The Ultimate Budapest Travel Guide
With breathtaking architecture, a rich history, a vibrant energy, and mouthwatering food and my favorite, wine, Budapest is truly a magical place and should be on everyone’s bucket list. The city is also surprisingly affordable, making it a place where you can really treat yourself to luxurious options without breaking the bank too hard. After lots of research and finally getting to visit, I’m happy to share some helpful tidbits on what to know before you go, as well as my recommendations for activities (primarily focused on first-time visitors), where to eat and drink, and the best hotel, all to make the ultimate trip to Budapest.
What to Know Before You Go
Orienting: Budapest actually used to be two separate cities, Buda and Pest, which was combined to make Budapest. Today, the city is still geographically divided by the beautiful Danube River, with a Buda side and a Pest side. We stayed on the Buda side near Castle Hill, which felt a bit quieter and quaint, but close to many tourist attractions. The Pest side felt a little more like a big city, but still with beautiful architecture, history, and charm.
Language: The native language in Budapest is Hungarian. I speak almost zero Hungarian, but that was not a barrier, as almost everyone spoke perfectly fluent English. I did try to learn a few basic words (as everyone should) before going, but mostly out of respect, and not so much for communication… I’m sure my pronunciation was terrible. An important word to know: “köszönöm” which means “thank you.”
Currency & Tipping: The currency in Budapest is Hungarian Forints (HUF), which is a bit difficult to translate to USD, i.e., thousands of forints can mean only tens of dollars. I’ll be honest, I used my phone to convert to USD essentially the whole time. The tipping standard is 10-15%, but beware that some restaurants already include a service charge in the bill. In some places, the nicest of servers would point that out for us, but not all did.
Getting Around: Sadly, there is no Uber or Lyft in Budapest. However, I’d strongly recommend downloading the app Bolt, which you can use to order cabs, and it works essentially the same. (Before downloading this app, we failed miserably trying to flag cabs down the old fashioned way.) That said, the city is extremely walkable, and we walked to/from almost all places.
What to Do:
1. Fisherman’s Bastion (Buda side): Fisherman’s Bastion is was one of the most fairytale like places I’ve ever seen, with castle-like structures and vast rivers views. You can also walk around most of the area for free. If you want to learn more about its history, check out this page.
2. Buda Castle (Buda side): One of the most prominent buildings on the Buda side and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this former royal palace is certainly worth a visit. It now features multiple museums, where you can see and feel the history (see the inside in the middle picture below). To get there, you can either climb up the big hill or take a funicular. It is also a short, charming walk to Fisherman’s Bastion.
3. Explore Castle Hill (Buda side): Walking around Castle Hill (the area near Buda castle and Fisherman’s Bastion) turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the trip. You feel transported into a colorful but ornate old town, featuring tons of cafes and shops. Don’t miss the beautiful tree-lined walkway on the far side (opposite of the Danube River), where you can see sweeping views of the Buda side.
4. Parliament Building (Pest side): I have never seen a building quite like the Hungarian Parliament building. You cannot miss the vast gothic structure right on the Danube River. Even in the rain, I stared in awe. If you’d like a formal tour, there is a portion that the public can visit, but be sure to plan ahead, as we learned (the hard way) that there are only timed tours and they can sell out.
5. Vajdahunyad Castle & City Park (Pest side): You cannot miss this castle and city park. The castle also seems to be from a fairytale, while the city park is an enormous and beautiful green space. Note we didn’t go inside the castle (and I’m not sure if you can), but it’s worth just walking around the grounds.
6. Széchenyi Chain Bridge (when open): This stunning bridge and was completed in the 1800s and was the first permanent, stone bridge to connect the Buda and Pest sides. Unfortunately, it was closed to pedestrians for construction during our visit, but we had stunning views from our hotel room. (More info on that below.)
7. Matthias Church (Buda side): Located right next to Fisherman’s Bastion, this church is an architectural wonder and adds to the magic of the area.
8. St. Stephen’s Basilica (Pest side): This basilica was beautiful, and I learned that it is actually the tallest building in Budapest. We took stairs to the top, which I usually hate doing because of my fear of heights, and were rewarded with sweeping views of the Pest side.
9. Shoes on the Danube (Pest side): This memorial was truly impactful and certainly less lighthearted than the rest. It is comprised of life-size iron shoes, made to represent the thousands of Jewish people who were executed along the Danube River during the World War II era.
10. Heroes’ Square (Pest side): An iconic symbol of Budapest, Heroes’ Square features the Millennium Monument, whose statutes represent leaders of the seven tribes who founded the country. It’s located at the end of Andrássy Avenue (see below) and right by Vajdahunyad Castle & City Park.
11. Walk & Shop Andrássy Avenue (Pest side): This street alone is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today, it features lots of trees, mansions, townhouses, and luxury stores, and walking along it is a must. We took this street on our walk toward Heroes’ Square, Vajdahunyad Castle, and City Park.
12. Dohány Street Synagogue (Pest side): The largest synagogue in Europe and the second largest in the world, this synagogue is truly impressive. We did not go inside but just marveled from the outside.
13. Labyrinth Cave (Buda side): This labyrinth, which is part of a network of underground caves and tunnels, was once the prison where Count Dracula was held. We just popped in briefly to get a feel for the caves, but it is a popular tourist attraction.
14. Citadel (Buda side): Located at the top of Gellért Hill on the Buda side, we only saw this fortress from afar, but can only imagine has an expansive view of the city.
15. Central Market Hall (Pest side): This market is essentially like a farmers’ market in a historical building. We didn’t buy a full meal here, but it was really neat to walk through and see all of the native meats, vegetables, candy, and more.
