23 Unmissable Things to Do in Budapest, Hungary

With blistery thermal baths, quirky ruined bars, stunning Gothic revival architecture, and world-class thoroughfare food, you tin beryllium definite determination are plentifulness of things to bash successful Budapest.

It’s a metropolis that captures the bosom of anyone who goes here, and erstwhile you visit, you’ll recognize why.

If you’re not definite what to bash successful Budapest, nary request to worry, you’ll ne'er beryllium abbreviated of attractions. Be definite to enactment these activities that we loved connected your list…

1. Relax successful a Thermal Bath

Szechenyi Thermal Bath

A travel to Budapest wouldn’t beryllium implicit without a sojourn to 1 of its galore relaxing thermal baths.

There are 7 thermal baths successful the city, but the astir fashionable and biggest thermal bath is the Széchenyi Thermal Bath.

The Széchenyi Baths person 18 pools of differing temperatures, some wrong and extracurricular the building. It besides has 10 saunas and steam rooms, arsenic good arsenic luxury spa treatments and massages.

Set successful a expansive Renaissance and Baroque-inspired gathering that is more than 100 years old, it’s the cleanable enactment successful Budapest for couples looking for relaxation. Come aboriginal though arsenic it gets precise busy.

For immoderate reason, we felt rather underwhelmed by the Széchenyi Thermal Baths. I’m not definite if it was due to the fact that it was busy, we were truly tired, oregon we had conscionable gotten a immense good for not having a bid summons connected the mode (long story, but precise hard to find a summons booth! You’ve been warned!)

If you similar a quieter crowd, you tin sojourn the Gellert Thermal Bath oregon the Rudas Baths. They are smaller with less pools, which means they are little engaged than Szechenyi.

Despite being smaller they are conscionable arsenic beauteous with stunning mosaics and Art Nouveau and Ottoman architecture. The Rudas Thermal Bath is the lone Turkish Bath successful the metropolis and is astir good known for its rooftop blistery tub.

2. Take a escaped walking tour

St Stephens Basilica

Once location to 2 cities – Buda and Pest – and each broadside offers thing unsocial and diversely different.

In the precocious 19th century, the 2 cities merged to make Budapest. As you tin ideate from 2 combined cities, determination is simply a batch of past to uncover.

If you privation to larn much astir the past and Hungarian culture, past a escaped walking circuit is the champion mode to bash that. You are taken astir the metropolis by a section guide, who takes you to the astir iconic sites and shares the important parts of Budapest’s history.

Because Budapest is truthful big, the walking tours are divided up by area. You tin bash a walking circuit of the Buda Castle District, 1 of the Pest side, and 1 for the Jewish Quarter, which takes you a travel backmost successful clip to World War II and what beingness was similar for the Jews of Budapest.

You tin book your place connected your escaped walking circuit here. Remember to extremity your usher if you enjoyed the experience.

3. Hike to the Citadel and Buda Castle

hiking up to the Citadel

One of the attractions we recovered near retired of astir Budapest guides is the hike up to the Citadel and Buda Castle.

It’s a quiescent way – successful fact, it was conscionable my usher and maine connected the way astir the full mode – it’s a hidden gem!

The Citadel is the fortification located upon the apical of Gellért Hill, which erstwhile held strategical value successful Budapest’s subject history. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage tract since 1987.

Statue of Liberty

There are galore walking trails up determination arsenic good arsenic a monument – Statue of Liberty – which is presently closed for renovation until 2026. You tin spot this statue from astir anyplace successful Budapest.

The trails past proceed implicit to Buda Castle to research the crushed and spot much beauteous views.

After 3 weeks exploring galore cathedrals and castles successful Europe, I was blessed conscionable to locomotion astir the grounds and spot the view! (we suggest exploring the Buda Castles further down this post)

4. Check retired the Jewish Quarter and Dohány Street Synagogue

Explore Jewish Quarter, observing ample murals connected the buildings

Budapest is divided into 23 districts. The seventh territory is besides known arsenic the Jewish Quarter and it’s wherever you’ll find the Dohány Street Synagogue, the largest synagogue extracurricular of Israel.

The synagogue was built successful the 1850s but was restored successful the 1990s. Its architecture and plan person been the inspiration for galore synagogues astir the world. It’s 1 of the fewer synagogues successful the satellite that houses an organ, which was erstwhile played by Franz Liszt.

Outside the gathering is simply a memorial garden, wherever a histrion has names of the victims mislaid during the holocaust.

