Free Things to Do in Budapest: What Is Still Free in 2026
Last updated: October 2026
Intro
The Danube embankment, the Chain Bridge, Gellért Hill, Margaret Island, Heroes' Square and the Great Market Hall all cost nothing in 2026. The paid layer is what has moved. The Parliament interior rose on 1 January 2026 to 7,000 Ft for EEA citizens and 14,000 Ft for everyone else, St Stephen's Basilica now charges to enter, and the Fisherman's Bastion takes 1,700 Ft in daytime hours. Prices below were checked in October 2026.
Ciceru's €7 self-guided walk in the Ciceru app starts at the Hungarian Parliament and runs 4 km in about 3 hours, with a story and a quiz question at each of its 7 stops and a free 500 MB global eSIM.
⚡ Quick answer
- Free every day: the Danube embankment, Chain Bridge, Gellért Hill, Margaret Island, Heroes' Square, the Vajdahunyad Castle grounds and the Great Market Hall (closed on public holidays)
- Now paid: the Parliament interior, the Basilica interior, the Fisherman's Bastion in daytime hours and the Buda Castle funicular
- Free days: 15 March, 20 August and 23 October, when the Hungarian National Museum and the Bastion waive their fees. 23 October falls on a Friday in 2026
- Dates quickly: the funicular had a maintenance closure from 5 to 16 October 2026 and shuts on some Mondays, so check before you plan around it
🚫 What is not free any more
Parliament interior. 📍 Tours start from the underground Visitor Centre on the north side of Kossuth Square. 💶 Since 1 January 2026 the price is 7,000 Ft for EEA citizens and 14,000 Ft for non-EEA visitors, up from 6,500 and 13,000 Ft. Students aged 6 to 24 pay half and under-6s are free. The tour lasts 45 minutes. Buy only on the Parliament's official ticket platform, with proof for any discount. Some older guides still quote the 2025 prices.
St Stephen's Basilica interior. 📍 Szent István tér. The Basilica's own visitor page says the most important change is that the church itself now needs a ticket. 🕐 Interior Monday to Saturday 09:00 to 18:00, Sunday 13:00 to 18:00 in the visiting season, and services can change that. The panorama terrace and treasury are separate, daily 09:00 to 19:00. The price sits in an image on the Basilica's page, so check it there before you queue.
Fisherman's Bastion. 📍 Castle Hill. 💶 1,700 Ft, card only, for the upper terraces and towers. 🕐 Ticketed hours are 09:00 to 19:00 for most of the year and 09:00 to 21:00 from 1 June to 30 September. Details in the Castle District section below.
Buda Castle funicular. 📍 Clark Ádám tér. 💶 4,500 Ft one way and 5,500 Ft return, with an online fee of 175 Ft a ticket. 🕐 Daily 08:00 to 22:00, but it closes on Mondays in odd-numbered weeks, and for maintenance from time to time, including 5 to 16 October 2026. The free way up is on foot.
Memento Park. 📍 Out of the centre, on the Buda side. 💶 3,000 Ft for adults. 🕐 Its ticket page gives 10:00 to 18:00 from May to October and 10:00 to 16:00 from November to April, but its visitor page says 10:00 to 17:00, so check on the day.
Millennium Underground (M1). A working metro line, not a free attraction. It needs a BKK ticket validated at the entrance. Fares are in Getting Around Budapest.
🏰 Free in the Castle District and on the hills
Fisherman's Bastion, the lower part or a free day. 📍 Castle Hill, next to Matthias Church. The operator lists the site as open all year, with the fee covering the upper terraces and towers and the lower part accessible without a ticket. It lists no charge outside the ticketed hours either, but it never says so outright, so treat early morning or evening as a likely bonus rather than a promise. It is free all day on 15 March, 20 August, 23 October and from 24 to 31 December.
The Castle District streets. 📍 Around Szentháromság tér. The lanes, squares and the outside of Matthias Church are open to walk. Going inside the church or the museums in the Royal Palace is paid.
Gellért Hill. 📍 Buda side, above the Gellért Hotel. A public hill with paths to the top and wide views over both banks. There is no gate and no ticket. The Gellért bath at the foot has been closed since 1 October 2025, with reopening expected in 2028.
The Citadella and the Liberty Statue. 📍 Top of Gellért Hill. The fortress walls, terrace and statue are outdoors and open to walk around. Anything inside the fortress buildings is a separate visit, so check before you pay for it.
