Budapest is one of the most beautiful, culturally rich cities in the world with a million different ways to experience it. However, while walking tours and bus tours should not be discounted, the most picturesque experience you can have comes by waterway.

A dinner cruise combines the fabulous architecture, culture, and cuisine into one elegant evening perfect for solo travelers, couples, and entire families, alike.

I’ve gone ahead and detailed the 5 top Budapest dinner cruises that are well worth your time and money, right here. Let’s jump right in!

Be sure to see our reviews of Budapest Food Tours and Wine Tours.

Best Dinner Cruises in Budapest

	Budapest Danube River Candlelit Dinner Cruise with Live Music	Budapest Danube Cruise with Buffet Dinner, Performances and Music	Ticket to Széchenyi Spa with Dinner & Cruise Combo Deal
Location:	Budapest, kikötő, es, Jane Haining rkp. 7, 1052	Budapest, Id. Antall József rkp., 1051	Budapest, Széchenyi rkp. 6, 1054
Start:	7:00 PM	7:00 PM	5:00 PM
Duration:	2.5 hours	2 hours	2 hours
Includes:	4-course dinner for adults, 3-course dinner for kids, welcome drink, live music performance, night cruise	Live music entertainment and folklore dance show, Danube cruise, restroom on board, wifi on board, dinner, alcoholic beverages	Live music on boat, dinner, alcoholic beverages, full-day admission to Szechenyi spa with cabin usage, non-guided sightseeing cruise
	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking

Quick Answer: The 5 Best Rated Budapest Dinner Cruises For 2024

1. Budapest Danube River Candlelit Dinner Cruise with Live Music
2. Budapest Danube Cruise with Buffet Dinner, Performances and Music
3. Ticket to Széchenyi Spa with Dinner & Cruise Combo Deal
4. 4 course Dinner Cruise with Operetta and Folk Show
5. 4 course Dinner Cruise with Piano Show

Best Budapest Dinner Cruise Reviews

1. Budapest Danube River Candlelit Dinner Cruise with Live Music

There are many things about this first tour that stood out to me, with one being the fact that it’s one of the few that includes a dedicated children’s option.

The Budapest Danube River Candlelit Dinner Cruise with Live Music cruise is one of the best for families with kids – particularly if they’re younger ones. However, don’t be confused – it’s an absolutely fabulous option for adults looking for a little night out on the town (or river), too!

I’ve gone on enough dinner cruises to be able to say that they vary quite widely in terms of quality, from the cleanliness of the boat to the route taken, to the staff’s attentiveness.

I can attest to this tour knocking it out of the ballpark in every one of those aspects, with the kind staff there to answer any questions we had, even helping us select the best seating at the time of our arrival.

As it did get a bit chilly up at the windows, they even provided us with some cozy blankets to stay comfortable! I appreciated them cruising by a couple of the most popular sights multiple times so everyone could have a chance to get the best view of them and take photos, no matter where we were sitting.

As we took it all in, we got to dine on some fantastic food, making up a delicious 4-course dinner for us adults. Not to mention, I thought it was great for pickier eaters as there was such a nice variety of food and drink offerings.

The entertainment was a pleasant surprise, with 2 incredible live music performers – singers, who made the atmosphere that much more captivating. From the complimentary welcome drink of wine, beer, or champagne, to the amazing level of service for the price, I would recommend this dinner cruise to anybody!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

2. Budapest Danube Cruise with Buffet Dinner, Performances and Music

Next up is the Budapest Danube Cruise with Buffet Dinner, Performances, and Music cruise. If it’s your first time in Budapest, I highly recommend selecting this option!

It perfectly encapsulates the essence of the city, highlighting its incredible history, intricate landmarks, world-class entertainment, and sampling traditional food.

If you have had a busy day packed full of activities and would like a lovely way to enjoy Budapest while winding down a bit, I can’t think of a better activity. Balancing elegance, comfort, and breathtaking views, this activity is a nice way to get a taste of the local environment.

You’ll see most of the most popular tourist spots from a great vantage point, and also get to try foods you may not have ordered on your own in a restaurant.

If you’re a bit nervous about going on a smaller boat, you’ll likely appreciate the fact that this one is quite a large ship! There are a lot of people on board but everything is well-organized, and there is so much space that it never feels cramped or anything like that.

With wifi on board, we were never disconnected from the “outside world” which is nice if you for whatever reason need to contact someone on-shore or share photos and videos in real-time.