It’s besides wherever you’ll find immoderate niche and fascinating museums, specified arsenic the Museum of Electrical Engineering and Zoltán Jancsó Art Gallery. The territory has galore affordable restaurants, vintage shops, and municipality cafes.

5. Climb the Dome of St Stephen’s Basilica

View from St Stephen’s Basilica

It’s hard to miss St Stephen’s Basilica arsenic it’s 96 meters high (the aforesaid arsenic the Parliament building). This Roman Catholic basilica is the 3rd largest religion successful Hungary and was named aft Stephen, the archetypal King of Hungary.

Inside the church, you’ll find respective Neo-classical paintings and statues, and an ornately decorated altar. It’s inactive a moving church, truthful bash beryllium respectful erstwhile visiting.

One of the highlights of the religion is the viewpoint from the dome, which tin beryllium accessed by elevators oregon climbing 364 stairs. At the top, you volition spot 360° views of the city. We loved the views of Budapest from here. It was 1 of our favourite attractions successful Budapest.

The religion was primitively a theater, and you tin inactive bask classical and organ concerts present successful the evenings.

6. Climb up to Fisherman’s Bastion and St Matthias Church

St Matthias Church

As you regard crossed astatine the Buda broadside from the Danube, you’ll spot the Fisherman’s Bastion and St Matthias Church instrumentality retired similar a sore thumb due to the fact that of their unthinkable architectural beauty.

The Fisherman’s Bastion is simply a Neo-Romanesque terrace that offers panoramic views of the city. It has 7 chromatic towers that were built to symbolize the 7 chieftains who founded Hungary.

It was primitively built successful the 1700s arsenic portion of a castle. It was said that the walls were protected by the guild of fishermen who lived nether them – hence the name. What you spot contiguous is simply a renovated mentation of the original, built betwixt 1895 and 1902.

The St Matthias Church is located adjacent to the Bastion and was renovated by the aforesaid designer Frigyes Schulek. The religion is astir good known for its vibrant and intricately decorated extortion with porcelain tiles.

It’s a Roman Catholic religion and was primitively built successful 1015 with a Romanesque benignant but was renovated successful the 14th period into a Gothic style. It was erstwhile the 2nd largest religion of medieval Buda. The hike to the Citadel and castle mentioned supra volition instrumentality you past here!

7. Drink a brew connected Chain Bridge

The Chain Bridge

If you’re visiting Budapest successful the summer, past you should decidedly caput to Chain Bridge successful the evening.

You’ll find galore young crowds sitting connected the greenish robust railings and listening to music, sharing nutrient and drinks, and having a laughter arsenic the prima sets.

It’s 1 of the astir pleasant backdrops for a chill summertime evening. It was closed connected our visit, but radical were enjoying sunset and beers from immoderate of the different bridges. We enjoyed sailing nether it connected our evening Illumination sail.

8. Learn astir Budapest’s Holocaust History

The Shoes connected the Danube Bank

Budapest played an important relation successful WWII. Hungary sided with the Nazis, and arsenic such, much than fractional of the Jewish assemblage were executed.

Today, determination is simply a memorial connected the Danube called ‘The Shoes connected the Danube Bank.’ This is simply a bronze creation installation that is to commemorate the lives mislaid during this horrific clip successful history.

You tin besides larn much astir Hungary’s engagement successful WWII astatine the House of Terror Museum. As you mightiness expect from the name, this depository is simply a small somber, to accidental the least.

It is, though, highly important arsenic it’s a immense portion of Budapest’s history, and the metropolis inactive has a ample Jewish community.

9. Shop for souvenirs astatine The Central Market Hall (Great Market Hall)

Central Market

If you’re looking for immoderate Hungarian souvenirs to instrumentality backmost home, this is the champion spot to find them.

The Central Market Hall, besides known arsenic the Great Market Hall, was built successful 1897 and is the largest marketplace hallway successful the metropolis (yes, determination are much than one). The hallway has 3 floors of stalls, selling everything from caller nutrient to wines and tourer trinkets.

From paprika spice packets to Hungarian porcelain, the marketplace has everything you could privation and more. Make definite to cheque retired the cured meats and food conception and prime up immoderate caller nutrient for a picnic…

10. Have a picnic connected Margaret’s Island

Margaret Island and the Margaret Bridge

Which brings america connected to the adjacent attraction successful Budapest. It’s casual to consciousness overwhelmed by the city, but luckily you don’t request to spell excessively acold to find a spot of greenish abstraction to unbend in.

Margaret Island is simply a ample land in the mediate of the Danube and is wherever you’ll find an expansive greenish space, moving tracks, swimming pools, thermal baths, and medieval ruins.

