A Hévíz day trip from Budapest is realistic. The direct bus from Népliget takes about 2 hours 25 minutes each way, which leaves four to five hours at the lake. A full-day adult ticket to the Hévíz lake bath costs 7,500 HUF (~€21) in 2026, less than a weekday ticket at Széchenyi. Two things have changed: the central bathhouse on stilts has been closed since November 2025, and winter bathing is outdoors on the lake itself.
Last checked: 23 September 2026. Prices and opening hours come from the lake bath’s official website (spaheviz.hu), valid from 30 March 2026. Bus and train times come from MÁV timetables; check them in the MÁV app or on mavcsoport.hu the day before you travel.
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If you would rather not deal with buses, you can compare guided Hévíz day trips from Budapest →. The tour sold through GetYourGuide cost €155 when checked, including transfers, the lake ticket and a guide.
What is Lake Hévíz, and why make a day trip from Budapest?
Lake Hévíz is a natural thermal lake in western Hungary, about 195 km from Budapest near the western end of Lake Balaton. The lake covers about 4.4 hectares and is fed by a spring 38 metres below the surface, which delivers around 410 litres of warm water per second. The whole lake refills roughly every three days.
The lake bath describes Hévíz as the largest biologically active natural thermal lake in the world. You swim in open water, surrounded by a forest park, with a peat-mud bed below you. In summer, water lilies cover parts of the surface.
How do you get from Budapest to Hévíz?
The direct bus is the easiest option for a Hévíz day trip from Budapest. The train is an alternative if you want to visit Keszthely as well.
| Option | Route | Time each way | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct bus (Volánbusz line 1188) | Népliget bus station → Hévíz bus station | About 2 h 25 min | Day trips, no changes |
| Train + local bus | Budapest-Déli → Keszthely, then bus to Hévíz | About 2 h 40 min + 10–15 min | Combining Hévíz with Keszthely |
| Car | Budapest → Hévíz via the M7 | About 2 h, 195 km | Flexible times, families |
| Guided tour | Pick-up in Budapest | Included | No planning at all |
Times checked September 2026 from MÁV and Rome2rio.
By bus. Line 1188 leaves Népliget, on the M3 metro, several times a day and stops at the Hévíz bus station in the town centre. Take a morning departure, around 8:00, to arrive before 10:30. The return buses run in the afternoon and early evening, but not every trip runs daily, so check the last return before you set off. FlixBus also runs Budapest–Hévíz on some days.
By train. Hévíz has no railway station. If you have read otherwise, that information is wrong. Direct trains from Budapest-Déli to Keszthely take about 2 hours 40 minutes. From Keszthely, local bus 6355 runs to Hévíz every 15 to 35 minutes, with the last bus late in the evening.
How much is a Lake Hévíz ticket in 2026?
A full-day adult ticket costs 7,500 HUF (~€21) and a 3-hour ticket costs 4,500 HUF (~€12). Prices are the same on weekdays and weekends, and you can buy on site by cash or card, or online at the lake bath’s ticket shop.
| Ticket (from 30 March 2026) | Adult | Senior 60+ / student | Child 6–14 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 hours | 4,500 HUF (~€12) | 4,000 HUF (~€11) | 2,400 HUF (~€7) |
| Full day | 7,500 HUF (~€21) | 7,000 HUF (~€19) | 3,600 HUF (~€10) |
| Last 2 hours before closing | 3,600 HUF (~€10) | — | — |
Prices checked September 2026 at spaheviz.hu. EUR at the MNB rate of 362.6 HUF (21 September 2026). Children under 6 enter free.
Useful extras:
- Extra hour: 1,800 HUF. Since 15 July 2026 the bath has been running a promotion that adds one free hour to the 3-hour ticket; check whether it is still on.
- Swim ring: 700 HUF plus a 2,000 HUF deposit. Many swimmers use one, because the lake is deep in places.
- Wellness and sauna add-on: 3,300 HUF, age 12 and over only.
- Cloakroom: 300 HUF. Changing cabins cost 1,800 HUF in season.
For a Hévíz day trip from Budapest, the 3-hour ticket is usually enough. The lake bath itself recommends 20 to 30 minutes in the water at a time, with breaks, and no more than 1 to 1.5 hours of bathing a day.
When is the Hévíz lake bath open?
The lake bath is open every day of the year, but closing time moves with the season.
| Dates | Opening hours | Last swim |
|---|---|---|
| 31 August – 4 October 2026 | 9:00–18:30 | 18:00 |
| 5–24 October 2026 | 9:00–17:30 | 17:00 |
| 25 October 2026 – 14 February 2027 | 9:00–16:30 | 16:00 |
| 15 February – 21 March 2027 | 9:00–17:30 | 17:00 |
| Summer (1 June – 30 August 2026) | 8:30–19:00 | 18:30 |
Checked September 2026. On 24 December the bath closes at 14:00, on 31 December at 16:00, and on 1 January it opens at 11:00.
In winter the 16:00 last swim matters for a Hévíz day trip from Budapest. Arrive by late morning to get a full afternoon in the water.
What is closed at the Hévíz lake bath?
The central bathhouse, the wooden building on stilts in the middle of the lake, has been closed since 3 November 2025. The operator closed it together with the terrace next to it because the foundation piles had moved. Many older guides and photos still show it open.
What this means for you in 2026:
- You swim outdoors on the open lake. The covered Festetics Bathhouse and covered rest areas stay open.
