Riverride is a famous floating bus
Riverride is a famous floating bus

Meet RiverRide – Budapest’s amphibious sightseeing bus

Do you want to spice up your sightseeing tour in Budapest? Choose RiverRide – an amphibious bus that shows you the top attractions of the city both by land and by water.

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Is it a bus? Is it a boat? It’s both! RiverRide is the famous floating bus of Budapest which starts its journey on the streets, then splashes into the Danube and sweeps tourists off their feet with the views of the Promenade, the Parliament, and other magnificent landmarks while afloat the river. Intrigued? Read on to dive into the features of RiverRide in detail.

A sightseeing bus and a river cruise in one

Similarly to most capitals and big cities in the world, Budapest has its fair share of tourist-favorite sightseeing bus tours and river cruises (provided it’s geographically possible, of course). However, one company stands out from the rest of the sightseeing services and it’s not without a reason: RiverRide, the famous Hungarian floating bus, combines the best of both worlds by showing tourists the most iconic landmarks of the city by land and by water.

RiverRide – an exciting sightseeing experience aboard an amphibious bus
RiverRide – an exciting sightseeing experience aboard an amphibious bus

When RiverRide was introduced to Budapest in 2009, it was not only the first amphibious bus in Hungary, but on the whole European continent as well. Naturally, it became an instant hit among tourists, and locals slowly grew used to seeing the yellow floating bus cruising around in the river. Or at least most locals – myth has it that to this day, emergency services still receive the occasional phone call from a Budapest resident claiming a bus full of passengers is about to sink in the Danube.

RiverRide’s sightseeing route

During its journey, which takes about 1.5 hours depending on the traffic and water level, RiverRide guides passengers through Budapest’s most iconic landmarks and attractions such as St. Stephen’s Basilica, the Parliament, Buda Castle, and more. The long awaited moment, when the bus descends into the water and continues the tour afloat, happens about half-way through the journey, right after touching Heroes’ Square. 

The RiverRide bus cruising on the Danube – an iconic way of sightseeing in Budapest
The RiverRide bus cruising on the Danube – an iconic way of sightseeing in Budapest

The stops of the route are:

  1. Hungarian Academy of Sciences (the departure and arrival point at Széchenyi István Square)
  2. St. Stephen’s Basilica
  3. Synagogue
  4. Opera House
  5. Heroes’ Square
  6. Splash (this is when the bus descends into the Danube on a ramp)
  7. Chain Bridge
  8. Parliament
  9. Citadel
  10. Buda Castle

When RiverRide reaches the Chain Bridge, it turns around and cruises back to where it drove into the river. Then, it gets out of the water and heads south along the Danube to its arrival point.

If you enjoy learning about landmarks and attractions in addition to marveling at them, we’ve got good news for you: RiverRide offers audio guides in 12 languages (English, German, Hungarian, Russian, Italian, Spanish, French, Hebrew, Danish, Swedish, Romanian, Ukrainian).

RiverRide Budapest bus route map

The map of the RiverRide sightseeing tour
The map of the RiverRide sightseeing tour

RiverRide’s tour schedule

Depending on the season, RiverRide launches 3-4 rides a day all year round. 

Please note that the schedule may be altered by unexpected events such as heavy traffic and a rise in water level, so if you want to be on the safe side, visit their website or check with the company prior to booking a ride.

Departure and arrival point

Unlike most popular hop-on hop-off bus tours, RiverRide doesn’t make stops where you can get on or off whenever you want – it has a designated departure and arrival point at Széchenyi István Square. The bus stop is in front of an office building close to the Pest-side foot of the Chain Bridge. 

Address: 1051 Budapest, Széchenyi István tér 7-8. 

The departure point of RiverRide at Széchenyi István Square.
The departure point of RiverRide at Széchenyi István Square.

RiverRide tour prices

  • Adult ticket: 6000 HUF (approximately 17 EUR)
  • Student/Senior ticket: 5000 HUF (14 EUR)
  • Children under 6: free of charge (up to 2 children with 1 adult)

Stay online onboard

RiverRide will show you so much that’s worth sharing – keep your family and friends updated on your adventure in Budapest! Get Budapest Wi-Fi and never worry about roaming fees anymore. Click here for more info. 

Q&A

What is RiverRide?
RiverRide is the famous amphibious sightseeing bus of Budapest which, as its name suggests, goes into the Danube halfway through its journey to show passengers some of the capital’s beautiful landmarks from a different perspective.
Is RiverRide safe?
Absolutely! Although it may be alarming to see a bus full of passengers drive into a river, RiverRide is perfectly safe and it’s incredibly popular with tourists.
Is RiverRide a hop-on hop-off bus?
No, you can’t get on or get off RiverRide whenever you want, it has its designated departure and arrival point.
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