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Budapest is one of my favorite cities in Europe – it’s so unique and different from any other city I’ve ever visited. Budapest is big and you need a bit of time to see the highlights. I recommend 3 days at least! 3 days gives you the opportunity to hit all the highlights, and enjoy a bit of downtime. See my detailed itinerary below!
Itinerary Overview
- Day 1: Highlights of Pest
- Morning: Walking Tour of Pest
- Early Afternoon: Lunch at New York Cafe
- Late Afternoon: Széchenyi Thermal Baths
- Evening: Dinner at a Traditional Hungarian Restaurant
- Day 2: Highlights of Buda
- Morning: Fisherman’s Bastion
- Early Afternoon: Buda Castle & Castle District
- Late Afternoon: Rudas or Gellért Thermal Baths
- Evening: Dinner with a View & the Ruin Bars
- Day 3: A scenic day in Budapest
- Morning: Ride the Scenic Tram 2
- Aftenoon/Dinner: Explore the Jewish Quarter
- Evening: Night Cruise on the Danube
Disclaimer: This article contains some links where I earn commission through booking. There is no extra cost to you, and I only recommend things I’ve used and love or places I’ve stayed and enjoyed!
Day 1: Highlights of Pest, New York Cafe & Széchenyi Thermal Bath
Day 1 Itinerary Overview:
- Morning: Walking Tour of Pest
- Early Afternoon: Lunch at New York Cafe
- Late Afternoon: Széchenyi Thermal Baths & stop by Heroes Square
- Evening: Dinner at a Traditional Hungarian Restaurant
Morning: Walking Tour of Pest
I love taking a free walking tour (usually you just tip your guide) in any city I visit, and I really enjoyed the one I did in Budapest. Budapest is massive, so the walking tour only covered the Pest side of the city. Buda and Pest are neighborhoods on either side of the Danube river. See more on explore Buda in day 2 of this itinerary!
The walking tour is about 2 hours and covers many of the main sites of Pest (in order)
- Elisabeth Square
- St. Stephen’s Basilica
- Archduke Joseph Square
- Vörösmarty square
- Danube Promenade
- Chain Bridge
- Holocaust Shoe Memorial
- Hungarian Parliament
After the walking tour you can also check out the famous Shopping Street located not far from where the tour ends.
Lunch at New York Cafe
Head to the most famous and beautiful cafe in Budapest for lunch. New York Cafe is widely considered the most beautiful cafe in the world. In the early 1900s New York Cafe was once frequented by the msot influential writers of the day. Now it’s popular among tourists for its beautiful Italian Renaissance style design. It’s not possible to make lunch reservations, but I had no problem walking in!
To get to new York Cafe from the Walking Tour take the M2 from Kossuth Lajos tér 3 stops to Blaha Lujza tér, or it’s a 35 minute walk
Afternoon: Soak in the Széchenyi Thermal Baths
Visiting a thermal bath in Budapest is a must. These thermal spas are fed with water from Hungary’s many natural hot springs, and thermal baths are a major part of Hungarian culture. The mineral rich waters are used not only for relaxation in Budapest, but also for their healing properties – the waters are said to help arthritits, nerve pain, ease hangovers & more. I visited all 3 of the most popular thermal baths in Budapest and loved them all, but the most popular is Széchenyi Thermal Baths
To get there from New York Cafe you can take several different public transport routes, details can be found here.
Things to know before visiting:
- tickets need to be purchased in advance
- swimwear is requried
- you should shower before entering any of the baths
- inside the spas/baths you should be quiet and not talking too loudly
Széchenyi Thermal Bath
Széchenyi Thermal Bath features a series of indoor pools and 3 grand outdoor pools. The Neo-Baroque architecture is gorgeous, and I loved the contrast of the yellow building with the blue water. A visit here really does feel like stepping back in time.
Optional: Stop by Heroes Square
Right outside of Széchenyi Thermal Baths is the picturesque Heroes Square. You can stop by quickly on your way to or from the thermal baths! It’s free to visit and quick.
