Summer Danube Brunch Cruise in Budapest

Great experience despite the issue with the timetable

We book a 4pm trip, waited on the pier for 20 minutes and no one showed up. When we rang the help line, we spoke to a really nice lady that apologised and upgraded us to 2 hours evening tour with dinner and drinks. Despite that, we had a great time & enjoyed magnificent views. If it wasn’t for the mix up with the timetable (they canceled the 4pm tour over a year ago yet it’s still available through Viator) we would give it 5 starts.

Danube delight

Relaxing, food was good, staff was friendly and helpful. Great way to see the sites along the river.

1and half hour river cruise

Booked online £8 each 1and half hour cruise well worth the price we could also buy drinks on board very cheap, a slow cruise with commentary on the few sites and bridges etc better to do the cruise on day one to see where you need to go in Budapest to see the sights lovely city

Hidden Budapest!!

We had hotel pick up to take us to meet this cruise and it was spot on in both directions!! Upon arrival we had a short wait before being aloud to board what we thought was our tour vessel, a beautiful old paddle steamer. We were then herded onto a much smaller vessel hitched alongside!! So far not great!! We were shown to our table having been given a glass of fizz and things started to look up!! The table was nicely decked out and we were lucky to have a very cheerful and helpful waiter who brought us a choice of red or white wine. The buffet lunch was served and despite being a little canteeny there was plenty of assorted meat, some fish and two soups. We enjoyed what we ate and were entertained by our waiter as we bought drinks that were not included in the package after he had slipped us an extra glass of free wine! Sadly there was no commentary as we cruised along and, even if there had been , we wouldn’t have seen much as the windows were constantly covered in condensation no matter how often you wiped them 😂 We enjoyed the experience but as a sightseeing expedition it left a lot to be desired!

Average

Arriving on time - we boarded a lovely old river boat only to be hearded onto a smaller modern boat for the 2 hour lunch tour - which they managed to fit in to 1 1/2 hours. The food was set out in warmers. Mostly meat dishes in sauce. Some awful looking fish. Rice veg and potatoes. Salads soup and desserts. All very factory canteen in standard. Packaged sauces and kept warm meats. The soup was the highlight. Nothing local like goulash. If you were able to clear your window to take in the view you had no idea what you were looking at. No map or commentary or information. One gents toilet which seemed to be mostly occupied for long periods by women. A small glass of wine wad included but you have to pay for refills. Average quality. I'm pleased i did this - but won't go again.

Cruise was okay, parking was a bust

The food was okay, nothing to get excited about other than the apple strudel bites. It was very hot on the boat, no ventilation to speak of. The windows weren't opened. We were driving in from Vienna for the cruise, so we needed parking. I was told to park at the university and there wasn't any obvious way to pay for parking, there weren't any signs to such and no signs to requiring a permit. I asked the agency about parking and they said that would be fine. Well we returned to a parking ticket that was as you can imaging 100% in Hungarian. We went on a Friday so we discovered our ticket on a Friday night. No way to pay until Monday, but we'd be three hours away, back in Vienna at a conference. There was an account number listed, but nothing that looked official on the ticket, so we weren't entirely sure it was real. Contacted the touring agency who just said that they were sorry our trip was ending this way. Well we were too. Touring agency did not offer to pay for the ticket we incurred as a result of listening to their advice. We will have to pay through a banking transfer which is going to cost us $50 just for the transfer, not to include the fine. UGH. Not happy at all. I told the touring agency they should make a note about this for future situations and all they could say was that they would try to remember. Really????? UGH, Not happy.

Very enjoyable

Nice boat setup; food of good quality and quantity. A good stock of affordable wines And great views of both sides of the city. Recommended.

