# Gödöllő The Baroque palace where Sisi spent her seasons in Hungary, 45 minutes from Budapest on the suburban train, with a park, a bunker and a winter light garden. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/hungary/godollo · Revisado: 2026-11-12 A day trip from Budapest: Gödöllő is about 30 km north-east of the capital and its reason for being is the royal palace. Count Antal Grassalkovich I built it in the 18th century and in 1867, with the coronation of Franz Joseph and Elisabeth as king and queen of Hungary, the country gave it to the couple as a gift. Sisi spent long periods here, riding horses and far from the Viennese court; it was the place in Hungary she loved most. For a traveller coming from Spain it is the excursion that completes imperial Budapest: after the Parliament and the Castle, the kings' country house. ## Getting there from Budapest By HÉV, the H8 suburban train: it leaves from Örs vezér tere, the last stop on the M2 metro, and arrives in about 45 minutes. Get off at Gödöllő, Szabadság tér: the palace is across the road. Details in the HÉV H8. MÁV and the palace sell a combined ticket covering transport and entry. By MÁV train, from Keleti station towards Hatvan, getting off at Gödöllő; from the station you walk across the lower park to the palace. By car, on the M3 motorway, about 30 km. Park in the surrounding streets. If you are coming from Spain, from Budapest airport you arrive in a little under two hours: 100E bus to the centre, M2 metro to Örs vezér tere and the HÉV. ## What to see in a day Start with the royal palace, open every day from 10:00 to 18:00: the royal rooms, Sisi's apartments, the ceremonial hall and the history of a house that in the 20th century was a barracks and an old people's home before being restored. With advance booking there is a guided tour in Spanish. If you want more, the palace offers two other guided visits: the Baroque theatre with the riding hall and stables of Sisi, in 40 minutes, and the Horthy bunker, the air-raid shelter of the regent who spent his summers here, in 25 minutes and cold. Afterwards, go out to the palace park: 26 hectares of free landscaped garden, with a barefoot path, a children's playground with a giant locomotive and, hidden among the trees, the Királydomb pavilion, with 52 portraits of kings. For lunch, the restaurant of the Erzsébet Királyné hotel, in the former Art Nouveau town hall, or the Neapolitan pizza at Napolizza, also open on Sunday. A coffee in Sisi's salons, at CaFE IDA, can be had without paying an entrance fee. If you have time, five minutes from the palace is the town museum, with the Gödöllő Art Nouveau artists' colony, and about 4 km away the Máriabesnyő Basilica, a Capuchin pilgrimage shrine. ## The winter light garden From 24 October 2026 to 31 January 2027, the park becomes the Queen Elizabeth Light Garden at night: a walk of lights that tells the story of the palace, from 17:00 to 21:00. It is the best reason to come in winter and do the day the other way round: palace in the afternoon, coffee and the light walk at dusk. The combined ticket with the palace, valid on the same day, works out cheaper. From 16:00 to 17:00 the park is cleared to prepare it. ## How long? Half a day is enough for the palace and a stroll in the park. A whole day if you add the guided tours, the museum or Máriabesnyő; or if you come in winter and stay for the light garden. To stay overnight, the Erzsébet Királyné hotel is opposite the HÉV and accepts pets; the Árnyas guesthouse, in Máriabesnyő, is the simple option with a garden. ## When to go All year. From spring to October the park is at its best and open until 20:30. In winter the lights and the Advent programmes win out. On 21 November, St Elisabeth's Day, the palace celebrates Sisi's name day with tours and events, several of them free. