The ultimate guide to Budapest’s best escape rooms

What is it? There are three very imaginative games at PLAY! – and we’d recommend you do the lot. The first requires you to solve the murder of an archaeologist who belonged to an ancient society alongside Leonardo da Vinci. In the second, teams battle to prevent Doctor Frankenstein from resurrecting Dracula. And in the third? You have the simple task of trying to save the last victim of Jack the Ripper. 

Why we love it The rooms are stylishly designed, interactive and demand that players think logically. Only the Dracula-Frankenstein room is currently available in English, however.

Time Out tip: If you're going for the popular Da Vinci game, it might be wise to leave it until the early autumn of 2025, as modifications are being made to improve its rules and features.

Address: Rózsa utca 18B, 1077 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Thur, Sun 11am-9pm, Fri-Sat 11am-10pm

Expect to pay: From Ft 20,000 (€50) per team for a 6-person game

What is it? Locked Room runs six excellent escape rooms in central Pest, with plenty of variety. Sevenhill immerses players in a horror film in an abandoned hospital. Motel locks participants in a cursed motel room where there have been a number of mysterious suicides. 

Why we love it Inspired by the book and film of the same name – about an unsolved series of murders around San Francisco more than half a century ago – Zodiac was reimagined in 2025 to display an unusual level of accuracy and set-ups.

Time Out tip: Locked Room is partnered with AROOM, meaning that real enthusiasts have 14 games to choose from at two locations. 

Address: Székely Mihály utca 4, 1061 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Thur 1pm-10pm, Fri 1pm-11.30pm, Sat-Sun 10am-11.30pm 

Expect to pay: From Ft 5,340 (€13.35) per player for a 6-person game

What is it? An escape room complex, a bar and pizzeria in one, Neverland ticks many boxes, as well as being one street over from the main hub of ruin bars. Eight games feature here, with themes running from Aztec catacombs to Chernobyl to bank robberies. Neverland also offers games in French and Spanish.

Why we love it The Neverland designers have tried to adapt their games for ten year olds – jailbreak, wizard's apprentices – as well as strictly adults only where the superscary Schizophrenia Serial Killer game is concerned. 

Time Out tip: If it's a special occasion, you can book the VIP private room and let your guests run riot here for 60 minutes before they arrive.

Address: Dohány utca 22-24, 1074 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Thur, Sun 9am-midnight, Fri-Sat 9am-1am

Expect to pay: Ft 5,990 (€15) per person for games up to 6 players

What is it? This award-winning escape-room game comprises 17 games across five locations in two different cities, including five in Debrecen. At the main one on Zichy Jenő utca, Secret of the Deep has been voted the most spectacular in Budapest, proving that the best escape rooms are invariably created by experienced enthusiasts.

Why we love it Exit The Room uses VR, plentiful sound effects and multiple languages to lift this attraction to the next level, having first opened in the initial wave of escape rooms back in 2012. Essentially, these people are storytellers, and love nothing more than a twist in the tale.

Time Out tip: If you're just going to try out one escape-room game in Budapest, then Secret of the Deep should probably be the one, an underwater adventure that should live long in the memory.

Address: Several locations including Zichy Jenő utca 39, 1066 Budapest

Opening hours: Wed-Fri 3.30pm-10.15pm, Sat 10.45am-10.15pm, Sun 10.45am-11.30pm. Closed Mon-Tue

Expect to pay: From Ft 24,990 (€62.50) per game for 6 players

What is it? Over the years, nearly a million players have beaten a path to two sites near Margaret Bridge to crack the code in 60 minutes. Mystique Rooms 1 and 2 offer no fewer than 20 scenarios, and most are difficult. One of the easier games, the unscary medieval Cathedral room, challenges teams to locate the plans for the construction of a church. The tricker Cube is great for techies, revolving as it does around restarting a nuclear reactor. Pirate Bay, meanwhile, invites teams on-board a pirate ship for a good old-fashioned treasure hunt.

Why we love it With so much choose from, there's bound to be a game to suit your party, families, hens, colleagues or weekending lads. Some rooms here do involve physical exertion, climbing stairs or ladders, so you'll get a little exercise at the same time. And even if escape rooms aren't your thing, you can join the JumpRace, a kind of 21st-century, 3D hopscotch across an LED floor.

Time Out tip: If friends or relatives are coming to Budapest for a celebration, you can surprise them with a gift card in exchange for a game.

