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Travel guide
Budapest
4 days · 8 things to do
Best time to go: April to June, and September to October (Christmas markets in December)
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Welcome
Budapest, in a few days
The Danube splits the city in two: royal Buda with its castle and Fishermen's Bastion, and livelier Pest with its Belle Époque cafés and the ruin bars of the Jewish Quarter. Days here mix thermal baths, river views of the lit-up Parliament and goulash that costs little. It has much of Vienna's grandeur at a lower price.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 2 things
- D3 Day 3 2 things
- D4 Day 4 2 things
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Hungarian Parliament · about 1 hThe largest building in Hungary, neo-Gothic with a 96-metre dome; inside are the gilded grand staircase and the Holy Crown under guard.
- Afternoon · St Stephen's Basilica · about 1 hBudapest's largest church, finished in 1905 and 96 metres high, keeps the country's most revered relic: the mummified right hand of King Stephen.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Continental Hotel Budapest€110 a night
D2
Day 2
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Szimpla Kert free · an eveningThe original ruin bar on Kazinczy Street: a maze of courtyards and rooms furnished with bathtub sofas, a Trabant table and mismatched lights.
- Afternoon · Great Market Hall free · about 1 h 30An 1897 hall under a Zsolnay tile roof: paprika, sausages and Tokaji wine on the ground floor, lángos stalls and embroidery upstairs.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Palazzo Zichy€105 a night
D3
Day 3
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Gellért Hill free · about 1 h 30A 235-metre hill above the Danube, topped by the 1854 Citadel and the Liberty Statue, reached by garden paths from Elisabeth Bridge.
- Afternoon · Fishermen's Bastion free · about 45 minSeven white turrets for the seven Magyar tribes, finished in 1902, looking straight across the Danube to the Chain Bridge and Parliament.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Moments Budapest€115 a night
D4
Day 4
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Margaret Island free · about 1 hA car-free, 2.5 km park island in the Danube with a running track round its edge, medieval convent ruins and a musical fountain in summer.
- Afternoon · Széchenyi Baths · half a dayA yellow neo-baroque bathhouse from 1913 with 18 pools; the ritual is sauna, then the 38-degree outdoor pool, where locals play chess.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Nemzeti Budapest - MGallery€100 a night
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
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Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Gulyás: a thick soup of beef and vegetables with paprika, slowly simmered, the national dish.
- Lángos: fried dough served hot with sour cream, grated cheese and garlic, the snack of markets and beaches.
- Pörkölt: meat stewed with onions and plenty of paprika, often with nokedli, small egg dumplings.
- Halászlé: a fiery river-fish soup with paprika, from the towns along the Danube and the Tisza.
- Dobos torta: layers of sponge and chocolate buttercream under a hard caramel top, created in Budapest in the 1880s.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Do not change money at the airport or at the exchange booths in the centre: the rates are poor. Pay by card or use a bank cash machine.
- Take only licensed taxis (yellow, on a fixed tariff), or book through an app.
- In central Budapest, turn down strangers who invite you into a bar: these places are known for grossly inflated bills.
- Many Hungarians still avoid clinking beer glasses, a habit traced back to 1849.
- Check the bill before tipping: many restaurants already add a service charge.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ Hungarian
| English | Hungarian |
|---|---|
| Hello | Jó napot |
| Thank you | Köszönöm |
| Please | Kérem |
| Yes | Igen |
| No | Nem |
| Excuse me | Elnézést |
| Goodbye | Viszontlátásra |
| Do you speak English? | Beszél angolul? |
| I don't understand | Nem értem |
| How much is it? | Mennyibe kerül? |
| Where are the toilets? | Hol van a mosdó? |
| The bill, please | A számlát, kérem |
| Help! | Segítség! |
| Cheers! | Egészségedre! |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyHungarian forint (HUF, Ft)
BudgetAbout €75 a day, mid-range
Best seasonApril to June, and September to October (Christmas markets in December)
PlugC/F · 230V
Tap waterSafe to drink
TippingAround 10% in restaurants, unless service is already on the bill
Emergency112
EntrySchengen area: an ID card or passport for EU citizens, 90 days visa-free for UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports.
HealthNo vaccination required. Make sure tetanus, diphtheria, polio and MMR are up to date.
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Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.