Question about Buda Castle Tickets

"Buda Castle" really isn't a destination with a ticket. The museum and the gallery within the building are, and sell tickets. They've done some renovations recently and have expanded what there is to see but I'm a little out of touch.

This is pretty good for information.

https://www.budapest.org/en/things-to-do-budapest/buda-castle/

Okay, good to know—I’m not sure why I thought I needed tickets. Thanks!

You do need tickets to go in the museums and the gallery. Here is one of the museum websites https://varmuzeum.hu/

There we go—I knew there were some things that required a ticket, and I was pretty sure there was an official Hungarian website for it. Thank you!

That was one, Here is another https://en.mng.hu/

And in a few minutes I will add a third (next television movie advertisment) can't find it but you will see it when you get there ... tour of the caves under the castle.

But most of the attraction is the Caste District. For that DK Eyewitness Budapest Top 10 guide.

And of course, more tickets:

In the Castle
Hungarian National Gallery: https://en.mng.hu/
Castle Museum: https://varmuzeum.hu/

In the District
Our Lady (AKA Matthias Church) https://matyas-templom.hu/en/ (really worth the time).
Fisherman's Bastion: https://budavar.hu/halaszbastya/
Mediaeval Jewish Chapel: https://maps.app.goo.gl/a5eL4zkXV2kDpPzS9
Hospital in the Rock: https://www.sziklakorhaz.eu/
Walking tours: https://budaivarsetak.hu/
Várkert Bazár Északi Bazársor: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ioqySN9fyqAsTgRUA

I get asked sometimes why I do this. One reason is it helps me learn.

Case in point. I rarely go to the castle. Too many tourists and lately too much construction. The OP asked for castle tickets and truth is there are no "castle" tickets, just tickets to a few wings that serve as museums or galleries. The outside is public space, no charge. But since I haven't been in a while and since a lot has been improved since my last visit, I went today.

• Walk across the Chain Bridge or take the 19/41 tram to Clark Adam ter.
• Then the funicular up the hill. Stand in the front for the view and best photos.
• First visit the Fishermans Bastion and Matthias Church before it gets busy.
• Then the Medieval synagogue
• then the Hospital in the Rock,
• then probalby lunch (there are a number of okay sort of places along the route)
• After lunch go to the Castle front down river side along the top of the fortification wall and down the stairs to the Castle Museum (follow the rusted steel). The museum is a maze of halls and stairs through old parts of the castle. It's quite amazing and the history and displays are anything but boring. 1 to 3 hours of exploring.
• Then work your way a little further down river to the stairs down and paths dowm and walks dowm that take you through courtyards and more remnants of the old castle till you reach the Castle Gardens at the bottom of the hill (Várkert Bazár).
• Now stop for wine at the Felix restaurant terrace and enjoy the view of Pest across the river.

Oh, the National Gallery? Sure, it's at the front of the castle on the way to the museum, but try and keep it to an hour or do it if you skip something before it. You will need the time in the museum.

At the Várkert Bazár you can find the 19/41 tram to help get you home.

It's a full day.

Then [take] the funicular up the hill.

When I was there in December, they were only selling round-trip tickets - is that still the case?

Mark, yes. They started that a while back. It's 5.000 ft which is about $14 and will be one of the pricier things in Budapest. Think of it as the cost of transportation and an amusement park ride. If you add it to the cost of the rest of the public transportation and divide by your days, it’s still cheap getting around Budapest. https://bkk.hu/en/travel-information/special-and-heritage-transport-services/funicular/ What I didn’t cover in my explanation above is that I walked up the hill which is quite an achievement for an old fart like me. Not something I would recommend and no great value to doing it.

SoCalFamilyTraveler, when I was there yesterday I picked up a map. I can’t find it on line, so I took a photo. https://1drv.ms/i/c/c9f4c533eb93d92e/ERpK0locqLxCgUla_5ULzPcBjRVivtSoQVKScsBTKJEfCQ?e=eXnukI The map only shows the Royal buildings and doesn’t take in the Fisherman's Bastion or Matthias Church (Mátyás templom). Those are farther to the left, off the map. You will also see three buildings on the map, which unlike the others are in white and not tan. Those are under construction. WAIT! Historic buildings under construction? Well, the current administration is rebuilding the Empire. They finished the reconstruction of the Riding Hall a few years ago, now they are working on Archduke Joseph's Palace, the National Defense Headquarters and the Hungarian Red Cross Headquarters. All of those w ere destroyed by the Russians during the siege of Budapest.

Another change I noticed is that #25 is now a Vak Varju restaurant. Not a bad local franchise.

Here is another map. This one from a HOHO golf cart for 10 https://budapestcastlebus.com/images/map_24.png. The route I recommended was
From Clark Adam ter (A) to the Funicular (O)
Up the funicular to the Castle (E)
Right to the Fisherman’s Bastion (C)
Then to Matthias Church (B)
Then to The Hospital in the Rock (P) – but use google maps because there is a faster way on foot than the map shows)
Then around to the front of the Castle (E)
Past the National Gallery (H)
To the Museum (K)
Then down the hill to the Palace Gardens / Várkert Bazár (F)

Mr. Ë, thank you very much for the great information—much better than what I’ve found on other sites.

I have lunch reservations at 1:30 at Retek Bisztró on the Pest side, and from there I plan to head over to the Buda side to explore the places you mentioned.

Do you think it might be too late in the day to visit some of them? I’m not sure which sites stay open into the evening. I’m planning to have dinner at Stand25 Bisztró.

If time ends up being too tight, I might cancel my Retek Bisztró reservation and head to Buda earlier instead.

The museum is open unitil 6pm
Our Lady of Buda until 5pm
Fishermans always open but the top walk might be closed
Castle grounds always open
Hospital in the rock till 7pm

have fun