Budapest Christmas Markets

Budapest's Advent season centres on two large Christmas fairs in District V on the Pest side, a few streets apart. The Christmas Fair on Vörösmarty tér (Vörösmarty Classic Xmas) fills the square with stalls of handicrafts by Hungarian makers, food from its caterers, a Christmas tree, music and a small railway for children. The Advent Feast at the Basilica (Adventi Ünnep a Bazilikánál) sets up on Szent István tér in front of St Stephen's Basilica, around a large Christmas tree. Its organiser says it has been voted Europe's most beautiful Christmas fair four times.

The Basilica fair is known for the light painting on the church's facade, a three-dimensional play of light and shadow shown every afternoon from 17:30. The organiser also lists the lighting of the Advent candles, and concerts in front of the light show on certain days. Budapest's official tourism site describes Advent in the city as the market on Vörösmarty Square, the light show at the Basilica, ice rinks, mulled wine and chimney cake, with Christmas lights across the centre.

This season

Both fairs open on 13 November 2026. On Vörösmarty tér the craft stalls and the children's railway are there for the last time on 28 December, and the fair stays open until 03:00 on New Year's morning. The Advent Feast at the Basilica, in its 15th year, runs until 1 January 2027. Both have shorter hours on 24–26 December. The 2026 programmes are on the organisers' sites.

More Christmas markets

• Vienna Christmas Markets
• Kraków Christmas Market

• Light painting on St Stephen's Basilica: a three-dimensional light-and-shadow show on the facade, every afternoon from 17:30.
• The Basilica Christmas tree and Advent candles: a large tree in the centre of Szent István tér, the lighting of the Advent candles and concerts on certain days.
• Hungarian crafts on Vörösmarty tér: stalls of handmade goods by Hungarian exhibitors, until 28 December 2026.
• The children's railway: a small train at the Vörösmarty fair, running from 14:00 on weekdays and 11:00 at weekends, until 28 December.
• New Year's Eve: both fairs stay open from 11:00 to 03:00 on 31 December 2026.

• District V (Belváros-Lipótváros): both fairs are here, so you can walk to Vörösmarty tér and Szent István tér.
• Around Deák Ferenc tér: the city-centre terminus of the 100E Airport Express bus, which Budapest Airport describes as a key transport hub on the Pest side.
• Around Kálvin tér and Astoria: the other 100E stops on the way into the city, both at metro stations.

No official source gives booking advice for the Christmas period.

Fly into Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD). From the UK, the airport's destination pages list routes from London (British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air), Manchester (Jet2.com and Ryanair), Birmingham (Wizz Air), Bristol (Ryanair), East Midlands (Jet2.com), Leeds (Jet2.com), Newcastle (Jet2.com), Liverpool (Ryanair and Wizz Air), Edinburgh (Ryanair), Glasgow (Wizz Air) and Belfast (Ryanair). Some of these are seasonal. For winter 2026–27 the airport says easyJet is adding routes from Belfast, Bristol, Liverpool and London Southend. Southend runs all year; the other three run twice a week from mid-November to the end of December. Check the airline's timetable for your dates.

Airport to the centre: BKK's 100E Airport Express bus leaves from the arrivals level between the two terminals and runs around the clock to Deák Ferenc tér, stopping at Kálvin tér and Astoria. The journey takes about 40 minutes. It needs its own 2,500 HUF airport shuttle ticket, which you can buy with a bank card on the bus's Budapest Pay&GO reader, in the BudapestGO app or from BKK machines and ticket offices. Ordinary tickets aren't valid on it. Bus 200E, which accepts ordinary BKK tickets, runs 24 hours to Ferihegy railway station, with trains to Nyugati station in about 30 minutes.

Getting around: both fairs are in District V on the Pest side. Budapest's tourism office says that from the afternoon of 24 December, public transport runs less often, with night services. On 25 and 26 December and 1 January services follow a holiday timetable, and on 31 December the metro and trams 4 and 6 run all night. Check BKK for the current timetable.

See our Budapest guide for more on the city.

Flight delayed or cancelled on the way? See our Travel Disruption guide for your rights.

Entry to the Advent Feast at the Basilica is free: the organiser's house rules say everyone may visit the Christmas fair free of charge. The Vörösmarty tér fair is held on a public square, and its organiser doesn't list an entry fee. You pay for food, drink and crafts at the stalls; prices are in forints (HUF).

• Opening hours, Vörösmarty tér: 11:00–21:00 Sunday to Thursday and 11:00–22:00 on Friday and Saturday. On 24 December it opens 10:00–14:00, on 25–26 December 12:00–18:00, and on 31 December 11:00–03:00.
• Opening hours, Basilica: 11:00–22:00 Sunday to Thursday and 11:00–23:00 on Friday and Saturday. On 24 December it opens 11:00–15:00, on 25–26 December 11:00–20:00, on 31 December 11:00–03:00 and on 1 January 11:00–18:00.
• Timing: if you want the Vörösmarty crafts and the children's railway, go by 28 December 2026. The Basilica light painting starts at 17:30 each afternoon.
• Holidays: Budapest's tourism office says most shops close on 24, 25 and 26 December and 1 January, while restaurants usually stay open, so book a table.
• Cold: the fairs are outdoors in December, so dress in warm layers, with a hat, gloves and boots.
• Local food: Budapest's official tourism site names mulled wine and chimney cake (kürtőskalács) as the tastes of Advent in the city, along with Christmas dishes such as stuffed cabbage and bejgli (poppy seed or walnut roll). Stuffed cabbage (töltött káposzta) is on the menu at the Vörösmarty fair.

Neither fair publishes accessibility information. Both are outdoors on city squares. Before you go, contact the organisers: the Vörösmarty fair or the Advent Feast at the Basilica. Budapest Airport offers assistance for passengers with reduced mobility, whatever airline you fly with; see its assistance page.

The FCDO says bag-snatching and pickpocketing are common in Budapest, especially where there are lots of tourists, including markets and train stations. It advises you to always carry your passport and to use taxis from a reputable local company. At the Basilica fair, follow security staff instructions in an emergency. The house rules ban cycling and dangerous items, including New Year's Eve fireworks.

• Before you go, read the UK government's FCDO travel advice for Hungary (entry requirements, safety and local laws).
• Flight delayed or cancelled on the way? See our Travel Disruption guide for your rights and live alerts.