The Best Things To Do in Budapest, Hungary (With Map!)

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Want to know the best things to do in Budapest? If we haven’t met, I’m Gina, and I’m an aesthetic traveler who fell in love with Budapest way harder than I initially expected. This city stole my heart with its fairytale architecture, spa culture, and ruin bars that somehow make crumbling buildings feel cool. This post is full of helpful info, but if you have any questions after reading, scroll down and use the Contact Me form. I’ll be your travel BFF by the end anyway!

• To aid in trip planning I have included a map of the Budapest attractions I talk about at the bottom of this post

Intro To Budapest

Did you know Budapest is actually two cities in one? I didn’t either…until I started researching. The Danube River runs through the center of Budapest and separates it into the “Buda side” and the “Pest side.”

You can think of Buda and Pest like two siblings with totally different personalities. Buda – on the west bank – is the calm, scenic older sibling with hills, castles, and spa days. Pest – on the east bank – is the fun, outgoing one that’s full of energy, architecture, and all-night ruin bars. They joined together in 1873 to make up the dynamic, charming city we now know as Budapest. If you know me, you know I spent most of my time on the Pest side, but we’ll check out some things in Buda too so you can have the best of both worlds.

Things I Loved About Budapest

Confession time: I didn’t expect to love Budapest as much as I did. In terms of popular Slavic cities, I feel like many people give kudos to Prague as being “the one you need to visit.” Don’t get me wrong – Prague is SUPER cool – but for me, Budapest was more my vibe. In fact, I visited Prague for a few days before I went to Budapest, so I was able to easily compare the 2 in my head.

IMO, Budapest was easier to navigate than Prague because of the way it was laid out. I liked that you had Buda on one side and Pest on the other, and you essentially knew what vibe you were getting depending on what side you were on. I also thought it was cleaner than Prague. While Prague prooobably has my vote as far as better architecture, a lot of the buildings I saw in Budapest were just as gorgeous…it was just that Prague had more of them.

But the thing I loved most about Budapest was the unique experiences I had here that you can’t find in many other cities. My 2 favorite things I did were indulge in the ancient spa baths as well as visiting the ruin bars. Yes, I’ve been to other spas, but in Budapest, it’s something they’re culturally known for which made it special. And I loved how they took old, dilapidated buildings and turned them into iconically creative bars.

Things I Did NOT Love About Budapest

The biggest thing I did not love about Budapest is the 27% VAT service fee for alcohol. Yes, that means that some restaurants will charge you 27% tax on top of your bill if you order an alcoholic beverage. I found this out the hard way when my bill for my “light lunch with a glass of wine” came to $45. What makes it worse is Hungary uses the forint as its currency, which isn’t as easy to convert to USD as the euro. Note – I noticed I was NOT charged this tax in the ruin bars.

While Budapest is walkable, I felt like some of the major attractions were pretty spread out from each other. Thankfully, they have a tram and metro system (and Uber, which is pricer), but I felt somewhat rushed to see all the things I wanted to see. Lastly, I love to shop, and I was not overly impressed with their Fashion Street here. I just felt like the stores were majorly lacking. Did I miss something? Someone tell me in the comments.

The Best Things To Do in Budapest, Hungary

1. Check Out the Hungarian Parliament Building

The Hungarian Parliament Building is one of the most iconic landmarks in Budapest, and the building you likely picture when someone mentions this city. It’s built in a striking Neo-Gothic style and was inspired by the British Houses of Parliament. The HPB sits prominently along the Danube River, making it a great spot to see from a boat tour (more on that later!). It houses the National Assembly of Hungary and the Hungarian Crown Jewels, including the Holy Crown of St. Stephen.

2. Go Inside St. Stephen’s Basilica

St. Stephen’s Basilica is a Roman Catholic church on the Pest side that was named after Hungary’s first king, St. Stephen I. It is designed in the neoclassical architecture style and was completed in 1905. The basilica houses the mummified right hand of St. Stephen, known as the Holy Right, a revered national relic.

For about 9 euro, you are able to go inside this church – which is something I absolutely recommend you do. The interior is maroon and gold and is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. You can also take the elevator or the stairs to go up onto the panoramic rooftop (side note – if you take the stairs, there are 551 of them, and that shit is not for the weak. Ask me how I know…🥵). St. Stephen’s Basilica is one of the tallest buildings in Budapest, so needless to say, you’re in for some of the best views of the city.

Click here to book an entry ticket (with options!) to St. Stephen’s Basilica

3. Get Your Perfect Instagram Photo at Fisherman’s Bastion

Fisherman’s Bastion is one of the few places in this post that’s located on the Buda side of the city. I think it has the best views of Budapest, and the photos I got from here are some of my favorites. You can look out from various spots and see the Danube River and the entire Pest side. IMO, these archways are giving Roman goddess and make for the best photo spot!

