Hungary’s capital is one of the great cities in Europe. But with so much history, culture, food and architecture to take in, it’s hard to know where to start. Here’s our Essential Guide to Budapest.
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Somehow managing to mix the parochial charm of an overlooked country town with the grandeur and stateliness of a major European hub, Budapest is somewhere you could never get bored of visiting.
Budapest is one of those rare destinations that not only meets your expectations, but exceeds them.
From the friendliness of its locals and the idiosyncrasies of their food to the scale of its streets and fascinating mix of their architecture, Budapest has so much to offer. And let’s not forget the Danube.
The mighty Danube. For whatever reason, I’ve wanted to stand on the banks of that river and say those words for a long time, and when it happened, I was not disappointed.
Not even when a lad from Liverpool, waiting behind us in line for a river cruise, stated with a squint: “tell ya what, it’s not as big as the Mersey.”
Hilarious.
But the further into Budapest you wander — and let’s be clear, Budapest is a place you have to just walk around aimlessly for a while to enjoy —the more you realise there isn’t anywhere else quite like this.
To help you on your wanderings though, here are our top tips for exploring Budapest. Each of these headings will jump you down to the section in this Essential Guide.
– Where to Stay
– What to Eat & Drink and Where
– How to Get Around Budapest
– Things to See & Do
Essential Guide to Budapest, Hungary
Where to Stay in Budapest
Look for the best deals on hotels in Budapest here.
Of course, there are innumerable options for accommodation in a city the size of Budapest. However, staying in Districts IV, V and VI on the Pest side of the Danube puts you in the city centre where everything happens around you.
We stayed in District VII in Madách Imre Tér (a square named after a 19th Century Hungarian poet) in a hotel that’s sadly no longer running. However, there are plenty of hotels and apartments here that aren’t too expensive (perhaps because it’s only been gentrified in the last couple of decades), but are in the perfect location.
Why is District VII so good?
Well, it’s close to all the major sights — the river, St Stephen’s Basilica, the State Opera — but it’s also not far from two bridges that’ll take you over to the Buda side of the city.
What’s more, the bar and restaurant scene near Madách Imre tér is amazing. Narrow pedestrianised streets and alleys come alive at nightfall, and precincts, quiet during the day, become thriving hotspots.
You’re also well connected to public transport in District VII too.
There are plenty of tram and bus stops nearby, and Deák Ferenc Square and Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Way subway stations are close by too.
What to Eat & Drink in Budapest, and Where To Find It
The best thing about Budapest is that, while it recognises it’s part of Europe and has all the tasty things to eat and drink you’d find in most capitals, it also embraces local food and traditional dishes.
You can find French-style pastries and croissants at places like Freyja—My Croissant Story in District VII, but you can also find little old fashioned etkezda too. These cosy ‘mom-and-pop’ restaurants serve traditional Hungarian home-cooked meals that are as delicious as the venues are adorable.
The one we found — Ildikó Konyhája — is just back from the Danube on the Buda side in District I not far from Buda Castle.
Expect to find down-to-earth dishes like goulash and nokedli (Hungarian gnocchi) here.
Also, look out for Budapest’s famous ‘ruin bars’ — great rotting mansions that have been commandeered and turned into amazing bars and clubs. These are also most commonly found in District VII (I told you it was the cool part of town!)
While you’re in Budapest, make sure you try paprikas, kürtöskalács (kurtosh) and especially langos. These tasty takes on pizza are puffy, cheesy and you can get all kinds of toppings on them — though usually bacon and red onion. Retro Langos on the edges of District V and VII does a great job.
For drinks, of course you’ll find great beer here (keep an eye out for local breweries like Gravity Brewing and Parabolic Lazarus), but if you really want to get into it, try kaplinka. This schnapps style Hungarian spirit is strong and herbal, and it’ll keep you warm on a cold night in Budapest!
How To Get Around Budapest
As we’ve said, walking this beautiful city is the best way to go. On the Pest side, it’s mostly flat, the streets are clean, drivers are relatively sane and there are some boulevards here that are so wide you’d think they were driving A380s down them.
On the Buda side, it’s much hillier, so if you want to explore Fisherman’s Bastion (you should btw) and the like, make sure your shoes are comfy. Or get a cab.
Otherwise, public transport options in Budapest are excellent and would put most other cities to shame. The happy trifecta of trams, buses and trains cast an impressive web across the city, making it easy to get around quickly.
