Budapest
Budapest travel guide
Thermal baths, Castle Hill and the Danube between Buda and Pest
Hungary's capital spreads along both banks of the Danube, with a castle district on the Buda hills and Parliament on the Pest shore. Go April to June or September for mild weather. Allow three to four days. Many nationalities visit Hungary visa-free for up to 90 days in 180 under Schengen rules.
Budapest is the capital of Hungary and home to about 1.7 million people, with some 3.3 million in the wider metropolitan area. The Danube divides it into hilly Buda on the west bank and flat Pest on the east, and the two halves, together with Óbuda to the north, were only joined as one city in 1873.
The river is the city's main street. Its banks, together with the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the view takes in the Hungarian Parliament, about 268 metres long, the Chain Bridge and the turrets of Fisherman's Bastion on Castle Hill.
Budapest sits on a large number of thermal springs, and bathing is part of everyday life. The Turkish-era Rudas bath, with its octagonal pool under a domed roof, dates from the Ottoman occupation, while the Gellért and the vast Széchenyi complex in City Park are later, grander spa palaces.
Away from the monuments, the old Jewish quarter in District VII holds the Dohány Street Synagogue, the largest in Europe, and the ruin bars that grew up in its empty courtyards. The M1 metro line under Andrássy Avenue, opened in 1896, is the oldest underground railway in continental Europe.
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A castle district, a riverside parliament, Ottoman and Art Nouveau baths and the ruin bars of District VII.
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Best time to visit Budapest
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Highs climb from about 19 to 27°C; the best time for walking Castle Hill and Margaret Island.
Highs near 29°C, outdoor pools at the baths and the Sziget Festival in August.
Highs around 5°C and frosty nights; Christmas markets in December and the outdoor pools at Széchenyi steam in the cold.
Sziget Festival week in August fills hotels across the city; book early or plan your trip for another week.
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Getting there
Ferenc Liszt airport, bus 100E and the main stations
Most visitors reach Budapest through Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD), about 16 km east-southeast of the centre in District XVIII. The 100E express bus runs straight into central Pest, and bus 200E connects with metro line M3 at Kőbánya-Kispest for a cheaper ride. International trains from Vienna and other cities arrive at Keleti, the main station, or at Nyugati and Déli. The 100E runs on a special Airport shuttle bus single ticket costing 2,500 HUF, which you can buy and validate with a bank card on board or buy at BKK ticket offices and machines; ordinary tickets and travelcards are valid on the 200E but not on the 100E.
- Budapest Ferenc Liszt (BUD)
- About 16 km from the centre
- Bus 100E
- Airport express to central Pest
- Bus 200E and M3
- Cheaper route via Kőbánya-Kispest
- Keleti, Nyugati and Déli
- The three main railway stations
- The 100E needs its own ticket; ordinary single tickets are not valid on it.
Staying safe
Pickpockets and bar bills
Budapest is generally safe for visitors. The main concerns are pickpockets on crowded trams and around busy sights, and inflated bills in some bars, so keep valuables zipped away and ask to see a menu with prices before you order a round.
- Public transport
- Watch bags on trams 4 and 6 and on the metro
- Bars and restaurants
- Check prices on the menu before ordering
- Use licensed taxis or ride apps, and ignore drivers who approach you.
- Check the bill and the currency on card machines.
Where to stay
District V, VI, VII and the Castle Quarter
Most visitors to Budapest stay in Pest, which is flat, central and well served by metro and trams. District V has Parliament and the riverside, District VI runs along Andrássy Avenue, and District VII is the old Jewish quarter and the nightlife district, which can be noisy late at night. For quiet nights and views, look at the Castle Quarter in Buda.
