Unofficial visitor guide · Budapest
Budapest museums: free days and Monday closures
On Hungary's national holidays, 15 March, 20 August and 23 October, most of Budapest's big museums are free for everyone. Four of them also have a monthly free Saturday for young visitors from the European Economic Area. Most close on Mondays. Each museum's own page is linked.
An independent visitor page: we are not affiliated with any of these museums.
Free on national holidays and monthly Saturdays
On the three national holidays entry is free for everyone, but expect queues. The monthly free Saturdays are for citizens of the European Economic Area under 26 and for relatives accompanying children.
| Museum | 15 March, 20 August, 23 October |
|---|---|
| Hungarian National Gallery Free for everyone, first come first served; queues of up to 1–2 hours, no audio guides that day | Free |
| Hungarian National Museum Also free on the 3rd Saturday of each month for EEA citizens under 26 and for 1 or 2 relatives with at least 2 children under 18 | Free |
| Museum of Ethnography Also free on the 3rd Saturday of each month for EEA citizens under 26 and for up to 2 relatives with a child under 18 | Free |
| Budapest History Museum – Castle Museum Also free on the last Saturday of each month for EEA citizens under 26 and for up to 2 relatives with children under 18 | Free |
| Museum of Fine Arts Closed on 23 October; free on the 2nd Saturday of each month for EEA citizens under 26 and for 2 adults with a child under 18 | Not free |
en.mng.hu: holiday opening hours · mnm.hu: tickets · neprajz.hu: tickets · varmuzeum.hu: tickets · mfab.hu: tickets · mfab.hu: opening hours
Which museums are open on Monday?
Four of these museums close on Mondays; the Castle Museum in Buda Castle opens every day.
| Museum | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hungarian National Gallery | Monday: closed | Tuesday: open | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
| Museum of Fine Arts Open until 20:00 on one Friday a month | Monday: closed | Tuesday: open | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
| Hungarian National Museum | Monday: closed | Tuesday: open | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
| Museum of Ethnography On Mondays only the entrance hall is open | Monday: closed | Tuesday: open | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
| Budapest History Museum – Castle Museum | Monday: open | Tuesday: open | Wednesday: open | Thursday: open | Friday: open | Saturday: open | Sunday: open |
✓ open · ✕ closed · ½ open part of the day. Public holidays can differ; see below.
en.mng.hu: opening hours · mfab.hu: opening hours · mnm.hu: opening hours · neprajz.hu: opening hours · varmuzeum.hu: festive opening days
Christmas and New Year
The Castle Museum and the Museum of Ethnography close on 1 November. Over Christmas the National Gallery and the Museum of Fine Arts close on 24 and 25 December, the National Museum and the Castle Museum on 24 to 26 December, and the Museum of Ethnography on 24 to 26 and 31 December. The National Museum and the Museum of Ethnography are also closed on 1 January.
en.mng.hu: holiday opening hours · mfab.hu: opening hours · mnm.hu: opening hours · neprajz.hu: opening hours · varmuzeum.hu: festive opening days
Is there an official audio guide in your language?
| Museum | Audio guide languages | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Budapest History Museum – Castle Museum | No official audio guide | — |
| Hungarian National Gallery | Yes | 6 languages · HUF 1,200 |
| Hungarian National Museum | No official audio guide | — |
| Museum of Ethnography, Budapest | Partly | 3 languages · HUF 1,000 |
| Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest | Yes | 10 languages · HUF 1,200 |
Questions visitors ask
Which Budapest museums are free on 23 October?
The Hungarian National Gallery, the Hungarian National Museum, the Museum of Ethnography and the Castle Museum are free for everyone on 23 October, as on 15 March and 20 August. The Museum of Fine Arts is closed on 23 October. Expect queues: the National Gallery warns of waits of up to 1-2 hours. en.mng.hu: holiday opening hours · mnm.hu: tickets · neprajz.hu: tickets · varmuzeum.hu: tickets · mfab.hu: opening hours
Are Budapest museums open on Monday?
Of the big museums, only the Castle Museum in Buda Castle opens on Mondays. The Hungarian National Gallery, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Hungarian National Museum and the Museum of Ethnography are closed; at the Museum of Ethnography only the entrance hall is open. varmuzeum.hu: festive opening days · en.mng.hu: opening hours · mfab.hu: opening hours · mnm.hu: opening hours · neprajz.hu: opening hours
Which Budapest museums have a free Saturday?
The Museum of Fine Arts on the 2nd Saturday of each month, the Hungarian National Museum and the Museum of Ethnography on the 3rd Saturday, and the Castle Museum on the last Saturday. The free Saturdays are for citizens of the European Economic Area under 26 and for relatives accompanying children, with each museum's own conditions. mfab.hu: tickets · mnm.hu: tickets · neprajz.hu: tickets · varmuzeum.hu: tickets
Which languages do Budapest museums' audio guides cover?
Two of the big museums have full audio guides, both for HUF 1,200: the Museum of Fine Arts in Hungarian, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese and Korean, with German for part of the collection, and the Hungarian National Gallery in Hungarian, English, Italian, French, German and Chinese. The Museum of Ethnography has a guide in Hungarian, English and German for part of the exhibition. The Hungarian National Museum and the Castle Museum have no audio guide. en.mng.hu: audio guide · mfab.hu: tickets · szepmuveszeti.hu: belépők · neprajz.hu: tickets
Checked against the museums' own pages on 21 October 2026.
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