- Full-day tickets are back. Over winter 2025/26 only 2-hour tickets were sold; full-day tickets returned on 30 March 2026.
- More change is coming. The central bathhouse is due to be demolished in 2027 after a design competition, with building work planned in phases from the second half of 2027.
Check the lake bath’s website for the current entrance before you go, as the entrances changed during 2026.
Is Lake Hévíz warm enough in winter?
Yes, but it is cooler than a Budapest thermal pool. The lake bath says the water does not drop below 22°C in winter, and the Hévíz tourism office gives about 24°C on the coldest days. In summer the lake reaches 35–38°C.
Winter at Hévíz feels different from Széchenyi, where the outdoor thermal pool stays at 36–38°C. At Hévíz you swim in cooler water with steam over the lake and far fewer people. If you want hot water in freezing air, stay in Budapest: see which Budapest baths keep outdoor pools open in winter and our winter bathing guide.
Is Hévíz worth a day trip from Budapest?
Yes, if you want to swim in a natural thermal lake, which no Budapest bath offers. A Hévíz day trip from Budapest costs less in entry than Széchenyi, but you spend about five hours on the road.
| Hévíz | Miskolctapolca | Anna Baths, Szeged | Széchenyi, Budapest | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel from Budapest, each way | ~2 h 25 min by bus | ~2 h train + 30–40 min bus | ~2 h 20 min by train | In the city |
| Adult full-day ticket, 2026 | 7,500 HUF (~€21) | 8,500 HUF (~€23) | 4,200 HUF (~€12) | 13,200 HUF (~€36) weekday |
| What makes it different | Natural thermal lake | Bathing in a cave | Historic city-centre bath | Largest outdoor pools |
| Open in winter | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Prices checked August–September 2026. Full guides: Miskolctapolca Cave Bath, Anna Baths day trip, best thermal baths in Budapest.
Skip Hévíz as a day trip if you have only two or three days in Budapest, or if you travel with young children who will not enjoy five hours on a bus.
Should you stay overnight instead of a Hévíz day trip from Budapest?
Staying one night is the better way to see Hévíz than a rushed Hévíz day trip from Budapest. You can bathe in the morning before the day-trippers arrive, and the bus times stop dictating your day. Hévíz is a spa town with many spa hotels, several of them with their own thermal pools.
Well-known options include Ensana Thermal Aqua and Ensana Thermal Hévíz (both formerly Danubius), NaturMed Hotel Carbona, Palace Hotel Hévíz and Hotel Spa Hévíz. Compare Hévíz spa hotels for your dates →
With a second day, add Keszthely and its Festetics Palace, a short bus ride away, or the Egregy wine-cellar row on the hill above Hévíz. The Hévíz tourism office lists events and opening times.
What should you bring to Lake Hévíz?
For a Hévíz day trip from Budapest, bring swimwear, flip-flops and a towel. If you swim in winter, bring a warm robe for the walk between the water and the covered areas.
See what to wear to a Hungarian thermal bath for the full packing list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you do a Hévíz day trip from Budapest?
Yes. The direct bus from Népliget takes about 2 hours 25 minutes each way, so you get four to five hours at the lake if you leave on a morning bus. A full-day adult lake ticket costs 7,500 HUF (~€21) in 2026. Staying one night makes the trip far less rushed.
Is there a train station in Hévíz?
No. Hévíz has no railway station. Trains from Budapest-Déli run to Keszthely in about 2 hours 40 minutes, and local buses connect Keszthely with Hévíz several times an hour. The direct bus from Népliget is simpler for a day trip.
How much is a Lake Hévíz ticket in 2026?
From 30 March 2026 an adult 3-hour ticket costs 4,500 HUF (~€12) and a full-day ticket 7,500 HUF (~€21). Children aged 6 to 14 pay 2,400 HUF for 3 hours, and children under 6 enter free. Prices are the same every day of the week.
How warm is Lake Hévíz in winter?
The lake bath says the water does not drop below 22°C in winter, and the Hévíz tourism office gives about 24°C on the coldest days. In summer the lake reaches 35–38°C. Winter water is warm enough to swim, but cooler than a Budapest thermal pool.
Is the Hévíz lake bathhouse open?
The central bathhouse on stilts has been closed since November 2025 because its foundation piles moved, and it is due to be demolished in 2027. The lake itself, the Festetics Bathhouse and the covered rest areas are open. Full-day tickets returned on 30 March 2026.
Is Hévíz worth it compared with the Budapest baths?
Yes, if you want something the Budapest baths cannot offer: swimming in a natural thermal lake. A full day at Hévíz costs 7,500 HUF (~€21), less than a weekday Széchenyi ticket at 13,200 HUF (~€36). The trade-off is about five hours of travel for a day trip.
For a first Hévíz day trip from Budapest, take the morning bus from Népliget, buy a 3-hour ticket and check the last return bus before you get in the water. Browse all our thermal bath guides to plan the rest of your trip.
Sources (checked 23 September 2026): spaheviz.hu (lake data, 2026 tickets and opening hours, bathing advice); heviz.hu (lake data, lake bath status); turizmus.com (23 October 2025) and hellomagyar.hu (23 February 2026) on the bathhouse closure and 2027 plans; MÁV timetables for bus 1188 and bus 6355; Rome2rio (journey times); GetYourGuide (tour price); ensanahotels.com; MNB official exchange rate.