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Hungarian Parliament Building tour

1-3 Kossuth Lajos tér, Budapest,

Description

The Hungarian Parliament Building (Országház) is the seat of the National Assembly of Hungary and, along the Chain Bridge and Buda Castle, the most recognizable landmark of Budapest. It was designed by architect Imre Steindl in neo-Gothic style at the turn of the 20th century with a symmetrical facade overlooking the Danube River. There are 45mins guided tours organized by the Visitor centre in several languages (Hungarian, English, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish) with audio-guide option available in other languages. The route does include highlights such as the Grand Stairway with its red carpets and granite columns, the Dome Hall where the Hungarian Holy Crown and the Coronation Insignia are kept under watch, the Lounge of the Chamber of the Peers with its impressive hand-knotted carpet, and the Chamber of Peers where the 453 MPs sit.

Access & Transport

The building is on the eastern bank of the river, between the Chain and Margaret bridges. The official entrance however is from the square on the east side (not the riverside) and the visitor centre is on the northern side Metro station Kossuth Lajos (M2 and trams 2, 2B, 2M, 23 + ferry pier) is located on the southern side and the tram stop 'Parliament, Visitor Centre' (2, 2B, 2M, 23) is on the northern one.

Instructions & Recommendations

Make sure to enjoy views of the building from the Buda side in the evening / at night as well; it is impressively lit up. On your way to the tour (or back), you can check out the Shoes on the Danube Bank and can combine a visit of the Parliament building with some time exploring Margaret Island, a 15mins walk away.

Meta review

The building is invariably ranked as the number one sight in Budapest, whether it is guidebooks or travel bloggers and the online reviews also describe the façade as simply magnificent, especially when viewed from Fisherman's Bastion at night. As for the visit, it is described as a little short and expensive considering the duration but what one gets to see is genuinely stunning as well as interesting. Recurring complaints, or just puzzlement, over the tour selection based on language since an audio-guide is used during the tour.

Environmental & Social

The guided tours are not the primary users of the building so we deem this activity environmentally neutral. Part of the city's and country's architectural and artistic heritages.

Conclusion

The Hungarian Parliament Building is one of Europe's most striking buildings and you are bound to see it when visiting Budapest. As for the tour of the interior, it is definitely nice but it is really quite short so, for non-EEA citizens on a tight budget, it is not great value and the decision really depends on personal interests.

Key positive

Stunning exterior and interior

Centrally located with good public transport connectivity

Key negative

Visit is short and expensive

Unnecessarily restrictive language policy for the tours

Suitability

Accessible for wheelchair users (lifts)

About this Rating

TYPE

Onsite

RESEARCHED IN

August 2024

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit

av. transport time:0h 15m

est. visit time:1h

Regulated hours

Start of Season 1:Apr, 01

Season 1

MONDAY08:00 - 18:00

TUESDAY08:00 - 18:00

WEDNESDAY08:00 - 18:00

THURSDAY08:00 - 18:00

FRIDAY08:00 - 18:00

SATURDAY08:00 - 18:00

SUNDAY08:00 - 18:00

Start of Season 2:Nov, 01

Season 2

MONDAY08:00 - 16:00

TUESDAY08:00 - 16:00

WEDNESDAY08:00 - 16:00

THURSDAY08:00 - 16:00

FRIDAY08:00 - 16:00

SATURDAY08:00 - 16:00

SUNDAY08:00 - 16:00

Pricing
There are family ticket options with discount of 30% per person
Age band
Age band
Regular price / pers.
Senior
65 - 99
HUF 12,000
Adult
18 - 64
HUF 12,000
Child
6 - 17
HUF 6,000
Infant
0 - 5
HUF 0
Price for EEA citizens is HUF 6000 / 3000. Student price up to 24yrs is the same as the child price.

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