The Jewish synagogue of Budapest is among the top 10 monuments to visit in Hungary in 2024.(There are two smaller synagogues in the nearby area of Jewish district).
Also termed as one of the most expensive monuments to enter in Budapest, it is a must visit attraction in Budapest, as it is pretty closer to the city center.
The lavish and gorgeous interior of the synagogue does justify the high fees to enter.It is considered one of the largest synagogues in Europe as it can accommodate around 2800 visitors.
It took 5 years to complete during the 1850s.
There is the Hungarian Jewish Museum as well as the archives from Hungarian Jewish History.
The best places to stay near Budapest City center are
Names for Great Synagogue of Budapest
Aside from the name “great synagogue”, it is also known as Dohany Synagogue or Dohany Street Synagogue due to the name of the street where it is located.
In Hungarian, the Dohany word is written as Dohány, while street is called utca. Hence, when you are in Budapest, don’t worry if you see the name Dohány utcai Zsinagóga at some locations. Because it is the Hungarian version of Dohany Street Synagogue.
Few of the names associated with the great synagogue are the following.
- Central Synagogue Budapest
- Grand Synagogue Budapest
- Big Synagogue Budapest
- Nagy Zsinagoga Budapest
- Largest Synagogue in Budapest
- Main Synagogue Budapest
- Jewish Church Budapest
Where is Budapest Synagogue located?
Budapest Synagogue is located in the central part of Budapest.It is located in the 7th district,which is the older city and also called Jewish District.
The official address of Great Synagogue is 1075 Budapest, Dohany utca 2.
It is also a great point to start your exploration of the Jewish district of Budapest.
Jewish district in Budapest is the oldest and most interesting part of Budapest and to know the history, make sure to join Budapest Jewish Heritage Tour.
How to reach Budapest Synagogue
It is pretty easy to access Great Synagogue by Budapest Public transport through metro and buses.
The closest Budapest Metro stations to Dohany Synagogue are Deak Ferenc ter(M1,M2,M3) and Astoria (M2-Red Metro). If you are at Deak Ferenc Ter, it can be a 10-15 mins walk.
Taking trams 47,48,49 from Deak Ferenc ter to Astoria is also an option for reaching Dohany Street Synagogue.
With public transport Bus # 74 you can drop directly in front of Great Synagogue.
If you are coming by car to Dohany Synagogue, it may be challenging to find street parking,as this area has quite many reserved parking places for residents.
One of the best options to visit Budapest top attractions in short time is using Hop On Hop Off buses. Get your Hop on Hop off bus ticket here for a 10% discount.
Budapest Synagogue Opening Hours
The opening times and days on which the Budapest synagogue is open to visits vary from month to month in 2024.
Therefore, if your plan is to see the Synagogue from inside, Do check the opening days and timings.
Opening hours of Synagogue in Spring
From March 1 to April 29, the opening timings were as following.
Sunday-Friday: 10:00 to 16:00
Check-in and check-out: 15:00
March 6: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Check-in and check-out: 13:00
Budapest Synagogue timings in Summer
From May 1 – September 23, the Synagogue timings were following.
Sunday-Thursday: 10:00 to 20:00
Check-in and check-out: 19:00
Friday: 10:00 to 16:00
Check-in and check-out: 15:00
Autumn opening hours of Synagogue
From September 28 – October 28, the Great Synagogue has following timings and schedule.
Sunday-Thursday: 10:00 to 18:00
Check-in and check-out: 17:00
Friday: 10:00 to 16:00
Check-in and check-out: 15:00
Want to visit Budapest Great synagogue,make sure to reserve the tickets in advance as there can be huge lines of visitors waiting to buy ticket in front of Synagogue.
Winter opening hours for Budapest Synagogue
During the winter season, the opening hours of Synagogue are following.