The buffet-style dinner with a drink included was a good way to try an array of local dishes without committing to an entire plate of something unknown. The live music from the Hungaria Folk Orchestra was also fantastic, and I thoroughly enjoyed the music while watching the stunning sights glide by us.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

3. Ticket to Széchenyi Spa with Dinner & Cruise Combo Deal

This next tour is quite a bit different from the first two I’ve covered, combining 2 of the most popular Budapest activities into one great-value option!

The Ticket to Szechenyi Spa with Dinner & Cruise Combo Deal is a great way to save some cash, pampering yourself, sightseeing, and enjoying some great local fare. For me, it’s also one of the best date night options – much more entertaining and relaxing than if you were to just go to a fancy ol’ restaurant on-shore.

This tour is also a bit different in that rather than starting at the tour vessel, yours starts at the actual spa, where you’ll check in on your own.

The check-in process was a breeze, and our wristbands included access to a private changing cabin where we showered, safely stored our valuables, then chose one of the various thermal baths.

You can choose between both indoor and outdoor baths, though we were much more partial to the beautiful outdoor pools which were just more pleasant with fresh air.

You can actually stay at the baths for hours, if you’d like, and we were there for a couple, really soaking and relaxing our muscles and getting ready for our cruise! The cruise was just as fun, with clear attention to luxury and even more attention to us!

We sipped on some delicious champagne, though they had a nice selection of wines, beers, and even soft drinks, too. The hot buffet food selection was one of the better buffets I’d tried, and I happily tried just about everything before watching the Hungarian live music performers!

Our riverboat was also stunning, and the amount of photos and videos I have from this cruise clearly reflect that! Please don’t hesitate on taking this one, especially if you need some relaxation in your life!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

4. 4 course Dinner Cruise with Operetta and Folk Show

Have you ever been on a tour somewhere foreign to you and you think to yourself, “Man, I wish that I’d chosen something a bit more ‘authentic’?”.

That’s happened to me quite a few times, where I’m well aware that the tour I’m partaking in is a complete tourist trap filled with information I could pull up with a quick Google search.

Luckily for us, the 4-course Dinner Cruise with Operetta and Folk Show cruise was nothing like that and great for those who are new to Budapest!

This beautiful balance of cultural immersion and amazing river views sets it apart from most river cruises I’ve taken, treating us to quality customer service. It was super easy to arrive to the departure sight, and with a tour time of just 2 hours, it was also easy to fit into our busy schedule.

I’d say this cruise is probably best for those interested in the historical aspect of Budapest, or those who’d like to experience more of its arts scene.

The food was pretty solid, though I’d say that I would have liked to have seen a few more traditional dishes available. You can expect main courses like salmon steaks with chili-mint pea puree, chicken breast, duck leg confit, and the like.

While they weren’t bad at all, it wasn’t exactly what Budapest is known for. However, I really did love the Hungarian folklore aspect, with very talented and experienced dancers who did a great job of involving the crowd members, as well.

The views of the historical landscape at night, with the soft lights glowing off the water were simply magical, and was the cherry on top of an already-great evening.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

5. 4 course Dinner Cruise with Piano Show

I’ll admit that before my first time visiting Budapest, I wasn’t aware of its rich music and arts scene! However, I was quickly educated with the fabulous 4-course Dinner Cruise with Piano Show cruise, which did justice to its top-notch classical music scene, folk traditions, and architecture.

If you’re at all interested in history or the arts, you simply can’t pass this opportunity up! This tour is without a doubt one of the best when it comes to quality, opulence, and overall bang for your buck.

Getting to our vessel was very easy and actually close to our hotel, which made it that much nicer. Upon arrival, the friendly staff was quick to welcome us onboard and escort us to our seats, where we were then offered a tasty welcome drink.

The staff on this tour were some of the friendliest and most professional I’d encountered, offering us additional drinks (for an extra cost) to pair with our dinner.

The 4-course dinner was impeccable and nicely varied, and you could tell that the chef prepared it right there, with fresh flavors and ingredients. As we savored the different dishes, we glided past the glowing skyline, which was particularly enchanting from the river.

After dinner, the fun really began, with incredibly talented dueling pianists, who I probably would have seen even without the cruise aspect! Later on, there was a nice singer who serenaded us as we chatted a bit and looked out over the lovely skyline.

I’d recommend this tour to anyone and everyone – especially if you’re looking to celebrate a special occasion!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience