Budapest’s BKK public-transport company offers rides aboard many heritage vehicles during summer weekends, including two old-school streetcars, an articulated Ikarus bus, and a 19th-century boat, all providing time-transcending city-sightseeing trips for passengers. Adding to this historic fleet of antiquated conveyances, the company recently introduced its newly acquired rolling relic, an Ikarus 630-type convertible bus that dates back to decades ago. The open-top conveyance provides excursions through downtown areas and along Buda’s Danube bank on designated weekend days through September.

Passengers who want to embark on a sun-splashed tour in Hungary’s capital can catch a breezy ride aboard the city’s newly acquired vintage vehicle, an Ikarus 630-type convertible bus that pushes along downtown Pest roads and Buda’s Danube bank on one Sunday every month through the end of September. With this new addition to the city’s iconic heritage fleet, travelers have a cool combination of budget-friendly alternatives to explore the Magyar metropolis with distinct services by road, by rail, and on the water, while those hopping on BKK’s “new” open-top conveyance will enjoy wraparound views of Budapest’s central sights along the journey.

During a press conference organized by BKK, we had a chance to ride on the old-fashioned bus and soak in the 146-horsepower vehicle’s vintage vibe throughout a ten-minute journey that took us from Batthyány Square to near Buda’s cobblestoned streets and along the Bem Quay section of the panoramic Danube bank. While we were chugging down the roads sitting on the vehicle’s comfy communist-era leather seats, the city’s historic sights enveloped us, and we almost forgot that we were cruising around modern-day Budapest – only the sight of contemporary cars and trams that passed by the moving artifact helped bring us back to the present day.

According to a schedule available on the website of BKK, the bus will make a round-trip journey beginning at Pest’s Deák Square on July 9th, August 13th, and September 10th, with the bus departing repeatedly on the hour from 10am through 5pm, and it can accommodate 38 passengers at a time. During the 25-minute mini excursion, the heritage ride takes travelers through Ferenciek tere before it crosses Elizabeth Bridge to the Buda side, where it continues its journey along the Danube bank all the way to Margaret Bridge. After crossing the statuesque span back to the Pest side, the last leg of the journey includes Jászai Mari Square and Arany János Street, before the bus returns to its Deák Square terminus. In addition to classic central Budapest sights, during the trip passengers catch glimpses of several landmarks, including the Chain Bridge, Várkert Bazaar, the Parliament, Margaret Island, and Nyugati Railway Station.

Meanwhile, similarly to other heritage services operated by BKK, tickets to ride the convertible conveyance are available at moderate prices: a round-trip pass costs 500 forints for adults and 300 forints for children; visit bkk.hu/nosztalgia for more details. Finally, the bus is also available to rent for private tour companies that want to organize one-of-a-kind group trips for travelers in Hungary’s capital.