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Szentendre (a 22.0 km), Budapest (a 25.5 km), Vác and Nagymaros (a 26.1 km), Danube Bend (a 38.5 km) ## Qué hacer - **Gödöllő Royal Palace, Sisi's Rooms** (1 h 30 · All ages; with children, the storytelling programmes of Elemér the mouse · Adult 5,000 Ft weekdays and 5,400 Ft at weekends · reduced 2,500 and 2,700 Ft · under-6s free · audio guide 1,000 Ft): What it is Gödöllő Palace was commissioned by Count Antal Grassalkovich I in the 18th century. In 1867 the Hungarian state bought it and gave it as a coronation gift to Franz Joseph and Elisabeth, Sisi, who spent long periods here: it was the place in Hungary she loved most. The permanent exhibition takes in the royal rooms, Sisi's violet-coloured apartments, the ceremonial hall and the history of the house, which in the 20th century was a barracks and an old people's home before being restored from 1995. Prices and opening hours Open every day from 10:00 to 18:00; the ticket office closes at 17:00. Adult: 5,000 Ft Monday to Friday and 5,400 Ft at weekends. Reduced, for students: 2,500 and 2,700 Ft. Family, two adults with children aged 6 to 18: 4,800 or 5,200 Ft per adult and 2,200 Ft per child. Under-6s, free. Audio guide, 1,000 Ft at the ticket office. Guided tour of 70–80 minutes: the ticket plus 1,000 Ft in Hungarian or 2,000 Ft in another language; there are Spanish-speaking guides if you ask beforehand by phone or email. Getting there The HÉV H8 from Örs vezér tere leaves you at the Gödöllő, Szabadság tér stop, across the main road. By car, on the M3, park in the surrounding streets. - **Gödöllő Palace Park** (1 h · All ages; flat paths, fine with a pushchair · Free): What it is Behind the palace stretches a landscaped park of 26 hectares, free to enter. It has a barefoot path with eleven different surfaces, a playground with a giant locomotive, panels with the story of Elemér the mouse prince and a bird trail with nest boxes and feeders. Among the trees stands the Királydomb pavilion. Opening hours From 1 April to 21 October, from 5:30 to 20:30. From 22 October to 31 January, from 5:30 to 16:00; after that, at night, you can only enter with a light garden ticket. Bear in mind Dogs and other animals are not admitted, except assistance dogs. You may not pick plants, flowers or mushrooms either. - **Guided Tour of the Baroque Theatre, Riding Hall and Stables** (40 min · All ages; there are no longer horses in the stables · Adult 2,500 Ft in Hungarian and 3,000 Ft in another language · student 2,000 and 2,500 Ft): What it is Besides the royal rooms, the palace holds two other pieces that can only be seen with a guide: the Baroque theatre, the small court theatre the Grassalkovichs had built, and the riding hall with the stables, where the horses of Sisi, a great horsewoman, were kept. The visit lasts about 40 minutes. Prices and booking Adult: 2,500 Ft in Hungarian, 3,000 Ft in another language. Student: 2,000 and 2,500 Ft. Groups of up to 25 people. Book by phone (+36 28 410 124) or at informacio@kiralyikastely.hu. On some days it is not visited because of events: ask when you book. - **The Horthy Bunker Beneath the Palace** (25 min · Over-12s; inside it is between 10 and 14 degrees · Adult 2,000 Ft in Hungarian and 3,000 Ft in another language · student 1,500 and 2,500 Ft): What it is In the 20th century the palace was the summer residence of Regent Miklós Horthy, and beneath the building his air-raid shelter is preserved. Today it is an exhibition prepared with the Hungarian Museum of Military History that can only be visited with a guide, in groups of up to twelve people. Bear in mind It lasts about 25 minutes and inside it is between 10 and 14 degrees: bring something warm, in summer too. It is not recommended for under-12s. It is visited at a time agreed beforehand, by phone or email to the palace. - **Queen Elizabeth Light Garden in the Palace Park** (1 h · All ages; under-2s and pushchairs free · Adult 4,300 Ft online and 4,800 Ft at the ticket office Monday to Thursday · 4,800 and 5,300 Ft Friday to Sunday · reduced from 3,900 Ft · family 2+2 from 14,800 Ft): What it is Every winter the palace park becomes a walk of lights dedicated to Elisabeth, Sisi: a night-time route that tells the story of the house from the Baroque to today, with Christmas lights and a light show. It is put on by Story of Lights with the palace. Within the opening hours there is no time limit. Dates, hours and prices From 24 October 2026 to 31 January 2027, from 17:00 to 21:00, with last entry at 20:30. Closed on 1 November and on 24 and 25 December. From 16:00 to 17:00 the park is cleared to prepare it: do not arrive earlier. Adult, Monday to Thursday: 4,300 Ft online and 4,800 Ft at the ticket office; Friday to Sunday: 4,800 and 5,300 Ft. Children aged 