Dinner at a Traditional Hungarian Restaurant & the Budapest Opera House
Take a few hours to relax & shower after the thermal baths. For dinner I recommend heading to the neighborhood around the Budapest Opera House. The opera house itself is stunning even if you don’t visit. I loved Menza Étterem és Kávéház
In this neighborhood there’s also a great rooftop bar 360 if you want drinks before or after dinner
Day 2: Fisherman’s Bastion, Buda Castle, Thermal Baths & Ruin Bars
Day 2 Itinerary Overview:
- Morning: Fisherman’s Bastion
- Early Afternoon: Buda Castle & Castle District
- Late Afternoon: Rudas or Gellért Thermal Baths
- Evening: Dinner with a View & the Ruin Bars
Morning: Explore Fisherman’s Bastion
For Day 2 I recommend heading across the Danube to the Buda side of the river! Start your day at Fisherman’s Bastion. It can be a bit of a long walk and I’d recommend taking a Bolt/Taxi there. Otherwise you can take the Metro across the river and then take the funincular up to Buda Castle and walk the short distance to Fisherman’s Bastion. If you walk from the metro it’s a ton of stairs up to the Bastion.
Fisherman’s Bastion is one of the most stunning places in Budapest.This stunning bastion was built to celebrate the 1000th birthday of the Hungarian state. It’s located in the Buda Castle district of Budapest and offers stunning views over Pest and the Hungarian Parliament. The lower areas of FIsherman’s Bastion are free to explore, but you’ll need tickets to go to the upper levels. The views are stunning from either!
If you’re feeling ambitious, sunrise at Fisherman’s Bastion is absolutely stunning. There is also a bar/restaurant on Fisherman’s Bastion that offers some of the best drinks/lunchwith views in Budapest.
Late Morning: Buda Castle & the Castle District
From Fisherman’s Bastion it’s a short walk through the picturesque Castle District to the Buda Castle. You can buy a ticket to enter & tour the castle or you can explore from the outside. The grounds are stunning, and the neighborhood arund the castle is worth exploring either way!
Tickets inside inclue a 90 minute guided tour in addition to entry. You can book them here. I opted to skip going inside the Castle as I had read the outside was more impressive.
Afternoon: Rudas or Gellért Thermal Baths
This is a tough one, if you’re down to visit another thermal bath both of these options on the Buda side are absolutely stunning! If I had to choose I’d probably go Rudas for the stunning rooftop views, but you can’t go wrong with either
Rudas Thermal Bath
Rudas Bath is a great option. The highlight is the stunning rooftop spa with views over the Danube and to the Pest side of the city. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a cloudy day when I was there, I think it would be so stunning at sunset.
Inside the Rudas Baths there were a series of different rooms with different temperature pools, cold plunges and saunas. Each room was uniquely decorated with different colors. I loved the afternoon I spent here.
Gellért Thermal Bath
Gellért Baths are another popular spot in Budapest. Located right near Gellért Hill (which offers some of the best sunset views in Budapest) Gellért Baths are popular with locals in Budapest and are known for being quite visually stunning. I loved my visit here as well!
Optional: Gellért Hill
Depending on how much time/energy you have from either Rudas or Gellért baths it’s easy to head to the top of Gellért Hill. This large park full of walking paths offers some of the best views over Budapest, particularly at sunset.
Evening: Dinner at One of the Best Restaurants in Budapest
Aranybástya is located right at the top of the Buda Castle funicular. This spot is worth it for the views alone. Located right at the top of the funicular to Buda Castle it offers the most stunning views over the Parliament, Chain Bridge & the Danube River. The food is also great, so it’s highly worth making a reservation here, especially for dinner sunset/night when the Parliament is lit up is unreal.
https://en.aranybastya.com/etlap
If you want to head back to your hotel in between I recommend using Bolt for the fastest option!
Night: Experience the Iconic Ruin Bars
One of the coolest things to do in Budapest is explore the Ruin Bars. Budapest’s Ruin Bars are mostly located in the Jewish Quarter of the city. These bars popped up in the largely abandoned neighborhood in building that were literally in various state of ruins. The bars opened in these ramshackle buildings and were filled with Bohemian furniture and decor. They’re simultaneously cool and inclusive.
I highly recommend stopping by for one drink, it’s free to enter and a super unique experience. If you’re only going to visit one Ruin Bars head to the original and most iconic, Szimpla Kert!
If you’re looking to explore more see my article on Ruin bars in Budapest here!
Day 3: Scenic Tram 2, the Jewish Quarter & a Cruise on the Danube
Day 3 Itinerary Overview:
- Morning: Ride the Scenic Tram 2
- Aftenoon/Dinner: Explore the Jewish Quarter
- Evening: Night Cruise on the Danube
Morning: Ride the Scenic Tram 2
Start day 3 in Budapest a bit slower after two busy days of hitting all the highlights with a ride on Budapest’s most scenic Tram. aking the Tram 2 from Közvágóhíd to Jászai Mari Square along the Pest side of the riverbank and offers stunning views of Parliament, Chain Bridge, Central Market Hall & across the river to Buda Castle and Gellert Hill.
