Budapest has a wealth of attractions to explore on your first, second, and subsequent visits to this incredibly beautiful city. If you’re short on time, it’s a good idea to prioritize the places you want to visit. Having a few main goals will make it easier to plan your itinerary.
I am adding my own list of various monuments, institutions, and other places in Budapest where you can get the full range of emotions and impressions from this city.
Thermal resorts of Hungary – family vacation and health improvement in hot springs
1. Go Castle Hill
Rising above the Buda district and along the Danube River is Castle Hill, home to some of the city’s most famous landmarks. In the Buda Castle you’ll find the Hungarian National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum. Not far from both museums is the Hospital in the Rock, a former underground hospital and nuclear bunker that is a very interesting place to visit.
Also nearby is the famous and very Instagrammable Fisherman’s Bastion. Next to it you’ll see Matthias Church with its colorful roof and absolutely stunning interior. At the other end of the hill are the Hungarian National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum.
From almost anywhere on Castle Hill you will see fantastic views of Budapest, Buda and Pest.
2. Take a walk in the park on Gellért Hill
And Buda also has an incredible park located on Gellért Hill, which is nice to walk in at any time of the year. The views from any point are stunning, you will see the entire Pest district in the palm of your hand.
Gellért Hill is a beautiful green space with great views along the way. Plus, there’s a quaint cave church located at its base (it’s literally carved into the rock). This neat little place is worth finding and seeing.
The Statue of Liberty stands on the hill, and is reached by paths through the park, with many viewpoints overlooking the Green Bridge, Elizabeth Bridge, Pest, and the Danube. The walk takes about 1.5 hours each way and is fairly easy, although it is a pleasant challenge.
There are several observation decks on the hill:
- The Cross is the lowest observation deck
- Freedom Monument – the highest observation deck
- Citadel – built in a semicircle above the fortress
- Monument of Buda meets Pest
- The statue of St. Gellert
3. Admire the Hungarian Parliament Building
After exploring Buda Castle, you can walk down the hill to the Danube River and cross the famous Chain Bridge into Pest. From here, walk north along the river until you reach the incredible Hungarian Parliament Building. Just sit here and admire one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. Or buy tickets for a 45-minute tour inside the Parliament – in winter or rainy weather it is a good idea to see its incredible interiors. You will be shown the halls and part of the 691 rooms, richly decorated with statues and paintings. The guides will tell you about the politics and history of Budapest, with fables and anecdotes from times gone by.
Tip: Be sure to book your tickets in advance as they sell out quickly. If you try to book at the last minute, you will almost certainly be disappointed.
After the tour, take some time to wander around the area as it has some amazing monuments and buildings. Be sure to walk down Hold utca (“utca” means street) to catch a glimpse of the Hungarian Postal Savings Bank, a beautiful Art Nouveau building famous for its green and yellow tiled roof.
4. St. Stephen’s Basilica
Not far from the Parliament, you can continue to the magnificent and ornate St. Stephen’s Basilica. Its huge interior columns and beautiful stained glass windows are truly incredible. Even if you are not particularly fond of churches, this architectural masterpiece is impressive – just believe me, it is a must-see.
Here, in a gilded casket, the relics of the right hand of the patron saint of the church and the first king of Hungary, St. Stephen, are kept. If you are indifferent to holy relics, just stroll through the cathedral, marveling at the monumental architecture of the neoclassical era. The main beauty of the basilica can be seen by raising your head higher. This is a 96-meter dome, decorated with decorative religious bas-reliefs on the inside.
Entrance to the Basilica is supposedly free, but at the entrance everyone is asked to make a donation (200 forints) into a special box. Have cash for this. Also, it is fashionable to buy an additional ticket for the bell tower for cash – a good idea to go up to admire the fantastic view of the city.
5. Go to the thermal baths
Of course, don’t forget to bring your swimsuit, as no trip to Budapest is complete without a visit to one of its famous spas. Right in the city park are the famous Széchenyi Thermal Baths and Springs, a huge complex with a large number of thermal pools. And in Buda you’ll find the Art Nouveau Gellért Baths and the Ottoman-era Rudas Baths.
