While the evening of December 24 is mostly quiet in the city of Budapest, as Hungarian families are celebrating the eve with their families, we invite you to spend a splendid evening on the Christmas Eve Budapest river cruise with Buffet Dinner, live music and a beautiful, 2 hour cruise on the river Danube!
Budapest Christmas Eve Cruise Europa Ship
The Budapest Christmas river cruises will run throughout the Christmas holidays in Hungary, on Dec 24, Dec 25 and Dec 26 too, while the daily cruises run throughout December from Monday to Sunday, as seen in our Budapest Winter Cruise Calendar.
Christmas Cruise in Budapest 2019
Here are the details of the Budapest river cruise on Christmas Eve (Dec 24, 2019):
Inclusions:
- 2 Hour Cruise: in the evening there will be 2 cruise ships offering Buffet Dinner with Gypsy Music. Christmas Eve cruise from 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm, or 9.30 pm to 11.30 pm. You can enjoy a 2 hour river Danube cruise along the UNESCO World Heritage site, and the beautiful historical sights illuminated at night: sightseeing in style on Xmas Eve!
- Christmas Dinner on the boat: Buffet style Dinner with multiple options for Soups, Starters, Main Courses, Sides, Desserts, catering for meat lovers and vegetarians alike. All inclusive meals on the Christmas boat.
- Wine & Water: 1 Welcome Drink, 1 glass of Hungarian wine (you can replace it with a soft drink) + 1 bottle of mineral water
- Live music performed by award winning Hungarian Gypsy musicians
- E-Ticket via email (no printing needed)
Christmas Cruise with Gypsy Music
Prices of the Christmas Eve Dinner Cruise
- Price with Dinner – Full Price: 65 Euro. Booking via our online booking form (Pre-booking cruise deals for 2019)
- Price with Dinner – Student Discount: 58 Euro. Booking via our internet reservation form. (Pre-booking cruise deals for 2019)
- Children ticket – Unfortunately there is no special children price or free ticket for children on this special program. For children, please book Student tickets.
Booking 2019 Budapest Xmas Eve Cruise
Booking is via our online system with PayPal account or Bank Card or Credit Card (see the form on the left side)
Note: booking in advance is the only way to make sure you will get a seat on the Budapest Christmas Eve boat, which is one of our most popular cruises in a year (along with the Fireworks Cruise). There are very few things to do on Dec 24 in Budapest (see Budapest Christmas for more info), and we usually fill our places on our festive Xmas Eve river cruise by December 20. After Dec 20, please email us to check available seats and cruises: info [at] budapestrivercruise.com. Merry Christmas!
2019 Christmas Cruises in Budapest: Day & Evening Cruises
Christmas Cruise Budapest
The date of the cruise and the time of departure is the following:
- 5.30 pm 24 December, 2019
- 9.30 pm 24 December, 2019
- Daytime cruises: please check our Budapest Winter Cruise Calendar. Most cruises are available and will be full house during the festive period.
Timing for the 5.30 pm Christmas Cruise
- Boarding the ship is from 5 pm to 5.30 pm (please arrive on time at the meeting point specified in your cruise ticket / confirmation email)
- Departure of the ship is at 5:30 pm from the city center
- Cruising time on the river Danube: 2 hours, from north to south in Budapest, then back to the pier
- Arrival of the ship in the city center is at 19:30 pm.
Christmas Cruise on River Danube
Timing for the 9.30 pm Christmas Cruise
- Boarding the ship is from 9 pm to 9.30 pm (please arrive at 9 pm at the meeting point specified in your cruise ticket / confirmation email)
- Departure of the ship is at 9.30 pm from the city center
- Cruising time on the river Danube: 2 hours, from north to south in Budapest, then back to the pier
- Arrival of the ship in the city center is at 11.30 pm.
