Budapest Travel Guide
Budapest Travel Guide
Budapest is Europe’s coolest city in my opinion. Budapest is chic, lively & ecclectic. It’s filled with history, stunning architecture, delicious food & some of Europe’s best nightlife. Budapest is the perfect spot for a city break.
Jump To:
- *Backpacks & Bubbly – Top Pick for Drinks With A View*
- Where to Stay in Budapest
- Best Things to do in Budapest
- Best Restaurants in Budapest
- Best Bars in Budapest
- Getting to Budapest
- Getting Around Budapest
- How Many Days to Spend in Budapest
- Safety for Solo Female Travel in Budapest
- BudapestTravel Map
- Budapest– Top Blog Posts
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!
*Backpacks & Bubbly – Top Pick for Drinks With A View*
St. Andrea Wine & Skybar
This was my favorite rooftop in Budapest. It’s located right off Shopping Street and offers stunning skyline views. I recommend visiting at sunset! Make a reservation in advance to guarantee a spot!
High Note Skybar
Another stunning Budapest roodtop is the High Note Skybar at the Aria hotel. I was able to walk in here without a reservation, but it was busy, so I’d try to reserve in advance! The twilight views over the city were incredible
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!
Best Things to do in Budapest
Admire the Hungarian Parliament
The stunning Hungarian Parliament sits along the Danube river and is a can’t miss, but it’s also hard to miss given its sheer size. You can visit inside the Parliament, but i prefer just admiring the outside. My favorite views of the building are from a river cruise on the Danube (especially at night) from Fisherman’s Bastion or from Aranybástya restaurant.
To go inside entry is about $16 tickets can be purchased here
Take a Night Cruise on the Danube
This was one of my favorite things I did in Budapest. I opted for a night cruise (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!
Soak in a Thermal Bath
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!
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
The most famous and probably the most visually stunning of Budapest’s thermal baths. 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. This place gets so crowded, book your tickets in advance and try to visit early morning or later in the day!
Rudas Thermal Bath
Rudas Bath was also 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!
Explore Fisherman’s 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 Biuda Castle district of Bidapest and offers stunning views over Pest and the Hungarian Parliament. Tje 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 Fishermna’s Bastion is absolutely stunning. There is also a bar/restaurant on Fisherman’s Bastion that offers some of the best drinks with views in Budapest.
Visit Buda Castle
On the Buda side of the Danube River you’ll find the impressive 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.
Explore Budapest’s 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.
Top Ruin Bars to Visit:
- Szimpla Kert
- Instant-Fogas Complex
- Csendes Létterem – Vintage Bar & Café
- Lámpás Student Pub
See the Most Beautiful Cafe in the World – New York Cafe
Grabbing coffee and a snack at the stunning New York Cafe is a must on your trip to Budapest. 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.
Sunset from Citadella Gellért Hill
Walking to the top of Gellért Hill for sunset offers some of the best views of the city! It’s not a super strenuous work, but it is an uphill 15-20 minute walk on paths.
Budapest Walking Tour
Taking a free walking tour of Budapest is a great way to see the highlights of the city center and learn a bit more about the history of Budapest and Hungary. I did this walking tour and highly recommend!
Ride the Scenic Tram 2
Taking 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.
Best Restaurants in Budapest
Best Overall
- Aranybástya
- Gettó Gulyás
- Bem Söröző Étterem
Traditional Hungarian
- Ildikó Konyhája
- Horgásztanya Vendéglő
- Pozsonyi restaurant – cash only
- Kiskakukk Restaurant
- Menza Étterem és Kávéház
Casual Restautants
- Street Food Karavan
- Belvárosi Disznótoros – Király utca
- Retro Lángos Budapest
Best Bars in Budapest
Ruin Bars
- Szimpla Kert
- Instant-Fogas Complex
- Csendes Létterem – Vintage Bar & Café
- Lámpás Student Pub
Rooftop Bars
- St. Andrea Wine & Skybar
- High Note Skybar
- 360 Bar
Getting to Budapest
By Train
Budapest is connected by train to all other major European cities. There are 2 main train stations most trains from other large cities arrive at – Budapest-Keleti & Budapest-Nyugati, both are easily accessible to the city center via public transport or Bolt.
Train times to Budapest:
- Vienna to Budapest – 2 hours and 23 minutes
- Prague to Budapest – 2 hours and 25 minutes
- Bratislava to Budapest – 6 hours and 41 minutes
- Zagreb to Budapest – 6 hours and 41 minutes
By Plane
Budapest has an international airport – Ferenc Liszt International Airport. The airport is 35 minutes from the city center. The easiest way to get from the airport to the city center is taxi or private transfer ($30-$35 roughly) The cheaper option is the bus that departs every 30 minutes from the airport to the city center – it’s $12 round trip it drops you at Deák Ferenc tér’ metro station” which is right in the center of Budapest.
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.
How Many Days to Spend in Budapest
3 Days
I recommend spending at least 3 days in Budapest. It’s a large city and trying to squeeze everything into 2 days could feel quite rushed. If you have more than 3 days there is plenty in Budapest to keep you busy, or you could venture on a day trip to a Hungarian winery or explore other areas of Hungary.
Safety for Solo Female Travel in Budapest
4.5 out of 5
I felt very safe in Budapest, and Budapest is known to be a welcoming city to solo female travelers. I stayed in a few different areas of Budapest and never felt unsafe. I also went to bars and restaurants at night and never felt unsafe walking back to my hotel.
Although I don’t think it was a dangerous situation, more annoying and financially frustrating please read about the Budapest cab scam here & opt for Bolt or public transport.
