Budapest is a wonderful city and very easy for the first-time traveler or those with limited travel experience. It is beautiful and easy to navigate, and less expensive than other European capitals, making it perfect for a weekend trip.
A weekend trip to the Hungarian capital will be plenty to enjoy most of what the city has to offer. But you will have to make some Sophie choices, because you can’t do everything in just a weekend. Especially if you want to go into churches, palaces, and museums. I’ve been to Budapest five times, and there are still things I haven’t had the time or opportunity to see/do, leaving things for another visit.
Budapest is what happens when the grand, sweeping architectural designs of the Austro-Hungarian Empire are built to impress all who visit it. It’s literally a city of two halves—Buda and Pest—divided by the Danube. With Buda on the west, with its prominent castle, and Pest on the east side, with the most striking building (both in the day and at night), the Parliament building, and the flatter area where most of the shops, restaurants, and bars are.
The Arrival: Avoid the Amateur Hour
Unless you are arriving by train, you’ll land at Ferenc Liszt International (BUD), which is a hub for many budget airlines. There may be no direct flights from where you need to go to Budapest, but with so many budget airlines flying out of BUD, you can land almost anywhere in Europe and get to Budapest cheaply.
Now, you could argue with a taxi driver, but if you want the best to get from the airport into the city, look for the 100E Airport Express bus. It’s clean and efficient, and it drops you right at Deák Ferenc tér in the heart of Pest, the hub for the best subway, buses, and streetcar lines. Buy your ticket on the BudapestGO app—it’s the same tool you’ll use to navigate the streetcars, and it saves you from trying to figure out the confusing ticket machines.
In my history, I’ve either gotten to Budapest either butt-ugly early in the morning, or late at night (one of the curses of budget airlines). I’ve structured this tour into two main days. Feel free to split one of them into additional days if you have the extra time. I have only had to use the Hungarian Forint when using public toilets. Other than that, I’ve used credit cards for everything.
First Full Day: The Pest Side—Spires, Shoes, Baths, Stores, and More.
I have only stayed on the Pest side, as hotels there are most competitive, and thus I usually get the best rates. Pest is flat, which is a blessing for your feet. Start with a walk along the Danube. If you head toward the Parliament building, you’ll find the Shoes on the Danube Bank. It’s a memorial to Jews killed during WWII, and it’s a stark reminder of Europe’s terrible recent past.
Hungarian Parliament Building
This becomes obvious after the Shoes, as it is massive. It’s the third-largest parliament building in the world, and honestly, the architecture is incredible. I have never been organized enough to reserve a tour of the building, but if you are weeks away, go online and give it a shot.
St. Stephen’s Basilica
A short walk away from Parliament, but take your walk through Liberty Square with its strange Soviet memorial along the way. You will see the spire long before you see the Basilica. It’s 96 meters high—the same as Parliament—I was told that this symbolizes that church and state are equal, but it might just be a coincidence. You can take the elevator to the dome for a 360-degree view or go inside. All must be with a ticket, which you can purchase online or at the ticket office across the path from the Basilica.
Next, head out to City Park (Városliget) via the M1 Subway. It’s the second-oldest underground in the world and is very easy to manage. Use the Heroes’ Square (Hosok tere) stop, which is impressive on its own. The Museum of Fine Arts is on the left and usually has a great exhibit if that interests you. On the right, you will see the ice rink in winter, or it is filled with water as a boating lake. After that, you continue into the park.
Szechenyi Thermal Baths
This will be on your left (north) as you walk, you can’t miss it, a big yellow palace surrounded by pools and bathers. The ticket prices vary, but if you want, you can make it a whole spa occasion. Even if you didn’t bring a swimsuit, the building is beautiful and worth seeing.
Cross the street into the main part of the park, and you will see from afar Vajdahunyad Castle, which is worth seeing as you head into the park. Now, carry on from there, and suddenly the architecture gets very modern.
First, you will come across the House of Music, whose roof is full of holes, with trees growing through them. Do yourself a favor, and go inside and look around. It is a working center, always busy, and has a great café on the second floor after you climb the beautiful staircase.
