Another View Of Budapest
We had 5 days in Budapest. During the day we walked a lot and got to see the city. But we do love to see a city from a different perspective. Sometimes we choose to go high for a panoramic view. Our first stop when we visited Prague was high up in the Petrin Tower to get our bearing on the city. Sometimes we want to see a city from the water. On our visit to the Baltics, we explored Copenhagen and Amsterdam though their canals. But were so glad we got the most magical view with a different perspective on our night Danube River cruise in Budapest.
We love to see a city sparkle at night. When we visited Bangkok in Thailand, our night river cruise gave us our best view of Bangkok. Sometimes we want to see iconic sites in a city at night. The Eiffel Tower is totally different when seen all lit up. The night Danube River cruise in Budapest left us with the images that define Budapest for us.
We Went High At Sunset
Our view of Budapest at night started with a bus trip up to the observation points at Gellert Hill. We got there just before sunset. And had a chance to see three different views over Budapest as the sun went down. We stood under the Liberty Statue that was visible high above Budapest.
It was a magical scene as the sun set over Budapest. As dark set in, the lights came on and the city sparkled.
We could have stayed all night for the view. It would be a great spot to take a picnic and just enjoy the show. But the night Danube River cruise in Budapest gave us a chance to see the city sparkle up close.
Heading For The Danube River In Budapest
The bus took us down to the river. As we drove along the river bank, we got our first view of what was in store for us on our night Danube River cruise in Budapest.
We boarded a small river boat that had been reserved just for our tour group. It was great to have a small boat for our night Danube River cruise in Budapest. Everyone got a seat up on the top deck for the best views. The boat captain moved at a leisurely pace to let us soak in the view.
We left by the Margaret Island and went under the bridge. This was the first of many bridges we went under that night. Each one was interesting in its own way.
We Saw Budapest All Lit Up
The first and last thing we saw was the massive Parliament buildings all lit up. We visited the Parliament buildings during the day and found them to be stunning buildings. But at night they were so much more.
All along the river we saw different church steeples lit up. We may have missed many of the churches during our day tours, but at night each one was a unique sight to see.
And then we saw the castle high on the hill. We could just try to pinpoint the places we saw when we toured the Pest Castle grounds during the day.
A night Danube River cruise in Budapest was a magical way to see this city.
So Many Things To See From The Water
There were so many great sights on our night Danube River cruise in Budapest. High up on the Gellert Hill, we saw the Liberty Statue. The Budapest Cultural Centre provided a contrast with its bright neon colours.
We were certainly not alone when we did our night Danube River cruise in Budapest. Tour boats of all sizes moved up and down the river with us. The Viking River Cruise boats also did their trips on the river. Along the shore, people sat in cafes and restaurants and took in the view.
Don’t Miss A Night Danube River Cruise In Budapest
We spent 5 days wandering around Budapest. There were so many awesome sights to see. But we were glad we headed up on Gellert Hill as the sun set. We got our first view of the city as the lights came on.
But we were even happier we took the night Danube River cruise in Budapest. It gave us a view of Budapest that will forever live in our minds. And in our hearts!
Did you see the sun set over Budapest? Did you do a night Danube River cruise in Budapest? Wasn’t this the most magical view?
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Thank you very much for this. On our five day visit last year there were 6 family members of three different generations all with different agendas, so inevitably we missed an occasional opportunity. Although we loved every minute in Budapest (such a beautiful and vibrant city) we never got to cruise the Danube by night (although we did do the early evening sunset cruise which was almost as good). Seeing everything lit up with your beautiful photos makes those buildings, bridges and monuments so magical and unforgettable. In an already magical and unforgettable place.
Chloe, I am so glad to hear you got to enjoy Budapest. It was at the end of a very long land tour so we probably did not do it the justice it deserved. We definitely want to go back. I am glad our Budapest night cruise added a view that you missed. Sunset and then the night cruise was a magical way to remember Budapest. Maybe you will get back! Linda
Your photos are beautiful. I have never seen Budapest at night like this. I will make sure to look into those cruises next time I go.
