For an affordable guided tour you can use your smartphone in and around Szechenyi Baths, Budapest.
Guided tours are not available in 2024.
Without Bath TicketThe audio guided tour (downloaded on your mobile as an app) does not require a bath entry to the thermal baths. With the tour, you will only access the spa baths sections where visitors can get free public access (the non-bathing areas, i.e. the main halls on both sides).
With Bath TicketWith Bath Ticket: If you wish to explore the spa complex inside, you can choose to use the full day bath entry to its fullest, or use the ticket for a quick look around as a visitor. Whichever you prefer, you can access the interior facilities at your own pace with a bath ticket. Once you are inside, you will need to get changed into swim wear, but there is no need to swim if you only wish to explore the facilities. The guided tour takes you around the City Park, including the baths (no special commentary is made in the bathing areas of the baths).
Booking Guided Tour €10 Booking Mobile Tour €6Explore Budapest’s largest public park, the City Park (in Hungarian: Varosliget), renowned for one of the most popular thermal baths in Europe, the over 100 year old Széchenyi spa baths, the majestic Vajdahunyad Castle, the amazing Ice Rink Palace (hosting a nice cafe and restaurant), its iconic museums, such as the recently built Museum of Ethnography, the House of Music and more.
Uncover the city’s treasures at your leisure, using your smartphone as a personalised guide in this 45 minute succinct guided walking tour.
Budapest City Park is home to several attractions and great museums, including:
Szechenyi Bath: We will start the list with Szechenyi Bath, which attracts millions of visitors a year, for its natural hot spring pools and special wellness.
The bath with its 18 pools, saunas, steam rooms, massages, beer bath, spa parties and more is hugely popular, so if you wish to enjoy quieter spa times, we suggest heading to Gellert Spa or Rudas Bath (both by the Danube in Budapest).
Hot -Air Balloon: The iconic hot-air balloon in the City Park of Budapest can be seen from the pools of Szechenyi Baths. The balloon – run by the City Park – can be tried for a small fee. It is firmly anchored to the ground, so you will not fly around for a gliding city tour, but at its highest point, it serves as an elevated vantage point adjacent to the Széchenyi Thermal Bath, positioned atop the park’s Mimosa Hill and surrounded by over 10,000 square meters of meticulously restored greenery. The basket can accommodate up to 30 passengers. Taking a hot-air balloon ride is a good opportunity if you have always wanted to get a feel for a hot-air balloon, or enjoy an off the beaten track serene experience to appreciate the world from above.
The Millennium Monument: The Millennium Monument is a prominent landmark located in Heroes’ Square in the City Park in Budapest, which was built to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of the foundation of Hungary in 1896.
The monument serves as a tribute to the country’s history and its significant leaders and events. The highest point of the monument is a single column with Archangel Gabriel at its top, who holds the Hungarian Holy Crown and the double cross of Christianity. The spacious Heroes’ Square often sees festivals, as well as occasional protests (on national holidays). Surrounding the column are a series of statues of prominent historical figures, including Hungarian kings, rulers, and important national leaders.
Budapest Zoo: The Art Nouveau Budapest Zoo is a traditional zoo, soon to be developed into a more modern animal and habitat care complex with vast domes (like the ones in Eden Project, UK).
The Budapest Zoo is one of the oldest zoos, not only in Europe but also in the world, with a history dating back to its founding in 1866. It is considered a historical landmark in the city. The complex has a significant architectural appeal featuring 19th century organic designs, including the iconic Art Nouveau Elephant House. The Zoo houses a wide variety of animals, rare and endangered species included, pandas, Komodo dragons, rhinoceroses, and many others. The Zoo is also a botanical garden (receiving its recycled waters from Szechenyi Bath). The designs of the huge biodomes (biome structures) will (when finished) house a diverse collection of plants from different climates to promote environmental awareness, education, and sustainability.
Booking Guided Tour €10 Booking Mobile Tour €6
Museum of Fine Arts (Szepmuveszeti Muzeum): This museum features an impressive collection of Antiquities (Egyptian and Classical) with interactive, family friendly displays, as well as a large collection of European art (paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings), including works by renowned artists such as Rembrandt, Rubens, and Titian. We would suggest the gift shop for quality Hungarian gifts for arts lovers. The Fine Art Bistro in the underground section of the museum requires a museum entry.