Right next to it is the new Museum of Ethnography—an unusual building buried in the ground with a massive curve that looks like a giant skateboard ramp. Do yourself a favor and pick one side and walk up the green roof. It might just be the most unusual building you will ever see.
Hungarian State Opera House
By now the sun will be getting low, so walk back to Heroes’ Square and make a left down Andrássy út, which is a big, beautiful boulevard with designer fashion stores on both sides and some of the most beautiful former homes, now mostly embassies. Along the way, you will come across the Hungarian State Opera building. Do yourself a favor and cross the street to take a closer look at what is arguably the most beautiful building in all of Budapest.
Head back to your hotel for a rest before going out to eat and perhaps seeing some of the Danube River at night, which is spectacular. Many take a dinner river cruise, which you might want to think about. I’m told the views are best seen from the river.
Second Full Day: Buda—Castles, Museums, Churches, Fisherman’s Fortress and Ruin Bars
OK, you’ve made it through your first day, now you get to see Buda firsthand. Cross the Chain Bridge, recently refurbished, and you’ll be in Buda. This is where the terrain gets much more vertical. Which is why many wait in the long line and take the funicular up to the Castle. Or just take a taxi or an Uber to the Castle. Taxis and public transportation can use the Chain Bridge; Uber will take another bridge, which still gives you a full-length view of the Chain Bridge.
The Castle District
This area of Budapest (actually Buda) is dramatic and beautiful, sitting much higher than the surrounding land, and it feels more like taking a step back in time. Inside Buda Castle, there are multiple museums, a library, and several statues of note. But if you want, you should just walk about the castle and see the incredible views of Pest across the Danube.
Now walk north, pass Archduke Joseph’s Castle, which was all under construction each time I was there. You will see the spire of Matthias Church, also known as the Church of Our Lady, and its roof covered in colorful tiles that look like a mosaic. This church is beautiful both inside and out.
Fisherman’s Bastion
After the church, go to its backside (rounded), and you will be in a courtyard with Fisherman’s Bastion. It looks like a Disney castle movie set, with several turrets around the wall, the most impressive to the left, which offers great views across the river when you go up the stairs.
Once done with the Castle District, walk down the elegant marble stairs and down the hill back to Chain Bridge. Cross the bridge (take the left side to get photos of the Parliament Building) and go back and rest at your hotel, and then have dinner.
Ruin Bars
Now you should be rested, well fed from some of Budapest’s great restaurants, it’s time to go see the Ruin Bars. Head towards the Doheny Street Synagogue, and the Ruin Bars area is just behind. Szimpla Kert is the original. It’s a derelict building (as most still are) filled with “public artwork” (mostly old junk and mismatched lights). There are several others adjacent or down the block, just peruse. It is a busy, happening party on most nights, but on Friday and Saturday, it can get quite crowded, so go earlier to avoid the crowds.
The Incredible Food
Budapest isn’t famous for its food, yet there are so many iconic dishes (and desserts) that you have to wonder why it’s not better recognized as a food destination. Goulash is the best-known (and yes, in Hungary you don’t call it Hungarian Goulash, just as in Sweden you don’t say Swedish Meatballs) dish you can get. Unless you are Hungarian by ethnicity, it will probably be different from what you are used to, but it will still be very good. Chicken Paprikash is a close second, with every restaurant having its own version. Finally, Wiener Schnitzel is ubiquitous in most restaurants and is often the best choice, especially on cold nights.
The most famous restaurant is probably the New York Café. Many call it the most beautiful in the world, and the marketing isn’t lying. It is, however, very expensive, but you only live once, right? You can book a table, so you don’t have to wait in the incredibly long line. I’ve only had coffee and dessert here, but still, it was expensive; however, the tortes are out of this world!
You will also see Chimney Cakes everywhere, which are like a baked dough twisted around a stick and then coated in sugar and cinnamon, or in many other flavors. In fact, you will likely smell the stand from a block away before you see it. Don’t think about the calories, you’re on vacation.
Final Thoughts (For Now)
Budapest is a wonderful destination for a week or a weekend, depending on your pace. I like to see a lot wherever I am, so my days are usually very full. Please, change my itinerary to suit you best and do your research on what you want to see or do while there. And maybe pack some extra ibuprofen for those Buda hills.
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