I absolutely loved my time in Budapest, Hungary.
I got to see and do everything I wanted to and I want you to enjoy your visit to Budapest as much as I did.
I’ll outline all the best bits of the beautiful Hungarian capital, and the best way to spend 3 days in Budapest.
You can also find my Google Map below that I used for my trip to Budapest. It also includes my Bratislava tips so you can double up your trip to both cities!
Visited: June 2024
Introduction to Budapest
Budapest, the capital city of Hungary, is split by the Danube River. The city itself was officially unified in 1873. Previously, the area was actually made up of three different towns: Buda, Óbuda (old Buda) and Pest. The part of the city to the east of the Danube is Pest, and the west is Buda.
If you’re like me and want to tick off a couple of countries on a trip then Budapest is perfectly positioned for that. On my visit to Budapest I flew into Bratislava and got the 2 hour train between the cities. Slovakia was my 45th country and Hungary was my 46th.
Here are some other potential countries to couple up with Hungary.
| City | Country | Miles From Budapest | Train Journey |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bratislava | Slovakia | 102 | 2 hours |
| Vienna | Austria | 136 | 2.5 hours |
| Zagreb | Croatia | 215 | 4.5 hours |
| Cluj | Romania | 267 | 8 hours |
If you’re coming by plane into Budapest airport instead then getting to the city centre is easy. It is around 30-60 minutes away depending on your choice though.
| Option | Cost | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Taxi (Fotaxi App) | 10,000 HUF (£21.50) | 35 minutes |
| Bus (100E AirPort Express) | 2,200 HUF (£4.75) | 45 minutes |
| Bus (200E) | 700 HUF (£1.50) | 60 minutes |
When you get to the city then you can take any public transport within the city with a single ticket. You can buy tickets through the app BudapestGo. They cost 450 HUF (£1) per journey, or 10 journeys. for 4,000 HUF (£8.65). You have a number of options like 30 minutes unlimited travel, 90 minutes unlimited travel, 24 hours, etc. You can see all of the ticket options on the BKK website.
When to Visit Budapest
Budapest will be less busy in March, April and October. The temperatures are still pretty good then.I was looking for some summer sunshine so I chose to visit in June where the temperatures were quite nice, around 23/24 degrees. It can get quite cold in winter though. Perfect time to visit a thermal bath or two though! See below for the average temperatures throughout the year.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average Temperature (celsius) | 0 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 17 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 1 |
Where to Stay
We stayed at the MaMaison Residence Izabella Budapest because we were travelling with a 7 month old. We wanted to stay relatively close to the centre but we also wanted a decent walk to the city so that we could get him to sleep on the walk! An apartment gave him plenty of space to crawl around freely in too.
I’d definitely recommend the MaMaison if you’re travelling as a family.
I’d also be looking at the Pest area, particularly around the historic old town. This means the majority of the sights are very close and you’re also close to most of the bars and restaurants. Don’t be scared to book somewhere just outside because it’s lovely to walk around, and most of Pest is relatively flat.
Day 1 – Beautiful Buda
Now for my Budapest travel guide…
Budapest really surprised me because every turn you take it just looks stunning. The architecture is so good, and I’m not really usually that bothered by architecture too much!
So let’s start your trip with seeing some of the amazing architecture throughout the city.
You’ll be walking a fair bit but the next two days will be lighter so don’t worry!
I recommend starting off with the Buda side of the city, and Buda Hill in particular. Depending on where your hotel is you can either get public transport, or do what we did and walk.
We had a baby stroller so our route up was painful, very painful!
If you’re travelling without a stroller (lucky you!) then you can either walk up the stairs or take the Buda Hill Funicular. The cable car only takes a few minutes and costs 4,000 HUF (£8.50) per adult and runs up Buda Hill every 10 minutes from 8am to 10pm.
When you’re up Buda Hill start off with Fisherman’s Bastion. It’s probably the most visited attraction in the whole of Budapest and it’s easy to see why.
It reminded me of something like Rivendell in Lord of the Rings.
Top Tip: You’ll get some amazing pictures of the Hungarian Parliament Building (and the whole city of Budapest) from here. Like the below!
First built in the 1850s, Fisherman’s Bastion provides a stunning panoramic view of the city. To represent the seven chieftains of Hungary, who founded the country in 895, there are seven towers. Dotted along the 140m of wall there are archways that you can get that instagram shot too.
In the courtyard right next to the Fisherman’s Bastion is the Statue of St. Stephen I. Stephen I was the first king of Hungary, who reigned in 1000 to 1038.
The next piece of beautiful architecture in this area is the Matthias Church. The first iteration of the church was said to be erected in 1015 by St. Stephen. The Gothic style building was destroyed and rebuilt a number of times but the church itself is definitely worth a visit. You can also go inside for a fee of 2,900 HUF (£6.20).
All of the above is technically within the Buda Castle walls but the actual Buda Castle is also worth a look. It’s a short walk along past some bars and restaurants. When we visited they were actually restoring the castle walls so there was a lot of scaffolding up, obscuring the view.
After your visit to Buda Castle, have a leisurely stroll back to the Pest side of Budapest. This will involve a walk across the Széchenyi Chain Bridge. The bridge itself is pretty cool. You can also get a good picture from the Buda side of the bridge with the Hungarian Parliament Building in the background.
Although Fashion Street may not live up to its name, it’s still worth a stroll. You’ll find a lot of your usual shops, from the likes of Lush to BOSS and Lacoste.
Round off your sightseeing day with St. Stephen’s Basilica (pictured below). We always seemed to come back to the Basilica. There are lots of shops, ice cream places, restaurants, and bars around this area.
It’s definitely a great place to sit back with a local beer or an Aperol Spritz!