These are definitely touristy places to visit, but they are touristy for a reason: because they are absolutely fantastic. You should go early to avoid the crowds, but even if you show up at 2:00 in the afternoon, it is worth going.
6. Take a walk in the park near Vajdahunyad Castle
Not far from the Széchenyi Baths in the Városliget Park is the Vajdahunyad Castle. It was built in 1896 from wood and cardboard as one of the pavilions of the National Achievements Exhibition, opened in honor of the thousandth anniversary of Hungary. The building was so loved by the townspeople that later, at their request, it was built from stone and brick. It looks very beautiful.
In winter, a huge ice rink operates on the lake near the castle – a very beautiful and atmospheric place for adults and children.
7. Visit the Great Synagogue on Dohany Street
The Great Synagogue is the largest synagogue in Europe and one of the largest in the world. Its grandeur is complemented by its profound significance for Budapest’s Jewish history, which is unfortunately very sad. In the complex you will also find the Holocaust Memorial and Museum, which offers a moving and educational experience, delving into the poignant history of Hungary’s Jewish community.
The Great Synagogue is open to tourists – schedule on сайті синагоги. And around the corner there is another one – a synagogue on Rumbach Street, and another three blocks away is located Kazinczy Street Synagogue.
8. Taste local cuisine at the Central Market
The undoubtedly touristy Central Market Hall is perhaps more noteworthy for its fabulous architecture. It has gigantic vaulted ceilings supported by huge stolen beams. Food is also available here, but at inflated prices. Although, if you wish, you can taste local dishes in such a wonderful interior.
Despite this, it is a nice place to visit, where you will find fresh local produce along with meats, pastries, typical spices and a range of souvenirs. The upper level is filled with food stalls, so it is a great place to try a variety of local dishes. The lower level is home to a regular supermarket with more reasonable prices.
9. Visit the restaurants in the Jewish Quarter
Jewish Quarter (Erzsebetvaros) – tens of thousands of Jews lived in it and its surroundings before World War II. The Jewish Quarter is also the epicenter of restaurants and bars, trendy cafes and ruin pubs. In the evenings, everything here is buzzing, especially on Friday and Saturday.
There are so many restaurants and cafes in the Jewish Quarter with cuisines from different countries and peoples that you can taste something new every day. There are hummus restaurants, burger joints, pizzerias, Mediterranean and oriental restaurants. If you wish, you can even find borscht and cheesecakes, but we can eat these at home.
10. Have coffee at a vintage New York hotel
New York Cafe is called the most beautiful coffee shop in the world, but it is quite expensive and the quality of the coffee here is not very high. Ultimately, it is worth coming here for the atmosphere, not the food, so if you have the right expectations, a visit here will be truly wonderful.
A spectacular café awaits you, with enough gold leaf, milky white marble and red velvet to make the Hapsburgs, who spared no expense on luxury, happy. The coffee prices here match the grand surroundings, but you’re not just drinking coffee here – you’re enjoying a morning drink in a palace that was once a melting pot of artists and nobility. If you arrive after opening at 8am, there’s likely to be no crowd here to peacefully admire the café’s ceilings and columns.
11. Ride the trams and metro
Ukrainians can use Budapest’s public transport for free until 31.12.24. So take advantage of this opportunity and ride around the city on Budapest’s old trams.
And I also advise you to use the metro and visit its old stations, which are located on the yellow line. Their interior is well restored and looks the same as it did more than a hundred years ago. After all, the Budapest metro is the oldest in Europe. The line itself is interesting, the old cars have been restored, it’s a great ride, especially since the yellow line runs along all the sights of Pest.
12. Drink wine on an evening excursion along the Danube
If you want to see the illuminated buildings reflected in the water of the Danube, including the magnificent Parliament and Fisherman’s Bastion, it is worth buying an evening boat tour. Perhaps in the summer you will have more fun walking along the embankment and admiring the evening illumination. But in the winter, a boat is much more pleasant – the wind and air on the Danube do not allow you to walk for a long time.