The parkland is the cleanable spot for a picnic overlooking the Danube. This is undoubtedly the champion escaped happening to bash successful Budapest (except for the outgo of your picnic, of course). One of the excursions connected our Danube River Cruise was motorcycle riding astir Margaret Island.

11. Explore the Buda Castle Museums

Buda Castle

Sitting astatine the apical of Castle Hill is Buda Castle. The castle was the palace of the Hungarian Kings and was built successful 1265. The archetypal castle was replaced successful 1749-1769 by the Baroque palace you spot today.

The castle houses the Hungarian National Gallery, wherever you tin spot Medieval, Renaissance, Gothic, and Baroque Hungarian creation from arsenic acold backmost arsenic the 15th century.

It besides houses the Hungarian National Museum, which has respective exhibits showcasing Hungarian past and archeology.

12. Bar Hop astatine the Ruin Bars

Despite what the sanction suggests, Ruin Bars are not wholly ruined. At least, not anymore. They are converted abandoned buildings afloat of what would beryllium champion described arsenic ‘miscellaneous bric-a-brac.’

From bathtubs to aged TVs to random electronics similar hairsbreadth dryers and adjacent an aged Trabant, it’s similar a treasure trove of mismatched items we thought were agelong mislaid successful the past.

One of the astir celebrated ruin bars is Szimpla Kert and is wherever you’ll find the astir vibrant nightlife. Szimpla was erstwhile an aged stove mill that was converted successful 2002. It has respective rooms wherever you tin beryllium and bask a drink, arsenic good arsenic an outdoor brew garden.

It besides has concerts and unrecorded theatre 4 evenings a week. It besides hosts flea markets and second-hand grounds stalls successful the daytime immoderate days.

13. Take a Behind the Scenes Tour of the Hungarian Parliament Building

Parliament House

The Hungarian Parliament gathering mightiness conscionable beryllium the astir stunning parliament gathering successful Europe. Its neo-gothic plan features statues of Hungarian rulers and leaders, arsenic good arsenic celebrated subject figures.

Although awesome from the outside, the wrong is wherever it truly shines. Visitors archetypal locomotion up the golden staircase and on halls lined with fresco paintings connected the ceiling.

You are past led to the expansive entranceway hall, earlier entering the hendecagonal cardinal hall, which displays The Holy Crown of Hungary.

You besides sojourn the adjoining chambers and the National Assembly hall, which is utilized arsenic a league and gathering room.

You tin publication your tickets online earlier you sojourn from the authoritative website, but enactment there are immoderate counterfeit websites offering tickets. To marque definite you don’t get a dodgy ticket, it’s amended to crook up aboriginal successful the time and effort to publication a same-day circuit (it’s besides cheaper arsenic you don’t wage a booking fee).

14. Sample the Local Street Food: Goulash, Chimney Cake and Langosh

Chimney Cake

Hungarian nutrient is warm, hearty, and filling. It’s astir celebrated for Goulash, a flavorful stew made with paprika and dumplings. It is often served arsenic a starter, truthful don’t beryllium amazed if the information sizes are small.

A large spot to effort this crockery is astatine Gettó Gulyás successful the Jewish District.

Another Hungarian crockery you indispensable marque definite you effort is Chimney Cake. These are accepted pastries that are made by wrapping dough astir a woody spool and dilatory turned implicit an unfastened fire. It’s considered the oldest pastry successful Hungary and is simply a fashionable thoroughfare nutrient dish.

One of the astir celebrated places to acquisition a Chimney Cake is from Molnár’s kürtőskalács successful the interior city.

Langosh is besides thing worthy trying. It’s a benignant of fried breadstuff and often topped with food oregon potato. They are fluffy and light, the cleanable thoroughfare nutrient snack. Even though immoderate stalls merchantability it with Nutella and different saccharine toppings, they are traditionally served arsenic a savory meal.

A large spot to effort Langosh is astatine Drum Cafe Budapest adjacent Astoria metro station.

15. Take a Food Walking Tour of Budapest

Apple Strudel successful Budapest

One of the champion ways to get to cognize a civilization is via its food, and we ever motion up for nutrient tours wherever we go. A bites and highlights circuit of Budapest introduced america to foods and cognition I would not person experienced otherwise.

Craig and the girls headed disconnected with our radical and circuit person to the Great Market Hall, wherever we tried respective types of section chromatic and assorted cuts of meat, from regular salamis to pork fat, tongue, and adjacent equine meat, which was a archetypal for me. When successful Hungary…

From present we walked down immoderate beauteous pedestrian streets to Central Cafe and Restaurant 1887 where we tried Lángos served lukewarm with sour pick and grated food and onions – precise filling!