2 to 14, students and over-65s: from 3,900 Ft. Family of two adults and two children, from 14,800 Ft. Combined ticket with the palace, the same day: 7,900 Ft Monday to Thursday and 8,500 Ft Friday to Sunday. - **Királydomb Pavilion, the Park's Gallery of Kings** (30 min · Adults and teenagers interested in history · Guided visit 1,500 Ft in Hungarian and 2,000 Ft in another language): What it is Among the trees of the park stands a pavilion built in the time of Antal Grassalkovich I. Inside, the walls carry 52 portraits of Hungary's rulers and chieftains, from Attila to Ferdinand V. It is closed almost all year: it is opened free of charge on some public holidays and, the rest of the time, with a guided visit that is booked at the palace information office. - **Máriabesnyő Basilica, the Capuchin Shrine** (45 min · All ages; respect the masses · Free): What it is In the Máriabesnyő district, east of Gödöllő, is the main pilgrimage shrine of the area: the Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption, on Kapucinusok tere, run by Capuchin friars. The great feasts are the Assumption, in August, and the Nativity of the Virgin, in September. Visiting Masses on Sunday at 9:00 and 10:30, and Tuesday to Saturday at 18:00 (outside Advent). For visits and groups, the Capuchins can be reached on +36 30 470 1317. It is about 4 km from the palace: by car, city bus or train to the Máriabesnyő stop. - **Gödöllő Town Museum and the Artists' Colony** (1 h · Adults and teenagers): What it is Five minutes from the palace, at Szabadság tér 5, the town museum occupies a former manorial inn from the 1760s. Its central collection is that of the Gödöllő artists' colony, the Art Nouveau group that in the early 20th century made tapestries, furniture and stained glass here. It also tells the local history. Opening hours Wednesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 16:00. Telephone: +36 20 451 84 02. Its website does not publish prices: ask at the ticket office. ## Dónde comer - **CaFE IDA, the Palace Café** (Café, Gödöllő, €€). Qué pedir: A coffee and cake in Sisi's salons after the visit, or before the light garden. - **Erzsébet Királyné Restaurant** (Restaurant, Gödöllő, €€). Qué pedir: Ask for a table in the inner courtyard if it is summer; the menu is on the hotel's website. - **Napolizza** (Restaurant, Gödöllő, €). Qué pedir: One of their classic pizzas with San Marzano tomato and fior di latte; the kitchen closes half an hour earlier. ## Car-free: Gödöllő Without a Car, on the HÉV from Budapest Gödöllő is a comfortable excursion without a car: the HÉV H8 leaves from the end of the M2 metro and drops you opposite the palace in about 45 minutes. The centre, the park and the town museum are covered on foot; only the Máriabesnyő basilica is about 4 km away. The budget is per person per day, with one night, meals and transport. Presupuesto orientativo: 60–110 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **Hotel Erzsébet Királyné** (Hotel): The place The hotel occupies Gödöllő's former Art Nouveau town hall, restored and opened as a hotel in 2008, right in the centre: the HÉV's Gödöllő, Szabadság tér stop is in front and the palace is five minutes' walk away. It belongs to the Hungarian Accent Hotels chain and has three stars. The rooms There are standard doubles and twins of 16 to 20 m², superiors of 22 to 25 m² that admit an extra bed, triples of about 25 m² and a 40 m² deluxe with a sofa bed. All have air conditioning, free wi-fi and a shower, and all are listed as pet-friendly. Breakfast is a buffet from 7:00 to 10:00. Getting there and parking By HÉV H8 from Örs vezér tere, getting off at Szabadság tér. By car, the hotel has an underground garage with few spaces, at €8 a night and with a maximum height of 1.95 m, and an electric-car charger. The street spaces do not belong to the hotel. - **Árnyas Panzió** (Small hotel, desde 20000 € / night): The place A large, simple guesthouse in Máriabesnyő, the district east of Gödöllő, a kilometre from the basilica and about three from the palace. It has 58 beds plus ten extra beds, twin, double and family rooms with air conditioning, a garden and a function room, and answers the phone 24 hours a day. Published prices Double room: 20,000 Ft a night from Sunday to Thursday and 26,000 Ft on Friday and Saturday. Triple: 