16. Thermal Baths (multiple options): You cannot come across a travel post about Budapest and not hear about the thermal baths. Budapest has many natural thermal baths throughout the city stemming from numerous hot springs. For some reason, the baths didn’t sound as appealing to me since we were only in the city for a short time, but people, including the locals, rave about them.
Where to Eat
1. Borkonyha Winekitchen (Pest side): When researching where to eat, I was sold by this restaurant’s Michelin star and “winekitchen” in the title, and it did not disappoint. A true culinary experience paired with delicious Hungarian wine, this was easily my favorite meal in Budapest and was one of the best meals of my life. It was also surprisingly very reasonably priced, on par with going out to a relatively normal dinner in my hometown.
2. New York Café (Pest side): You cannot miss feeling like a royal while dining at the most beautiful café that looks and feels like a palace. We went for breakfast, and got to enjoy a live violinist and pianist the entire time. Note, at least when went, the restaurant only took reservations for dinner so we just had to hope for a short wait. We arrived around 9:30am on a Friday and essentially got in right away, but there was a long line by the time we left.
3. Déryné (Buda side): This restaurant was recommended by our hotel, and it did not disappoint. The French / Hungarian restaurant had chic decor, great food, and amazing service. We went right when it opened (coming off a red eye flight), which allowed us to get in without a reservation. But reservations would be strongly recommended if you are planning to dine at a normal hour, as it was fully booked later in the evening.
4. TwentySix (Pest side): This beautiful Mediterranean restaurant was in an expansive space filled with greenery, the biggest chandelier I’ve ever seen, and many instagrammable moments. This was a fun spot with great drinks, but also seemed to be a popular spot for bachelorette parties (which could be a pro or con for some people). I just went with my husband, and we enjoyed it.
5. Párisi Passage Café (Pest side): Located inside the unique and stunning Párisi Udvar Hotel, this restaurant is worth a visit for both the decor and the food. We went for lunch and indulged in delicious Hungarian classics.
6. Zërgë Coffeeshop (Buda side): A fantastic coffee shop and quick breakfast option close to Buda castle, Fisherman’s Bastion, and (if you are staying there… and I hope you do), just a block from Clark Hotel.
Where to Drink
1. Leo Rooftop (Buda side): Leo Rooftop was easily our overall favorite place for drinks, and it was conveniently part of our hotel. It has expansive river views, with the best views of the Széchenyi Chain Bridge and Buda Castle, and you can also see the Parliament building. Moreover, the cocktails were to die for, and it has received awards for being among the top bars in Budapest. The menu includes global classics, wildly creative cocktails, and Hungarian classics. Among the Hungarian classics, my favorite was the leaping frog, which has only three ingredients: apricot pálinka (apricot brandy), lime, honey (shown with the dried apricot below).
2. White Raven Skybar & Lounge (Buda side): Located on top of the Hilton Budapest hotel, this open-air rooftop had my favorite view. Specifically, it had sweeping views of the river, with direct views of the Hungarian Parliament building, and it feels like you are essentially on top of Fisherman’s Bastion. I only drank Hungarian sparkling wine here (which I enjoyed thoroughly), but the views alone make this rooftop a must.
3. Faust Wine Cellar (Buda side): I am a big wine lover, and hoped to stop by Faust Wine Cellars to try more Hungarian wines, but it was sadly closed for a private event when we walked by. However, I can confirm that it looked really cool, and seemed like a great place to experience more of Hungary through its wine. Note, we had a little bit of hard time finding this using our map app until we realized that it was also inside the Marriott Budapest.
4. Doblo Wine Bar (Pest side): Another great option for wine lovers, this bar has a cozy brick-filled decor and an expansive menu with lots of Hungarian wines, including an option to order in tasting sizes.
5. Boutiq Bar (Pest side): Boutiq Bar was a very vibe-y, small cocktail bar, with creative cocktails on the menu, but also willing and able to make any classic. It smelled a little bit like hookah inside when we went, but it was a great late night option for a solid cocktail.
6. Hotsy Totsy Bar (Pest side): I saw great reviews about this stylish, underground cocktail bar, and we tried to pop in after dinner on our last night but it had too much of a wait. If I’m ever back in Budapest, I would definitely stop by … and make a reservation.
7. Ruin Bars (Pest side): Budapest is widely known for its ruin bars, and you will see a mention of them on almost all travel blogs about Budapest. After speaking with some locals, they seemed to be more like lively bars than a place for craft cocktails, so I personally didn’t prioritize visiting. But, from my research, I had noted Szimpla Kert and Szatyor Bar as the ones I wanted to try if we did.
Where to Stay
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Clark Hotel: If you are visiting Budapest, I cannot recommend the Clark Hotel enough. An adults-only 5-star luxury hotel, which recently placed 20th on TripAdvisor’s top 25 luxury hotels in the world, and 9th on the top 25 best hotels in Europe. And, best part of all – it was extremely affordable. I would have expected to pay at least triple of what we paid.
Upon arrival, we were greeted with a sparkling wine welcome drink and the friendliest of staff (despite us being in sweats coming off a red eye…). The rooms were stunning, and the bath products were all Balmain. We paid a little extra for a river view, and had perfect views of both Buda castle and the Széchenyi Chain Bridge (see images below). The breakfast is a little pricy, but delicious and includes sparkling wine. We did the breakfast only one morning. For the other mornings, we did New York Cafe one day, and Zërgë Coffeeshop the next day.
If you are traveling with kids so Hotel Clark is not an option, I would check out Hotel Moments Budapest. I haven’t been but it also recently made TripAdvisor’s top 25 best hotels in Europe, and is located right on right on Andrássy Avenue.
– Kasey
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