Sights & Lights from the Xmas River Boat
Although the river Danube flows through or by many countries and even four capital cities (like Vienna, Bratislava), only in Budapest can you enjoy such spectacular attractions glowing in the night with festive lights. Are we biased? No, we are not. Our proof: the UNESCO World Heritage site appreciation.
Budapest is the only city along the river Danube that has been awarded the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage title for its Danube panorama. A perfect Christmas gift on a Budapest winter holiday.
While the Danube actually flows outside Vienna (but you can cruise the canal), and past by Bratislava, in Budapest the river is the focal point of the city, dividing the Hungarian capital into he Buda side with the Castle and hills, and the Pest side with the Hungarian Parliament, the St Stephen Cathedral, the Gresham Palace, the Great Market Hall, etc.
The boat is of course heated, but if you want to admire the Budapest winter panorama from the open upper deck of the ship, you can. However, for standing on the upper deck in the open air we recommend bringing a warm winter coat and hat, as winters in Budapest are quite cold, often going below the freezing point (0 degrees Celsius / 32 degrees Fahrenheit). Staying inside the warm ship, in a Christmas ship is special. And we will do everything we can to give you the best possible Xmas Eve cruise in Budapest.
As you can expect, during the Christmas holidays this is one of our most popular special Danube cruises in Budapest, which we launch on special days as follows:
Christmas cruise in Budapest on December 24
Budapest Night Cruise photo by Jay Allen
Our Christmas Eve boat tours are unique, and will make your Holy night festive with one of the most beautiful panoramas in the world in the heart of Budapest, Hungary.
Besides the evening cruises (6 pm, 9 pm), we can also offer sightseeing day cruises. Please check our Budapest Winter Cruise Calendar. Most cruises are available and will be full house during the festive period.
Christmas Day Cruise in Budapest on December 25
On Christmas Day there are Christmas river cruises in the evening as well as during the day time, due to the high demand. Lengths, docks, inclusions of the Christmas cruises differ. Please check the program description and booking form for prices, inclusions, duration, and more.
Christmas Cruise in Budapest on December 26
Budapest Dec 24 Cruise
The Boxing Day Danube cruises will be available as usual: day cruises and evening cruises. We strongly recommend the evening cruises for their enhanced beauty (the night illuminations are amazing): the Danube night cruises in Budapest are at 7pm, and then at 10pm for late night boat tours. No Christmas surcharge, or extra prices on Dec 26! You can also opt for a drink only river cruise to save some Euro / Forint on your boat trip, as the dinner is optional on the Budapest Dinner Danube cruises.
New Year Cruises in Budapest
Budapest Cruises photo by Martha de Jong-Lantink
New Year’s Eve cruise in Budapest on December 31: this VIP party tour is a special all night river cruise and night party, and can only be booked in advance. No river cruise bookings on the spot in Budapest, sorry.
New Year’s Day cruise in Budapest on January 1: on New Years Day we run two Danube river cruises due to the high demand. One of the boat tours starts at 7 pm while the late night river boat tour starts at 10 pm. Both are 90 minute dinner cruises on the Danube.
The salon music on the river cruise is performed by 3 members of the Zoltán Kodály Awarded Rajkó Folk Orchestra.
Christmas Eve Dinner Menu on the River Cruise, Budapest
Christmas Cruise Budapest
The Christmas Dinner is made by Hungary’s well known chef, Attila Tanacs, so your Dinner will be romantic, hearty, and full of the local flavors. The dinner on December 24 will reflect some of the culinary traditions of Hungarians at Christmas time, and also include some of the typical Hungarian meals.
Soups
- Goulash Soup: Alföld style Goulash with Soup Noodles
- Vegetable soup: Tarragon Vegetable Soup with Noodles
Although many Hungarian families eat traditional Hungarian fish soup at Christmas, as it is made of carp, many tourists find it strange, while some rave about it. In light of this, we have decided to offer the classic Hungarian goulash soup (which is unlike a dense stew, and more like a rich soup in Hungary), and a lovely vegetable soup suitable for vegetarians. However, we recommend tasting the fish soup in one of the Hungarian restaurants in Budapest if you want to try the Christmas soup of Hungary.