24,000 and 30,000 Ft. Breakfast: 3,900 Ft per person. Extra bed: 7,000 Ft. Tourist tax: 650 Ft per person per night. On a private terrace in the garden, a sauna, jacuzzi and wooden tub are rented separately, with an outdoor kitchen. Bear in mind It does not admit animals. To get to the palace, better by car or city bus; the Máriabesnyő basilica can be reached on foot. ### Servicios - **HÉV H8, from Örs vezér tere to Gödöllő**: The suburban train from Budapest to Gödöllő in about 45 minutes · Leaves from Örs vezér tere (metro M2) · Get off at Gödöllő, Szabadság tér, opposite the palace ## By plane: Fly to Budapest and Continue to Gödöllő on the HÉV Gödöllő has no airport: you fly to Budapest-Ferenc Liszt (BUD), with direct flights from Madrid and Barcelona, and from there it is two journeys. The 100E bus takes you to central Budapest in about 40 minutes; from Deák Ferenc tér, the M2 metro to Örs vezér tere and the HÉV H8 to Gödöllő, another 45. Almost everyone comes for the day from Budapest. By hire car, from the airport to Gödöllő it is about 30 km via the M0 ring road and the M3. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Hotel Erzsébet Királyné** (Hotel): The place The hotel occupies Gödöllő's former Art Nouveau town hall, restored and opened as a hotel in 2008, right in the centre: the HÉV's Gödöllő, Szabadság tér stop is in front and the palace is five minutes' walk away. It belongs to the Hungarian Accent Hotels chain and has three stars. The rooms There are standard doubles and twins of 16 to 20 m², superiors of 22 to 25 m² that admit an extra bed, triples of about 25 m² and a 40 m² deluxe with a sofa bed. All have air conditioning, free wi-fi and a shower, and all are listed as pet-friendly. Breakfast is a buffet from 7:00 to 10:00. Getting there and parking By HÉV H8 from Örs vezér tere, getting off at Szabadság tér. By car, the hotel has an underground garage with few spaces, at €8 a night and with a maximum height of 1.95 m, and an electric-car charger. The street spaces do not belong to the hotel. - **Árnyas Panzió** (Small hotel, desde 20000 € / night): The place A large, simple guesthouse in Máriabesnyő, the district east of Gödöllő, a kilometre from the basilica and about three from the palace. It has 58 beds plus ten extra beds, twin, double and family rooms with air conditioning, a garden and a function room, and answers the phone 24 hours a day. Published prices Double room: 20,000 Ft a night from Sunday to Thursday and 26,000 Ft on Friday and Saturday. Triple: 24,000 and 30,000 Ft. Breakfast: 3,900 Ft per person. Extra bed: 7,000 Ft. Tourist tax: 650 Ft per person per night. On a private terrace in the garden, a sauna, jacuzzi and wooden tub are rented separately, with an outdoor kitchen. Bear in mind It does not admit animals. To get to the palace, better by car or city bus; the Máriabesnyő basilica can be reached on foot. ### Servicios - **HÉV H8, from Örs vezér tere to Gödöllő**: The suburban train from Budapest to Gödöllő in about 45 minutes · Leaves from Örs vezér tere (metro M2) · Get off at Gödöllő, Szabadság tér, opposite the palace ## By car: Gödöllő by Car, Half an Hour from Budapest on the M3 By car, Gödöllő is about 30 km from the centre of Budapest on the M3 motorway, which needs an electronic vignette. With a car you reach the winter light garden, the Máriabesnyő basilica and the Napolizza pizzeria, which is outside the centre, without timetables. The budget is per person per day, with accommodation, food and petrol. Presupuesto orientativo: 70–120 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Hotel Erzsébet Királyné** (Hotel): The place The hotel occupies Gödöllő's former Art Nouveau town hall, restored and opened as a hotel in 2008, right in the centre: the HÉV's Gödöllő, Szabadság tér stop is in front and the palace is five minutes' walk away. It belongs to the Hungarian Accent Hotels chain and has three stars. The rooms There are standard doubles and twins of 16 to 20 m², superiors of 22 to 25 m² that admit an extra bed, triples of about 25 m² and a 40 m² deluxe with a sofa bed. All have air conditioning, free wi-fi and a shower, and all are listed as pet-friendly. Breakfast is a buffet from 7:00 to 10:00. Getting there and parking By HÉV H8 from Örs vezér tere, getting off at Szabadság tér. By car, the