Localada’s free St Stephen's Basilica audio guide is part of the Budapest audio guide: the story of St Stephen's Basilica, practical visiting tips and a route map, narrated in 15 languages. It opens in your browser, with no app download and no tour group.
Listen to the St Stephen's Basilica audio guide, free →
Opens the Budapest guide in Localada, where St Stephen's Basilica is one of the stops. A free account takes a few seconds.
St Stephen's Basilica: key facts
- Time to allow: 1 hour
- Hours: 09:00–19:00 (open daily)
- Address: Szent István tér 1, 1051 Budapest
- Nearest transport: Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út station · 3 min walk (M1 · M3)
- Localada perk: 5% OFF – Church, treasury and panorama terrace — book below
- The dome terrace has its own ticket and closes earlier than the church
- The nave closes to visitors during mass
- Shoulders and knees covered
The story of St Stephen's Basilica
In a chapel behind the main altar there is a small gilded reliquary, and inside it is a mummified right hand.
It belonged to Stephen, the first king of Hungary, who died in 1038. The hand has been separated from the rest of him for most of a thousand years. It has travelled to Dubrovnik and back, been hidden from invading armies more than once, and is carried through the streets every August the twentieth on the country's national day.
You put a coin in a slot and a light comes on for two minutes.
The building around it took fifty-four years. The dome collapsed in 1868, halfway through construction, and the whole thing had to be taken down and started again. It was finished in 1905.
The dome is ninety-six metres, the same as Parliament — the city's agreement that church and state would stand level.
The lift and the stairs both go up to the colonnade around the dome, and from there you can see how flat Pest is and how suddenly the hills on the Buda side begin.
The acoustics are good enough that the organ concerts here sell out without advertising.
A church built twice over, remembered for a hand.
Listen to the St Stephen's Basilica audio guide, free →
Tips for visiting St Stephen's Basilica
- The reliquary chapel is behind the altar on the left; most people walk past it
- Take the lift up and the stairs down
- The terrace is a full circle — walk all the way round before you choose a view
- Evening organ concerts are held in the nave, not the crypt
- The square outside is where the city puts its Christmas market
5% off St Stephen's Basilica tickets and tours
Book through Localada and GetYourGuide takes 5% off at checkout, on experiences worldwide. No code needed.
See St Stephen's Basilica tickets and tours on GetYourGuide →
More audio guides in Budapest
- Buda Castle & the Royal Palace · 2–3 hours
- Fisherman's Bastion & Matthias Church · 1–1.5 hours
- The Hungarian Parliament · 1.5 hours
All stops in the Budapest audio guide →
St Stephen's Basilica audio guide: frequently asked questions
Is the St Stephen's Basilica audio guide free?
Yes. The St Stephen's Basilica audio guide is part of Localada’s free Budapest guide: create a free account and open it in your browser, no app download needed. Tickets for St Stephen's Basilica are bought separately; booking through Localada’s GetYourGuide links gives 5% off.
How long should I spend at St Stephen's Basilica?
Allow 1 hour for St Stephen's Basilica.
What are the opening hours of St Stephen's Basilica?
09:00–19:00 (open daily). Hours can change on public and religious holidays, so check on the day.
Can I get a discount on St Stephen's Basilica tickets?
Yes. Book St Stephen's Basilica tickets and tours through Localada’s GetYourGuide links and GetYourGuide applies 5% off at checkout.
Which languages is the St Stephen's Basilica audio guide available in?
Narration and text are available in 15 languages: English, Turkish, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Arabic, Persian, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.