A great thing about living in Europe is the great opportunity and ease to travel from one country to another in only a few hours flight. It only took me 2hours to fly from France to The Hungarian Capital.
After a few days spent on holidays there, I can tell you, Budapest is a great destination for European based travelers planning a lively city break.
Here are a few tips of things you must do on your travel in Budapest:
1. Stroll the fairytale décor of the Bud side of Budapest
Budapest is split by the Danube River in two distinctive areas: The Bud and the Pest side.
Back in the day, Buda and Pest were two distinct cities separated by the Danube River. The two sides merged in 1873, to create the Hungarian capital: “BUDAPEST”
Pest is the liveliest part of the city when Buda is the area you don’t want to miss visiting for a chill walk and sightseeing.
Cross the gorgeous Chain Bridge which links the both sides of the city and head up to Buda Castle District by taking an electric shuttle or the antique cable railway.
You will discover the impressive Palace of Budapest, the gorgeous Matthias Church Fisherman’s bastion and be astonished by the fairytale-like atmosphere that floats all along the streets.
Recommendation: try to get there as early as you can. This area gets really, really busy during day times and especially on weekends. You don’t want to spend your whole time queuing.
The best advice I could give you, is to take the first cable railway to the Buda side first departing at 07:30 A.M.
This leads to my second top thing to do while visiting Budapest…
2. Take the emblematic Buda Hill Funicular and enjoy a stunning ascendant view of the city !
Heading up to Buda Castle district can be a whole experience if you go there by the Funicular. Located at the Buda end of the Chain Bridge, the ride takes only a few minutes and it does provide a unique and beautiful view of Budapest.
The funicular runs every 10 minutes up and down Castle hill from early morning to late night every weekdays and week-ends.
3. Taste Hungarian wine
Oui, oui my French ego has to admit, Hungary has great wines that deserve attention. Trust your intuition and go for local wine at the restaurant, you may be pleasantly surprised.
For those who need more reflection to pick a good reference I found great information on this blog about Hungarian wines and references: Hugarian Best Wineries
4. Satisfy your mouth buds with a savory chimney roll (Kürtoskalács)
If I give you top things to do, I definitely need to include a top thing to eat.
Let me introduce to you the best of what I tasted during my trip to Budapest: The delicious and mouthwatering Chimney Roll !
A brioche kind of yeast dough made into a sweetened treat with butter, cinnamon and caramelized sugar. This famous local street food made on the grill can be found at corners of streets and on local markets but it also has its own recommended addresses. I find very useful information on this article written by Alizswonderland for the best chimney cakes in town (plus she also provides great tips and articles to help you plan your trip to Budapest from a local point of view on her blog).
Guide to the best Chimney Cakes in Budapest
You got it, you shouldn’t leave Budapest without trying this delicious sweet treat! Now lets continue with our next top thing to do while visiting Budapest…
5. Admire the architectural beauty of the Parliament of Budapest and shot your best pics from the “Kossuth Lajos Tér (Plaza)”
Back to the Pest side, admire the grandeur and grandiosity of the Parliament of Budapest. It is one of the biggest European parliaments. Get stunned by its impressive dimension and style and get your best souvenir pics there. Anywhere, around the super photogenic Parliament or from the great angle the Kossuth Lajos Plaza offers on the building, great pics guaranteed !
6. Slow down and heal your body in a thermal bath
This is the activity you shouldn’t miss while visiting the Hungarian Capital!
It is a main thing for Hungarian people to relax in the natural hot spring waters of the thermal bath. Locals say these waters have great medicinal and relaxing properties, curing any diseases and body pain.
It’s my mission to recommend you to visit the most beautiful and biggest outdoor thermal bath at Szechenyi. Appreciate the style and architecture of the building including the main entrance ornaments and indoor facade. The site offers various natural thermal pools going from 20 degrees to 38 degrees. Start from hottest to the coolest and try the path in the other way to stimulate your cells and blood circulation. It is said that it also helps to improve your immune system.
After only an hour and a half spent there I felt totally relaxed and my skin felt completely regenerated.
Make sure you don’t have any big plans after soaking in the hot bath, you might feel slightly dizzy afterwards.
Tip: Bring your best swimwear, towel and slippers to enhance your experience with a glimpse of coquetry.
Four Seasons Gresham Palace had all planned for us, special mention to our concierge who provided us with a special “thermal bath kit” with fresh bathrobe, loafers, towels, shampoo and soaps.
On this way to the 7th top thing to do, you already have a great clue of what to do during daytime visiting the city. Let’s now head to the evening time tips.
7. Get a fancy cocktail in the Lobby Bar of the iconic and sumptuous Gresham Palace
Discover one of the most iconic and beautiful buildings of the city by the Danube River: The Gresham Palace. This historical masterpiece is also the house of the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel group which offers service excellence in luxurious accommodation and premium food and beverages.
Slip on your fanciest attire and chill on the comfortable couch with a savory mixologist cocktail. Feel the refined Art Nouveau style combining 1930s soviet industrial society elegance.
No view or outdoor feels there, but you will appreciate the lavish and finest décor.
Hit your camera button, this place has a lot to offer for your stunning clichés.
If you want to discover more about this property I stayed in, have a look at my article dedicated entirely to the best luxury hotel in Budapest.
8. Cruise along the Danube River as you enjoy a lovely candle-lit dinner.
Add a twist of romance to your journey by going on a candlelit dinner cruise on the Danube River. Enjoy the beauty of Budapest by night on the sound of enchanting live music while you savor delicious food and live a memorable experience.
Standard packages range around 70€per person including 2.5 hours cruise on the Danube River , a welcome drink, à La Carte 3-4 courses candlelit dinner, live music show and a unique view of the best riverside attractions by night.
For more information I share the link of their services with you here:
We are getting closer to the end of these top things to do in Budapest. It would only be complete by mentioning the amazing nightlife scene the city offers. This leads us to our ultimate tip…
9. Chill and party at the lively Gozsdu Udvar street.
If you are looking for a place to chill and party a bit in Budapest, you should try Gozdu Udvar. This set of courtyards sprinkled by old arcades will provide you with a great restaurant and bars scene. You will find any type of cuisine from Hungarian to Thaï food, let your feelings set up the vibe for the night. You will also discover the great “Ruin Bars” which are typical bars from Budapest installed in old ruins, you could spend the night in one you particularly liked or go wilder on a bar crawl, dancing from one place to another.
Little party bonus: You could also give a look at the outdoor thermal bath at Szechenyi agenda. They are often organizing thrilling “SPArties” with international DJ’s and guaranteed great fun. Here is the link: check the agenda
This guide on top things to do in Budapest is reaching its edge. I hope you found all this information being useful and that they will help you to better plan your trip to Budapest.
Meanwhile, I invite you to leave a comment if you have any recommendations to contribute to this article and also your feedback gives me a lot of positive energy to continue sharing online ! Thank you for reading and see you soon 🙂
Jó utat! ! (Have a nice trip !)