A Local’s Guide to Visiting Budapest
Budapest is one of Europe’s great cities, but technically this is actually a tale of two cities; split down the middle by the Danube River, for most of history these were two separate towns - peaceful Buda on the west bank and bustling Pest on the east. It was only 150 years ago that they combined to form a single city.
Buda is characterized by its hills, palaces, impressive villas, residential neighborhoods, and lush woodlands. Pest, on the other hand, is the city's beating heart, where grand boulevards with palatial apartments intersect with busy city life. Most of Budapest’s sites, nightlife, and action are found in Pest.
Compared to other major European capitals, Budapest is relatively small, with a modest population of 1.78 million. But as Hungary's economic, cultural, and political center, everything goes through and happens in Budapest.
This is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe (maybe in the whole world), and it’s filled with incredible architecture, world-class museums & cultural venues, beautiful parks, and enough shopping, dining, and entertainment options to jam pack a visit of any length. Budapest is truly a city that has something for everyone.
While you can tick off the "must-see sights" in just a couple of days, if you really want to delve deeper and get to know the city, you should plan to spend at least four days here. And if you’re looking to explore other destinations in Hungary, you can even use Budapest as a base for day trips to places like the Danube Bend, Lake Balaton, or Eger. The options here are endless!
Tours in Budapest
If you want to see Budapest like a local and discover the city’s hidden gems, set up a private walking tour with our favorite local guide, Attila!
Attila is a lifelong Budapest local who runs private walking tours all over the city. Whether you’re hoping to discover the highlights or get way off the beaten path, he’s got a great tour for you.
Table of Contents
Map of Budapest and its attractions
To help you orient yourself and give you a better idea of the many neighborhoods, attractions, sites, and other places that we discuss throughout this article, we’ve plotted them all out on the map below.
Once you’ve read the article, you can come back up to the map and see all the different places we mention.
An Introduction to Budapest
The city has 23 districts, which are organized similarly to the Parisian arrondissement system. Budapest’s central and most popular sites are clustered around the I, V, VI, VII, VIII, and XI Districts, and while that sounds like a lot of ground to cover, this entire area is actually pretty compact, and can easily be navigated on foot or with public transport.
The public transportation system here, which includes buses, subways, and trams, is extensive and comprehensively covers the entire city, which allows you to get everywhere quickly and easily.
Even if you choose to stay in a less central area, you will never need a car to explore Budapest. In fact, you'll miss out on some of the best bits if you get around by car.
During the day, one of the most rewarding things to do is simply to wander the city and admire your surroundings. Even on nondescript streets, you’ll look up and suddenly find that you’re surrounded by gorgeous buildings.
Everyone talks about how beautiful cities like Paris or Prague are (and they are!), but we don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that Budapest holds its own against them. Go for a wander, get lost, and just be sure to admire your surroundings while you’re out exploring.
Of course, Budapest is also full of museums, galleries, cafes, restaurants, and other attractions to enjoy during the day.
When the sun goes down, Budapest comes to life in a new way: it’s bars and clubs start buzzing and the music starts playing at ever increasing decibels. Much of the activity, especially for tourists, is clustered around the VII District, which has earned the nickname "The Party District”.
The area was made famous for its ruin bars (bars that repurposed once abandoned, ruined spaces), which now abound throughout the district. Some are genuinely still fun to visit, but most ruin bars, and nightlife venues in the VII district more generally, are mostly overrun with tourists and cater entirely to visitors.
If you want to experience a more local nightlife scene, we’d advise you to get out of VII District and explore some of the surrounding neighborhoods. The grittier VIII District, which is the hub of the city's countercultural scene, has vibrant street art and alternative cultural spaces, and is a great place to spend an evening (or two, or three!).
For hikers, or those just in need of a bit of adventure in nature, you won't even need to leave the city limits: just cross the river over to Buda and head out to the Buda Hills, which is home to several hiking trails.
On warm days, there are great spots to splash around in the Danube, and opportunities for stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, and other watersports.
For something a little more off the beaten path, you can even go spelunking under the residential part of the District.
Where is Budapest?
Budapest is located on the Danube River in the central-northern part of Hungary, in Central Europe. It lies in a geographic region known as the Carpathian Basin, straddling the region of Europe where Western Europe meets Eastern Europe.
Budapest is reasonably close to other capital cities in the region, being about 150 miles (240 km) east of Vienna, Austria, 125 miles (200 km) south-east of Bratislava, Slovakia, 235 miles (380 km) north of Belgrade, Serbia, and 215 miles (345 km) north-east of Zagreb.
You can easily reach Vienna or Bratislava in under three hours by either train or bus, so Budapest makes a good base from which to explore or travel the region.
One airport, the Liszt Ferenc Airport (BUD), serves several airlines flying to numerous destinations in Europe, as well as to Asia and the United States.
Get away from the crowds and spend a morning or afternoon exploring some of Budapest's alternative neighborhoods with our favorite local guide, Attila!