Fisherman’s Bastion was originally designed to celebrate the 1000th anniversary of the founding of the Hungarian state. Even though it looks like a medieval fortress, it was built primarily as a viewing terrace for decorative purposes in a Neo-Romanesque style. Yes, you read that correctly. In other words, they built it for people like me (and you!) who love the aesthetics. I think this is the only building I’ve seen of this magnitude that people decided to create because it looks good. But hey…I’m not complaining.

Fisherman’s Bastion is named after the guild of fishermen who defended this stretch of the city walls in the Middle Ages. Its seven towers represent the seven Magyar tribes that settled in the Carpathian Basin in 895. Beside it is the Matthias Church, aka Church of the Assumption of the Buda Castle.

• Pro Tip: The lower terraces of Fisherman’s Bastion are free to enter; the upper towers and turrets require a ticket that you can purchase near the entry point

4. Have A Spa Day at the Thermal Baths

I don’t know about you, but I had no idea thermal baths were a thing in Budapest until I started planning my trip. Hungary’s thermal bath culture dates back thousands of years. It began with the Romans, who built elaborate bathing complexes around natural hot springs. Budapest sits on a rich network of over 100 thermal springs, making it one of the only capital cities in the world with such an abundance of natural healing waters. In other words, it’s a must-do while you’re here!

• Pro Tip: You must wear shower or swimming caps in the spas – this is the one I got
• Another Pro Tip: You ARE allowed to take photos in the spa

Two of the most popular baths in Budapest are Széchenyi and Gellért. They’re great for relaxation and wellness, but they also serve as social and cultural hubs. I visited the Gellért spa based on reviews from other 30-somethings, and it was the perfect zen day of swimming and laying in the sun. They have an adorable cafe upstairs and you can get food, espresso, and drinks while you relax by the outdoor pool. If you want a little more of a “party” vibe, try Széchenyi – they even have a “Sparty” on certain nights where the spa becomes a full-blown nightclub!

Book Your Spa Day at Széchenyi or Gellért Baths Below

5. Visit the Iconic “Ruin Bars”

Visiting the ruin bars in Budapest was proooobably my favorite thing I did there. The history and concept was just so uniquely cool and something I know I would likely never experience again anywhere else. But wait…what’s a ruin bar??

Ruin bars began in the early 2000s as a creative response to Budapest’s many abandoned buildings in the historic Jewish Quarter. In other words, they took the “ruined” buildings and made them “ruin” bars. The first and most famous one – aka the one you have to visit – is Szimpla Kert (translation: Simple Garden).

I love when people can be reeeally creative with their establishment, and Szimpla Kert is out here doing the most. They took mismatched furniture, colored string lights, graffiti, and quirky décor and created an eclectic, alternative nightlife space. And FYI, this bar is open-air…not to mention HUGE. Just when I thought I’d seen it all, I found more rooms to explore (there’s even an upstairs!). On the weekends, they have brunch, and on the weeknights, be prepared to meet new friends and take in the lively club vibes of Budapest

6. Relax in the Ervin Szabó Library

As a writer, there’s nothing more I love than an aesthetic cafe or library to sit in and do my work. If I lived in Budapest, you’d have to drag me out of here. I’d be the most productive woman on the planet.

The Ervin Szabó Library is housed in the Wenckheim Palace, a neo-baroque mansion built in the 1880s for a wealthy Hungarian aristocrat. The city converted it into a public library in the 1930s, but preserved the palace’s opulent interiors: gilded ceilings, chandeliers, carved wood, and marble fireplaces. I’m obsessed. Today, it’s both a functioning library and one of the most beautiful public reading (or blogging! 😉) spaces in Europe. It costs 6 euro to enter, but IMO, it’s worth it.

7. Check Out the Buda Castle

The Buda Castle is located on the Buda side of Budapest, and has been destroyed and rebuilt many times over the centuries. It served as the royal residence for Hungarian kings, evolving from a medieval fortress into a grand Baroque palace. During World War II, the castle was heavily damaged, and much of what visitors see today is a post-war reconstruction. Today, it houses the Hungarian National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum.

Explore These Buda Castle Tours

8. See the Shoes on the Danube Memorial

Okay, listen…this one’s a little sad. The Shoes on the Danube memorial was created in 2005 to honor the memory of the Jews who were murdered by the Arrow Cross Party during World War II. Victims were lined up along the Danube River, ordered to remove their shoes, and shot so that their bodies would fall into the water. The memorial consists of 60 pairs of cast-iron shoes (men’s, women’s, and children’s) arranged as if left behind on the riverbank. Among the shoes, there are flowers, coins, and other trinkets left behind by visitors. It’s one of the most haunting memorials in Budapest, and reminds us of the cost of hatred and the importance of remembrance.