🌉 Free along the Danube
Kossuth Square and the Parliament exterior. 📍 Pest bank, north of the Chain Bridge. The square and the building's facade are open without a ticket, and the building looks best from the Buda embankment or Fisherman's Bastion in the evening. Only the interior tour is paid.
Chain Bridge. 📍 Between Széchenyi István tér on the Pest side and Clark Ádám tér on the Buda side. Pedestrians cross for free. The funicular station sits at the Buda end, which is where the paid shortcut up the hill starts.
Shoes on the Danube Bank. 📍 Pest embankment, a short walk south of Parliament. Iron shoes set along the edge of the river, a memorial to the people shot there in the winter of 1944 to 1945.
The Pest embankment promenade. 📍 From the Chain Bridge towards Elisabeth Bridge. Flat, easy to walk and facing the castle across the water. Benches along the river cost nothing, and the view is best at dusk when the castle is lit.
🏛️ Free in Pest
Great Market Hall. 📍 Vámház körút 1 to 3. 🕐 Monday to Friday 06:00 to 18:00, Saturday 06:00 to 16:00, Sunday 10:00 to 16:00, closed on public holidays, per the operator's page. Entry is free. Many guides still say it shuts on Sundays. Looking costs nothing, and the food stalls upstairs are where money goes.
St Stephen's Basilica square. 📍 Szent István tér. The square and the facade need no ticket. Inside is the paid part, as above.
Szabadság tér. 📍 Liberty Square, between Parliament and the Basilica. An open square with trees and benches, an easy stop between Parliament and the Basilica.
Hungarian National Museum on three free days. 📍 Múzeum körút 14 to 16. 🕐 Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00, ticket office closes 17:00, closed Mondays. The permanent exhibition costs 3,500 Ft normally, and is free for everyone on 15 March, 20 August and 23 October. Hungarian and EEA citizens under 26 also go free on the third Saturday of the month.
🌳 Free green space
Margaret Island. 📍 In the Danube between Margit Bridge and Árpád Bridge. A park on a 2,800-metre-long island, the greenest part of the city per Budapest Info. Walking and sitting cost nothing. Bike hire and the pools on the island do.
Heroes' Square. 📍 At the start of Andrássy út. The Millennium Monument and its statues stand in the open. The Museum of Fine Arts and the Műcsarnok on either side charge.
Vajdahunyad Castle grounds and City Park. 📍 Városliget, behind Heroes' Square. You can walk the grounds and courtyard, and the lake is next door. The museum inside the castle is ticketed, and so is the Széchenyi bath, which is the paid sight here and not a free one.
📅 Free days calendar
- Every day: the embankment, Chain Bridge, the Shoes, Gellért Hill, Margaret Island, Heroes' Square, City Park and the squares
- Daytime, closed on public holidays: Great Market Hall, with shorter hours at weekends
- 15 March, 20 August, 23 October: the National Museum and the Fisherman's Bastion at no charge
- 24 to 31 December: the Fisherman's Bastion at no charge
💶 Worth paying for
The Bastion's 1,700 Ft buys the upper terraces in daytime and nothing more. The view from the lower part and from across the river costs nothing. For the full cost picture, see Budapest on a budget.
❓ FAQ
Is the Fisherman's Bastion free?
Not for the upper terraces in daytime. They cost 1,700 Ft by card between 09:00 and 19:00 (21:00 from 1 June to 30 September). Entry is free on 15 March, 20 August, 23 October and from 24 to 31 December, and the lower part needs no ticket.
Is St Stephen's Basilica free to enter?
No. The Basilica's own visitor page says a ticket is now needed for the church interior, with the panorama terrace and treasury sold separately. The square outside is free.
How much does the Parliament cost in 2026?
7,000 Ft for EEA citizens and 14,000 Ft for non-EEA visitors since 1 January 2026, with half price for students aged 6 to 24 and free entry under 6.
✅ Before you go
Check hours on each venue's own page the week you travel, and check the funicular dates, because it closes for maintenance at times. For the wider picture, start with Budapest Explained, and for getting between these places, see Getting Around Budapest. Ciceru's self-guided walk passes the Hungarian Parliament, Buda Castle, Fisherman's Bastion, Matthias Church, Chain Bridge, Café Gerbeaud and St Stephen's Basilica, with a story and a quiz question at each stop. More at ciceru.com/tours/hungary/budapest.