Of people it’s nary nutrient circuit without a cocoa shop, and the kids were blessed our adjacent destination was Impact Shop, a peculiar plan and gourmet store offering ethical, sustainable, earthy goods made by societal enterprises and NGOs from each corners of Hungary.

Lastly, we jumped connected the tram and headed to our last dainty of the tour, strudels. Savannah went with an Apple Strudel which capped of our large 2 hours of tasting Budapest.

16. Illumination Night oregon Sunset Cruise connected the Danube

Budapest astatine night

A peculiar astonishment dainty you tin bash astatine nighttime is spell for a sail of Danube. It’s astonishing to spot Budapest in its evening illumination glory. Budapest is rather magical astatine nighttime with Parliament House and Buda Castle sparkling arsenic they basal defender implicit the Danube River.

It was the perfect, quiescent evening to extremity a fantastic Danube River cruise with Avalon Waterways.

Whether you locomotion on the banks oregon sail connected a sunset cruise of the Danube, it’s a romanticist and beauteous mode to extremity a vacation. There are galore cruises that sail on the Danube (Look for Carl Lutz rakpart, the dock with the large reddish 0), but they are each overmuch the same.

Be definite to get a cruise with meal included. There’s thing much romanticist than a stream cruise astatine sunset with delicious Hungarian cuisine and unlimited champagne. And past your cruise volition sail into evening hours truthful you tin spot the sparling lights arsenic well.

17. Explore the Labyrinth of Caves Under Buda Castle

Views from Buda Castle

One of the much antithetic attractions successful Budapest is the underground cave strategy that resides nether Castle Hill.

This web of underground tunnels was utilized arsenic shelters from bombs during WWII, clasp an 800-year-old vino cellar, and was besides erstwhile utilized arsenic a medieval prison.

You tin lone participate the caves with a guide, who volition thatch you astir the past and geology of these past caves. This is not for the faint-hearted and if you’re claustrophobic, you mightiness request to deliberation cautiously astir whether this is the close enactment for you.

18. Check retired Heroes’ Square and its Museums

Millennium Monument Hereos Square

There are 3 large squares successful Budapest, but perchance 1 of the astir important is Heroes’ Square.

It is champion known for the Millennium Monument which features 7 statues of the archetypal Hungarian leaders who founded Hungary.

There are besides respective different statues present that commemorate important figures successful Hungary’s past, specified arsenic the Stone of Heroes memorial, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the Pope John Paul II memorial.

If you’re funny successful learning much astir Hungary’s creation history, the quadrate is surrounded by creation museums, specified arsenic the Museum of Fine Arts and the Kunsthalle, oregon the Palace of Art.

19. Go Wine tasting successful the Hungarian countryside

Don’t interest if, similar me, you did not cognize Hungary had wines arsenic astir of their vino is not exported. Why? Hungarians emotion wine, and they can’t support up with accumulation for their ain countrymen, fto unsocial person capable to export.

Fantastic experience

I loved this vino tasting tour successful the Eteyk vino portion located conscionable extracurricular Budapest. Its known for its chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and sparkling wines.

Our usher Michael was engaging, affable and informative. We visited 2 small, family-run Hungarian wineries and sat successful their tasting rooms and cellars with the owners to illustration 4 generous servings of their antithetic wines that ranged from chardonnay to pinot noir.

It was precisely the benignant of section vino acquisition you want. Fantastic wine, affable work filled with laughter and affluent conversations.

As you bash with immoderate large wine, we chatted astir Hungarian manner and culture, the value of vino and however they turn and marque their wines, connection differences, politics, religion, clime change, and galore different topics.

Cheers to a large tasting tour

I loved getting to know, not conscionable the Hungarians, but besides the different cultures connected our circuit – Australians, Canadians, Serbian.

When it each became a small excessively dense for us, the proprietor of 1 of the vineyards would say, “As my begetter says, son, astatine slightest we person vino to drink.” And helium would apical up our glasses. Cheers to that. 

20. Check retired the Vajdahunyad Castle and City Park

Medieval Gothic Renaissance castle Vajdahunyad successful Budapest, Hungary

The Vajdahunyad Castle is simply a gothic castle successful Hungary and is said to beryllium a transcript of the transcript of Hunyad Castle, successful Romania.

The castle was built successful 1896 to observe 1,000 years of Hungary since the Hungarian Conquest of the Carpathian Basin.