When to visit Budapest
Buda Castle in springtime
Budapest has so much to offer and such a variety of things to see and do, that it’s worth visiting at any and every time of year.
With that said, for us, the perfect time to visit Budapest is usually in the spring, from mid-March to the end of May, or in the fall, from September through October.
During spring and fall, the temperatures are pleasantly warm, and it’s lovely weather for wandering the city or enjoying a meal or drink outside, but rarely hot or cold enough to be unpleasant. The spring is gorgeous when the fruit trees, like the almond trees on Gellért Hill and the plum trees on Castle Hill, are in full bloom.
Then, in the fall, the city shows off its autumal brown, orange, and yellow hues, especially up in the Buda Hills. With perfect weather and nature showing off its lovely colors, the spring and fall are the ideal time to be in Budapest.
Budapest is quite popular at various other times of year, and there are a few seasonal things to be aware of. More on that below:
Visiting in winter
The popular Christmas markets happen in Budapest from the end of November until the start of January, and during this period the downtown is often filled with tourists (both international and domestic) and hotel prices go way up. It’s a lovely and atmospheric time to be in Budapest, but its also one of the most crowded and expensive times to visit.
In winter, the temperatures can drop to 14 degrees or lower, and it’s not unheard of for it to get so cold that the Danube freezes over. In recent years, winters have been much milder than this though.
A winter Christmas market in Budapest
Visiting in summer
Just like during the festive winter holiday period, the crowds in Budapest increase significantly in the middle of August, when the Sziget Music Festival is in full swing, and to a lesser extent, when the Hungarian Grand Prix Formula 1 takes place in July. The crowds are thick and prices are high during both of these events
Summers in Budapest are hot and humid, and temperatures can regularly get up to anywhere from 95 to 104 degrees in July or August. The hot days are often punctuated with summer storms and heavy rain, so you should always have a raincoat or umbrella if visiting in summer.
The Hungarian Parliament building in summertime
How long to spend in Budapest
We recommend staying here for an absolute minimum of 3 days, but if you have the time, 4 days or even up to a week will allow you to better experience the city and have a much more meaningful visit.
There’s so much to do here, and as the economic, political, and cultural center of Hungary, Budapest is a fascinating place that’s worth delving deeper into and really getting to know.
Most visitors to Budapest stay only for a few days, which is a shame. Europeans typically arrive for a weekend city break, whereas travelers from further afield often pass through the city as part of a larger regional trip.
While a few days in Budapest is enough time to hit the main sites, it’s not sufficient if you really want to get a feel for the city.
If you only stay for a couple of days, you’ll likely spend much of your time hopping on back-to-back tours and trying to cram in as many sites as possible, meaning that you’ll see but won’t actually experience Budapest.
Yes, you’ll still visit fantastic sites and will likely have a great time, but it won’t be an immersive experience. Surely worth the visit regardless, but it could be even better!
Part of the pleasure of being in Budapest is relaxing in the thermal baths, hiking in the Buda Hills, visiting museums, exploring neighborhoods and parks (there are tons of green spaces), and getting to know the city's eclectic nightlife. To do all of that at a comfortable pace, you’ll need more than just two days here.
Even if you spend a week in Budapest, you’ll never get bored – remember, many people live their whole lives here. The city itself has enough attractions to keep you entertained for however long you choose to stay, but Budapest is also ideally located for day trips to other interesting destinations in Hungary.
The historic town of Szentendre, with its artists' colony, is only a short train ride away, as is lovely and scenic Lake Balaton, the Danube Bend (which can even be reached by boat), or the historic city of Eger.
So, both within the city and around it, you’ve got plenty to see and do for a week or more.
Where to stay in Budapest
If this is your first visit to Budapest, we recommend staying in downtown Pest, especially if you're interested in nightlife. Pest is the busier side of the city and it’s also where many of the main sights are, so it’s just more convenient for sightseeing than Buda is.
This is the heart of the city and it’s very centrally located for almost all of the sightseeing that you’ll be doing during your stay. Downtown is busy at all times of day and night, it’s filled with restaurants, both local and international, and is well set up to accommodate tourists.
While the very center of Pest is touristy and not particularly charming, there are plenty of quiet, local, and pleasant neighborhoods on this side of the river that are still right near to all the action.
If you’re set on staying in Buda rather than Pest, you should look at the I District (but not the parts right next to the castle), the XI District, or the riverfront portion of the II District.
The XI and II Districts have become quite popular with locals in recent years, and you'll find great restaurants, cafes, art galleries, and cultural spots in these parts of town.
These are residential areas that don’t really cater to tourists, so you’ll be able to get a nice feel for local life in them. If a quieter, mostly local experience, these can be quite pleasant areas to stay in.