From January 9 – February 28, and 30 October to 31 December
Sunday-Thursday: 10:00 to 16:00
Check-in and check-out: 15:00
Friday: 10:00 to 14:00
Check-in and check-out: 13:00
In September, the synagogue is closed for 9 random days. The Synagogue is closed on October 23 and November 1. Budapest Synagogue is closed on Christmas time for two days. i.e.December 24,25.
Great Synagogue Budapest tickets
The tickets for Budapest synagogue can be purchased in front of the kiosk next to it.
However, most of the time, there is a long queue of visitors. Buying tickets from the kiosk in front of Synagogue can easily take 20 to 30 mins during peak hours.
On the other hand,there is also an option to buy synagogue tickets online.
This will save your precious time,and you can directly enter the Synagogue.
Want to visit Budapest Great synagogue,make sure to reserve the tickets in advance as there can be huge lines of visitors waiting to buy ticket in front of Synagogue.
Budapest Synagogue tickets online
In 2024, there are many options to buy Synagogue ticket online, to avoid queues.
There are a few Hungarian website for buying Synagogue tickets, which are difficult to navigate.Hence, it is recommended to buy entry tickets to the Synagogue online,as it allows you to skip the long line for buying tickets on the kiosk in front of the Synagogue.
There is no difference in price either you book from Hungarian or International sites.MasterCard and VisaCard are widely accepted for Synagogue ticket purchase.
You can book the tours in multiple languages on either of the websites which include English, Italian, Russian, Spanish, French, Deutsche.You can buy tickets in front of the Synagogue as well,but it may take additional half to one hour waiting.
One of the top attractions in Budapest is the Great Synagogue. If you plan to visit, make sure to book your Great Synagogue ticket in advance to avoid long queues.
Dohany Synagogue Budapest entry fee
The entry fees for Dohany Synagogue is different for all age groups.
The synagogue entry fees varies from $8 to $20, depending upon the age group.
Following are the entry fees for Great Synagogue of Budapest in 2024, for the visitors planning to go inside.
Single Adult 8000 HUF (20 USD/EUR/GBP)
Single Student (with Hungarian ID) 6200 HUF (16 USD/EUR/GBP)
Children 6-12 Year 2900 HUF (8 USD/EUR/GBP)
Family (2 adults and 2 children) 18400 HUF (42 USD/EUR/GBP)
Want to visit Budapest Great synagogue,make sure to reserve the tickets in advance as there can be huge lines of visitors waiting to buy ticket in front of Synagogue.
Inside Dohany Synagogue Budapest
With the entrance ticket to Dohany Synagogue, you will have the opportunity to visit and experience the history of Budapest Jewish community in Hungary. It is said to be one of the top 3 biggest and oldest Synagogues functioning as of 2024.
It is worth mentioning here that the Jewish Museum is said to be established since 1932.
Once entered inside the Dohany Synagogue, you will have the opportunity to visit the following.
- Museum inside the Synagogue
- Heroes temple
- Memorial Garden
- The tree of life
- Ghetto exhibition
- Cemetery
The tree of life is there as a tribute to the Hungarian Holocaust victims.Don’t forget to visit the graveyard and the museum. The guided tours are regularly departing inside the Synagogue in multiple languages and you can join with the entry ticket to Museum.
Museum inside the Dohany Synagogue
The museum has quite interesting stuff with explanations about basic terms of Judaism.
However, you will notice many seemingly important artifacts without any explanation for the tourists.
You can buy souvenirs from the museum, which may not be of very high quality.
Jewish district in Budapest is the oldest and most interesting part of Budapest and to know the history, make sure to join Budapest Jewish Heritage Tour.
Heroes Temple inside the synagogue
The religious activities in the synagogue are performed at the Heroes Temple.
The artistic temple was designed by Laszlo Vago and Ferenc Farago.
It has a capacity of around 300 people.
Jewish Graveyard inside the Synagogue
The Jewish graveyard is another must visit place inside the great synagogue.
It is considered to have the joint graves of over 7000 Jews martyred during WWII.
Tree of life Budapest
Tree of life is another historical monument erected inside the Budapest Synagogue.It’s a huge tree made up of metal with thousands of leaves.