10 minute walk to the boat

We booked online and went to Danube Palace. It took a few minutes of looking and asked in a sidewalk restaurant and found the lobby. We got our tickets and we asked to meet at 1:30. The guide arrived at 1:45 and told us it was a 10 minute walk. My mom was with us and in 2 minutes the guide was out of site. My wife ran ahead to let her know that we had a senior citizen with a cane and we had to walk slower. She was not very apologetic We made it to the boat and sat at our table. The drink and buffet lunch was ok... nothing special but the view from the boat was fantastic. The narrative was very good. The only issue was the walk to the boat. We would have taken a taxi when we arrived at 1:00pm instead of waiting to 1:30 to then wait until 1:45 and then walk for 15 minutes. Just saying ... :)

RIVER CRUISE

Made a repeat trip to Budapest and made reservations for a lunch time cruise but was unable to print tickets. Tried a few times but still unable to print. On the day in question I phoned there office to be told they confirmed my booking but I had to collect these from an office within a local hotel. They seemed unwilling to advise me of the pier number or the name of the boat. Although the cruise was enjoyable and the food tasty the lead up to boarding was a farce.

Excellent Cruise and Superb Lunch

We wanted a short cruise on the Danube and decided to include lunch and a glass of wine. Wow, is all we can say...the buffet lunch was amazing, as was the wine and drinks, and service. If we had the time we would have booked their dinner cruise... Highly recommend this tour.

River Cruise

There was a group of men who were trying to make it a rowdy stag party type boat trip, but they were outside and we just shut the glass door so we didn't hear them as much. We missed some of the historical info, though, because of their noise. We had to go out there to get good pics, too. Not sure I would go on this trip again. Hopefully, that doesn't happen often.

Comfortable and quite enjoyable

It was wonderful to see Budapest from the cruise while enjoying a nice buffet. It was fun but the recording of the guide could be a bit louder, we hardly understood anything.

Lunchtime cruise

Not what a expected at all, very disappointing. Recorded voice information which wasn't very informative. We didn't know which side of the river to look. Verypoor

Lunch cruise on the danube budapest

Overall the trip was wirth the money, the views on the boat were amazing! We had lunch included which there was lots to chose from & you could return for as much as you like! Very good choice. The only downfall is that we couldnt hear the commentary as it wasnt very loud & there were a few large parties at the other end of the boat. Would recommend though!

Amazing views

Me and friend took the walk up well worth it the views amazing and the statutes are amazing a must do and it free a landmark you must get up close to

A different lunch

It was a very nice lunch in the Danube with my family. We didn't notice that meeting point was in a building close to the river but it was easy to find them. We have arrived 10 minutes before schedule and on time we have been scored to the Cruise. It was a buffet lunch, really very nice food, and you can eat as much as you want. They include the water and a glass of wine which was good. There is no much more, you can see Budapest from the river and although there is a recorded guide playing in the background, it was not aloud enough to understand. Staff was very nice and polite.

Worthwhile day trip

Excellent way of getting an overview of Budapest's baroque heritage from the Danube. Food was better than anticipated , very efficient service and wine by the bottle available for purchase.

Lovely boat, staff very helpful and...

<p>Lovely boat, staff very helpful and friendly and food was very good 5</p>

This was an excellent tour,<br/> We...

<p>This was an excellent tour,<br/> We were collected by a private taxi on time and was given a great commentary whilst on the way to the vessel.<br/> We were given a glass of champagne on boarding and was shown to our table.<br/> Once we set sail we were offered a free drink either Beer, Wine.<br/> The buffet was quite extensive with varied food on table .<br/> Lots of salad, fresh food and chicken, beef, pork.<br/> The sweets were really good and a great selection.<br/> The tour lasted approx. 1.5 hours and went through 6 bridges with great views of the Parliament buildings, Citadel, Churches etc with running commentary.<br/> I would thoroughly recommend this tour.</p>