No matter what though, don’t stay in or right next to Castle Hill. The area is beautiful, but most locals literally never go here as it’s only an area for touristic sightseeing. It’s also completely dead at night, so there’s very little atmosphere and nothing to do once the sun sets.
Here are some areas for your to consider making your base:
VII District and the Jewish Quarter
If you're in town to party and like being in the heart of the action, then you'll want to stay in the Jewish Quarter in the VII District. You'll mostly find party hostels and a younger crowd in this part of town, but there are Airbnb’s and other smaller hotels in the area.
VII District gets very noisy at night and you’ll see and hear many drunk tourists reveling in the streets until the early morning. The area can be fun and it’s certainly worth checking out, but if you’re not in your 20’s anymore, it’s probably not the scene for you.
For a more local experience without the noise of partygoers, we’d suggest avoiding the VII District and instead looking for accommodation in the V or VI Districts, or around the Palace District in VIII District.
In each of these areas, you'll be close enough to all the sites, with plenty of great dining options and cafes around you, but without the party madness or kitschy tourist stuff.
V District
If you want a compromise between party and tranquility and have a taste for the finer things in life, the V District blends beautiful architecture, fine dining, elegant bars, and easy access to the nightlife without having to sacrifice a good night’s sleep. This is a very pleasant area to stay in.
VIII District – the inner section
For something more alternative and bohemian, consider the VIII District, around The Palace District. This entire area, within the Grand Boulevard - József körút street, is filled with stately buildings, quirky cafes, galleries, and bars inside the Grand Boulevard.
VIII District – the outer section
For something grittier, you can head out beyond the Grand Boulevard to the outer VIII District, where you’ll discover a more alternative part of town. This part of town has an unsavory reputation due to its large Romani and immigrant population, but it's also the heart of the city's alternative cultural scene, with exciting bars and clubs that are popular with artsy and hip locals. It's an exciting area to explore if you love street art or alternative culture.
VI District
The area around the VI District and Andrássy Avenue (Budapest’s most famous street) is also close enough to the action of the VII District while being a lot quieter. If you head up to City Park, you're also a stone's throw away from the Széchenyi Baths, the Zoo, and numerous museums.
XI District (on the Buda side)
On the Buda side, the inner XI District in the area around Bartók Béla Boulevard is a hangout for creative, trendy Hungarians. This is a vibrant and mostly local area where you'll find great bars and restaurants, excellent cafes and bake shops, and easy access to the Gellért and Rudas thermal baths and hikes up to Gellért Hill.
II District (on the Buda side)
II District is another nice, mostly local area, that has seen a big increase in its popularity in recent years. The riverfront portion of the district is particularly pleasant, with lots of dining options and great views. Moving away from the river, The hilly Rózsadomb part of the district is quite pretty and is home to many wealthy families.
Wandering along Rose Hill is a great activity for architecture lovers. While this area is a bit outside of the city center, it’s well served by buses, trams, and metro, so you’ll usually be able to get to other parts of the city quite quickly.
In general, one of the nicest things about Budapest is our extensive and excellent public transit system, so no matter where you stay, you’ll be able to travel quickly and easily wherever you want to go.
Even so, a good rule of thumb is to stay close to the river when on the Buda side, and inside the Grand Boulevard on the Pest side (avoiding the VII District unless you are a party animal).
Learn about some of the city's best street art as you walk between some of Budapest's best ruin pubs on this hybrid pub/art crawl, led by lifelong Budapest resident and local guide - Attila!
Expenses and average travel costs
Using credit cards
Credit cards are widely accepted in Budapest, especially in larger stores, restaurants, and tourist attractions. At small shops or hole-in-the wall restaurants, it’s fairly likely that you’ll have to pay in cash though, so it’s always good to have some local currency (HUF) on hand.
Average costs
By western standards and especially for visitors coming from the U.S. or Canada, Budapest is a very affordable city. Below is an overview showing some basic costs.
Public transportation: A single-ticket ride on public transportation costs about $1 USD.
Meals: Lunch at a mid-range restaurant will cost from around $10-20 USD per person, while you could expect to pay about from $5-10 USD if eating street food or going to inexpensive local restaurants.
Many restaurants have set multi-course lunch menus at very affordable prices, so it’s always worth inquiring about this before ordering à la carte. Expect to pay a bit more at dinner.
Beer and wine: A pint of beer or glass of wine will typically cost between $1-3 USD at reasonable places (wine is a bit more expensive than beer).
Hotels: Budapest has a huge range of hotels at all levels, but you should have no problem finding quite nice rooms available for anywhere from $60-150 USD per night.
AirBnb: You can also find Airbnbs for just about any price, but there are lots of perfectly nice apartments available for $50-80 USD per night.
Tipping
While some people might tell you otherwise, tipping at sit-down restaurants in Budapest is common and largely expected. 10% is the standard amount to leave and is perfectly appropriate. Of course, you can always leave more if you’d like to.
Some restaurants add automatic service charges, so be sure to check if that’s on the bill before you leave a tip on top.
