Budapest may be one of my absolute favourite cities. I have been incredibly lucky to visit this gem on the Danube six times (I can’t quite believe it’s been that many trips) and each time I leave loving it even more than the last. With six stays in this magical city I can definitely say that I can tell you a thing or two about how to pass your time here, so read on for 14 ways to spend a weekend in Budapest and don’t forget to save this for inspo 😉
🎙 {Sponsored} I was lucky that my sixth trip to Budapest was in collaboration with Jet2holidays and the Visit Hungary tourist board. All opinions are my own.
✈️ On my most recent trip to Budapest I flew with Jet2 from Manchester Airport but you can find your best Jet2 flight to Budapest here. Jet2 flies from T2 in Manchester and there are Budapest flights all the way through the year. You can also find other Jet2 flights from Manchester Airport here
🏨 I stayed in Hotel Vision Budapest which was a great location for a city break, overlooking the Danube River and you can easily walk out the door to explore plenty of locations. My room was spacious and very comfortable – definitely necessary after racking up lots of steps through the streets of Budapest! Explore more Budapest hotels with Jet2holidays.
1. Fisherman’s Bastion
Just as we get into it, I haven’t created this list in a specific order (although maybe one day I’ll write a detailed itinerary) so get ready to mix and match depending on where you’re staying and how long you have in Budapest!
First up I am sharing what is my favourite location in the city and that is Fisherman’s Bastion. The absolute best time to come here is for sunrise and hopefully you’ll be as lucky as me on one of your mornings and you’ll be treated to as insane a sky as I was a couple of years ago. Don’t worry if you don’t make it here for sunrise, it’s still a stunning place at any time of the day although it’ll be slightly quieter if you come earlier or later on and avoid visiting from around 10 am to 5 pm.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Fisherman’s Bastion is some sort of historic fortress (although it does feel a little too dreamy to be any type of military defence). To the contrary, it was completed in the twentieth century (1902) and was built to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of the Hungarian State. The style was built to reflect the equally stunning St Matthias Church which has the most fabulous mosaic tiled roof.
Fisherman’s Bastion sits on the hilly Buda side of the city on the west of the Danube river. This is one of the reasons it’s so popular to visit, its high vantage point gives you some spectacular views across the river over Pest. Spot the Hungarian Parliament and St Stephen’s Basilica standing out on the horizon.
2. Buda Castle
Buda Castle is a short walk from Fisherman’s Bastion so it’s a great idea to combine these two places on your itinerary and enjoy the walk between them, marvelling at the little details you see along the way. From the Pest side of the Danube, Buda Castle stands out with its regal looking dome and sweeping wings which seem to take up so much space on the horizon!
Buda Castle has existed in some form or another since the thirteenth century but has seen various architectural styles as well as rulers during that time as it has been destroyed and rebuilt countless times. Today it is part of one of the two designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Budapest and is still continuing to be rebuilt and renovated after it suffered from extensive ruin in World War II. Each time I’ve visited, scaffolding has been in a different location as the Castle is slowly being restored.
There are several museums and important sites around the courtyards but the most important of them all is the recently opened St Stephen’s Hall. It opened in 2021 after being painstakingly recreated to what it would have looked like when it was originally instated in 1897 under Emperor Franz Josef when it would have been one of the most significant rooms in the entire Castle.
By the way, you can walk from the side of the Danube up to the Buda Castle District with some steep steps. You can also take the funicular up to the Castle District. It’s a short elevator and then lovely walk down from the Castle through the Gardens back to the river.
3. St Stephen’s Basilica
St Stephen’s Basilica is an awesome Neo Classical building in the heart of Pest. It’s absolutely one of the most beautiful buildings in Budapest as well as being the biggest church in the city. Rather incredibly, St Stephen’s took over fifty years to be build and after a rather unlucky string of issues, was eventually completed in 1905.
Climb the 364 steps (or ride the lift) to the top of the dome for dizzying views of Budapest. It’s rather interesting to note that the height of the Basilica is the same height as the Hungarian Parliament. This was intentional to symbolise that Hungary balances state and church. Don’t miss the glitzy interior which you can also visit in the evening if there’s a concert taking place.
For an epic photo of St Stephen’s Basilica, walk towards it along Zrínyi Utca and you’ll be pulling your camera out every few steps.
4. Hungarian Parliament
It’s hard to miss the Hungarian Parliament! It dominates a large stretch of the Danube on the Pest side of the river towards Margaret Bridge. It is a fabulous neo Gothic design which does look quite a lot like the UK’s parliament building at Westminster! This is one of the best places for photographers whether it’s capturing the details up close and personal or seeing the building glowing with the last light of the sun. You can also learn more about the Parliament building and Hungary with a tour of the interior. This is one of the last things I desperately want to do in Budapest so maybe it’s time to start planning trip seven already!