9. Walk Across the Szechenyi Chain Bridge

After you see the Shoes on the Danube (on the Pest side), you can walk across the Széchenyi Chain Bridge and explore the Buda side. Or, you could Uber. I won’t judge you.

The Széchenyi Chain Bridge was the first permanent bridge to span the Danube in Hungary, connecting the cities of Buda and Pest. This was a major step toward the unification of Budapest in 1873. It was destroyed during WWII and rebuilt in 1949, but hey, no one is the wiser. Make sure to notice the lion statues created by János Marschalkó that are meant to guard the bridge. Fun fact: A popular local legend claims that the lions have no tongues, and that Marschalkó was so devastated by the mistake that he jumped into the Danube. This is actually not true; he died of “old age” at 59!

10. Eat at the New York Cafe

The New York Cafe is known as “the most beautiful cafe in the world,” and after coming here, I’d have to agree. It’s designed in an extravagant Italian Renaissance style and quickly became a favorite gathering place for Hungarian writers, poets, and intellectuals. The NY Cafe was especially popular during the Belle Époque era, with rumors that writers were given free coffee in exchange for their presence and creative energy. I didn’t get free coffee when I went, so I’m going to say it was just a rumor 😉.

TBH, I have heard mixed reviews about the food in this place, but I personally loved it. I would suggest coming here for breakfast/brunch, or a light snack or dessert. If nothing else, you are primed for an iconic Instagram moment. They take reservations after 6:00 pm for dinner, but before then it’s first-come-first-serve…and yes, it’s crowded. May the force be with you.

• Pro Tip: The New York Cafe is located in the New York Palace Hotel, hence the name

11. Take A Boat Tour (At Night)

Let me preface this section with you can take a boat tour at any time of the day…but there’s just something about seeing the buildings of Budapest from the Danube River all lit up at night that sends me.

SEE?! It’s magical. I took my boat tour through Legend Boats, but there are multiple top-rated providers to choose from. Some boats even provide Aperol and Prosecco! For most boat tours in Budapest, you’ll line up at Dock 7 or 10 on the Pest side of the Danube river, near the Elizabeth Bridge (Erzsébet híd) – but obviously, check your ticket to be sure.

Book Your Boat Cruise Here

11. Tour the Vajdahunyad Castle

The Vajdahunyad Castle is located in City Park and is a tad bit out of the way, so I unfortunately didn’t make it here to tour it. BUT…I wanted to. The castle combines four distinct architectural styles — Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque — which showcases the evolution of Hungarian architecture. It was designed by architect Ignác Alpár and was first constructed out of wood and cardboard as a temporary exhibition structure, until its popularity led to its permanent reconstruction in stone and brick by 1908. Today, it houses the Hungarian Agricultural Museum.

If you do tour this castle, make sure to look for the Dracula statue on the outside wall. Well, okay…it’s not a statue of the real Dracula. In 2003, German artist Hartmuth Zech secretly placed a bust of Béla Lugosi, the Hungarian-American actor known for playing Dracula, into an empty alcove on the castle’s facade. It remains there to this day, and is a metaphor of how Vajdahunyad is architecturally inspired by Dracula’s Transylvanian castle.

12. Eat Brunch at TwentySix Budapest

TwentySix Budapest can only be described as an urban jungle. You have modern brick walls surrounded by some of the lushest greenery you’ll ever see in an indoor space. (The restaurant maintained at a constant 26 °C, in case you’re wondering how these plants stay in tip-top shape!) It’s made up of three parts: GARDEN°, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant serving fresh, nourishing meals; HOUSE°, a creative space for private events and kitchen workshops; and KAA°, an elegant cocktail bar perfect for winding down in style.

I came here for brunch, and while my photo does not do it justice thanks to the sun shining through the rooftop, I loved it. Their brunch menu is Mediterranean-inspired and health-focused, with seasonal dishes, vegan-friendly options, and superfood coffees like matcha and turmeric latte. Plus, every Plant a Tree Cocktail or Supergreen Breakfast meal triggers planting a tree in your name, complete with a photo as a keepsake.

13. Take a Walking Tour of Budapest

Every time I visit a new city, I am a huge fan of a good walking tour. I try to do a walking tour in every city I go to, just because you learn and see SO much. Bonus if there’s a walking tour with food involved…and yes, I linked one below :).

Book Your Walking Tour of Budapest

Find Activities To Do in Budapest