Transportation and how to get around
Budapest has excellent public transportation which is run by BKK (Budapest Közlekedési Központ/Budapest Transport Center). Four metro lines cover most of the city's downtown areas and serve parts of the suburbs as well.
A fun fact about the metro is that Budapest’s Line 1 is Continental Europe's oldest subway and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in its own right.
There are also numerous tram lines, buses, and trolley buses (the latter of which you'll only find on the Pest side) that weave all throughout the city. Local trains (called the HÉV) also serve the suburbs and nearby towns, like the picturesque town of Szentendre, which is a popular day trip from Budapest.
Getting to and from the Airport
For getting to or from the Budapest Airport (Liszt Ferenc International Airport), Bus 100E is your best option. The bus runs 24/7 between the Airport and Deák Ferenc Tér, which is at the heart of the city and has a metro station with three intersecting lines.
Buses leaves as frequently as every 10 minutes during the day, and every 30-40 minutes through the middle of the night. The cost of a one-way ticket on airport bus 100E costs 1500 HUF.
Public transportation
Budapest’s public transit system is excellent and very inexpensive, so if you want to move quickly between areas and fit in as much as possible, you should plan to use the bus, subway, and tram regularly.
The tickets are the same whether you’re taking the metro, tram, or bus and you can purchase them from the ticket offices and purple ticket machines in the metro stations, or from the machines present at many of the tram stops.
If you download the Budapest Go App, you can also purchase tickets online.
There are a couple of different ticket options, so make sure to select the right one for each trip. In all cases, always make sure you buy your ticket before boarding, as you'll need to validate single tickets at the metro entrance or on the tram or bus.
You also need to validate online tickets and can do so by scanning the QR code on the door of the trams and buses and at the entrance to the metro stations.
Plainclothes ticket inspectors check tickets randomly, and not having a validated ticket means you'll be charged a penalty (12,000 HUF if you pay on the spot).
Single tickets: Single tickets are valid for one ride on any one mode of transport. They cannot be used to transfer between modes of transit. Single tickets cost 350 HUF.
Time-based tickets: There are also two options for time-based tickets, which are valid for 30 or 90 minutes, depending on which one you purchase. These tickets are valid for unlimited transfers on all transit types, including round-trip journeys, within 30 or 90 minutes. 30-minute tickets cost 530 HUF and 90-minute ones cost 750.
Full and Multi-day Travelcards: You also have the option of purchasing 24 or 72-hour travelcards. These cards are valid for unlimited rides on all public transportation within the given time period.
They don’t require validation as they will contain a timestamp showing date and time that you bought them. 24-hour tickets cost 2,500 HUF while 72-hour ones cost 5,500 HUF.
Budapest Card: Another option for tickets is getting a Budapest Card, which has options ranging from 24 to 120-hours. The card includes unlimited transportation in the given time period, entrances to certain museums and sites, discounts for a variety of things, and some other benefits.
Prices for the Budapest card run from 9,990 HUF to 29,500 HUF depending on the card’s duration.
Taxis and ride shares
Alternatively, you can also get around Budapest by taxi. The city has several taxi services, and make sure you go with a reputable one rather than just flagging a cab off the street.
Budapest doesn't have Uber, but you can download the app Taxify, which you can use to book licensed taxis in the same way you’d call an Uber.
Other reputable taxi companies include City Taxi, Fő Taxi, and 666 Taxi. Some of these companies also have their own apps which you can download.
Taxis charge a base fare of 1000 HUF and the fare increases from there by 400 HUF per kilometer or 100 HUF per minute.
Walkability
This is a very compact, walkable city, and many of the main sights are fairly close to one another. You can easily explore Budapest on foot alone, without ever taking a taxi, bus, or subway ride.
Getting around by bike
If you prefer to get around by bike, you can also take advantage of the bike rental service called BuBi Bikes. Just download their app and then keep an eye out for their lime green bike-sharing stations, where you can pick up and drop off the bikes.
There are bike docking stations all over the city, so this is a very convenient way to get around, especially on nice days.
What to do in Budapest
Budapest has a wealth of attractions, ranging from some of Europe's most famous landmarks to more obscure curiosities to explore. If you’re short on time, it makes sense to prioritize the type of places you want to check out: do you want to see the main sites or are you more interested in something off-the-beaten-track?
Will you focus your time on art, culture, food & drink, partying, or shopping? Having a few primary goals makes putting together your itinerary easier.
To get you started, we’ve included below a general overview of the different types of things to see & do, along with a few of the most popular sights and activities.
1. See the sights
Budapest is filled with iconic landmarks, many of which are clustered around the same areas. In Buda, you have Castle Hill which hosts iconic churches, museums, and palaces, all in an extremely compact and walkable area.
Over in Pest, the Chain Bridge, Parliament Building, and St. Stephen’s Basilica are all within a 15 minute walk of one another. In short, sightseeing in Budapest is quite easy and convenient.
