15 Amazing Things to do while in Budapest, Hungary

At the beginning of this year I lived in Budapest for six weeks and it was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had.

This city is absolutely prefect for a city break at any time of the year. You can head to Budapest in the winter time to experience a snowy Christmas, or head here in the summer time to get in those rays of sunshine and maybe even head to szeiget festival.

This city is bursting with things to do, so no matter how long you stay in Budapest for you will never get board. I spent six weeks in this city and there are still things I want to go back to see.

In this blog I will be covering 15 things you must do when visiting Budapest. So, let’s get into it!

Fisherman’s Bastion

This is one of Budapest’s main attractions! Located on the Buda side of the Danube River, the Fisherman’s Bastion is an amazing castle that overlooks the whole city.

You can visit it free of charge and wander around the beautiful castle grounds, where you will snap some amazing pictures of the breathtaking views that are on show from the Fisherman’s Bastion.

From the look out points at the top of the castle, you will be able to spot the Parliament Building and if you head here after dark, you will be able to see it lit up.

Since this is a super popular attraction for tourists, I would recommend heading here as early as possible to avoid big crowds. However, if you want a more special experience, you can go to the Fisherman’s Bastion in the evening to catch the sun set over the city.

If you are staying at the Buda side of the river, this will be easily accessible to get to. If you are staying on the Pest side of the river, you can get the metro over, and then it will take you about 10 minutes to reach this destination.

Buda Castle District

While you are over at the Buda side of the river, I would also recommend heading to Buda Castle. You will find the most beautiful architecture here, and some spectacular views of the city.

Also located in this area is the National Gallery and Budapest’s History Museum, there is an entry fee to get into these attractions but if you are interested in art or history, it may be worth a visit.

The grounds of the castle are free to explore, which is the prefect way to spend a few hours in the city. The courtyard and castle complex are open to visitors 24 hours a day.

Széchenyi Thermal Baths

If you are heading to Budapest, I am sure this is already on your list. The most popular baths to visit are Scéchenyi Thermal Baths, which are outdoor heated pools, that are prefect to visit at anytime of the year.

Although we didn’t plan to, we spent several hours here, as it is a great place to relax and deload after a hectic few days touring around the city.

These baths can be very busy, so I would recommend going as early as possible. Other baths that are meant to be nice, are Rudas and Gellert, which apparently are supposed to be quieter. The Rudas baths also offer a rooftop view of the city.

Scéchenyi Thermal Baths are open Monday-Friday from 6am-7pm and Saturday-Sunday from 9am-8pm. The entry fee into the baths are €14 including a locker.

Ensure you bring a towel and flip flops/sliders with you when visiting the baths.

You can buy tickets here: Széchenyi Thermal Bath – Webshop (szechenyibath.hu)

Danube River Cruise

This was definitely the highlight of my Budapest experience, it was just so special seeing the city lights at night.

We went with the Rubin Group Boat Cruise, which included an 1.5 hour river cruise and unlimited prosecco. It cost €19.50, which was so cheap for what we got.

The atmosphere on board was incredible and the staff were so friendly. I would recommend doing this cruise in the evening time, as seeing buildings like the Parliment Building lit up at night is so spectacular.

You can buy tickets here: Rubin | Bérelhető rendezvényhajók (rubingroup.hu)

Heroe’s Square

This historic site is amazing to see if you are exploring the city. It is such a beautiful spot to grab some pictures and take in the history surrounding the square.

It is also free to visit, which is a prefect attraction if you are on a budget. Heroe’s Square is within walking distance from so many other key attractions, such as, the Museum of Fine Arts, the City Ice Rink, Széchenyi Baths, the Zoo, the Botanical Gardens, and Vajdahunyad Castle.

You could spend an entire day over this side of the city, as there is so much to do!

Light Art Museum

The LAM is a really popular museum in Budapest and if you visit the city in the winter, some days can be really cold so it is nice to get an indoor attraction every now and again.

This is the worlds largest light art museum and although I was expecting a little more from it, I still found it really cool. It is basically a museum filled with different pieces of art made from light, which is really cool if you have an interest in art.

The entry fee to the museum is €15.50, but if you are a student and have a student card you can get this for half price.

You can buy tickets here: TICKETS – Light Art Museum (lam.xyz)

City Park Ice Skating Rink

This is a hige ice skating rink located on the Pest side of the river. It is located right beside Vajdahunyad Castle which causes for the most beautiful back drop while you are skating.