5. Danube River Cruise
This most recent visit to Budapest was (rather shockingly given I’ve been so many times) my first time to take a Danube River Cruise. This was such a lovely way to spend an hour, on the water, enjoying the views of the city cruising by with a glass of something sparkling in hand. I would love to recommend a time of day for you to do this but really it depends when you’re visiting and perhaps is worth doing more than once to appreciate different light!
Our cruise was at sunset which I would nearly always say is the best time for a river cruise and particularly because in Budapest, this is the best time to capture the soft evening light on the Parliament building. However, as we walked along the Danube afterwards, we all agreed it would also be pretty magical to drift along under the glowing city lights. In Summer, I’m sure it would also be a great idea to take a boat cruise during the day for some sunbathing on the outside decks!
6. Stroll along the Danube and spot the yellow trams
You probably won’t have much difficulty planning this item into your weekend since the Danube is such a huge part of the city and to get between both sides of Budapest you’ll be traversing the river. My favourite section to stroll along is between the Parliament building and the Chain Bridge (although you can of course keep going down and you’ll reach the Liberty Bridge and the Central Market Hall). Budapest is full of charming yellow trams which whisk people to their destination and their cheery yellow appearance has become synonymous with the city. As you walk along this section of the promenade you’ll spot tourists rushing for a photo every time one whizzes by, don’t worry you’ll be one of them too at some point!
There’s also an incredibly poignant section of this walk as you pass by Shoes on the Danube Bank. This incredibly moving memorial is simple yet affecting as it commemorates the thousands of people (many Hungarian Jews) that were killed here during the Second World War, their shoes removed as they were considered valuable. It is a horrible testament to the juxtaposition of value.
7. Explore the Jewish Quarter
District 7 of Budapest (also known as the Jewish Quarter) has gone through many transformations. What was once a prosperous and thriving district became a Jewish ghetto (in part) during World War II and then had many years of lying in ruins and struggling. At the turn of the twenty first century, things began to change again and today has evolved into one of the most popular and buzzy parts of Budapest, full of street art, brunch stops, markets and bars.
Don’t miss a stop at one of the ruins bars to experience one of the unique aspects of Budapest. From the market stalls of Gozsdu Udvar (where you can pick up souvenirs) to the street food at Karavan and from the infamous Szimpla Kert to a beautiful breakfast at Mazel Tov there’s many ways to enjoy this side of the city.
8. Thermal Baths
Budapest is well known for its thermal baths, the most famous of which is Széchenyi Baths in City Park with its bright yellow building. Hungary itself is located on a geological fault line which has created over one thousand springs in the country with 123 of them in Budapest. For many hundreds of years, the people of Budapest have enjoyed soaking in the mineral filled thermal waters no matter the time of year and whether for relaxing or their healing properties.
As mentioned above, Széchenyi is the best known and a good option for a more iconic Budapest experience. As I’m writing this, the fabulous Art Deco Gellért baths have just closed (on 1st October) for extensive renovations and aren’t due to reopen until 2028 so where I would have recco’d a visit here, I sadly can’t for a while. At Margaret Island you can find Palatinus Strand open air Baths which are popular with locals and a very reasonable budget option.
For a more luxurious and indulgent bathing experience try the Mandala Day Spa which has a far more limited number of places available so it’s a lot more peaceful and relaxing than some of the busy thermal baths.
9. Taste Hungarian (and Hungarian fusion) cuisine
You can’t visit Budapest without tasting Hungarian cuisine! There are some very tasty classic dishes as well as fusion takes on Hungarian food which you have got to taste, beyond goulash (which you should try by the way). Chicken paprikash is one of the most popular dishes to try in Budapest and it involves chicken in a creamy paprika sauce with shredded dumplings. It’s really flavoursome and TATI (a farm to table restaurant) is said to have one of the best. BiBo combines Spanish and Hungarian in some delightful combinations including their delicious goulash croquettes. At the newly opened Time Out Market there’s plenty of different choices and you can taste Hungarian meat and cheese platters. Hungarian Mangalista pork is a delicacy and the Mangalica Ragout Gratin at Gundel was a rich way to enjoy it. Given Hungary’s close and tumultuous relationship with Austria, there is also a lot of Austro Hungarian cuisine to be found in Budapest. IDA Bizstro is a bright and airy restaurant which serves an excellent schnitzel and Kaiserschmarrn (shredded pancakes usually served with fruit sauce) dessert.
Moving towards the more casual, street food end of Hungarian cuisine, a fluffy deep fried langos with sour cream and cheese is hard to beat. And for dessert, chimney cake fresh from the baking spit dusted with cinnamon sugar is yummy.
Hungarian wine is also extremely good and Hungary has as many wine regions as France. This means you’ll find some exceptional bottles and varieties. I’m a dry white wine kind of girl and the Tokaji Furmint was crisp, fresh and light. For red wine, Kadarka is often compared to Pinot Noir and has a lighter body with red fruit flavours.
