Enjoy a lovely buffet dinner on the river Danube in the heart of Budapest while taking in the fascinating riverside attractions, also part of the UNESCO World Heritage.
Budapest Dinner Cruise & Gypsy Band
This programme will be available with a 4-Course Served Dinner from Jul 20th, 2026
One of the most popular options to enjoy a relaxing evening in Budapest is to take part in the popular Budapest buffet dinner cruise. The sightseeing cruise is from 7 pm with live music – boarding from 6.30 pm. Buffet dinner is included in the price along with a welcome drink.
Buffet Dinner Cruise & Gypsy Band
The Budapest Buffet Dinner Cruise fee includes the following:
- Sightseeing on the river Danube in Budapest city
- 6.30 pm – 7 pm Boarding
- 7 pm – 8.30 pm Danube Program & Live Music with top attractions
- Actual cruising: 1.5 hour
- Buffet Dinner – self served all inclusive starters, salads, mains, sides, desserts – please reserve in advance
- Welcome Drink
- additional drinks available for purchase at the Boat Bar (pay as you order)
- Gypsy Trio Band playing live salon music & Folk Dancers
- Wine Dinner also available on cruise
- Student / Child/ Pensioner discount available
- Free for children under 6 of age
- E-Ticket via email (no printing needed)
- 8.30 pm End of Programme at Central Dock, by Chain Bridge
Prices of 7 pm Cruise & Gypsy Band:
The price of the Dinner Cruise & Gypsy Band is very reasonable :
- 79 Euro for Adults with Dinner and Welcome Drink
- 75 Euro for Students with Dinner and Welcome Drink
- 75 Euro for Seniors (65+) with Dinner and Welcome Drink
- 45 Euro for Children (6-12y) with Dinner and Welcome Drink
- Children under 6 free of charge
- for group (15+) discounts please send your inquiry to info [at] budapestrivercruise.com
Picture the fairy tale riverfront of Budapest you will see during your dinner cruise: the two banks of the river Danube are spotted with brightly lit churches, the Buda Castle on the Castle Hill, the neo-Gothic turrets of the Hungarian Parliament, the palm leaved Statue of Liberty on the Gellert Hill, the cupolas of the Art Nouveau Gellert Baths, the elegant curves of the Gresham Palace (Fours Seasons Hotel) and the soaring domes of the majestic St Stephens Basilica behind them. You will be cruising in one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites and one of the twinkling treasure boxes of the river Danube.
Budapest night views are charmingly romantic and breathtakingly beautiful as the city illuminates at night. Besides romance, the city is full of history, and telling tales of the faded glory, traces of the communist past. So your less romantic and more intellectual side can contemplate on the history of a nation, and of human fragility. But fate is the source of true beauty, isn’t it?
Dinner Cruise & Gypsy Band at 7 pm
The 7 pm river cruise includes the river cruise, the dinner, the live music. Dinner cruises are available all year round (the boats are heated in winter time and cooled with AC in summer time).
The program is available from 7 pm, with boarding 30 min prior to the departure (the starting hours are subject to change. If there is a new starting hour, Guests will be contacted possibly 48 hours before the cruise date).
Guests can arrive from 6.30pm, the dinner and live music starts at 7pm. The cruise leaves the dock at 7 pm and and arrives back at 8.30 pm, when the programme ends.
The 7 pm river cruise with optional buffet style dinner runs every day, even on Hungarian national holidays. However, on some of the public holidays like on August 20, at Christmas or at New Year, there are special Danube cruises. Please check our event calendar for the timetable of Budapest cruises.
Delicious Dinner on the Budapest Dinner Cruise
And the palate: the popular Budapest buffet dinner cruises are composed by a one of the well-known chefs of Hungary.
Please see the menu below:
Buffet Dinner Cruise Menu
Welcome Drink
Traditional Hungarian Goulash Soup (LF) (GF)
Seasonal Vegetable Cream Soup (V) (LF)
Roasted Chicken
Hungarian Beef Paprikash with Red Wine (GF)
Vegan Oven-Baked Vegetables (Vn) (GF)
Hungarian Dumplings (Galuska) (V)
Roasted Potatoes with Parsley (GF) (Vegan)
Cucumber Salad (V) (GF)
Somlói Sponge Cake Glass Dessert (V)
Vegan Tapioca Pudding (Vn)
We reserve the right to make seasonal adjustments to the dinner cruise menu and drink list based on the availability of fresh produce and the ongoing evaluation of customer feedback.