Castle Hill
In Buda’s I District on Castle Hill, you’ll find Buda Castle, Fisherman's Bastion, and Matthias Church. The Hungarian National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum are also found here.
Buda Castle sitting atop Budapest’s Castle Hill
Central District V
Once you’ve finished your sightseeing on Buda Castle, you can walk down the hill to the Danube river and cross the famous Chain Bridge over to the Pest side. Walk along the river until you reach the incredible Hungarian Parliament Building, and just sit and marvel at one of the world’s most beautiful structures.
From there, you can continue on to the gorgeous and ornate St. Stephen's Basilica. Pay the extra ticket fee and go up the bell tower for fantastic views.
The magnificent Hungarian Parliament building on the banks of the Danube River
Andrássy Avenue
From St. Stephen's Basilica, you can walk up Andrássy Avenue, Budapest’s most famous street, where you’ll pass by the Hungarian National Opera House and countless other grand buildings. Continue all the way up Andrássy until you reach Heroes’ Square, where you’ll see the Museum of Fine Arts and the Kunsthalle (our main contemporary art museum).
Just behind the square is the enormous and wonderful City Park, which is the perfect place to enjoy a stroll and some people watching on a sunny day.
St. Stephen’s Basilica during the festive Christmas period
Spas
Of course, be sure to pack your bathing suit, as no trip to Budapest is complete without a visit to one of its famous spas. Right In City Park is the iconic Széchenyi Baths, while over in Buda, you you’ll find the art nouveau Gellért Baths and the Ottoman-era Rudas Baths.
These are unquestionably touristy places to visit, but they are touristy for a reason: because they’re absolutely fantastic. You should go early to avoid the crowds, but even if you end up showing up at 2:00 in the afternoon, it’s worth going.
One of the main outdoor pools at the Széchenyi Baths
Off-the-beaten-track
For a totally different experience, consider trekking out to Memento Park in the suburbs of Buda. The park is an open-air museum that serves as a cemetery for Communist statues. It’s quite unique and visiting is an interesting experience.
If interested in archaeology, a visit to the ancient Roman city of Aquincum in Óbuda is an absolute must. The site is partially restored and will occupy at least a few hours of your time, especially if you visit the associated museum.
2. Visit the museums
The entrance to the Hungarian National Museum
Heroes’ Square
For a day of museum hopping, head up to Heroes' Square and City Park, where you'll find the Hungarian Museum of Fine Arts and the Kunsthalle facing each on opposite ends of Heroes' Square.
Both museum are excellent, and the Museum of Fine Arts in particular, is a beautiful structure filled with gorgeous halls that are works of art in their own right.
The Millennium Monument in Budapest’s Heroes’ Square
City Park Museums
Within City Park you can visit the brand-new Ethnographic Museum, and for something quirky, you should check out the Museum of Agriculture, which is set inside the Vajdahunyad Castle.
House of Terror
Further down Andrássy Avenue, the House of Terror is an interactive and immersive museum that covers Budapest’s history under the oppressive Nazi and Communist regimes.
Hungarian National Museum
For those interested in learning about Hungary’s history, you have the excellent Hungarian National Museum in Pest.
The Ludwig Museum
Located by the Danube River in southern Pest, the Ludwig Museum has a fantastic collection of modern art.
Buda Castle area
Over at Buda Castle, you’ll find the Hungarian National Gallery along with the Budapest History Museum. Ritght nearby to both museums, the Hospital in the Rock is a former underground hospital and nuclear bunker that's a very curious place to visit.
Smaller museums and galleries
In addition to these heavy-hitting cultural venues, the city is also dotted with smaller, curious museums and art galleries. A few gems to check out include venues like the Koller Gallery in the Castle District, and Várfok Gallery nearby.
Neither a museum nor a gallery, the Ervin Szabó Library is another very cool place to check out. It’s a functioning public library, but is housed neo-baroque palace, and has gorgeous halls.
One of the ornate halls in the Ervin Szabó Library
There are also some alternative spaces in the VIII District, like ISBN Books and Gallery, which specializes in niche art and literary publications. It also has a gallery downstairs.
For alternative culture, check out nearby Auróra or Gólya.
Turbina, in the same area, is a trendy hangout for locals looking for good music.
Get away from the crowds and spend a morning or afternoon exploring some of Budapest's alternative neighborhoods with our favorite local guide, Attila!
3. Catch a show at the city’s performance venues
The Hungarian State Opera house in Budapest
Budapest is also famous for its classical music, and the city has some wonderful music venues. Next to the Ludwig Museum and in the same building, you'll find MÜPA, which is a state-of-the-art concert hall sitting right on the river.
Next door is the National Theater.
And back downtown, seeing a show at the magnificent Hungarian State Opera House is worth the relatively high ticket prices just for the experience.
For more inexpensive tickets, there are good performances at the Erkel Theater and the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music.