- District V (Belváros-Lipótváros)
- Parliament, the Danube promenade and St Stephen's Basilica
- District VI (Terézváros)
- Andrássy Avenue, the Opera and good transport links
- District VII (Erzsébetváros)
- Ruin bars and restaurants; lively late at night
- Castle Quarter
- Quiet cobbled streets on Castle Hill in Buda
Getting around
Metro, trams and walking the riverbanks
Budapest's public transport, run by BKK, covers four metro lines, trams, buses and river boats on a single ticket system. Trams 4 and 6 on the Grand Boulevard are among the busiest in the world, tram 2 along the Pest embankment is a cheap river view, and the centre is easy to walk, though Castle Hill is a steep climb. Tickets are sold at machines, at BKK ticket offices and in the BudapestGO app.
- Metro
- Four lines, including the M1 of 1896 under Andrássy Avenue
- Trams
- 4 and 6 on the Grand Boulevard; 2 along the Pest riverbank
- On foot
- Parliament to the Chain Bridge is a short riverside walk
- Validate paper tickets before boarding; inspectors fine passengers on the spot.
Know before you go
What makes Budapest worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The Danube view from Fisherman's Bastion, across to Parliament on the Pest bank.
- An afternoon at Széchenyi, one of the largest bathing complexes in Europe.
- The Dohány Street Synagogue, Europe's largest, in the old Jewish quarter.
- Riding the M1, the oldest underground railway in continental Europe.
Good to know
- The currency is the forint, not the euro; prices quoted in euros are often poor value.
- Parliament tours sell out, so book ahead.
- Castle Hill is steep; use the funicular or a bus if walking is hard.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Budapest, month by month
Budapest has hot summers, with July and August highs near 29°C, and cold winters around 5°C, the season for the thermal baths. Tap a month for averages.
Climate figures are approximate 1991-2020 averages for Budapest (NOAA NCEI, via Wikipedia).
Castle Hill, Parliament and the Danube in one day
One day in Budapest can cover both banks of the Danube: Castle Hill in Buda in the morning, Parliament and Andrássy Avenue in Pest after lunch. Start by walking the Castle Quarter to Fisherman's Bastion, whose terraces give the classic view across the river to Parliament, then follow the ridge to Buda Castle and its courtyards.
Walk down and cross the Chain Bridge into Pest. Follow the river north along the embankment to the Hungarian Parliament, about 268 metres long, and book a guided tour inside if you can.
In the afternoon, take the M1 from Vörösmarty tér under Andrássy Avenue, the boulevard of the UNESCO-listed area, to Heroes' Square and its Millenary Monument. Széchenyi bath is just behind it in City Park, a good place to end the day in the thermal pools.
After dark, head to District VII for dinner and a drink in one of the ruin bars.
The river front and the castle ridge are protected together: UNESCO inscribed the Banks of the Danube and the Buda Castle Quarter as a World Heritage Site in 1987 and extended the listing in 2002 to Andrássy Avenue and the Millennium Underground that runs beneath it. A day that takes in the embankment, Castle Hill and the M1 line therefore crosses the whole listed area.
Andrássy Avenue was laid out between 1872 and 1885, in the years around the 1873 union of Buda, Pest and Óbuda into a single city, and runs from the centre out to Heroes' Square. The M1 below it belongs to the same listing, so ride a few stops of it on the way to City Park and the baths.
The Parliament can only be seen inside on a guided tour. Groups of up to 30 leave from the Visitor Centre, and the tour is the way to see the Holy Crown. Book ahead online: tickets sell out, and buying on the day at the Visitor Centre can mean a long wait.
From Heroes' Square, City Park and the Széchenyi bath are a short walk away, which makes the M1 ride out along Andrássy Avenue a natural way to end the day in warm water.
Café culture, market halls and Hungarian cooking
Eating in Budapest means grand coffee houses, paprika-heavy Hungarian cooking and the Great Market Hall. The coffee-house tradition is long and some of the grand cafés survive, Gerbeaud on Vörösmarty tér being the best known, while Gundel and Mátyás-pince are among the city's historic restaurants.
Hungarian food leans on paprika, pork and slow-cooked dishes. Look for gulyás, a paprika beef soup, lángos, fried dough topped with sour cream and cheese, and kürtőskalács, a sweet chimney cake baked on a spit.
