Budapest’s Parliament opens its doors almost every day in 2026, welcoming visitors for guided walks through the most spectacular halls of the House of Parliament (Országház). Groups set off from the Visitor Centre for a 45–50 minute route that blends history, architecture, and a close-up look at Hungary’s national symbols. Tours run daily between 8:00 and 16:00, with multilingual guides or an audioguide to keep the pace easy and the stories engaging.
When, where, how
Tours operate February 2–8, 2026, on Kossuth Square, 1055 Budapest, and continue year-round. Around 700,000 people explore the building each year. You can buy tickets on the day at the venue; if you want to indicate a reservation request in advance, you must do it in writing by email. The visit duration, including security screening and entry, is 45–50 minutes. Photography is allowed in most areas, but not in the security screening zone or the Dome Hall where the Holy Crown is displayed.
Languages and audioguides
The 45-minute Parliament walk is available with a live guide or an audioguide in Hungarian, English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Audioguides only are available in Russian, Polish, Slovak, Croatian, Hebrew, Romanian, Serbian, Ukrainian, Korean, Portuguese, Arabic, Slovenian, Czech, Chinese, Japanese, Bulgarian, Dutch, Greek, Turkish, and Vietnamese. On mixed audioguide departures, you select your preferred language on-site after entry.
The route: from grand stairs to royal symbols
The path climbs the XVIIth Staircase, one of 28 staircases in the building, richly gilded and lined with statues and stained-glass windows. From the city corridor up top, the view opens onto the renewed Kossuth Square, the nation’s main square.
Next comes the showstopper: the Grand Staircase. A crimson-carpeted cascade of 96 steps sweeps from the main entrance to the Dome Hall. Look up for three ceiling works by painter Károly Lotz, and don’t miss the eight granite columns, each weighing roughly 8,818 pounds; only 12 such columns exist worldwide. The stained-glass windows flanking the hall were crafted in the workshop of Miksa Róth.
The Dome Hall is the geometric and symbolic center of the House and of Hungary. Since January 1, 2000, it has been home to the Holy Crown and coronation regalia—among Europe’s oldest coronation ensembles—guarded around the clock by the Crown Guard. The hall rises nearly 889 inches high, with a lower ringed gallery and a 16-branch star vault fitted with slim, colored windows. Statues of Hungarian rulers stand on gilded bases under golden canopies, flanked by their pages.
Upper House elegance
Leave the Dome Hall for the Upper House Lounge, where statues personify occupations, crafts, and sciences. They’re made of pirogranite, a then-innovative material produced by the Zsolnay factory in Pécs. Underfoot lies Europe’s largest hand-knotted carpet, shimmering in turquoise.
The Upper House Chamber itself, no longer used for bicameral sessions, now hosts conferences, student programs, and high-level ceremonies. It dazzles with lavish gilding, a coffered ceiling crafted from Slavonian oak, and 453 seats arranged in a horseshoe across seven rows of brown, green, and red desks and benches. Two-level galleries ring the walls, the acoustics are excellent, and an imposing oak presidential and speaker’s dais dominates the horseshoe’s base. Behind it are painted coats of arms of Hungary’s ruling families and murals highlighting the historic role of the nobility.
Finish with a behind-the-scenes reveal
The visit ends in the Neÿ Béla Room, where an exhibition traces the Parliament’s story. Highlights include the red star that once crowned the dome, one of the copper “warrior” statues that also served as lightning rods, a 1:100 scale model of the building, and the mechanism of roughly 50 centrally controlled clocks. Ten screens let you peek backstage—spaces not on the walk, engineering solutions, and a virtual build of the legislative palace.
Tickets and prices from January 1, 2026
On-site purchase only for the day of visit.
– Discounted ticket for Hungarian and EEA citizens: 7000 HUF (about 19.3 USD)
– Discounted student ticket (ages 6–24) for Hungarian and EEA citizens: 3500 HUF (about 9.7 USD)
– Ticket for visitors from outside the EEA: 14,000 HUF (about 38.6 USD)
– Student ticket (ages 6–24) from outside the EEA: 7000 HUF (about 19.3 USD)
– Children under 6: free
Family tickets (at least one child aged 0–14 plus one or two adult companions). EEA citizens:
– Adult (max. 2): 4900 HUF (about 13.5 USD)
– Child 6–14 (max. 3; NOE membership allows 3 more): 2450 HUF (about 6.8 USD)
Family tickets for non-EEA visitors:
– Adult (max. 2): 11,200 HUF (about 30.9 USD)
– Child 6–14 (max. 3): 5600 HUF (about 15.5 USD)
EEA residence permits are accepted. Eligibility for discounts must be proven with ID at purchase or entry. Families with only children under 6 should request a family ticket via email to idegenforgalom@parlament.hu.
Security and access
Entry is only after security screening. Large bags and any items that could cause injury (knives, blades, gas spray, etc.) are not allowed. Weapons, firearms, ammunition, explosives, detonators, or pyrotechnics are strictly forbidden. You may carry up to 16.9 oz of clear soft drink, liquid medicine, or special food (e.g., baby food, formula) in an unbreakable plastic bottle in hand luggage; larger or different containers must go to the cloakroom. Service dogs for the blind are permitted; no other animals. Public restrooms are by the Visitor Centre entrance. There’s no parking in front of the Visitor Centre. The visit can be canceled, even right before entry, due to parliamentary programs or state protocol events.
Accessibility
Visitors with disabilities are welcome, and barrier-free access is provided for those with limited mobility. Wheelchair users should email idegenforgalom@parlament.hu ahead of arrival to ensure smooth entry. Visitors who have undergone medical treatment with radioactive isotopes must provide a discharge report confirming the isotope type, name, dosage time, and that community presence is allowed; without it, entry can be refused by the Parliamentary Guard.
House rules and dress code
Prohibited: wearing or displaying totalitarian symbols; any conduct insulting Parliament, the Holy Crown, national values, or human dignity; bringing flags or protest gear; loud behavior, singing, or demonstrations; eating, drinking, or smoking inside; sitting or lying on stairs, floors, or furnishings; damaging the building or furnishings; disrupting staff or organizations; bringing noisemakers like whistles or megaphones. Dress should be respectful of the building’s dignity. Follow instructions from staff; those violating rules may be escorted out by the Guard.