4. See a film at one of the independent cinemas
If you’re a cinema buff, you'll love the hidden little gems that are Budapest's alternative cinemas. The Uránia Cinema is a neo-Moorish structure that resembles a palace or a lush opera house.
The Puskin Cinema is another establishment that comes with old-world opulence. For something grittier and more countercultural, Toldi and Cirkó Gejzír are other interesting options.
Most of these show international art-house films with Hungarian subtitles, but they sometimes have English-language films. Check their websites to see what’s on offer during your trip.
5. Get your party on at the festivals!
A performance during the Sziget festival in the summer
Budapest also has several festivals throughout the year. The Sziget rock festival is the most famous, but there's also the Budapest Spring Festival, where you'll find music and theater events across the city, as well as localized or specialized festivals, such as the Bartók Béla Boulevard Festival which takes place in the XI District.
Most art house cinemas like Toldi or Uránia also participate in film festivals, including the Architecture Film Festival the Human Rights Film Festival, and others.
In the summer, the Margaret Island Summer Festival, which takes place at the open-air theater on the island, is a hotspot for opera and classical concerts.
6. Explore the urban green spaces
Gellért Hill seen from the riverfront in Pest
On the Buda side of the city, you’re surrounded by lush green hills and woodlands that afford excellent opportunities to escape the busy city and get out into nature.
Hiking
The most popular area for hiking in the Buda Hills is around Normafa, which is filled with hiking trails. From Normafa, you can walk over to János Hill, to the Elizabeth Lookout Tower (the highest point in the city), or hike to Fairy Rock.
If hiking isn’t your thing, or if you forgot your hiking shoes, you can still experience the Buda Hills: just hop on the Children's Railway, which is a single gauge retro railway line staffed by uniformed children (engineers and drivers excepted of course – they’re adults).
Gellért Hill
If you want a hike with great views but don't want to make a journey far from downtown, you can always climb up Gellért Hill. From the top of the hill you’ll have stunning views over the Danube and the rest of the city.
Spelunking
For a bit of adventure and a one-of-a-kind experience, we’d suggest going spelunking under the Mátyás Hill in suburban Buda, and adding in a visit to the caves of Pálvölgy or Szemlőhegy.
Parks
Of course, there are also several lush green parks right in Budapest, such as the famous City Park, Lake Feneketlen, Kopaszi-gát, and Szélklkapu park.
Another great green space in the city is Margaret Island, which sits in the middle of the Danube and has big stretches of parkland along with medieval ruins and a rose garden.
Vajdahunyad Castle, which is now the Museum of Agriculture and sits in Budapest’s City Park
Swimming
And if you want to relax by the river, you can also spend a day at one of the Danube Beaches up at Római Part in the north or Kopaszi Dam in the south.
As you can probably tell, Budapest is not short on green space.
7. Discover neighborhoods outside the city center
If you want to see a different side of Budapest, you’ll have to head outside of the city center.
Outer VIII District
While many tourists explore the inner part of VIII District, the outer part of the neighborhood beyond the Grand Boulevard is almost entirely ignored. But for those interested in street art, counterculture, or grittier urban areas, this is a great area of the city to explore.
It’s still pretty central (and easy to get to), but it has an entirely different atmosphere than downtown Budapest. This is a diverse area, with a sizable Romani and immigrant population, as well as many young, liberal-leaning creatives.
You'll find some exciting bars and cultural centers in this part of town, as well as the China Market, which is a warren of warehouse buildings in a former factory that has been converted into a wholesale market.
As you wander through the market, you’ll see signs written only in Chinese and will like you’ve been transported out of Budapest and Europe entirely.
X District
If you head a little further out into the X District, you’ll discover Budapest’s Chinatown. The city has a sizable ethnic Chinese population of around 30,000 people, owing mostly to incoming immigration from 1989 to 1992 following the fall of communism.
Our Chinatown is a commercial area, so don’t expect traditional landmarks like pagodas or ornate gates, but this can still be a fascinating place to explore. Head to the Monori Center and explore the shops, stalls, and huge range of authentic and excellent Chinese cuisine.
There’s also a nearby Night Market that takes place on summer evenings.
XIV District
For architecture lovers, we’d suggest making your way just beyond City Park into the XIV District, where you’ll find a host of architectural curiosities. If you’re interested in art nouveau architecture, the villa district here will be a treat to explore, especially the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, which is a stunning blue-tiled building built by by Ödön Lechner – Hungary's equivalent of Antoní Gaudí.
Food and Dining in Budapest
Budapest has an excellent dining scene with a broad array of options, both in terms of prices and cuisines. You'll find a mix of high-class restaurants offering a gourmet, immersive experience, as well as many inexpensive and unpretentious establishments where regular locals are more likely to go.
Prices tend to be spread across the board, but are generally quite inexpensive by Western standards, even for high-end restaurants. Prices have definitely gone up in recent years, especially due to inflation and skyrocketing energy prices, so locals are eating out less and less.
