Located on opposite sides of the Danube, Buda and Pest each have their own distinctive character and allure. You’ll get a taste of this dynamic capital city with your choice of tours, and visit Budapest’s celebrated Christmas Market—one of the largest in Europe. Christmas has been celebrated in Budapest for a thousand years, since the time of St. Stephen, the king who founded the nation of Hungary and encouraged the spread of Christianity throughout his realm, but the city began as a Roman encampment almost a millennium before that. Over the centuries it was controlled by Germans, Austrians, Ottomans and Communists, all of whom have left traces.
Choice of Budapest city tour with Christmas market or “Do as the Locals Do” Budapest walking tour with Christmas market
Masterpiece Collection
Providing the most all-inclusive luxury to our guests is the heart and soul of our brand and that will never change. Yet sometimes our guests want something that goes even “above and beyond” our included experiences. In light of this, we now offer guests a curated selection of optional excursions, available for an additional charge.
Jewish Budapest
Szentendre artists' village and crafts shopping
Budapest city tour with Christmas market
A panoramic tour will carry you from Heroes’ Square, created in 1896 to honor the thousand-year anniversary of Hungary’s founding and its greatest historical figures, past some of the city’s most striking architectural sights—Dohány Street Synagogue, the Hungarian National Museum, the state opera house, St. Stephen’s Basilica and the truly stunning Parliament Building—to Castle Hill. The city of Buda began here, when King Béla built a strong keep in 1243 as a defense against Mongol invaders. The current castle is primarily 18th-century, and the Castle Hill district has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You’ll go inside the magnificent 700-year-old Matthias Church, named for one of Hungary’s greatest kings, and then wend your way on foot to the picturesque Fisherman’s Bastion, whose seven fairytale-like towers represent the seven tribes that originally settled the region. At Vörösmarty Square you’ll find Budapest’s most celebrated Christmas Market, one of the largest in Eastern Europe. The enticing aromas of cinnamon, baking bread and meats grilling over open fires drift among the 100 or so gaily decorated stalls.
Only the finest Hungarian craftspeople are invited to participate in this market, so you can be assured of finding unique and beautifully made gifts.
Note: Visits to the interior of St. Matthias Church may not be possible on some weekends and Catholic holidays.
“Do as the Locals Do” Budapest walking tour with Christmas market
Hop on the metro with your local guide, rubbing shoulders with residents who are out doing their holiday shopping, to the Fehérvári Street market hall. Three floors of produce and Hungarian specialties—garlands of paprika and sausages, jars of golden honey, the special gold-foil-wrapped candies Hungarians hang on their Christmas trees (and eat one by one until only the empty wrappers deck the tree), goose liver pâté—fill stalls and shelves. If you want to pick up some souvenir foodstuffs, look for those labeled Hungarikim, which must meet strict standards to merit the label. After you leave the market, you’ll head to Szamos Gourmet Palace (getting there will entail a ride on the tram, another linchpin in Budapest’s excellent public transportation system) for a coffee break.
Marzipan is a favorite confection in this city, and Szamos has specialized in making it since the 1930s, so you might want to try some—but the shop’s truffle selection is almost irresistible too. Nearby, you’ll see the famous Vörösmarty Square Christmas Market; spend a little while taking in its delicious aromas and colorful stalls before strolling to quiet Karoly Gardens with your guide for a respite from the holiday bustle. Then ramble down Karoly Boulevard, named for Budapest’s first mayor, to the magnificent Central Market Hall. The oldest, biggest and most diverse of Budapest’s market halls, the Great Market Hall is worth a look just for its splendid tiled roof; the interior, however, is equally dazzling. Explore it on your own, return to the ship with your guide or return to the Vörösmarty Square Christmas Market. If you go back to the Christmas Market, be sure to check out the enchanting gingerbread ornaments decorated with Hungarian folk motifs; in the middle of the square you’ll find a playhouse where children bedeck their own tasty ornaments in workshops during the afternoon. (Feel free to join in and try your hand at creating your own gingerbread ornaments.)
Jewish Budapest
- Duration: 3.5 hours
- Intermediate:
- Transportation:
- Price: $97 pre-purchase / €59 EUR onboard
Coming Soon
*Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences can be added to a booking up to 48 hours prior to the cruise/tour start date if space allows. Some venues are limited in the number of guests they can accommodate. Guests can book onboard (space permitting) and pay in Euros. Pre-booked Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences are refundable up to 48 hours prior to the cruise/tour start date–if inside of 48 hours they are non-refundable. Select Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences require a minimum number of participants and are subject to cancellation (with full refund) if minimum is not met. Gratuities are included. Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences are non-commissionable. Prices are subject to change.
Szentendre artists' village and crafts shopping
- Duration: 3.5 hours
- Intermediate:
- Transportation:
- Price: $121 pre-purchase / €74 EUR onboard
Head to the charming little town of Szentendre, with its well-preserved 17th-century houses and active community of artists and craftspeople. A guide will introduce you to the village’s main street, which is also its primary shopping boulevard. Here you’ll find all the traditional Hungarian arts and crafts you can imagine, including ceramics, hand-embroidered blouses and tablecloths, and wool sweaters, as well as fine Herend porcelain and Tokaji wines. You can then visit either the Margit Kovács Ceramics Museum or the unique Szabo Marzipan Museum, which features a display of the Hungarian Parliament building made entirely out of marzipan.
*Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences can be added to a booking up to 48 hours prior to the cruise/tour start date if space allows. Some venues are limited in the number of guests they can accommodate. Guests can book onboard (space permitting) and pay in Euros. Pre-booked Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences are refundable up to 48 hours prior to the cruise/tour start date–if inside of 48 hours they are non-refundable. Select Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences require a minimum number of participants and are subject to cancellation (with full refund) if minimum is not met. Gratuities are included. Masterpiece Collection Optional Experiences are non-commissionable. Prices are subject to change.