Museum of Hungarian Folk Art: shaped like a gigantic skateboard rink, the Museum of Ethnography displays a large collection of Hungarian folk art: pottery, clothes (inspiring modern fashion), everyday items (including tools of cookery, farming, etc.), and even some architectural elements characteristic of some of the best Hungarian folk motifs (e.g. a wooden gate).
The building was voted the world’s best public building in 2018 at the prestigious International Property Awards and won the Best Architecture prize. Its bow tie shape allows the top to be covered with lawn and trees, offering great photo opportunities in a unique place in Budapest. For an affordable and appetising lunch in the City Park, we suggest joining the queues of locals at the self service cafeteria / cafe. Perhaps the best value option in the City Park.
Interactive 3D Model of Budapest City Park: the interactive large scale models are side by side showing the City Park of the past and that of the future (the Liget Project). Claim your free entry upon entering the Museum of Ethnography in the City Park (the admission is only free to the 3D Model Activity, not the folk art exhibitions).
If you want to learn more details about the City Park highlights, you can hold the ipads in your hand, direct the camera at the miniature model buildings on the gigantic 3D printed model and get some more information about the City Park highlights. The exhibition is located inside the Museum of Ethnography and can be visited free of charge.
House of Music: the recent addition (2022) to the City Park was designed by the acclaimed Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto. It is light, airy, playful and fits well in the surrounding park with its century old plane trees. There is a beautiful restaurant with a peaceful terrace in fair weather. Outside the house, you can try the interactive music playground: make music with stepping on stones, jumping, drumming etc. The House of Music is dedicated to musical history, education, and sharing the rich musical heritage of Hungary (Bartok, Kodaly, Ligeti, Franz Liszt, etc.). Fujimoto’s design was included in CNN and the World Architecture Community’s list of the top ten most highly anticipated new buildings of 2021.
Booking Guided Tour €10 Booking Mobile Tour €6
Ice Rink Palace: the white palace sits by the artificial lake of the Budapest City Park (ice rink in winter months, rowing boat in warmer months). The Palace is favoured among couples as a wedding scene, along with the Vajdahunyad Castle sitting on the opposite side of the lake. Inside, you can relax with a nice cup of tea or coffee, or enjoy hot meals in the restaurant in a traditional 19th century interior with a nostalgic vibe.
Hungarian Hall of Art (Mucsarnok): The Art Hall has a stunning architecture with beautiful decor. Currently the building hosts various temporary exhibitions, showcasing contemporary and modern art from both Hungarian and international artists.
Grand Playground in City Park: Budapest has definitely got its best playground when the Balloon Park opened its gates. Multiple playground structures, trampolines, sand pits, swings, water activities, towers, obstacle courses, treetop climbing frames and more. A marvellous time for families in Budapest City Park.
Booking Guided Tour €10 Booking Mobile Tour €6Before making the booking please make sure that you understand that the bath entry is not included, only the public areas will be accessed during the audio tour.
The City Park has many other attractions not featured above, e.g. the Circus building, the Rose Garden, the Hungarian Agricultural Museum (inside the Vajdahunyad Castle with permanent and temp exhibitions), the Statue of Anonymous (a hooded statue of a medieval chronicler, Anonym), the Millennium House (with beautiful Zsolnay ceramics and a fascinating restaurant), the 1956 Monument, etc.
The park features an elastic track for running, multiple fitness and wellness facilities, fountains, wells (pet wells too), chess boards, basketball pitch, table tennis etc. If you are into specialty vehicles, you can get on the over 100 year old millennial underground (stop right next to Szechenyi Bath) or the characteristic red electric trolley bus. There are multiple cafes and restaurants offering drinks and foods of various types and prices in the Varosliget City Park (Piknik Kert Cafe, Zold Kullo Cafe Bistro and Pantlika Cafe are best from spring to autumn as they are relying mostly on open air terraces).
Kindly note that the Museum of Transportation has been moved to a new site (out of the City Park).
Last updated: Jan , 2024