The castle’s plan is said to encompass the champion aspects of respective landmark buildings successful the Kingdom of Hungary.

Today, it is the Museum of Hungarian Agriculture and the largest cultivation depository successful Europe.

Nestled successful City Park, a ample greenish space, and crossed from the Széchenyi Thermal Bath, it’s decidedly worthy making a halt by.

In the winter, an crystal skating rink opens up here.

21. Take a time travel to Szentendre

Central buying thoroughfare astatine the centre of Szentendre

Szentendre is simply a quaint marketplace municipality conscionable an hr distant from Budapest connected the train. It has galore baroque buildings, churches, and colorful houses.

Walk on the narrow, cobbled streets and observe boutique shops and handicrafts.

It has ever been a blistery spot for tourists looking to flight the hustle and bustle of the metropolis but became much celebrated aft it appeared successful the Marvel series, Moon Knight, successful 2022.

22. Explore the metropolis connected an Electric Scooter

Get astir Budapest connected scooters

The metropolis halfway of Budapest is precise walkable, however, wherefore locomotion erstwhile you tin scoot? One of the astir amusive ways to get astir Budapest is to usage 1 of the electrical scooters provided by Lime.

You’ll find them beauteous overmuch everyplace successful the metropolis center, but mostly extracurricular tourer blistery spots specified arsenic extracurricular Astoria metro presumption oregon extracurricular City Park.

Despite being recovered extracurricular tourer blistery spots, they are often utilized by locals and tourists alike. This is 1 of the champion non touristy things to bash successful Budapest and a large mode to spot the city.

Simply scan the QR code, link your slope card, and disconnected you go. You get charged by the minute, truthful don’t get carried away!

23. Take a guided circuit of the Hungarian State Opera House

From the outside, the Opera House connected Andrássy Avenue doesn’t look immoderate antithetic from the different buildings, but erstwhile you spell inside, you tin spot wherefore it’s a taste icon successful the city.

It was commissioned by Emperor Franz Joseph was designed by renowned designer Miklós Ybl. It opened successful 1884.

It’s celebrated for its gilded staircase, aureate accents, and elaborate fresco paintings connected the ceiling. It’s not conscionable acclaimed for the aesthetics, but besides for its exceptional acoustics, which are wide considered to beryllium the champion successful Europe.

On a guided tour, you tin locomotion up the opulent marble staircases, respect the gilded banisters, and larn astir the frescoes painted by immoderate of Hungary’s finest artists.

The cardinal chandelier, which your oculus is instantly drawn to, is said to weighs implicit 3 tons.

On a guided tour, you besides get to ticker a tiny show from section opera singers.

Where to enactment successful Budapest

D8 Hotel lobby Budapest

Budapest is simply a walkable metropolis and truthful determination isn’t truly a vicinity that stands out. I would basal yourself astir either the Jewish District, oregon wrong the neighborhoods betwixt the Danube and Terez Krt, a roadworthy that wraps astir the downtown area.

When picking a hotel, present are immoderate highly rated ones to consider:

• D8 Hotel: We loved this agleam and funky edifice successful the bosom of Pest. Easy walking region to galore of Budapest’s attractions. You tin unwind with a portion astatine the bar/lounge, and buffet meal is disposable daily. See rates and availability here.
• Mystery Hotel Budapest: a historically themed luxury edifice located successful the 6th territory successful downtown Budapest, successful an eclectic palace built successful the 19th century. See rates, reviews, and availability here.
• Ikonik Parlament: This stylish boutique edifice with distinctive elegance is successful a large determination successful the bosom of Budapest, lone a fewer steps from the Danube bank, the Parliament and the St. Stephen’s Basilica. Click for rates, reviews and availability.

If you’re looking for different accommodation successful Budapest, you tin usage the representation beneath to comparison hotels and short-term rental options.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re visiting for a week oregon a weekend, determination is nary shortage of amusive to beryllium had successful this lively European city.

Budapest was 1 of the highlights of our 8-day European River Cruise, and we spent 3 nights exploring the city.

Our Editor besides spent six weeks successful Budapest volunteering astatine a hostel, and had a fewer much hidden gems to add!

We anticipation this usher helped you adhd immoderate attractions to your database and helped you program your trip. Budapest made our database of destinations successful Europe to sojourn with teenagers!

More Eastern European Travel Tips

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• Three cities to Visit successful the Czech Republic
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• Best Places to Visit successful Slovenia
• Fun things to bash successful Prague

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What are you astir looking guardant to bash successful Budapest? Let america cognize successful the comments.