Main courses
- Roasted Sea Fish with Chardonney Sauce
- Roasted Chicken Breast with Basil – Cheese Sauce
- Spicy Pork Rib with Thyme
- Chicken Leg Paprika: Chicken Legs stewed in Paprika Sauce
- Stuffed Cabbage: mini cabbage wraps with spiced minced meat and rice inside
Stuffed cabbage Hungarian Christmas dish – blese photography (pork & rice with herbs wrapped in cabbage leaves)
Stuffed cabbage is a very traditional winter meal in Hungary, and most Hungarians also eat stuffed cabbage at Christmas. On our river cruise you can try this delicious meat wrap in miniature versions. The average size of stuffed cabbage in Hungary is almost like a female fist.
Turkey dishes have been on the Xmas dinner table for many decades in Hungarian families, especially where pork has been gradually replaced by more healthy turkey dishes. This is a decisive trend in Hungarian cuisine in the last 20-30 years that pork based meals are often replaced with poultry.
Side dishes
- Potato Langos (the classic Hungarian snack, often called fried bread or the Hungarian pizza)
- Dumplings
- Boiled Potatoes
- Steamed Jasmine Rice with Corn
Somloi Galuska – sponge cake, Hungarian dessert -Szilard Szakacs Photography
Vegetarian Meals
- Grilled Polenta Terrine with Feta Cheese
- Grilled Vegetables
- Home made Dumplings with Spinach and Mushroom Sauce
Salads
- Corn Salad in Dill and Yoghurt dressing
- Vinaigrette Potato Salad
- Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream Dressing (again, something typical Hungarian, eaten simultaneously with meat based dishes)
- Caesar Salad
Hungarian Wine included – Kristof Borkowski Photography
Desserts
- Somló style Sponge Cake Pudding (i.e. Somloi Galuska) – sponge cake with rum and fruit filling, topped with chocolate cream and vanilla cream
- Mini Tiramisu cup
- Blueberry Fruit Cream with Chocolate Sponge Cake
- Chocolate Mousse
Drinks
- 1 Glass of Wine (or Juice) – included in the Dinner Cruise Price
- 1 Bottled Water – included in the Dinner Cruise Price
- More Drinks are available in the Drink Bar on a Pay as You Order basis
Hello, me
And my girlfriend are very interested in going tonight at 9pm to the Christmas Eve dinner. However, it is not clear where the boat departs. Could you please send us the information on that, so that we can proceed with the booking?
Thanks in advance
David
Dear David,
thank you for contacting us.
I have sent you a confirmation email minutes ago with all the necessary info in it.
I will re-send it again.
Wishing you a lovely time on board and a happy Christmas holiday in Budapest.
Hello,
I’m interested in the 60€/pp Christmas eve dinner.
Will there only be a buffet dinner with no food served at the table? Not even main courses and other warm dishes?
Dear Celi,
thank you for your inquiry.
Yes, the Christmas Dinner on this program will be a Buffet style Dinner (not served at the tables) with multiple options for Soups, Starters, Main Courses, Sides, Desserts, catering for meat lovers and vegetarians alike.
Hi, my mom and I would like to join any of your dinner cruises tonight. Preferably the dinner with Piano at either 7pm or 9pm. I’m not sure how to book it through your site though. Is it sold out?
Dear Ann,
I’m afraid they are all sold out. Thank you for your understanding.
Hello,
I would like to book 2 tickets on your Christmas Eve 2020 Dinner and Piano 3 hour Boat tour. But, everything I see says 2019. Are you booking for this Christmas?
Hello Daniel,
Thank you for your Budapest Christmas Cruise inquiry.
We have sent you an email – in short, the Christmas period cruises will be confirmed later on and we would like to kindly ask you to check back late November or early December for the complete range of available cruises.