
Is the airport bus included in the Budapest Card?#
Only with the 72-hour Plus card, which includes a 100E round trip, or the Flexi if you choose the 100E as one of its five free items. The standard Budapest Card is not valid on the 100E Airport Express, but it does cover the slower 200E bus and metro route.
Is there a Budapest Card for children or students?#
No. BKK sells no child or student version of the Budapest Card, so everyone pays the adult price. Families and students usually do better with a travelcard and reduced-price museum tickets.
Is the Budapest Card better than a travelcard?#
For transport alone, no. A 72-hour BKK travelcard costs 5,750 HUF against 29,990 HUF for the 72-hour Budapest Card. The card only wins if the museums, cruise and bath it includes are worth more than the difference, about 24,000 HUF over three days.
Where do you buy the Budapest Card?#
Buy it online at bkk.hu or at BKK customer centres. An online purchase gives you a voucher that you exchange for the card at a BKK customer centre, including the airport, or at any BKK ticket machine. The card is personal and starts at the date and time you write on it.
Last verified: 16 October 2026. Prices and timetables change, so confirm with the operator before booking.