Many restaurants had to close or rework their business model post-Covid as well, which changed the dining scene in Budapest considerably.
Although you'd think that Hungarian food would be everywhere in Budapest, that’s not really the case. There are of course plenty of restaurants that specialize in traditional Hungarian fare, but there is a definite favoritism throughout the city for international cuisines.
If you want to eat Hungarian food, you’ll either have to go somewhere that caters primarily to tourists, or head outside of the city center to truly local spots. The authentic local establishments serving traditional food will not cater to tourists and they will certainly not be favorites of the Instagram crowd.
An interesting development in recent years is the fusion of Hungarian food with another cuisine, like French or Austrian. In higher-end fine dining restaurants, you'll now often find Hungarian classics with a modern and international twist. For the most part though, high-end restaurants in Budapest traditionally serve French cuisine.
Budapest has a sizable Jewish community, so Hungarian-Jewish food is another mainstay. There are many Kosher restaurants as well as others that are not strictly Kosher but still offer Eastern European Jewish food.
In general, Hungarian food tends to be meat-heavy, so it’s not ideal if you are a vegetarian or a vegan. Many dishes that have no meat listed in the description will still be cooked in lard, so be prepared for that.
The city center has restaurants of all kinds though, many of which cater to specific dietary needs, so you’ll always be able to find something to eat. It just may not be Hungarian food unfortunately.
Of course, as with any major international city, you'll find dozens of Italian restaurants, hipster burger joints, Mexican restaurants, sushi, and Chinese food. Budapest also has its fair share of Georgian, Lebanese, and Greek restaurants, as well as a smattering of other cuisines hailing from all over the world.
Where to eat in Budapest
As addressed above, Budapest has restaurants to suit all tastes and budgets. There are good places to eat all over the city, so you can easily just pull out Google Maps whenever you get hungry and look for a nearby spot with good reviews. Here are some of our recommendations:
Fine dining
Most of the city's fine dining establishments are clustered around the I and V Districts, or just outside these areas. Some will serve excellent traditional Hungarian cuisine, but most will focus on French cooking or international fusion with hints of Hungarian.
21-Magyar Vendéglő on Castle Hill is one of our favorite places for a luxurious meal out.
Könyvbar & Restaurant: somewhat between mid-range and upscale, Könyvbar & Restaurant serves up traditional Hungarian fare as well as international dishes. They have a very small menu which is updated regularly and seasonally.
St. Andrea: very centrally located, just a few blocks behind the Parliament building, St. Andrea has a great selection of excellent Hungarian specialties. They offer an evening tasting menu as well as 3-course set menu during lunch.
Laurel: definitely more expensive than the other options on this list, Laurel is worth the splurge if you have the budget for it. The menu is a fusion of Japanese and Hungarian cuisine, and the food is excellent.
Mid-range
Ghetto Gulyás is an excellent mid-range option for authentic Hungarian food.
Béla on Bartók Béla Boulevard is a hip bar/restaurant that has a great atmosphere and very cool interior. The food is nothing special, but it’s a very fun place to eat or have a drink.
Rosenstein Restaurant: this is really somewhere between mid-range and fine dining, but doesn’t fit neatly into either category. Regardless, the restaurant serves excellent Hungarian and Hungarian-Jewish food and is definitely worth visiting. It’s popular with both locals and tourists, so you’ll find a mixed clientele.
Kispiac Bisztro: located in a commercial area, Kispiac is an intimate little restaurant with only a few tables and a heavily meat-focused menu. The quality is excellent and they have a wide variety of dips, sauces, and pickled vegetables to accompany your main dishes.
Café Kör: a bit more upscale than some of the other mid-range options on this list, Café Kör is a cosy restaurant where you can eat classic Hungarian dishes cooked in the original style. They always have a wide selection of daily specials and their desserts are particularly good.
Budget-friendly
For quick and budget-friendly options, there are lots of street food vendors. Many serve gyros, kebabs, and the other typical global dishes that you’ve doubtless seen countless times in cities around the world, but some also have Hungarian food and other interesting options.
Karavan is a great food court with lots of vendors and it’s just down the road from the famous ruin bar Szimpla Kert.
Bors Bisztró and GasztroBár are two other excellent options.
Frici Papa on Király utca is another great choice for inexpensive Hungarian food.
The food courts at any of the city’s large market halls are filled with vendors serving up cheap eats. The Central Market Hall is the most famous of these, but prices here will be higher than in more residential markets. It will still be reasonably inexpensive though.
Hús-hentesáru is a great long-standing butcher shop that also serves lunch. You order at the counter, grab your food, and eat at the stand-up counters and tables. The food is reliably good and eating here is a fun experience. Very meat-heavy.
Pozsonyi Kisvendéglő
Coffee houses
Of course, Budapest is also famous for its historic coffee houses and decadent confectioneries.