hotel has an underground garage with few spaces, at €8 a night and with a maximum height of 1.95 m, and an electric-car charger. The street spaces do not belong to the hotel. - **Árnyas Panzió** (Small hotel, desde 20000 € / night): The place A large, simple guesthouse in Máriabesnyő, the district east of Gödöllő, a kilometre from the basilica and about three from the palace. It has 58 beds plus ten extra beds, twin, double and family rooms with air conditioning, a garden and a function room, and answers the phone 24 hours a day. Published prices Double room: 20,000 Ft a night from Sunday to Thursday and 26,000 Ft on Friday and Saturday. Triple: 24,000 and 30,000 Ft. Breakfast: 3,900 Ft per person. Extra bed: 7,000 Ft. Tourist tax: 650 Ft per person per night. On a private terrace in the garden, a sauna, jacuzzi and wooden tub are rented separately, with an outdoor kitchen. Bear in mind It does not admit animals. To get to the palace, better by car or city bus; the Máriabesnyő basilica can be reached on foot. ## As a family: Gödöllő with the Family Gödöllő works well with children of all ages: a short train ride, a palace with storytelling programmes for families, a large flat park and, in winter, a night walk of lights. ### What works best The palace, with a family ticket and stories of Elemér the mouse in the rooms The park, with a barefoot path and the playground locomotive The light garden, from October to January, flat and with no time limit The Baroque theatre and riding hall visit, short, 40 minutes ### Sleeping Hotel Erzsébet Királyné, with triples, a free cot and a deluxe room with a sofa bed Árnyas Panzió, with family rooms and a garden ### Eating Napolizza, wood-fired pizza with a terrace CaFE IDA, for an afternoon snack inside the palace ### Bear in mind The Horthy bunker is not recommended for under-12s and it is cold inside Dogs are not admitted to the park The park is cleared from 16:00 to 17:00 in the light garden season ### Qué hacer as a family - Gödöllő Royal Palace, Sisi's Rooms - Gödöllő Palace Park - Guided Tour of the Baroque Theatre, Riding Hall and Stables - Queen Elizabeth Light Garden in the Palace Park - Máriabesnyő Basilica, the Capuchin Shrine ## With young children: Gödöllő with Small Children With children up to the age of six, Gödöllő is one of the easiest excursions from Budapest: under-6s do not pay for the palace, the park is flat and can be covered with a pushchair, and the light garden is short and free for under-2s. ### What works best The playground with the locomotive and the barefoot path The light garden, at dusk, with a pushchair Sisi's rooms in the palace, on a short visit ### Sleeping Hotel Erzsébet Királyné, with a lift and a free cot ### Eating Napolizza, with a terrace CaFE IDA, for a cake ### Bear in mind Under-6s enter the palace free In winter the park closes at 16:00 until the light garden opens Bring a coat: the light garden is outdoors and at night ### Qué hacer with young children - Gödöllő Royal Palace, Sisi's Rooms - Gödöllő Palace Park - Queen Elizabeth Light Garden in the Palace Park ## Consejos ### Book the tour in Spanish The palace has Spanish-speaking guides, but only with advance booking by phone or email. ### Buy the MÁV combined ticket It includes transport and entry to the permanent exhibition. ### In winter, arrive mid-afternoon Palace at 15:00, coffee at 16:00 and light garden at 17:00. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How do you get from Budapest to Gödöllő? On the HÉV H8 from Örs vezér tere, about 45 minutes, getting off at Szabadság tér. Also by MÁV train from Keleti or by car on the M3. ### How much does the palace ticket cost? 5,000 Ft Monday to Friday and 5,400 Ft at weekends; students half price; under-6s free. ### What does Sisi have to do with Gödöllő? Hungary gave the palace to Franz Joseph and Elisabeth in 1867, with their coronation, and Sisi spent long periods here. ### Can you go with children? Yes: there is a family ticket, storytelling programmes in the palace, a playground and the light garden in winter. Only the bunker is not recommended for under-12s. ### Can you go with a dog? Not in the palace park, which does not admit dogs. The Erzsébet Királyné hotel does accept pets. ### Is it open on Mondays? Yes, the palace is open every day from 10:00 to 18:00.