Hungary
Budapest
Thermal baths, ruin bars and grand Danube views. Stay 3 days. This guide pulls together 3 sights, 1 activity and 2 outdoor spots from our curated routes.
- Places
- 10
- Curated routes
- 1
- Best season
- Apr – Jun, Sep – Oct
- Warmest month
- July
- Coolest month
- January
- Wettest month
- June
3 See · 1 Do · 2 Outdoors · 2 Eat · 1 Drink · 1 Shop
Prague, Vienna & Budapest
from our route notes
29°C / 85°F avg high
2°C / 36°F avg high
about 70 mm rain
Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.
Things to do in Budapest
10 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.
See
The landmarks we would not skip in Budapest across Lipótváros, Castle District and Erzsébetváros.
Photo: Kilyann Le Hen · CC BY 4.0SeeHungarian Parliament Building
Neo-Gothic parliament on the Danube; tours show the Holy Crown.
Tip Buy tour tickets online; they sell out days ahead.
Photo: dirk digler · GoogleSeeBuda Castle and Fisherman's Bastion
Castle Hill palace, Matthias Church and turreted terraces facing Parliament.
Tip The lower bastion terraces are free to walk.
Photo: The original uploader was OsvátA at Hungarian Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 3.0SeeDohány Street Synagogue
Europe's largest synagogue, with a memorial garden and Jewish Museum.
Tip Closed Saturdays; dress modestly.
Do
Hands-on ways to spend time in Budapest in City Park.
Photo: Marc Ryckaert (MJJR) · CC BY 3.0DoSzéchenyi Thermal Bath
Large neo-Baroque bath complex with hot outdoor pools open year-round.
Tip Go on a weekday morning; weekends are packed.
Outdoors
Trails, views and open space in and around Budapest. All 2 are free to visit.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0OutdoorsGellért Hill
Wooded hill above the river with the best panorama of both banks.
Tip Walk up from Liberty Bridge in about 30 minutes.
Photo: Darkone (talk · contribs) · CC BY-SA 2.0OutdoorsMargaret Island
Car-free island park with gardens, ruins and a musical fountain.
Tip Rent a bike or golf cart at the south end.
Eat
2 places to eat across Erzsébetváros and Belváros, picked for groups who care about the food.
Photo: New York Café · Google
Photo: BKP · CC BY-SA 3.0EatCafé Gerbeaud
Historic confectionery on Vörösmarty Square since 1858.
Tip Try the Gerbeaud slice of walnut, apricot and chocolate.
Drink
1 bar or café in Jewish Quarter for coffee, a round or a nightcap.
Photo: JoshuaCrawford · CC BY-SA 4.0DrinkSzimpla Kert
The original ruin bar, a maze of rooms in a derelict building.
Tip Sunday morning hosts a farmers' market.
Shop
1 shop in Ferencváros for browsing and souvenirs.
Photo: Thaler Tamas · CC BY-SA 4.0ShopGreat Market Hall
Iron-roofed 1897 market selling paprika, salami and lángos upstairs.
Tip Closed Sundays.
How to fit Budapest into a trip
Budapest is stop 3 of 3 on our Prague, Vienna & Budapest route. Follow it as-is or lift Budapest into your own plan.
Stop 3 of 3
Prague, Vienna & Budapest
Three imperial capitals linked by rail
- Trip length
- 9 days
- Best season
- Apr – Jun, Sep – Oct
- Pace
- easy
- Before: Vienna
Getting here and onward
- Vienna to BudapestVienna is about 214 km / 133 mi away in a straight line
Distances are straight-line estimates between destination centers, not road distances.
Budapest month by month
Average daily highs run from 2°C / 36°F in January to 29°C / 85°F in July. June is the wettest month, with about 70 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.
- Jan2° / 36°F average high
- Feb5° / 41°F average high
- Mar11° / 51°F average high
- Apr18° / 64°F average high, in our recommended season
- May22° / 72°F average high, in our recommended season
- Jun27° / 80°F average high, in our recommended season
- Jul29° / 85°F average high
- Aug29° / 84°F average high
- Sep23° / 73°F average high, in our recommended season
- Oct17° / 62°F average high, in our recommended season
- Nov9° / 49°F average high
- Dec3° / 37°F average high
Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages. Budapest weather and the best time to visit →
Near Budapest
6 other destinations from our guides within about 400 km (249 mi), measured in a straight line.
Budapest questions, answered
How many days do you need in Budapest?
Our route notes suggest 3 days in Budapest. On our Prague, Vienna & Budapest route it is stop 3 of 3 in a 9-day trip. The listed visit times for our 10 places add up to roughly 16 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.
What is Budapest best known for?
Thermal baths, ruin bars and grand Danube views. Stay 3 days. Standouts on our list: Hungarian Parliament Building (Neo-Gothic parliament on the Danube; tours show the Holy Crown); Buda Castle and Fisherman's Bastion (Castle Hill palace, Matthias Church and turreted terraces facing Parliament); Dohány Street Synagogue (Europe's largest synagogue, with a memorial garden and Jewish Museum).
When is the best time to visit Budapest?
Our Prague, Vienna & Budapest route is best Apr – Jun, Sep – Oct. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in July (29°C / 85°F), the coolest in January (2°C / 36°F) and the most rain in June (about 70 mm).
What are the best things to do in Budapest?
Start with Hungarian Parliament Building, Buda Castle and Fisherman's Bastion, Széchenyi Thermal Bath, Dohány Street Synagogue and Gellért Hill. Our guide lists 10 places in all, from 3 sights, 1 activity, 2 outdoor spots, 2 places to eat, 1 bar or café and 1 shop.
Where should a group eat in Budapest?
Our picks: New York Café (Erzsébetváros); Café Gerbeaud (Belváros). Expect a queue; go at opening (New York Café).
What is near Budapest?
The closest destinations in our guides are Zakopane (about 211 km / 131 mi), Vienna (about 214 km / 133 mi) and Wieliczka (about 287 km / 178 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.
Plan Budapest with your crew
Open the Prague, Vienna & Budapest route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 10 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.