Ultimate Guide to Budapest’s Christmas Markets
Budapest is one of my favorite cities in Europe, and I was lucky enough to visit twice last year, once in May and then a second time in December for the Christmas Markets! I was so excited to go back at Christmas time. Budapest was one of eleven Christmas markets I visited, and I really enjoyed it, although it didn’t make my top 5 favorite markets. See my full rankings here!
Keep reading below for details on Budaoest Christmas market locations, details, tips for visiting & more.
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!
Jump To:
- Budapest Christmas Market Locations & Map
- Tips for Visiting Budapest Christmas Markets
- Budapest Christmas Markets Dates & Hours 2024
- Where to Stay in Budapest
- Getting to Budapest
- Budapest Christmas Market Overall Rating
Budapest Christmas Market Locations & Map
Budapest has 2 main Christmas Markets in the city center, as well as a few smaller markets. See details on all of them below!
Vörösmarty Square Christmas Market
Budapest’s main Christmas Market is located at Vörösmarty Square and spreads onto Fashion Street up to Deák Ferenc Square where you can find additional food & drink stalls & to Városháza Téli Park where you’ll find a Christmas Market Ice rink!
The Vörösmarty Square market is spread around the statue in the square and the stalls are quite far apart, making it seem less crowded, but the number of overall stalls is quite small, so the lines for drinks and food can get really long.
The food stands offer some of the best Christmas Market food in Europe, so bring your appetite. Hungarian food is hearty, so come prepared for a full meal & lots of sour cream (Hungary’s favorite condiment)
Food Highlights:
- beef goulash served in bread bowls
- massive sausages
- langos with toppings of your choice (sour cream and cheese is the traditional Hungairan version)
- potato pancakes with topping of your choice (think more sour cream!)
- paprika chicken
- lamb shanks
- roasted potatoes
- Plus, the desserts like the Kürtőskalács (chimney cakes)
St. Stephen’s Basilica Advent Market
Budapest’s second most popular market sits right in the square outside St. Stephen’s Basilica. This small market is more quaint & picturesque than the market in Vörösmarty Square, but it also gets crazy crowded, especially on weekends. I couldn’t even attempt to get food or a drink here on Saturday night and it wasn’t really possible to really do any shopping as all the stalls were so crowded.
The view from the stairs of the Basilia gives you a bit of breathing room and a bit more height to see the market. There’s also a light show projected on the front of the Basilica that runs every 30 minutes.
I’d generally recommend eating at the Vörösmarty Square market if you can, the food there seemed a bit more impressive and freshly made!
Fisherman’s Bastion Christmas Market
One of the only markets on the Buda side of the city, the Christmas Market in the main square outside of Fisherman’s Bastion. I visited on a Sunday and the place was packed, there was live music, about 20 stalls selling mostly goods & more. I’ve had trouble finding any info on this Christmas Market online, which makes me think it may just be a regular Sunday market that happens at Fisherman’s Bastion with a Christmas theme during December!
Gozsdu Court Christmas
The popular Godzsdu Udvar (Godzsdu Court) in Budapest’s Jewish Quarter is not a traditional Christmas Market. The court is filed with bars, restaurants, shops & pop up stands and decorates/shows up at Christmastime. It’s a fun area to explore in the evening after dinner and when the traditional markets are closed!
Tips for Visiting Budapest Christmas Markets
- all markets take credit card (this is different than most European Christmas Markets which are cash only)
- Budapest markets don’t usually have reusable mugs for Glühwein, and are served in paper cups, so you’re not paying a mug deposit like other markets
- The food is crazy filling & hearty at the markets, make sure you have a place to sit down or put your plate down, it’s not finger food!
- The markets get crazy crowded, because there aren’t a ton of stalls, you may wait 15 minutes or more for food or a drink (I didn’t notice this at other markets as much) If you can, try to avoid visiting on a weekend, these were particularly crazy.
- I recommend stayng on the Pest side of the city for the Christmas Markets, it’s closer to the main markets & generally has more to offer in terms of hotels and restaurants for tourists. The Buda side of the city is quieter and more residential
Budapest Christmas Markets Dates & Hours 2024
The dates and times are not yet available for 2024, but these were the dates and times for 2023, and are likely to be similar in 2024.
Dates: November 17, 2023 through January 1, 2024
Times
- Sun-Thurs 11AM-PM
- Fri & Sat 11AM-10PM
Where to Stay in Budapest
I recommend staying on the Pest side of Budapest, this is the side of the city where the 2 main Christmas Markets are, along with many of the other of the touristy places you might want to visit in Europe. It’s also easy enough to get to the Buda side to visit Buda Castle, Fisherman’s Bastion. Gellert Hill & more!
Three of my favorite hotels on the Pest side of Budapest are
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 to Budapest
By Plane:
Budapest has an international airport that is located less than 30 minutes outside of the city center & has direct flights to many other major European cities.
By Train:
Budapest is also possible to reach via train from other major cities in Eastern Europe like Vienna. The main train station isn’t far from the city center!
Budapest Christmas Market Overall Rating
8 of 11
Budapest is one of my absolute favorite cities in Europe, and I always enjoy a trip there, but to be honest this wasn’t my favorite Christmas Market. I had really high expectations based on lists I read and felt like it was a bit of a letdown compared to other cities.
I visited on a weekend, which are incredibly crowded and made the small-ish makrets feel very overwhelming. Overall, the markets seems either too congested and small or too spread out without much to do, so the stalls ended up being quite crowded. I also found the general Christmas decor less impressive than other places. So while I love Budapest and think everyone should visit, I’d recommend visiting during warmer weather and skipping the Christmas markets in favor of more impressive markets like Salzburg, Dresden & Prague.
The best part of the markets was hands down the food. Budapest probably had the best food of all the markets I visited. The main market in Vörösmarty Square had massive stands serving hearty meals of goulash, sausages, langos, potato pancakes, paprika chicken, lamb shanks, roasted potatoes & more. Plus, the desserts like the Kürtőskalács (chimney cakes)