And in winter, it’s warm inside the boat, and there’s live music playing. You can also always go out onto the open deck and breathe in the fresh air, see and photograph the beauty around. Everything is very unobtrusive, although the musicians start to arrange individual music sets at the second hour, sitting at a table next to the passengers. You can always get up beforehand and go out onto the deck, and calmly avoid an attempt to shake money out of you.
The price of an evening boat tour depends on the company selling the tour. As well as the number of hours (1-2 hours), and what is included in the tour package – entrance ticket, ticket with drinks or dinner. We bought a two-hour tour, which included two drinks: welcome champagne and a second drink of your choice (wine, champagne, beer, cocktail or juice).
13. Spend an evening in ruin bars
What are ruin bars? Take a huge old building with an open courtyard and a maze of rooms, decorate it with eclectic furniture, bright artwork and junk from the days of communist Hungary, some old bathtubs, floor lamps and other things from the dump – and you get Budapest’s most famous ruin bar, Szimpla Kert (Kazinczy u. 14).
It opened in 2004 and started the ruin bar trend. Others followed, such as Instant-Fogas (Akácfa u. 51), a youth ruin bar and eight-bar club that hosts Fogas Ház parties.
You can have a snack in ruin bars, but people don’t come here for the food. They come for the atmosphere and drinks – beer, tinctures, cocktails and wine. And there’s also music, often live concerts, and of course, partying. If you decide to try something local and original – order Unicum – it’s a traditional Hungarian herbal liqueur, the taste of which you’ll definitely never forget…
14. Stay in one of Budapest’s historic hotels
Prestige Hotel Budapest – When you’re visiting the former capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it makes sense to live like royalty for a few days. And this hotel definitely offers that kind of experience without breaking the bank. The hotel is located right next to the river and the Chain Bridge. Everything about it, from the public areas to the rooms, is luxurious and elegant.
Hotel Matild – This 5-star UNESCO-listed hotel is housed in the beautifully restored Art Nouveau Palace Matild and exudes old-world charm. When you arrive, you will rightly be gazing at the building. The sophisticated interior meets expectations, with refined touches throughout. The rooms are spacious and elegantly decorated, yet very cozy and inviting. The Duchess, the hotel’s rooftop bar is one of my favorites in the city – the sunset views are incredible.
Hotel Oktogon Haggenmacher – This well-located, affordable 4-star hotel is housed in a beautiful historic building, right next to Oktogon metro station. It’s truly luxurious, although the rooms are very modern, small but quite basic. It offers a great breakfast.
More details – Where to stay in Budapest – the best areas for tourists
15. Margaret Island for summer walks
Explore Margaret Island, a car-free island in the middle of the Danube, covered in parks. You can easily reach the island via the Margaret Bridge or the Arpad Bridge. Getting here is easy: on foot, by bike or by tram to the bridge.
There are plenty of things to do on the island, such as seeing and hearing the Musical Fountain, where jets of water dance to classical and contemporary music. There are also medieval ruins – the remains of a 13th-century Dominican monastery.
Visit the charming Japanese Garden, a peaceful place with ponds, bridges, and a waterfall that is very conducive to quiet contemplation. Enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and picturesque locations and plan to spend 2-3 hours here.
How to get to Budapest
- З Чопа йде електричка у сусіднє угорське місто Захонь. Далі поїздами угорської залізниці. Розклад та квитки на сайті www.mavcsoport.hu.
- Електричка «Латориця» Мукачево – Будапешт. Відправлення з Мукачева о 12:30, Чоп 13:40/14:10, Феріхедь (Міжнародний аеропорт імені Ференца Ліста) 18:14/18:15, прибуття на ст. Будапешт-Ньюгаті о 18:37.
- Flixbus – з Мукачева прямує в аеропорт Будапешт.
- Поїзд №9/10 сполученням Київ, відправлення з Києва о 10:16, прибуття до Будапешта о 06:00.
- Поїзд Київ-Відень №749Д, щоденно відправлення з Києва о 13:20, прибуття до Будапешта о 14:20.
Useful links for travelers:
Budapest in winter – what to see in three days in the capital of HungaryMalaga – a guide of the capital the Costa del Sol
Top 7 cities worth visiting in SpainTravel medical insurance with discounts can be purchased from HotlineFinance
Hotel and apartment bookings – Booking.com