Gerbeaud Coffee House on Vörösmarty tér is the most famous cafe in the city.
Auguszt, Central, and Művész are three other famous (and good) confectionaries.
The New York Cafe is said to be the world's most beautiful cafe, but it's quite pricey and the quality here is not particularly extraordinary. At the end of the day, you come here for the ambience, not the food, so as long as you have the right expectations, a visit here is genuinely lovely.
My Little Melbourne and Espresso Embassy are two of the city’s most famous “third-wave” coffee shops.
Learn about some of the city's best street art as you walk between some of Budapest's best ruin pubs on this hybrid pub/art crawl, led by lifelong Budapest resident and local guide - Attila!
Nightlife and partying
Budapest is famous for its nightlife, much of which is clustered around the VII District. In the early 2000’s this district transformed into a party area when "ruin bars"– informal bars set up in ruined buildings or empty lots left behind by torn-down structures – began popping up all over the neighborhood.
These bars became wildly popular almost overnight, and many of them have since been demolished, changed beyond recognition, or become absolute tourist traps. The only one that seems to carry the original spirit is Budapest's first ruin bar, Szimpla Kert. The others are, in our opinion, not worth visiting.
However, there are also exciting places to party if you move beyond the city center. In the VIII District there are alternative cultural spaces that double up as bars and clubs in the evenings. Far out in the city’s suburbs, there are also excellent techno parties that take place in once-abandoned factories.
For an easy starting point, you can still have a very nice time bar hopping in the VII District, but we just recommend choosing your establishments carefully to make sure you don’t end up at a tourist trap.
Here are some of our favorite bars and clubs to add to your Budapest itinerary:
Szimpla Kert: This is the original ruin bar and it occupies a vast and surreal complex in a former factory in the heart of the Jewish Quarter. Come here for the eclectic décor, which blends graffiti with quirky, upcycled furniture and art, but stay for the great vibes.
Fogas Ház & Instant: these were Budapest's two largest ruin bars, but they’ve now joined forces to become a super-club. Come here for wild parties on multiple floors and see why their host district (VII) gets the "Party District" name.
Doboz: this bar has a similar setup to the ruin bars, and resides in an old downtown apartment complex, centered around a courtyard. The bar is filled with quirky art and several drinking and dancing areas which cater to different tastes in music.
Ötkert: If you're looking for a more polished, central clubbing experience, head over to Ötkert, which occupies a restored 19th-century building. They play a range of music, from pop to R&B and hip hop across the two main rooms and large terrace.
Élesztő: Craft beer lovers should head out to this bar complex which is housed in a former glass-making factory. They serve a wide selection of Hungarian craft beers from local breweries and microbreweries. The crowd is a pleasant mix of locals and tourists.
A38: This is the most unusual concert venue in the city, as it is a former stone-carrying ship from Soviet-era Ukraine. There is a terrace and bar on the main part of the ship, while the concert hall is in the hull.
Dürer Kert: Once an iconic ruin bar next to City Park, thanks to gentrification, Dürer Kert has been moved over to Buda. They brough their great roster of music events to their new venue though, so the location is the only thing that’s changed. You'll find a concert hall here that hosts shows from local and international acts, and a lovely sprawling beer garden that stretches down to the Danube River in the summer.
Alterego: This is Budapest's largest gay club, with four bars, two dance floors, and a drag show that kicks off the night if you arrive before midnight. They are usually only open Friday and Saturday nights.
Safety in Budapest
Budapest is as safe as any other major European city, with the main crime being pickpocketing or tourist scams. Violent crime is very low in the city, and it's safe to walk the downtown areas at night even as a solo female traveler. Of course, common sense should still be exercised at all times.
The main risk is getting pickpocketed in busy places, especially on public transport at night when the lines are busiest. Be particularly mindful on the 4 and 6 trams and keep an eye on your belongings.
Another thing to watch out for, especially if you are a male traveler, is being approached by attractive local women on the street. These interactions can end up with you being taken to a bar where you'll wind up with an obscenely high bill and threats to call the police or physical aggression if you don't pay up.
Apart from these few things, Budapest is a very safe city, and as long as you’re as you take proper precautions as you would in any other European city, you’ll be perfectly safe.
Speaking English & communicating with locals
If you’re concerned about being able to communicate with people, don’t be. While not everyone in Budapest speaks English, tourism is one of the major economic drivers for the city, and the infrastructure to welcome and accommodate tourists is quite robust.
In most central parts of the city, and at all tourist attractions, you’ll get by perfectly fine with only English.
Likewise, most waiters and staff in popular restaurants, bars, and cafes will speak good English. Of course, learning a few basic Hungarian phrases will be helpful, and it’s also a nice way to show respect for the place that you’re visiting.
People will know that you’re a tourist and they’ll readily switch into English, but a bit of Hungarian is always appreciated.
Plan with Local Expert Attila!