The tree of life is a thing to see in the Dohany Synagogue which can also be seen from the outside.Each leaf contains the name of the Jews who lost their lives during WWII.
A visit to the graveyard and museum will give interesting insights into Jewish life in Budapest over the history.
Want to visit Budapest Great synagogue,make sure to reserve the tickets in advance as there can be huge lines of visitors waiting to buy ticket in front of Synagogue.
Guided tours inside the great Synagogue
With the tickets purchased, guided tours are included in the ticket price.
There are guided tours arranged in multiple languages (not the ones where they give you radio).
The guided tours are in 5 languages.The guided tours for Great Synagogue leave every 30 minutes.
Beware, that there is no limit on the number of people in one group tour, and you may not hear the guide voice clearly in case of more people.
One of the top attractions in Budapest is the Great Synagogue. If you plan to visit, make sure to book your Great Synagogue ticket in advance to avoid long queues.
Rules to enter the Dohany street Synagogue
There are certain conditions that have to be met before entering the synagogue.
For men, the heads should be covered. No shorts allowed.
For women, the arms should be covered with the lower part of the body covered below the knees.
Don’t worry if you don’t satisfy the requirements, as caps for men and gowns for women can be purchased for a nominal cost.
One of the top attractions in Budapest is the Great Synagogue. If you plan to visit, make sure to book your Great Synagogue ticket in advance to avoid long queues.
What if you don’t want to buy the Synagogue entry ticket
As Budapest is considered a cheap city, many visitors think the high entry fees to the Synagogue to be unfair.
If you also think the same, it is still a must to visit the Dohany Synagogue to see the external beauty.
You will not be able to see the Museum and graveyard details.
However, the tree of life can be seen clearly from the outside and is worth taking pictures.
Also, the front side of Synagogue is beautiful enough to give a visit.
Want to visit Budapest Great synagogue,make sure to reserve the tickets in advance as there can be huge lines of visitors waiting to buy ticket in front of Synagogue.
Restaurants near Budapest Synagogue
There are many Jewish restaurants in front and next to the Dohany Synagogue where food is awesome.
It is located closer to the most happening area of Budapest.
Food prices in areas in Jewish quarter are average,in case you are wondering, Is Budapest cheap for eat and drinks
If you start walking towards Deak Ferenc ter you can find many food options (Italian,Mexican,Turkish,etc).
For fast food, the closest Burger King is located right at the Astoria metro station, which is 300 mins walk from the Synagogue. You can not only have Burger King Budapest but also have varieties of burgers.
Jewish district in Budapest is the oldest and most interesting part of Budapest and to know the history, make sure to join Budapest Jewish Heritage Tour.
The closest KFC from Dohany Synagogue is 500m walk away. It is right next to Deak Ferenc Metro station.If you walk from the synagogue towards the Deak Ferenc ter, the KFC is found on the left side of the road (little inside).
The closest Starbucks with Synagogues is next to Deak Ferenc ter (adjacent to the KFC).
Buying Cigarettes closer to Budapest Synagogue
In Hungary, cigarettes can be only purchased from special shops.
Cigarette shops in Hungary have 18 written in a circle and Nemzeti DohanyBolt as their name.
If you are looking to buy cigarettes, you can find it pretty close to the synagogue.
There is a small shop just in front of the Synagogue where you can buy cigarettes and liquor.
Important shops closer to Budapest Synagogue
You can buy water or other groceries just a few minutes walk away from the Synagogue.
The best option is the SPAR grocery store, which is on the opposite side of the tram, as you go out of the Synagogue.
Coming out of synagogue, you have to walk right and then move left by crossing the tram railway track.The SPAR should be visible from there.
To buy cheap clothes for yourself or kids for temporary use, you can visit PEPCO.
At PEPCO, you find all clothing items for different age groups, decoration pieces and stationary items at reasonable prices.
SPAR and PEPCO are within walking distance from each other.