Important Travel Tip For Budapest
One major tip that will save you not only a lot of money but also a good dose of blushing embarrassment is this:
Get the Budapest Go app.
This is not a paid endorsement and the app is free anyway. Christina discovered this one on the train to Budapest from Vienna.
The app allows you to buy tickets for all public transport in Budapest. But more importantly, it allows you to validate them too. You must do both of these and there are ticket inspectors at most subways.
Purchase your ticket type, validate it at the station or on the bus or tram via the proximity sticker. Then when an inspector asks your validation code, you tap your ticket and a QR code comes up for them to scan.
You can plan trips on the app too. It’s actually pretty good.
Things To See And Do
As you’d expect, there are so many things to see and do in Budapest. As we’ve already mentioned, simply walking around and enjoying the atmosphere of this great city is a wonderful thing to do and will keep you busy.
We covered over 48km in three days there.
For more specific things to do, start with these:
– Széchenyi Thermal Baths – the one thing everyone told us to do in Budapest is actually pretty amazing. These thermal baths in a beautiful setting are well worth taking your togs along for and paying the entrance fee. Here’s more about the thermal baths.
– Vajdahunyad Castle Park – Surrounding the beautiful baroque Széchenyi Baths is an enormous park that covers over 325 acres of the city. It’s so big, it not only has a castle (Vajdahunyad Castle in fact) whose moat is turned into a giant ice rink in the winter, it also has its own metro stop and a zoo!
– State Opera – while it’s possible to go inside this beautiful building in District VI, simply perching on the edge of the fountain and enjoying a bit of people-watching at this popular meeting place is more than enough.
– St Stephen’s Basilica – named after the founder of the city, this impressive church is full of relics and artefacts. Best of all, there’s a lift to the top of the great dome roof for some excellent views over Budapest.
– Ruin bars – many run-down buildings in the once derelict District VII have been turned into incredibly cool bars as the arrondissement has gentrified over the last 20 or so years. Ranging from warehouses and car parks to grand old historic buildings, there are quite a few to explore in the area. The one we went to — Szimpla Kert — is the biggest and best known ruin bar. It’s a lot of fun.
– Országház Hungarian Parliament Building – the most strikingly beautiful of all of Budapests riverside buildings, the Parliament Building is a must-see — even if it’s just to walk round it. At night, this incredible gothic palace lights up and is best seen from the river.
– House of Terror – Budapest has seen many horrors in its existence — from Turkish invasion to Nazi thrall — and this museum covers it all. It’s not a fun visit, but it’s important and very interesting. Just be prepared for some harrowing knowledge.
– River cruise – probably the singular most popular tourist activity in Budapest, these pleasure boats run up and down the Danube all day. However, an evening cruise is the best way to go as the lights from the city really are beautiful. The one we went on has three options: dinner, drinks or just as a passenger. The drinks package is the obvious answer.
You can read all about our river cruise experience — good and bad — here.
Across the river on the Buda side, the high ridges of Castle Hill in District I is covered in stunning architecture and vantage points.
– Fisherman’s Bastion – looking like something out of Game of Thrones, the beguiling white turrets of Fisherman’s Bastion wouldn’t look out of place on the southern coast of Croatia. This 19th Century fortress is a non-negotiable visit when you’re here.
– Labyrinth of Buda Castle – within the walls and under the foundations of Fisherman’s Bastion, the Labyrinth is a network of caves and passageways that have been used for many things over the centuries. But in particular, it was once a prison for Dracula — Vlad Tepes himself! Visit at your peril!
– Buda Castle & grounds – just south of Fisherman’s Bastion, the expansive beauty of Buda Castle and its lavish grounds show you more of the city and its incredible heritage.
– Climb the tower of the Church of Our Lady of Buda Castle – at the southern end of the castle, the gothic spire of the Church of Our Lady hides a steep spiral climb to the top of the minaret with superb views out across the river.
– Citadella – further south, on a hill of its own, the Citadella and its impressive Liberty Statue was built in 1848 after the suppression of the Hungarian Revolution. It’s quite a climb to see this monument, but the views are said to be unsurpassable. The fort was under repair when we visited.
– Széchenyi Chain Bridge – this 19th Century landmark is much loved by the locals and is a beautiful sight especially at night when its lights sparkle off the river. Sadly, this was also under repair when we were in town.
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