Address: Mystique Room 1 Szent István körút 9, 1055 Budapest. Mystique Room 2 Tátra utca 3-4, 1136 Budapest

Opening hours: Daily 9am-10pm

Expect to pay: From Ft 5,490 (€13.75) per player for a 5-8 person game

What is it? Run by the same folk as Locked Room (see above), AROOM offers eight top-quality games with realistic interiors and helpful staff. The most family-friendly room is the pretty-in-pink Dream House, involving a search for a lost puppy, while Metro placss your team in the Budapest underground network amid that classic filmic scenario, a ticking bomb.

Why we love it Variety is the key here, with a game for every day of the week and one left over. Even one of the harder games, the House of Escobar, tasking players with pinning down the notorious Colombian drug baron, is all good clean fun.

Time Out tip: If you're a student in Budapest, there's a loyalty discount card scheme on weekdays.

Address: Király utca 14, 1061 Budapest

Opening hours: Daily 1pm-10pm

Expect to pay: From Ft 5,000 (€12.50) per player for an 8-person game

What is it? Deep in District IX, five games await discerning gamers, two of them given set times over the standard 60 minutes. Witcher delves into medieval mystery, Squid Party riffs on the Squid Game while The Secret of Lady W should appeal to hen parties with its setting of Georgian-era ballrooms and mysterious gentlemen. 

Why we love it A later-generation escape-room facility, Time Heist is the result of years of practice, figuring out what works and what doesn't quite cut it where set-ups are concerned. Games are developed and finely honed over time, with users' feedback appreciated. 

Time Out tip: Discounts are offered for students and those looking to put on a special event.

Address: Liliom utca 5, 1094 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11am-10.30pm, Sat-Sun 9.30am-10.30pm

Expect to pay: Ft 27,000 (€67.50) per team for a 6-person game (20% discount Mon-Thur)

What is it? The most central of Budapest's escape rooms, a minute from where the airport bus drops you off at Deák Ferenc tér, Scavenger consists of three escape rooms which significantly in difficulty. The easiest takes teams on an Egyptian Adventure as a British soldier, while the Budapest Treasure Hunt takes you outside to learn about the city's history in a non-traditional way.

Why we love it If you're trying to clock up several adventures in one weekend, and don't mind paying a little extra, Scavenger can be a handy jump-off point, particularly if you take on the challenging Secret Surgery that deals in illegal organ trafficking.

Time Out tip: If one of you isn't up for 60 minutes being trapped in a room, then the outdoor Budapest Treasure Hunt is ideal.

Address: Asbóth utca 15, 1075 Budapest

Opening hours: Tue-Thur 2pm-9pm, Fri 1pm-10.30pm, Sat 10am-10.30pm, Sun 10am-9.30pm

Expect to pay: From Ft 25,800 (€64.50) per team for up to 8 players. Budapest Treasure Hunt from Ft 19,800 (€49.50) for up to 8 players

What is it? E-Exit spans two locations in the Jewish Quarter, on Nyár utca and Klauzál utca, currently comprising three games with a new fourth to be opened later in 2025. The non-traditional Santa Muerte and Heaven & Hell are intended for those with more experience. One is Mexican-themed, the other tasks players with defibrillating themselves back from death. Secret Subway, also for experts, takes its lead from Jules Verne.

Why we love it E-Exit prefers crafting a story, and increasing the sense of adventure, over cramming as many games into its two locations. Plus it's right in the bar zone, meaning you can enjoy a game before heading out to compare experiences over a few late-night drinks.

Time Out tip: The team at E-Exit is working on a new game to replace the long-established 1984 Big Brother room – check the website next time that you're in Budapest. Oh, and whichever game you're playing, do bring forints – it's a cash-only operation.

Address: Nyár utca 27 & Klauzál utca 34, 1072 Budapest 

Opening hours: Daily 11am-9.30pm

Expect to pay: Ft 4,500 (€11.25) per player for 6-person games

What is it? Escape Zone has three rooms. In Labyrinth, the easiest, teams must break out of a maze-like 100-square-metre space, then solve riddles. Slightly more difficult is the Star Wars game. With the help of R2D2, teams face forces led by Darth Vader. The trickiest game here, though, is Back to the Present. This requires players to team up with Doctor Emmett Brown on a mission to obtain enough energy to power their own time machine.

Why we love it Kids of 12 and over are welcome if accompanied by a parent – so if the family is in Budapest for a summer weekend, this might be an entertaining way to keep out of the heat. And it's probably the cheapest in town!

Time Out tip: Make sure to inform staff in advance to prepare a room for English speakers

Address: Dessewffy utca 25, 1065 Budapest

Opening hours: Daily 10am-11.30pm

Expect to pay: From Ft 3,500 (€8.75) per person for games of 6-10 players

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