(V): Vegetarian
(LF): Lactose Free
(GF): Gluten Free
Please inform the cruise staff of any dietary concerns to ensure your utmost satisfaction and safety.
Special Dietary Needs
Nostalgia Boats with Open Deck (AC in summer, heating in winter time)
Count Szechenyi Event Boat Budapest
The nostalgia boat will take you on one of the finest dinner experiences in Budapest: the night river cruise is 1.5 hours, and you are guaranteed to enjoy every minute of the 90 minute cruise from the Margaret Island down to the Rakoczi Bridge in the south and back to the Chain Bridge.
This well paced boat trip will let you feel the beauty of the night lit Budapest on your skin: the dinner cruise is reported to be the highlight of many tourists’ Budapest visit. If you ask fellow tourists or read dinner cruise reviews, you will hear ‘it was incredible, awesome, fantastic, exciting, romantic, unforgettable’ and most would use the term ‘beautiful’. Beauty indeed.
Count Szechenyi Ship – Danube Cruise Route – Budapest
Embark on a refined river journey aboard the Count Széchenyi, departing from Dock Academy, gracefully nestled beside the iconic Chain Bridge. As the ship glides northward, guests are treated to sweeping views of the Hungarian Parliament’s neo-Gothic façade and the southern tip of Margaret Island, reaching as far as Margaret Bridge, where the vessel performs its first turn.
The cruise then turns south, unfolding a majestic panorama of Buda Castle Royal Palace, the romantic Fisherman’s Bastion, and the gleaming towers of Matthias Church and other panoramic sights of the Buda Castle Hill. The elegant arcades of the Castle Garden Bazaar come into view, followed by a procession of Budapest’s most celebrated bridges, each steeped in history.
As the Count Szechenyi event ship passes beneath the Elizabeth Bridge and Liberty Bridge, the verdant slopes of Gellért Hill rise into view, crowned by the Citadel. At its base lies the historic Gellért Spa, a jewel of Hungarian Art Nouveau. The cruise continues as far as the Petofi Bridge, where it gently turns once more.
On the return north, the skyline reveals the contemporary curves of the Whale Building (Bálna), followed by the stately Pesti Vigadó Concert Hall, a shining example of 19th-century elegance. As twilight deepens, the ship returns to Dock Academy, bringing this unforgettable Danube voyage full circle beneath the Chain Bridge’s luminous span.
Booking the Dinner Cruise with Gypsy Band Online
The 7 pm Dinner & Cruise Budapest night river cruises, which can be reserved through our online booking form (see on the left side), include a gentle ride on the river Danube right in the heart of the city, between Buda and Pest with many of the best sights Budapest can offer: the 19th century palaces, churches, residential houses, historical bridges, the turreted Hungarian Parliament, the green slopes of the Gellert Hill and the Castle Hill with the Buda Castle on top, the bustling bars along the river Danube, etc.).
When are the Budapest dinner river cruises?
Each night, Budapest offers a dinner river cruise of various programs and inclusions. Please check the full range of Budapest Dinner Cruises for further details.
The buffet dinner boats are air-conditioned in the summer, and heated in weather, so the popular river cruises are on program all year round, including holidays.
Port of the dinner Danube river cruise
The meeting point of the Danube river cruise is close to the Chain Bridge, which you usually see on all postcards, just behind the Gresham Palace (the Art Nouveau palace of the Four Seasons Hotel Budapest).
Boarding time is approx. 30 min. before departing.
All the details are sent to cruise guests in the confirmation email. Please read it carefully.
How can I book my Budapest night river cruise?
You can book your Danube river cruise via our online booking forms (see on the left side). Please note that we can only accept registrations with payment, as seats are limited on the cruise ships.
Live Music on the Budapest Dinner Cruises
The performance also features a marvellous original Hungarian instrument, the famous “cimbalom”. The combination of string instruments and the cimbalom provides a uniquely Hungarian, unforgettable harmony and an outstanding atmosphere on-board.
Wish to hear your favourite popular song in a whole new adaptation?
During the performance, guests will have a chance to ask for their favourite songs from the artists to play.
Last updated: Apr 11, 2026
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