AMAZING! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

I cannot give more stars than 5, but if I could I would! That's how amazing this cruise was. We were greeted with a smile and a welcome drink when we boarded the boat. We were then escorted to our table that was nicely decorated. Carbonated and non-carbonated water was placed at each seating. We were then offered a choice of wine, beer, or soda. After that, we were able to go to the buffet table and choose what we wanted to eat. There was ample food and the selection was great! They not only had main courses set out for us, but also soups, breads, and desserts. You could go up there as many times as you wanted, too. At the end of the cruise, a lady came around asking if we would like to try some Hungarian liquors (for an extra fee). Some of them were excellent, others were horrible. Everyone at my table loved the poppyseed liquor. If you're going to do the samples, definitely try that one. It has a rustic chocolate flavor and is smooth going down. Price for this lunch cruise was about USD$50 and well worth every penny! Highly recommended! I also had friends that went on the dinner cruise and they could not stop ranting and raving about their cruise. Next time I go to Budapest I will definitely have to try that one as well.

Excellent trip, we were lucky to...

<p>Excellent trip, we were lucky to have fantastic sunshine which made for some fabulous views of the sites from the boat. The buffet was far better than I had expected, good standard of food which was hot and plentiful. The hosts that guided us from the meeting point to the boat were not overly friendly and did not provide much information however once on the boat our waiter was excellent. There was some commentary in English but this was difficult to hear as they continued to play music at the same time. The cruise was roughly 90 mins in duration as the 20min walk from the meeting point to boat seemed to be part of the 2hr trip. Definitely worth including to get some great views of Budapest.</p>

Pick up and drop off on time and...

<p>Pick up and drop off on time and friendly driver. The cruise itself is good with 2 complimentary drinks and explanatory of each buildings. The ship itself is quite good not very old. Value for money and recommended for those with time constraint.</p>

Excellent food and really interesting...

<p>Excellent food and really interesting. Wish it had been longer</p>

It is a nice cruise, if it's your first...

<p>It is a nice cruise, if it's your first time in Budapest. The lunch was acceptable.</p>

Really a nice lunch ride. Food was...

<p>Really a nice lunch ride. Food was quite good and plentiful. The meeting place was a bit hard to find, and then a half mile walk to the boat. Why not just meet at the boat? Overall a nice way to spend an early afternoon.</p>

Wonderful cruise through downtown on...

<p>Wonderful cruise through downtown on the Danube and enjoying a wonderful Hungarian buffet. The city takes on a completely different look from the water. Not to be missed.</p>

Value for money is excellent, but we...

<p>Value for money is excellent, but we would've liked it more if you could sit outside. We were sitting downstairs in the restaurant and you could look outside well, but it would be much better if we had beter view from upper deck or something. The windows also were scratched and bit dirty, so I couldn't take great photos. The food and service was really nice though, you get A LOT! of food. All in all well worth the money! Not too short not too long.</p>

The river trip cruise was great...

<p>The river trip cruise was great. The fact that I had to run all over to find the main office for the tickets was terrible.<br/> Why couldn't, the trip tickets been available where the cruise originated?</p>

Good traditional food. Two hours was...

<p>Good traditional food. Two hours was not enough...</p>

Great cruise, certainly worth the...

<p>Great cruise, certainly worth the money. Spectacular views and food and service was wonderful. Would definitely recommend this cruise.</p>

Very good 3-course lunch whilst...

<p>Very good 3-course lunch whilst watching the scenery slide by. Could have been a bit longer.</p>

Great way to spend an afternoon, views...

<p>Great way to spend an afternoon, views amazing and food is pretty good too.</p>

My wife and I only had the drinks...

<p>My wife and I only had the drinks option i.e. no lunch. The boat offers some good views but realistically its not much better than what you could get from the shore and bridges. If you're tired of walking, this is a good option. There is no commentary but we looked into other options but could not find a cruise that offered commentary.</p>

This whole experience was...

<p>This whole experience was disappointing! Very unclear as to meeting arrangements, etc. When we boarded the boat we were served our first drink as soon as the boat took off they brought out the second drink. So everyone was sitting there with two drinks - not exactly well-timed. AND, I thought there was supposed to be some sort of guide/commentary, but there was nothing. Definitely a waste of my time and money.</p>

A marvellous little cruise...

