This guide to visiting Budapest brings together the practical information you need to organise a trip to the Hungarian capital.
Budapest is often described as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Its history, architecture and monumental heritage make it an ideal city break.
How many days do you need to visit Budapest?
You should allow at least three full days to visit Budapest. With that amount of time, it is possible to see the most important monuments, squares and museums in the city.
The historic centre is relatively compact, so you normally do not lose much time travelling between attractions.
If you have a fourth day, you can take things more slowly and add another tour, for example through the Jewish Quarter.
How to get to Budapest
By plane. Budapest is well connected with many Spanish cities, with flights that take roughly three hours. From some cities a connection in Madrid may be necessary depending on the season and airline.
The original guide listed direct flights to Budapest from:
- Madrid
- Barcelona
- Valencia
- Alicante
- Málaga
- Bilbao
- Seville
- Palma de Mallorca
- Girona
- Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
- Tenerife
- Lanzarote
- Castellón de la Plana
Where to stay in Budapest
A practical area to look for accommodation is around St Stephen's Basilica, within roughly a 500-metre radius. It is one of the most central and convenient locations for exploring Budapest on foot.
How to get around Budapest
Budapest has an efficient public-transport network and, compared with Spain, fares are generally inexpensive. The original guide recommended looking at individual tickets as well as 24-hour passes, depending on how much transport you plan to use.
Once you are in the centre, you can do much of the sightseeing on foot. Public transport is particularly useful for reaching Buda and City Park. For more detail, see our Budapest public-transport guide.
Budapest free tours
As in many cities, one of the easiest ways to start a visit to Budapest is with a walking tour led by a guide. It gives you an introduction to the city's history and helps you locate some of its most important streets, squares and monuments. These tours normally focus on the exterior of monuments rather than paid interiors.
The original article highlighted at least two free-tour routes:
- A free tour through the historic centre of Budapest.
- A free tour of Buda Castle.
You can check the current tours on our Budapest Free Tour page. For the Buda route mentioned in the original article, see the Buda tour link.
Where to eat in Budapest
Budapest has a broad restaurant scene, so there are many alternatives for different budgets. The original guide recommended the following places for their location, style or value for money.
Hungarian restaurants
Tulipano $$: a traditional Hungarian restaurant near the Parliament. The article particularly recommended vörösboros marhapörkölt galuskával, a beef stew prepared with red wine and served with dumplings. The restaurant was also noted for having a menu in Spanish.
Hungarikum Bisztró $$: another well-known option for traditional Hungarian food. The original guide strongly advised reserving in advance because good restaurants in central Budapest can fill up quickly.
International restaurants in Budapest
26° Garden $$$: a visually striking restaurant with gourmet dishes and unusual ingredients.
Pata Negra Asador $$: Spanish tapas and charcoal-grilled dishes, with a wide selection of red wines.
Trattoria Pomo D'Oro $$$: an Italian restaurant praised in the source article for its atmosphere, service and Spanish-language menu.
Budget restaurants in Budapest
For backpackers, Erasmus students and travellers on a tighter budget, the guide suggested:
Frici Papa $: inexpensive Hungarian food, generous portions and a long-standing reputation among students and budget travellers.
Retró Lángos $: a central place to try lángos, the well-known fried bread traditionally served with sour cream, cheese and garlic.
What to see in Budapest
For a broader description of the city's attractions, see our what to see in Budapest guide. The original three-day guide considered the following places among the main sights:
- Hungarian Parliament
- Buda Castle (Royal Palace)
- Vajdahunyad Castle
- Hungarian State Opera
- Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music
- St Stephen's Basilica
- Great Synagogue
- Matthias Church
- Fisherman's Bastion
- Central Market Hall
- Heroes' Square
- Liberty Square
- Chain Bridge
- Liberty Bridge
- Margaret Bridge
- Andrássy Avenue
- Váci Street
- Shoes on the Danube
- Margaret Island
- Museum of Fine Arts
- House of Terror Museum
- Hospital in the Rock
- Buda Labyrinth
- New York Café
- Párisi Udvar
- Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden
- Escape rooms
- Citadella
- City Park balloon
- Thermal baths
- Szimpla Kert
- Instant
Budapest in 3 days: itinerary
The following is the chronological itinerary proposed in the original article for seeing many of Budapest's major attractions in three days.
