The funicular is shut: how to get up

When is the Buda Castle Funicular closed in 2026?

From 5 to 16 October, from 20 to 24 April, and on two Mondays in most months.

The funicular has two long maintenance stops each year, one in spring and one in autumn. On top of that it closes on Mondays in odd-numbered weeks, unless the Monday is a public holiday. BKV publishes the full list of dates, and the Hungarian BKK page carries the same October notice.

For the rest of 2026 that leaves five Monday closures: 2, 16 and 30 November, 14 and 28 December. Monday is also the day the Hungarian National Gallery and the Castle Museum close, so a Monday on the hill is the weakest day of the week anyway. The grounds, the courtyards and the lower terraces of Fisherman's Bastion stay open around the clock.

How much does the funicular cost in 2026?

HUF 4,500 one way and HUF 5,500 return for adults, nine times the price of a bus ticket.

Prices on the BKV fare table are HUF 4,500 one way and HUF 5,500 return, with children aged 3 to 14 at HUF 2,000 and 3,000. Under 3 ride free. Since 1 February 2026 there is a half-price ticket for people with a Hungarian address card, sold only at the counter, and no pensioner discount at all. Holders of the Budapest Card Plus ride free both ways; the standard Budapest Card does not cover it.

Tickets are sold at the stations and online at siklojegy.hu, where a convenience fee may apply. They are valid for a year, which means a ticket bought for the closed fortnight still works later. Our view: the ride is short, and the view from the cabin is lovely but brief. Do it once, downhill at dusk, if you want the photo. Go up by bus.

Which bus goes up to Buda Castle?

Bus 16 from Deák Ferenc tér, or 16A and 116 from Széll Kálmán tér. All three stop at Dísz tér, a short walk from the palace and the church.

Bus 16 is the one most visitors want. It starts at Deák Ferenc tér in Pest, crosses the Chain Bridge, stops at Clark Ádám tér next to the dead funicular, and climbs to Dísz tér, the square between the Royal Palace and Matthias Church. Buses 16A and 116 start at Széll Kálmán tér (metro M2) and also reach Dísz tér; they are the better pick if you are staying on the Buda side.

A single ticket costs HUF 500 from a machine or the BudapestGO app and HUF 700 if bought from the driver, per the BKK price list. If you take more than four rides in a day, the 24-hour travelcard at HUF 2,750 pays for itself. The small buses fill up fast between 10:00 and 15:00. Board at the first stop, or go before 10:00.

Where are the free lifts at the Várkert Bazár?

Inside the Castle Garden Bazaar on the Danube bank at Ybl Miklós tér: an escalator and a lift run up the slope toward the palace, free of charge.

The Várkert Bazár, the restored neo-Renaissance garden complex below the palace, hides the best free shortcut on the hill. Walk in from Ybl Miklós tér, go through the arcades and the garden, and the escalator takes you up the steepest part of the slope. A lift runs beside it for wheelchairs, prams and suitcases. From the top it is a few minutes on foot to the palace courtyards and the terrace by the National Gallery.

Trams 19 and 41 stop right outside, at Várkert Bazár. This is the step-free route on Castle Hill, and on closure days it is the one we would use with children or bags. If step-free access matters, check the Várkert Bazár site on the morning of your visit, since lifts do break down.

Can you walk up to Buda Castle?

Yes. The three paths take 10 to 20 minutes, and one starts right next to the funicular.

From Clark Ádám tér, a stepped footpath climbs beside the funicular track to Szent György tér at the top. Count 10 to 15 minutes at a steady pace. It is the direct replacement for the ride, and you get the same view in slow motion.

From Széll Kálmán tér, walk up Várfok utca to the Vienna Gate (Bécsi kapu) at the north end of the hill: about 15 minutes on a gentle slope, then flat streets to Matthias Church. From Batthyány tér on the Danube, steps and lanes rise via Corvin tér to the foot of Fisherman's Bastion in about 15 minutes. That is the side the tip-based castle walk climbs, since it meets at Batthyány tér. More routes, with maps and timings, are in our guide to getting to Buda Castle.

Does the closure change any tours?

No. Every Castle Hill walk meets on top of the hill or walks up, and none of them included the funicular ride.

The official castle walk with St Stephen's Hall meets on the Savoy Terrace at Szent György tér 2, the square where the funicular arrives. On closure days, take bus 16 to Dísz tér and walk three minutes south, or use the path from Clark Ádám tér. Allow 25 minutes from Deák Ferenc tér: the hall is timed entry and latecomers are refused.

The budget Castle District walk meets at the Holy Trinity Column by Matthias Church, one stop further on line 16. None of these tours includes transport up the hill, and none of them ever did. For door prices once you are up there, see Buda Castle tickets and prices.

Meet at the top of the funicular, then a guided castle walk and timed entry to St Stephen's Hall. Bus 16 gets you there while the Sikló is shut.

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