Localada’s free The Hungarian Parliament audio guide is part of the Budapest audio guide: the story of The Hungarian Parliament, 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 The Hungarian Parliament audio guide, free →
Opens the Budapest guide in Localada, where The Hungarian Parliament is one of the stops. A free account takes a few seconds.
The Hungarian Parliament: key facts
- Time to allow: 1.5 hours
- Hours: 08:00–18:00 (open daily)
- Address: Kossuth Lajos tér 1-3, 1055 Budapest
- Nearest transport: Kossuth Lajos tér station · 1 min walk (M2 · 2)
- Localada perk: 5% OFF – Timed entry with audio guide — book below
- Entry is by timed guided tour only; the route is fixed
- The chamber in use is closed on sitting days
- Security screening at the visitor centre on the north side
The story of The Hungarian Parliament
The dome is ninety-six metres high. So is the dome of St Stephen's Basilica, across the river in the other half of the city.
That is not a coincidence. The number marks 896, the year the Magyar tribes arrived in this basin, and the two buildings were capped at the same height so that neither the state nor the church could claim to stand above the other. A city ordinance held the rest of the skyline below them for a century.
The building went up between 1885 and 1904 for a country that was then the junior partner in an empire, and it was designed to look like it was not. It has nearly seven hundred rooms, twenty kilometres of staircase, and more neo-Gothic stonework on the outside than any parliament in Europe.
The architect, Imre Steindl, went blind before it was finished and did not see the completed building.
Inside, under the dome, sits the Holy Crown of Hungary — a crown with a bent cross on top, kept bent because nobody will straighten it. It has been stolen, buried, smuggled out of the country and held in Fort Knox. It came home in 1978.
Tours run in timed groups and the route is fixed: the grand staircase, the dome hall, one chamber.
A building designed to say we are a country, finished thirteen years before the empire it belonged to disappeared.
Listen to the The Hungarian Parliament audio guide, free →
Tips for visiting The Hungarian Parliament
- Book the earliest slot — the dome hall is empty and the light is best
- The visitor entrance is under the square on the north side, not the main staircase
- Stand on the far bank at Batthyány tér for the photograph; the facade does not fit in a frame from close up
- The guard change in front of the main steps is at the top of the hour
- The 1956 memorial is in the underground museum beneath the square
5% off The Hungarian Parliament tickets and tours
Book through Localada and GetYourGuide takes 5% off at checkout, on experiences worldwide. No code needed.
See The Hungarian Parliament 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
- St Stephen's Basilica · 1 hour
All stops in the Budapest audio guide →
The Hungarian Parliament audio guide: frequently asked questions
Is the The Hungarian Parliament audio guide free?
Yes. The The Hungarian Parliament 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 The Hungarian Parliament are bought separately; booking through Localada’s GetYourGuide links gives 5% off.
How long should I spend at The Hungarian Parliament?
Allow 1.5 hours for The Hungarian Parliament.
What are the opening hours of The Hungarian Parliament?
08:00–18:00 (open daily). Hours can change on public and religious holidays, so check on the day.
Can I get a discount on The Hungarian Parliament tickets?
Yes. Book The Hungarian Parliament tickets and tours through Localada’s GetYourGuide links and GetYourGuide applies 5% off at checkout.
Which languages is the The Hungarian Parliament 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.