Jenny, We were so happy we got to do the night cruise on the Danube. Hope you get to do it if you go back to Budapest. Linda
So cool! Darcee would absolutely love a night Danube River cruise in Budapest! I love all of the night beautiful pictures you were able to get of all the amazing buildings lit up in their finery! We did a similar night cruise in London and I often said the same about how you see the same buildings, churches, and bridges but everything looks different at night with different lights and moonlight!
Eric, We try to get out for a night view to see that contrast whenever we can. The Budapest night river cruise was a spectacular way to see this city. Glad you enjoyed the photos. Linda
We visited Budapest a few years ago and stayed for a week. While some parts of Pest are interesting, we preferred Buda though. From your pics, it looks like the Parliament is more beautiful when seen all lit up at night! Had we known that, we would probably have taken the boat tour at nighttime too, and not during the day.
Mei and Kerstin, We toured on both sides of the Danube and got to see many of the sights during the day. So we were definitely glad we got to see the contrast with a night river cruise. We have had some great night river cruises on our travel. So we often try to do this. Linda
How romantic is that. I love those night pictures of the spires and of Pest Castle. Stunning
Fiona, It was great that we had a very small group. Just for the 14 of us on our tour group. So it was a much more intimate experience. We did love this night view. Linda
Budapest is a fabulous city to explore. You shot some lovely photos of Budapest at night from the water. It reminds me of my visit to Budapest. I visited a few years ago while on a 10-day river cruise. We departed Budapest at night. The sight of the twinkling lights was a magical moment.
Christina, I had always wanted to do a river cruise through Budapest. That must have been a great port stop. We were glad we got to do the night tour. It definitely was a magical moment. Linda
Your suggestion about seeing a city by night is great! And your photos made Budapest sparkle even more.
Carolina, I do love to see how different a city looks at night. Glad to share my great Budapest memories. Linda
I love Budapest and its such an amazing city and I am loving your night photography. I havent done the DAnube cruise yet but it is something I would love to do .
Danik, We were so glad we did the night Danube river cruise. I hope you get to do it if you visit again. Linda
Seeing these stunning pictures at night, I can’t wait to try cruising too when I visit Budapest. You just gave me an amazing idea Linda. Danube River Cruise it is!
Carissa, I am glad I gave you a good idea for something to do in Budapest. We certainly loved this sparkling view of the city! Linda
Those glittering lights look enchanting. I think you’ve captured them pretty well.
I see that you’ll be coming to Japan as well. I highly recommend taking a yakatabune (traditional boat) cruise at night.
Michelle, We loved our night river cruise in Budapest. We love that chance to see a city at night. We are excited about our coming trip to Japan. And will definitely look into a night cruise on a yakatabune. Thanks for the suggestion. Linda
Night time can be one of the best times to see a city as grand as Budapest. With all the lights up, it seems to be in celebratory mode. One of the most underrated of cities in Europe.
Punita, I agree with you about the city looking like it was lit up for a celebration. It was a grand trip down the Danube. So glad we did it. Linda
We’ve done just the tourist sightseeing night cruise and the dinner cruise. Budapest is such a beautiful city at night and the dinner cruise is particularly nice with good Hungarian food and a much slower pace to really enjoy the buildings all lit up at night.
Jennifer, A night dinner cruise sounds like a good idea. An even slower pace I am sure than most of the boats travelled. It was great to see at night. Linda
Budapest is such an interesting and beautiful city. Apart from all these old treasures like the castle and the churches, there is so much recent history – mostly terrible, though as we had to learn once again at the museum of terror. We got a tourist card that was good for two days – and there was sooo much included. Also the river cruise – albeit, it was without the dinner. The only downside and the reason I’m not visiting again at this moment is the horrific government. In Europe, it’s a huge deal.
We did love our first visit to Budapest and found so much to see and do. And so much history!