Spend the rest of the morning at your leisure – spend some more time wandering Pest – lunch at the St. Andrea Skybar rooftop is a great option, visit the inside of the Hungarian Parliament, or visit the Central Market Hall to experience a traditional Hungarian market!
Afternoon/Dinner: Explore the Jewish Quarter
Budapest’s revived Jewish Quarter is one of the most sought after neighborhoods in the city. It’s home to some of the best restaurants in the city, the infamous ruin bars, trendy cafes & street art. It’s a fun area to spend a few hours exploring.
I recommend wandering through Gozsdu Courtyard is more of a series of bars and restaurants. It’s comprised of seven interconnected buildings and six courtyards and filled with bars, restaurants and shops. It’s one of my favorite areas of Budapest.
For dinner I highly recommend Gettó Gulyás in the Jewish Quarter. This was my favorite meal in Budapest! Definitely make a reservation in advance as it gets very crowded.
Night: Cruise on the Danube
End your trip with one of my absolute favorite activities in Budapest, a night cruise down the Danube. It’s the most perfect way to admire the stunning Parliament building, which I never got sick of doing. Budapest is so stunning at night! The cruise I did was only about an hour long and it came with one free drink ticket. There were also some options for dinner cruises, which could have been cool as well!
Where to Stay in Budapest
Aria Hotel
An upscale hotel located near the Budapest Opera House – if you’re looking to splurge head here. This stunning hotel is walkable to everywhere you want to go in Budapest & the rooftop bar offers some of the best views in the city.
Leonardo Boutique Hotel Budapest M-Square
For a slightly cheaper, but still upscale option try Leonardo Boutique Hotel on M Square. M Square is a super convenient location to Vörösmarty Square, St. Stephen’s Basilica, Fashion Street, the Jewish Quarter, & more. Plus, M Square is filled with bars & restaurants easily walkable from the hotel. The rooms also had balconies with great views!
Opera Garden Hotel & Apartments
A third, cheaper option is Opera Garden Hotel & Apartments. I stayed here on my last trip and loved it. The small apartments have kitchenettes so you can save some money on meals if you want to do some cooking. They’re also a bit more spacious than hotel rooms. The location is right near the Opera House and only about a ten minute walk to the main dowtown area. I really enjoyed my stay here!
Getting Around Budapest
Budapest is pretty big, and while you can walk a lot around the main spots of the city center, you’ll likely need to use transport at some point to get around the city.
Public Transport
Budapest has great public transport. Their metro system has 4 lines that cross the city center, and can get you pretty much anywhere within the city. There are also many busses, but you likely won’t need to take the bus (other than to the airport which) There are also trams. Google maps is great for navigating around Budapest and which public transport you need to take.
Tram 2 is one of the most scenic trams in Budapest and is worth riding just for the views along the Danube!
Bolt
Bolt (similar to Uber) is highly reliable and easy to get in Budapest. I had a pretty bad taxi experience with a taxi (see below) Bolt allows you to book a ride through their app and offers an estimated price. The final price was always very close in my experience. I’d recommend this over s taxi generally.
Taxis
** Budapest cab scam **
Taxis are readily available in Budapest, just be very careful to get in a licensed taxi and avoid any taxi that has “freelancer” on the side. These look like regular taxis and Freelancer will usually be written small and blend in, so double check. When I first got to Budapest I accidentally got into a freelancer cab and the following happened
- I confirmed before I got in that they took credit card
- Once we were driving and my luggage was in the back the driver said he didn’t actually take credit cards and would drive me to an ATM.
- He took me to a rather sketchy ATM (one that charges a crazy withdrawal fee) but it didn’t seem worth arguing. He kept my luggage in the trunk.
- I took out $100 USD in Hungarian forint. which is 36,000 forint roughly. I wasn’t familiar with the currency. The driver took me to my hotel and the meter read 3500 forint. He turned around and grabbed all the money out of my hand (I should have put some of it away, but I was trying to figure out how much I owed)
- I argued with him, but he took my luggage and threw it on the road and physically pulled me out of the taxi as I tried to argue. This was the middle of the day in a very public place so I wasn’t scared just mad and felt really stupid that I travel so often and this had happened to me.
Budapest is overall super safe, so I don’t put this on here to scare people, but if I had been aware of this scam I wouldn’t have taken this cab and could have avoided the whole experience.
Budapest Travel Map
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