A day trip at Budapest is possible as the public transports are very convenient, especially with its Hop On Hop Off  services. With HUF 4500 (around Euro 16) per pax, we purchased tickets from Giraffe Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Bus and Boat tour. The tour includes:-

• Audio guided in 16 languages - English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Greek, Finnish, Swedish, Dutch, Russian, Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Hebrew and Hungarian.
• Total 21 stops at historical sites and main attractions at Budapest
• Ticket valid for 48 hours, we get to use it for 2 days!
• Free Hop on Hop off Boat sightseeing tour with 3 stops!

It’s ideal for those who don’t enjoy the hassle of walking and navigation with a map in hands, like my mum. So I got her Hop on Hop Off tour and she enjoyed it a lot by just hopping off at each stops at our leisure.

How to Buy Tickets?

• From your hotel concierge
• On the bus at any City Tout Hop on Hop off departure point
• From any uniformed City Tour Hop on Hop off staff, at any information points
• via the internet – www.hoponhopoff.hu
• Travel agencies, and any National Tourism Info Centers

Buying tickets is really easy even if you are staying at guesthouse that does not provide tour package selling services. You can easily bump into Giraffe Hop on Hop off service booth at any touristy spots. My brother sent us to Castle Hill district and we were surprised to see a young lady hang a Giraffe signboard on her body strolling around to sell the tickets. That was how we got our tickets without any effort.

The counter kiosk could be easily spotted at touristy areas.

We completed the whole route with 21 stops in about 4 hours. We then took a free cruise from Vigado square Pier No. 11. The duration for the cruise was 1 hour to allow us to enjoy the spectacular view along Danube River at a relaxing pace.

No, it’s not Giraffe boat, giraffe boat is a lot smaller than this boat. You may opt for nicer cruise that even provides dinner on the boat.

My brother and my mum

There are many cruise services in Budapest.

My next target would be a real Danube River cruise that coils through Germany, Austria, Slovakia,Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania!

A Danube River cruise is the best way to experience the storied landscapes, cultural heritage and centuries-old architecture of Budapest. My favourite architecture has to be Budapest Parliament and Chain Bridge.

Chain Bridge

Budapest Parliament

Random buildings along Danube River

You may refer to the timetable below to plan your route. Most of the boats end at 17:00 so do not leave the boat ride until evening. We made a mistake by missing 17:00 boat and had to wait for 2 hours to catch 19:00 boat at Pier No. 11.  19:00 and 22:00 boats are non-stop boats, so it departs and arrives at the same pier.

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