This was a whistle stop tour! For a more detailed list of places to eat and drink in the city head to places to eat and drink your way around Budapest. I’m also thinking about writing a full post on what food and drink you should eat in Budapest so watch this space 👀
10. Sip a speciality coffee
I need more than my own two hands to count the number of speciality coffees I’ve now savoured in Budapest over the years and the city has really embraced the independent coffee movement. If you’re a coffee fan then you’re in good company in Budapest, the only difficulty is working out which ones will fit in with your weekend caffeine limit! Some of my faves include: Kontakt Coffee, CAUSE cafe, My Little Melbourne and Madal Coffee.
Take a look at my post about food and drink in Budapest for more detailed descriptions and to add the ones you fancy the most to your list.
11. Rooftop Bars
In a city as beautiful as Budapest it’s not surprise that there are some great rooftop bars. I must admit to have only visited a rooftop bar at night but the views are light up with the twinkling lights of the city. On my various trips to the Hungarian capital I’ve been to three different rooftop bars and would recommend all of them to you to try.
- On the Buda side of the river is Leo Rooftop located on top of Hotel Clark. It looks right onto the Chain Bridge and is a great spot for seeing the lights of the Pest side of the river.
- Over in Pest, you’ll find The Duchess at the top of Matild Palace hotel which has a quirky rooftop layout to accommodate the structure of the building! It’s cosy yet fabulous with cocktails inspired by Her Imperial and Royal Highness Maria Klotild with flavours that include Szechuan Pepper, Brown Miso & Plum Bitters
- Finally, the restaurant BiBo is also a bar and its terrace offers panoramic views to Buda Castle & Fisherman’s Bastion. The wine selection here is phenomenal with extremely knowledgeable staff. BiBo is also stunning and every element beautiful.
12. Hungarian State Opera
I’ve walked past the gorgeous Hungarian State Opera many times and in fact on my very first trip we arrived the day after the opera season had finished, much to the dismay of one of my inter-railing friends who is a fan of the art. Finally, on my most recent trip I joined a tour of the inside. The decor is even more stunning on the inside than its exterior and I was left rather speechless in each space we moved through.
The main opera hall in particular is breathtaking. The rich red and gold colours are sumptuous and the ceiling fresco so magnificent it would be hard not to be distracted by it if you were here for a performance! Our guide talked us through the origins and history of the Opera House and continues the story of Franz Josef and Sisi which weaves its way through Budapest.
An additional treat on a tour of the Opera House is to watch and hear a short performance by two members of the Hungarian State Opera. This was a fabulous taster of the power and drama of opera.
13. City Park
Andrássy Avenue slowly widens and opens its way up towards City Park to the north east of the centre of Budapest. At the head of Andrássy Avenue is Heroes’ Square, an imposing space which encompasses two important monuments.
Beyond Heroes’ Square is City Park which is an intriguing mix of green space and architectural wonders. The first interesting place is Vajdahunyad Castle. It was built in 1896 to celebrate various architectural styles that have been significant in Hungary. Look closely and you will see Romanesque structures, Renaissance details, Baroque elements and Gothic sections. It’s a bizarre yet genius medley which transports you through centuries and regions of Hungary. In the summer, the artificial island is surrounded by a boating lake which transforms into an ice rink in the winter.
Two other notable buildings in the Park are The House of Music and the Museum of Etnography. Both are contemporary buildings that combine modern architecture with nature in a playful way and both were opened in 2022. The House of Music was designed by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto who was inspired by sound waves when he conceived the plan. As you stand under the leaf like canopy structure and gaze up through the holes you can see the branches of trees trailing through and the clouds passing overhead. The Museum of Etnography is an equally intriguing structure which cleverly bends under the ground around the Holocaust Memorial which stands on this site as well. The top of the building is a garden which you can walk up.
City Park is also where Széchenyi Bath is located so if you’re planning a visit here then combine your exploration of the park with a relaxing soak afterwards.
14. Central Market Hall
A walk through the Central Market Hall (as well as admiring its exterior) is well worth doing on your visit to Budapest. If you’re staying at Hotel Vision then it’s only an 8 minute walk and afterwards, you can then take a tram back up towards the Parliament or St Stephen’s Basilica. This is where many locals shop for the fruit, veg and other groceries so it’s an interesting way to dip your toes into local Budapest life. If you’re visiting in the summer you could put together a picnic to enjoy in the day or simply just take in the sights, smells and sounds of the Market Hall. In the bottom layer of the market, you’ll find not only the local grocery stalls but Hungarian wine, honey, paprika and souvenir gifts. In the top layer, not only do you get a great view (and photo) to take in the size of the place but there are also food court shops here.
Jet2holidays are a great budget friendly city break option and you can find even more cities to fall in love with for a weekend (or six 😉)
For more Budapest content including what and where to eat as well as the most Instagrammable spots in the city then don’t miss my other Budapest posts!
Cat x