<p>A marvellous little cruise, wonderful buffet lunch staff on board were polite and helpful and it was really good value</p>

Very relaxing. Good food. Great views...

<p>Very relaxing. Good food. Great views of the buildings along the Danube.</p>

Really nice and worthy. Perfect...

<p>Really nice and worthy. Perfect duration, good selection of foods and perfect service. I really appreciated the fact they don't put all the people in one room.</p>

This was extremely overpriced for...

<p>This was extremely overpriced for Budapest. We booked before we arrived and before we realized the general cost of things there. Most meals were 15 or less a person. A bottle of champagne at a river side bar was 22 dollars. So even including two alcoholic drinks and a small water did not make this river buffet worth the price. Note: course 1 was two quarter-sized dollops of dips with a few crackers. The buffet did not include a vegetarian entree, so we ate a lot of side dishes like veggies and rice. For the price, it should have included a narration of the sites we were passing, instead we followed along on our own map to know what we were seeing. It was a time saver to eat lunch while passing sites, but I'd recommend checking the prices of cruises when you arrive in Budapest and have a better idea of costs there. This cruise did not fill up it was maybe half full around the American Memorial Day Weekend.</p>

Very nice trip and the food was...

<p>Very nice trip and the food was excellent. You get to see the city from a different perspective</p>

Very lovely experience..... We felt...

<p>Very lovely experience..... We felt pampered all the way! Food was great too. Great value for money!</p>

The meeting point was not very easy...

<p>The meeting point was not very easy to find and was not landmaked properly.<br/> the location could have been better chosen . Guide not very friendly and in fact was rude to my husband.<br/> A disappointing trip.</p>

This was a superb experience - I had...

<p>This was a superb experience - I had a gorgeous view from the window table, There was soft background classical music, no intrusive loud commentary. The food choice was excellent, as was the champagne and wine. Service excellent. This cruise can not be faulted.</p>

Excellent food and nice tour on the...

<p>Excellent food and nice tour on the river. Difficult to hear the information depending on where you sit.</p>

Wonderful food the service was amazing...

<p>Wonderful food the service was amazing the weather was even great.</p>

The cruise was ok.But the view was...

<p>The cruise was ok.But the view was blurred as it was misty and cloudy in the River.Food was ok.<br/> Service on board was good.</p>

Loved this, was a really nice...

<p>Loved this, was a really nice afternoon out. My only wish was if the tour could have had a little more information. The food was delicious and it was nice to try new foods and Hungarian specialties. The wine was pretty expensive but it was a good wine and as the tour was paid for before we left home it didn't seem too bad paying for something nice.</p>

The tour was well organised and on...

<p>The tour was well organised and on time. We chose a lunch tour with buffet lunch. The food was fresh and delicious. We enjoyed the cruise ... it made a nice change from walking everywhere ... and was comfortable and relaxing. The commentary using television screens was adequate, but a person pointing out the sights would have been better allowing questions to be asked. The staff were generous and helpful. I would do it again and happily recommend this tour.</p>

Great value for money! Good choice...

<p>Great value for money! Good choice of food unless you're a vegetarian! which can be enjoyed whilst taking in the stunning views of the city.</p>

Excellent river cruise the food and the...

<p>Excellent river cruise the food and the service was great highly recommended</p>

It was extremely difficult to find...

<p>It was extremely difficult to find the meeting point - your instructions said near the basilica, but didn't say in which direction from there, and it was 4 blocks from the basilica! Please remember that international travelers do not have cell phone service, so if we are walking to the meeting point, which we were, it's impossible for us to use GPS to find it. </p> <p>During the tour, when the recorded announcements were playing, the music was still blaring through the speakers, making it very difficult to understand the explanations of the sights we were seeing along the river.</p> <p>The boat was old and in poor condition. There was very little interaction with the staff, and no way to ask questions about what we were seeing. </p> <p>However, the food was nice.</p>