For activities that require a fixed time, it is advisable to reserve in advance.
First day in Budapest
11:00: start with a free tour through central Budapest. Advance booking is recommended.
14:00: after the tour, have lunch at Tulipano or another restaurant in the centre. The source article advised booking the table.
16:00: take the Buda Castle free tour. The route mentioned in the source can be found through the Buda tour link.
20:00: take an evening Danube boat trip.
21:30: finish the day with dinner at one of the restaurants you have chosen in advance.
Second day in Budapest
After a first day focused on orientation and the city's history, the second day in the original itinerary is devoted to some of Budapest's major historic buildings.
09:00: visit the Central Market Hall.
09:40: take tram 2, get off near Parliament and visit the Shoes on the Danube memorial.
10:30: visit the Hungarian Parliament. The article recommends booking the official guided visit well in advance because the timetable affects the rest of the day's route. Official Parliament ticket information.
12:00: visit the Dohány Street Synagogue, described in the article as the largest synagogue in Europe. From Parliament, metro line 2 can be used towards Örs vezér tere, getting off at Astoria. Synagogue ticket information.
Visitors should remember that the building and cemetery are sacred spaces. Men are expected to cover their heads inside the synagogue; a kippah is normally provided with admission. Sleeveless clothing, very short trousers and miniskirts are not considered appropriate.
After the Great Synagogue, the original itinerary also suggests visiting the Rumbach Street Synagogue.
Next, take the official tour of the Hungarian State Opera. The source article mentions Spanish-language tours typically around 13:30 or 15:30 and recommends confirming the current timetable on the official booking site. Opera tour information.
If you want a longer lunch, the article suggests Pata Negra Asador, near the Opera, or Menza for Hungarian food. Reservations are recommended.
Continue on foot to St Stephen's Basilica, visit the interior and go up to the dome for the panorama. The original article noted an 18:00 closing time, so check the current schedule before visiting.
Later, visit the New York Café; the source recommends reserving well in advance. New York Café reservation information.
Finish the day in the ruin-bar district, following the original suggested order: Szimpla Kert, Gozsdu area and Fogas Ház.
Third day in Budapest
09:00: visit Matthias Church and, if available, climb its tower. From Pest, bus 16 is one of the standard connections towards the Castle District.
10:00: stop at Ruszwurm Café and try a cake. The original guide particularly mentioned almond cake and the Hungarian Esterházy cake.
After the café, visit the Buda Labyrinth and aim to finish before 11:30.
12:00: go towards the Presidential Palace to see the changing of the guard and take photographs around the Castle District.
13:00: the original itinerary proposes a tour of the Hospital in the Rock, arriving about ten minutes before the start. The visit was described as lasting around 50 minutes.
Afterwards, take bus 16 towards Deák Ferenc tér and change to metro line 1, the historic yellow line, to reach Heroes' Square.
From Heroes' Square, continue into City Park. The original plan suggests spending much of the remaining day there: walk around Heroes' Square, see Vajdahunyad Castle, ride the City Park balloon if operating, and visit the large Széchenyi thermal baths. Széchenyi ticket information.
For the thermal baths, remember flip-flops, swimwear and a towel.
If you still have time after City Park, the article proposes several alternatives:
- Walk across Liberty Bridge and go up towards the Citadella viewpoints.
- Visit the interior of Párisi Udvar.
- Walk along pedestrian Váci Street.
- Cross Margaret Bridge and, in spring or summer, visit Margaret Island and its fountain.
- Walk across Chain Bridge, preferably after dark.
Do not forget to check the current free-tour schedule for your first day in Budapest. We look forward to welcoming you.
