December 26 is one of the Christmas holidays in Budapest when many places of interest are closed, making it a bit of a challenge to plan a great day. We have collected some ideas and activities for you for Dec 26:

• Bathing the thermal baths in Budapest
• Visiting the churches of Budapest
• Enjoying Classical Concerts & Shows in Budapest
• Taking in the Winter Views in Budapest
• Taking a winter cruise on the Danube in Budapest
• Walking in the winter parks of Budapest

Baths in Budapest on December 26

Szechenyi Baths – open on December 26.

The open air thermal pools give a special winter bath experience.
Usual opening hours from 6 am to 10 pm.

Gellert Spa – open on December 26.

Usual opening hours from 6 am to 8 pm.

Lukacs Baths – open on December 26.

The open air thermal pools give a special winter bath experience.
Usual opening hours from 6 am to 10 pm.
There is free entrance to Lukacs thermal bath with Budapest Card.

The Turkish Baths in Budapest, Kiraly Baths and Rudas Baths are also usually open on Dec 26.

Winter Views in Budapest

Fisherman’s Bastion is a perfect place to take in the beautiful winter views of the UNESCO World Heritage sights in Budapest. The bastion is an open lookout tower with open and roofed terraces and walls. Only the upper towers have coin operated turnstiles, so you can practically see the sights free of charge. There is a beautiful restaurant inside Fisherman’s Bastion, but it is closed on Dec 26.

Citadel on the top of Gellert Hill has also open, free spaces, which provide excellent views over the city. It takes  about 15 minutes to get to the top of the hill. The uphill walk for an average person in good physical condition should not be a problem (wear comfortable shoes).

Christmas Tram in Budapest: every year there is a nicely decorated Christmas streetcar / tram running along by the riverside in Budapest.

For winter walks in the city, put on warm clothes, boots and hat.

Concerts & Shows in Budapest

There are some nice concerts on Dec 26 in Budapest. The classical concerts have already been scheduled, light music concerts are typically scheduled later, in early or mid December.

• 11 am, Dec 26: Nutcracker Ballet Show in the Budapest Opera House
• 6 pm, Dec 26: Nutcracker Ballet Show in the Budapest Opera House
• 7:45 pm, Dec 26: Budapest Festival Orchestra concert in Budapest Congress Centre, with Ivan Fischer: the audience votes which pieces will be played!

Winter Cruise in Budapest on December 26

The early sunset on Dec 26 is around 4 pm, so you can practically see the night lights from a late afternoon cruise on the Danube. There are much fewer cruises in winter in Budapest, and the seats are easily booked up for Dec 26. Reserve in advance while you can. Dinner cruises on the Danube in Budapest are especially popular

2 pm Sightseeing Cruise with Audio Commentary on Danube Bella panorama boat

6:30 pm Sightseeing Cruise with Audio Commentary on Danube Legenda panorama boat

7 pm Dinner Cruise: A La Carte Christmas Dinner Cruise on Legenda Boat (book while you can). 2,5 hour dinner on Danube. The best in cheesy, delicious and sweet category.

7 pm Dinner Cruise: Buffet Style Dinner Christmas Cruise on Millennium Boat. 2 hour dinner on Danube

10 pm Dinner Cruise: Buffet Style Dinner Christmas Cruise on Millennium Boat. 1.5 hour dinner on Danube

Parks in Budapest in Winter

There are two beautiful parks to visit in winter Budapest, one of them is the City Park with several open air attractions to look at, and the other one is the island between Buda and Pest, Margaret Island.

The City Park is the home of special sights, like the Vajdahunyad Castle: the castle is closed on Dec 26, but the gates are not. Take a look around, walk on the grounds, see the beautiful hooded statue of the Hungarian chronicler called Anonymous. Opposite the Vajdahunyad Castle, you can see the Ice Rink Palace (the Ice Rink might be open on Dec 26). These sights are a minute only from the Hungarian Millennium Monument on Heroes’ Square, you may already be familiar with from

Margaret Island may not have castles just ruins, but if you love nature in winter, it is a nice and romantic place to feel the fresh air and tranquility.

The entry to Margaret Island is free, the park is open in winter too.

Closed Attractions in Budapest on Dec 26

Museums, galleries, Christmas markets, shops are closed on Dec 26. Many tours in Budapest do not run either.

Major attractions that are closed on Dec 26:

• Budapest Great Market Hall
• Buda Castle (the castle grounds outside are open, but the museums inside are closed)
• National Museum
• Museum of Fine Arts
• National Gallery