The Great Market Hall at the Pest end of Liberty Bridge is the place to see produce, paprika and salami under one roof, with snack stalls on the upper floor.
Spring walks, summer pools and winter baths
April to June is the most comfortable time to visit Budapest, with highs rising from about 19 to 27°C. Margaret Island, about 2.5 km long in the middle of the Danube, is at its best then for walking and cycling, and the summer crowds have not yet reached the outdoor pools at the baths.
July and August average highs near 29°C. The outdoor pools at the baths are busy, and in August the Sziget Festival takes over Hajógyári Island in Óbuda, drawing hundreds of thousands of people.
Winter is cold, with highs around 5°C, but it is a good season for the baths: soaking in Széchenyi's outdoor pools on a frosty day is one of the city's best experiences. December adds Christmas markets in central Pest.
For a first bath, Széchenyi in City Park is the classic choice. Its building, designed by Győző Czigler, was completed in 1913, and its outdoor pools are the image most visitors have of Budapest bathing, steaming in the cold air of a winter evening. Hours and prices change with the season, so check the bath's own website before you go.
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How we research our Budapest travel guide
Budapest's airport buses, metro lines and seasons are checked against the city's Wikipedia record; BKK fares and timetables change, so confirm them on BKK's own site before you travel.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travellers ask most before visiting Budapest.
Getting there
Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD) is about 16 km from the centre. The 100E airport express bus runs into the city, or take bus 200E to Kőbánya-Kispest and continue on metro line M3.
General
Széchenyi in City Park is one of the largest bathing complexes in Europe and is best for outdoor pools; Gellért, opened in 1918, is the most ornate; Rudas has a Turkish-era octagonal pool under a 10 m dome.
Buda, on the west bank, is hilly and holds the Castle Quarter; Pest, on the east bank, is flat and holds Parliament, most hotels, restaurants and nightlife.
Yes, on guided tours that sell out at busy times, so book online in advance.
Bars set up in the run-down courtyards and buildings of the old Jewish quarter in District VII, furnished with salvaged and mismatched furniture.
Yes. There are four metro lines, plus trams 4 and 6 along the Grand Boulevard, among the busiest tram lines in the world. All are run by BKK, and tickets must be validated before travel.
No. The currency is the Hungarian forint (HUF), and cards are widely accepted.
The Dohány Street Synagogue in District VII, which seats about 3,000 people.
Budapest's public transport, run by BKK, covers four metro lines, trams, buses and river boats on a single ticket system. Trams 4 and 6 on the Grand Boulevard are among the busiest in the world, tram 2 along the Pest embankment is a cheap river view, and the centre is easy to walk, though Castle Hill is a steep climb. Tickets are sold at machines, at BKK ticket offices and in the BudapestGO app.
Timing & weather
Sziget is held each August on Hajógyári (Óbuda) Island in the Danube; the city's rooms fill quickly that week.
The best time to visit Budapest is Apr to Jun, Sep. Highs of 19 to 27°C, good for walking the riverbanks and outdoor baths.
- Spring and early summer: April - June (Highs climb from about 19 to 27°C; the best time for walking Castle Hill and Margaret Island)
- High summer: July - August (Highs near 29°C, outdoor pools at the baths and the Sziget Festival in August)
- Winter: December - February (Highs around 5°C and frosty nights; Christmas markets in December and the outdoor pools at Széchenyi steam in the cold)
July is the warmest month in Budapest, with average highs of 29°C, and January the coolest, with lows of -1°C. June is the wettest month, at about 60 mm of rain; February is the driest. Budapest has hot summers, with July and August highs near 29°C, and cold winters around 5°C, the season for the thermal baths.
Booking
Three days covers Castle Hill, Parliament, a thermal bath and the Jewish quarter; add a fourth for Margaret Island or a day trip along the Danube Bend.
Visa & documents
Hungary is part of the Schengen area. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Budapest is generally safe for visitors. The main concerns are pickpockets on crowded trams and around busy sights, and inflated bills in some bars, so keep valuables zipped away and ask to see a menu with prices before you order a round.