Day 1 Summary
- Fisherman’s Bastion
- Statue of St. Stephen I
- Matthias Church
- Buda Castle
- Walk back via Széchenyi Chain Bridge
- Fashion Street
- St. Stephen’s Basilica
Day 2 – Down the Danube
If you like opera then The Hungarian State Opera House is definitely worth a visit. Check online before you visit to see if there is anything worth watching. If you don’t fancy seeing a show I’d still recommend a visit to take some photos. It’s a very impressive building and it’s on the way to the next site I recommend anyway.
I was blown away by the Hungarian Parliament Building. As I said before I’m not really into architecture but this building wow.
This neo-Gothic building is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is sat right next to the Danube. If you’re going to Budapest then you don’t need me to tell you to visit, but visit!
The building itself took almost 20 years to build, starting in 1885 and finishing in 1904. You can get a pretty cool shot (picture at the top of this post) with the water feature in the square.
A short walk from the Hungarian Parliament Building is the memorial, Shoes on the Danube Bank. There are sixty shoes – men’s, women’s and children’s. This memorial is to remember the horrendous murder of the Hungarian Jews on the banks of the Danube between 1944 and 1945.
There are roads and paths down the Danube so it’s worth walking further down towards the Hungarian National Museum. At 4,200 HUF (£9) for access to the temporary exhibits and 3,500 HUF (£7.50) for access to the permanent exhibits it’s worth a visit.
Finish your day with a night Danube River Cruise. There are a number of companies that provide cruises. You can get a cruise that involves food and drinks, or you can just go for the sights. The backdrop along the river is stunning so the opportunity for some cracking photos is definitely there.
Day 2 Summary
- Hungarian State Opera House
- Hungarian Parliament Building
- Shoes on the Danube Bank
- Hungarian National Museum
- River Cruise
Day 3 – Northern Budapest: Castles, Columns, and City Parks
Your final day will be spent exploring the northern part of Budapest. This was an area that I didn’t really think much about, and I was tempted to give it a miss. I’m glad I didn’t.
I did see lots of buses and walking tours in this area so if that’s something that interests you then definitely check those out.
If you’re making your way from the city centre then you can get the M1 line to Hősök tere, Hungarian for Heroes Square. The square features a large column and statues of the most important Hungarian national leaders, including the seven chieftains of Hungary. This element is the famous Millennium Memorial.
You’ll also find the Museum of Fine Arts on the left and the Hall of Art on either side of the square. I didn’t pop in to either so I won’t cover those here.
If you walk through the Memorial then you’ll come to City Park. This is a lovely park to walk around in, have a picnic in or even go up in a hot air balloon.
I didn’t take the hot air balloon trip but BalloonFly offer trips for 8,500 HUF (£18.70) for adults and 5,000 (£11) for children.
Within the park is Vajdahunyad Castle (pictured below). It’s said that this castle was one of many that influenced famous Disney castles. It really is a spectacular looking building. It was built in 1896 and was originally due to be a temporary building – created with wood and cardboard! It was then built with bricks and stone in 1908.
Just outside the castle is the Statue of Anonymous. This status is worth a lookas you’re passing by. The actual individual’s name is unknown but they are said to have been chronicled a Hungarian king’s life. The works “The Deeds of the Hungarians” is also famous as it’s the earliest known book of Hungary’s history.
Round off your trip with an afternoon at one of the many famous thermal spas in Budapest.
Day 3 Summary
- Heroes Square
- City Park
- Statue of Anonymous
- Vajdahunyad Castle
- Thermal Spa
Budapest Cards
If you’re planning on visiting a large number of attractions then a Budapest Card could be right for you. There are three options:
Digital Tourist Card (use on smartphone)
This gets you:
– free access to 30+ museums and attractions.
– free sightseeing walking tours
– free thermal bath entry
– free Danube cruise
– 50+ discounts
The cost for this card ranges from 12,990 HUF (£28) for 24 hours to 31,990 HUF(£69.20) for 120 hours.
Budapest Card
This gets you:
– unlimited free public transport
– Free Budapest map and guide
– plus all of the above
The cost for this card ranges from 14,990 HUF (£32.50) for 24 hours to 36,990 HUF(£80) for 120 hours.
Digital e-XPLORER Pass (use on smartphone)
This gets you:
– free Hop on Hop off sightseeing bus rides (up to 72h)
– free Hop on Hop off cruise on the Danube (up to 72h)
– free entry to Cinema Mystica
– plus all of the Digital Tourist Card perks
The cost for this card ranges from 32,990 HUF (£71.30) for 48 hours to 49,990 HUF (£108) for 120 hours.
Where to Eat
I couldn’t go throughout this whole blog post without mentioning a restaurant we visited. It is second or third on TripAdvisor so it’s not exactly an unknown gem but I’d still wholeheartedly recommend it – Beerstro 14.
Beerstro 14 is a steakhouse with a beautiful courtyard seating area surrounding a fountain. If you get the choice, sit outside. It’s stunning.
We had the steak sharing platter for 25.900 HUF (£56). You get three steaks – a filet mignon, a rib eye, and a sirloin. You also get gratin potatoes, grilled pak choi, sweet potato wedges, pepper sauce and chimichurri. Delicious!
Our meal came to 42,650 HUF (£92.40), we got two alcoholic drinks each plus two cheesecakes (also amazing!). You cannot miss Beerstro 14 when you visit Budapest.
My Thoughts on Budapest
As I mentioned, I absolutely loved my 3 days in Budapest and I hope my complete guide to the city has given you enough information to have a great three day trip to the Hungarian capital. It’s covered what I thought to be the best places in Budapest. If you have any other tips and recommendations then please feel free to leave them in a comment below.
