The Budapest opera tour: how to visit the stunning Hungarian State Opera House

What’s it like to take the Budapest opera tour? And is the Hungarian State Opera House worth a visit?

The Hungarian State Opera House in the heart of Budapest is a truly beautiful building with an even more beautiful interior.

Visiting it on a guided tour was a unique cultural experience. It’s well worth a visit if you’re interested in architecture, music, history, and theatre.

There are two ways to visit the opera house:

• Take the Budapest opera tour
• See a performance at the opera house

I did both and can recommend both. I created this guide to share my experience and explain how you can visit the Budapest opera too.

The Budapest opera tour

The opera house in Budapest runs its own guided tour.

The guide will take you to different parts of the building otherwise closed to the public and tell you about the history of the house and its design elements. At the end of the tour we had a lovely surprise.

Tickets to the Budapest opera tour

I got my ticket here and showed it on my phone to the tour guide.

This tour is available in English and other languages.

It’s a popular attraction in Budapest, so you want to reserve your spot in advance in case it sells out.

There were about 20 people on the tour I joined, but the guide knew how to navigate the rooms and stairways with a large group of people.

What to expect on the Budapest opera tour

When you enter the opera house foyer, with its marble columns, decorated floors, chandeliers and impressive ceilings, you immediately get into the atmosphere of old-world luxury.

The guide took us up the stairs and made many short breaks along the way to allow us to take photos.

Be prepared to take a lot of photos!

We stopped on the red carpet on the grand staircase to learn about the history of the building and its Neo-Renaissance style architecture.

It was designed in the 19th century by Hungarian architect Miklós Ybl and took 9 years to build.

Every part of the interior is decorated with paintings on the walls and ceilings, created by Hungarian artists. Most paintings have music-related themes that are fun to spot, like musical instruments and players.

We visited the beautiful Royal Parlour, used by Royals and their guests, with portraits of Hungarian opera singers on the walls.

Another gorgeous hall we saw on the opera house tour was the Red Parlour, which serves as a VIP room, but was originally reserved exclusively for the visitors of the Royals.

Our guide went into great detail about the elaborate decorations in every part of the building and it felt a bit like visiting a museum.

We also visited the bar, with its wonderfully high ceilings and paintings, all with themes related to the sounds of nature.

One of the highlights of the tour is, of course, the spectacular red and gold auditorium.

During the tour, you’ll get to see it from any angle you want and take as many pictures as you want, including the boxes and the stalls.

When we were done taking photos, we listened to our guide’s explanations about the decorations, the chandelier and how the stage and auditorium have been adapted to modern needs.

The tour ends with a beautiful performance by two opera singers. It was a lovely surprise and added so much to the tour!

The performance took place on the grand staircase and we were sitting very close to the performers, so it was quite an experience and a magnificent grand finale for this tour.

When you leave, take another look at the building facade from Andrássy street and also take a walk around the building.

You’ll see statues of Mozart, Beethoven, Verdi and other great composers, including the famous Hungarian composers Liszt and Erkel.

Seeing a performance at the Hungarian State Opera House

If you love opera, I highly recommend seeing a performance in Budapest. Even if you’re not a huge opera fan, I would still recommend the experience.

After taking the guided tour, I realised that the auditorium was not too large, meaning that most seats should have a great view of the stage.

With the exception of some seats with a restricted view at the very top gallery (that use a video screen), almost all seats have a good or excellent view.

There were subtitles in Hungarian and English above the stage that were easy to read.

The opera I wanted to see was Mozart’s The Magic Flute, and as you might expect for such a famous opera, some dates were already sold out. If you know your Budapest travel dates and want to see a popular performance, I suggest you book way in advance.

I got my ticket directly from the opera house website.

Compared to its neighbour opera house in Vienna or some other European capitals, prices at the opera house in Budapest are very reasonable, so you can enjoy an opera performance even if you travel on a mid-range budget.

The Budapest opera auditorium is known for its acoustics and you’ll notice that as soon as the performance starts.

It was a magnificent show, a playful modern production with video art and great costumes.

During the intermission, you can go to the bar and the terrace on the first floor.

Where to stay near the Hungarian State Opera House

When you stay near the opera house in Budapest, you also stay at a convenient location to explore many other attractions in the city and very close to public transport.

Here are the best accommodation options near the opera:

Callas House: A beautiful hotel right next to the Hungarian State Opera House on Andrassy Avenue.

Three Corners Avenue Hotel: A modern 4-star hotel, just a few minutes’ walk from the opera house.

Opera Garden Hotel & Apartments: A charming hotel with a wellness centre, a short walk from the opera.

More European music experiences

• Paris opera tour
• Barcelona’s magnificent concert hall
• Open Air Opera Concert
• Teatro La Fenice Tour in Venice

More about Budapest

• Free walking tours in Budapest
• Street art in Budapest
• Szentendre day trip from Budapest
• Visiting the Great Synagogue in Budapest

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