Budapest parliament visit with tour guide

The first time I visited Budapest I was shocked by its monumentalism. The city is a parade of spectacular monuments that truly give the idea of the importance of this Central Eastern European capital.

From the breathtaking Castle of Buda, to the famous Fisherman’s Bastion and the iconic Chain Bridge, the whole city screams imperialism! And the most striking building of all is the Parliament building on the the Pest side of the Chain Bridge. With its astonishing Gothic revival architecture, it’s impossible not to have your breath taken away by this building!

I still don’t know if it’s more breathtaking during daytime or when it’s lit up with those golden colors at night. What do you think? Not only is the outside beautiful, visiting inside is a must! You can’t miss out on the guided tour. I fell in love with our guide, such great insights on the history of this stunning country and such passion when giving us the tour!

budapest parliament visit with tour guide

The Hungarian Parliament building is the third largest parliament building in the world and definitely one of the most beautiful. Imre Steindl, the renowned Hungarian architect who designed the building, was inspired by London’s Westminster Palace.

The parliament features 691 rooms and is decorated with 40 kg of 23-carat gold. Construction of the building began in 1885 and the building was completed in 1902 as part of the independence of Hungary from Austria.

During the guided tour you’ll admire the wonderful staircase and the great vaulted hall, you’ll see the Hungarian Crown Jewels and the Hungarian Holy Crown. Keep in mind that you may not take pictures everywhere.

The building was also heavily shelled during WWII and was later reconstructed. Don’t miss out on the free exposition after the tour!

TIPS:

You can purchase your tour tickets either online by clicking here, or you can directly purchase the tickets at the ticket office at the Visitor Center of the Parliament building.

I suggest you purchase them online a few days in advance as there may not be any spots left on your desired tour.

The tours are in different languages and you are given a head set to follow the guide. Make sure to print your tickets if you purchase them online and to arrive 15 minutes before the start of the tour.

P.S. Funny thing, we couldn’t find the Visitor Center at the beginning and asked for directions and one man told us that his hotel said that you couldn’t visit the building on Sundays. It was not true! You can visit Monday – Sunday unless there are parliamentary sessions. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise!

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