It is here all year round and costs €6.50 for an adult ticket or a student ticket costs €5.20.

The ice rink is open Monday-Friday from 9am-12.15pm and re-opens from 5pm-8.15pm. On Saturday it opens from 10am-1.15pm and reopens at 4pm-8.15pm and on Sundays it opens from 10am-1.15pm and reopens 4pm-7.15pm.

Vajdahunyad Castle

This is such a pretty area to stroll around. There is a river running along side it, where benches are located so you can sit and relax while staring at the beautiful castle.

Tours for this castle are available for €23.50 and I would recommend pre-booking these through GetYourGuide or Viator before arrival. (This way you can get the best prices)

If you do not want to pay for a tour, you can walk around the grounds of the castle for free, which are so beautiful. However, if you are interested in history, the tour should be something to consider.

The Great Market Hall

This is the city’s oldest and largest indoor market. It is two stories, with the bottom story selling the freshest produce and the second story selling crafts and knick-knacks. Also located on the second story are a handful of restaurants, where you can purchase some quick and yummy lunch or dinner.

The market is open:

Monday: 6am-5pm
Tuesday-Friday: 6am-6pm
Saturday: 6am-3pm
Sunday: Closed

Ruin Bars

You have to visit a Ruin Bar when in Budapest, which are bars that are built in Budapest’s Jewish Quarter in the ruins of abandoned buildings that were left to deteriorate after World War II.

The most popular Ruin Bar is Szimpla Kert, which was once an abandoned factory and is now one of the busiest bars in Budapest. This bar is made up of a number of smaller bars, which are located in a courtyard when you enter the building.

Often there is live music here, but be sure to go early as later in the night there can be lengthy lines into this ruin bar.

The Shoes at the Danube

This is a memorial to those who died during World War II, that is located on the edge of the Danube river. During this time in history, thousands of jews were made remove their shoes and were shot along the Danube River.

This monument now lies in memory of them, which features 60 iron sculptures of shoes. I feel as though this is something everyone should visit while in Budapest.

It is located on the Pest side of the river, just south of the Parliment Building.

Architecture

This city holds some of the most amazing architecture. Budapest is beautiful because of the array of beautiful buildings that are located here.

Some of my favourites and a few of the ones I definitely recommend visiting are:

The Hungarian State Opera House
St Stephens Basilica
Fisherman’s Bastion
Buda Castle
Matthias Church

A lot of these buildings hold a lot of history, and many you can visit for an entry fee, so if this is something you would be interested in, I would definitely look into this for your trip to Budapest.

360 Rooftop Bar

This bars shows some of the best views of the city and has such a great vibe around it. With many igloos located on the top floor of this building, you can keep warm, while also enjoying a cocktail while looking out at the city views.

To get into the 360 Rooftop bar there is an entry fee of €5 per person, which can only be paid in cash. So, if you want to go here, make sure you take out cash before arriving. There is an ATM located at the Spar across the road from this bar.

Although there is an entry fee to this bar, the cocktails here are pretty cheap, ranging from €6-€9. They are super yummy too, so I would definitely recommend coming here while you are in Budapest.

Gellert Hill Funicular

You can take this Funicular to get to the top of the Buda Castle Hill. This is a super convenient way of getting there, as the uphill climb can be difficult.

The funicular is located at the Széchenyi Chain Bridge on the Buda side of the River. It costs €4 one way or €6 return and runs from Monday-Sunday at 7.30am-10pm.

If you ride this funicular at sunset, you can get the most breathtaking views of the city.

The Parliment Building

Although you can see the Parliment Building from almost every attraction in Budapest, it is worth the trip over to see it up close.

This building is amazing! It is located along the Danube River at the Pest side and it is such a nice place to head down to for a stroll and to snap some amazing pictures.

This building is beautiful both during the day and the night, so I would recommend taking two trips here to experience it at both hours of the day.

This is also a super cheap and cheerful activity to do, where you can grab a coffee at one of the many coffee shops surrounding the Parliment Building (I recommend Madal Café), and take in what this building has to offer.

So, those are my top 15 things you should do while in Budapest. If you are on a weekend break here, it may be hard to fit everything in, but just decide what interests you the most and prioritise those things.

Now, go get planning that trip to Budapest!