Buda Castle Buda Castle, Budapest
The buildings of the Buda Castle are currently the home of 3 popular institutes, two historical attractions (Budapest History Museum and St. Stephen’s Hall) and and and one focusing on fine art(the National Gallery). In addition, the Buda Castle Royal Palace is also occupied by the largest Hungarian Library, the Szechenyi National Library in one of the wings.
Basically, inside the wings / buildings of the Castle itself there is no place with free entry, unless you have purchased a Budapest Card for the group. Buda Castle (the Royal Palace) was robbed clean in WW2, it was also bombed, then restored. The building was empty, and these days the city keeps the castle in an excellent condition by generating revenue from tourism, that is the reason why there is no free entry inside (similarly to other attractions in Europe).
One of the highlights of Buda Castle is St. Stephen’s Hall, a beautifully restored part of the Royal Palace. After being damaged in World War II, it has been returned to its former glory and stands as a symbol of Hungary’s royal history. Now part of the Budapest History Museum, visitors can explore its opulence and learn about the royal family. On the Royal Palace Experience tour, visitors can marvel at the opulence of St. Stephen’s Hall and discover the stories of the royal family that once resided here.
Why are there no tours of the labyrinths of Buda Castle available from May 2025 onwards?
We have only two days, Feb 21 and 22 in Budapest. We would very much like to tour inside the Buda castle including entry into St Steven’s Hall and also to tour the nearby church. There are two of us; we are here for first time from Canada. Do you have any tours available (even if private)? We have not been able to find a tour with two spots available that can be booked on such short notice.
Hello Helena,
Thank you for your kind email regarding the available Buda Castle District tours with Matthias Church visit.
Please let us know which hours would be working for you on Feb 21 or 22, and what would be the ideal vs. the max. budget (without entries).
There are tours available so we would be more than happy to offer you the available options based on your preferences.
3-5 pm Castle & Church Tour is available for Feb 21 only https://budacastlebudapest.com/buda-castle-matthias-church-tour/
The Museum would be available only before this tour as the last entry to the museum inside the Royal Palace is before 5pm.
Please let me know if this arrangement works for you. If yes, please feel free to book the public Castle District & Church tour.
Entry inside the Royal Palace should be paid separately, if this arrangements suits you, kindly contact us asap due to the last minute time slots.
We suggest booking for Feb 21 at 1 pm or 1.30 pm to have at least an hour to explore the Palace inside and also to have half an hour between the guided Castle District and Church tour.
Please let me know if you have any questions or if you would rather choose a different date or tour. For a faster communication, please send us an email to avoid latency.