Buda Castle Opening Hours

The open air courts, courtyards of the Buda Castle are open day and night, 24/7. On special days, when festivals take place on the Buda Castle courts, the courts are fenced off, and you will need to buy a festival entry to be able to get access to the castle and its attractions.

Opening Hours of the Royal Palace

Daily Opening Times:

Monday: St Stephen’s Hall and History Museum are open, the rest of the museums inside the Buda Castle Royal Palace are closed. However, the Castle District remains open, as well as attractions like the Buda Castle Cave, the Hospital in the Rock Nuclear Bunker, the Matthias Church, the Funicular, etc.
Tuesday – Sunday:  from 10 am to 6 pm (most Castle Hill attractions)

Please be advised that St. Stephen’s Hall, the recently refurbished wing of the Castle Museum, will undergo routine upkeep from March 16 to March 31, 2025, in preparation for its reopening on April 1. During this period, the rest of the Castle Museum, with its diverse halls and extensive exhibitions, will remain open as usual, welcoming visitors daily from 10 am to 6 pm.

Holiday Schedules

Holidays: depending on the holiday some attractions are closed while others are open in the Buda Castle District. For example, March 15, August 20, October 23 are national holidays but the major museums are open. Easter and Christmas holidays may differ from sight to sight, and Castle tour to tour. You can read more about Budapest Christmas and New Year Budapest on the festive city guides.

As the festivals are some of the best in Budapest, and well worth the entry fee, you will not be disappointed. Oftentimes the festival ticket includes free entrance to the buildings of the Buda Castle.

Opening Hours of the Castle Hill Attractions

Currently the Royal Palace (aka the Buda Castle) is the home of the National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum, therefore, the opening hours of the buildings of the Buda Castle is identical with the opening hours of the Gallery and the Museum (as well as the less known Hungarian National Library, which also often features exhibitions).

• National Gallery (inside Castle): Tue-Sun 10 am – 6 pm (closed on Mondays, but often open on national holidays)
• History Museum (inside Castle): Monday – Sunday 10 am – 6 pm
• St Stephen’s Hall Museum (inside Castle): Monday – Sunday 10 am – 6 pm
• Buda Castle Cave/ Labyrinth (in Castle District): open all year round, every day (tour subject to availability)
• Fisherman’s Bastion (in Castle District): open all year round, every day. Walking Tour (value) available every day. From January 2 to May 31. 9:00 am to 7:00 pm// June 1 to September 30 9:00 am to 9:00 pm//
  October 1 to December 23: 9:00 am to 7:00 pm.
• Funicular uphill and downhill the Buda Castle Hill: available all year round (except for odd week maintenance hours on some Mondays). Private Castle Tours with Funicular, Cruise etc. available all year round.
• Matthias Church: open on most days (except for special occasions like weddings, etc.). Matthias Church Tours subject to availability.
• Alexander Presidential Palace: Changing of the Guards – hours seasonally changing, normally on display at weekends (Fri, Sat, Sun)

Opening Hours of the Buda Castle District

Similarly to the Royal Palace, the Buda Castle district itself is open all day and night, at least regarding its streets, courts, and even some of its attractions, like the Fisherman’s Bastion, which is the finest lookout tower (a fairy tale tower complex) in the Buda Castle district. The Buda Castle hilltop, which is called the Buda Castle district makes a nice and romantic Budapest attraction for late night or early dawn walks too.

That being said, most of the castle attractions close at 6 or 8 pm, some of the restaurants and bars stay open until around 11 pm or midnight, and then the castle goes calm and quiet. Indeed, the parties and noisy nightlife of the city of Budapest takes place on the Pest side, while the Buda side, including the Buda Castle district, gets quiet and peaceful.

Last updated, Feb 2025