Budapest is an excellent place for a city break

What to do in Budapest?

Do you prefer sightseeing, eating and drinking, partying, or chilling? Are you alone, with friends, or your family? We are confident you can find something to do.

See the sights

If you are interested in stunning architecture, you can simply go for a walk in the city center. If you choose Andrássy Avenue, you can admire the facades of buildings such as the National Opera House, the Drechsler Palace, or the houses of the Kodály Rotund. At the end of the Avenue, you will find the Heroes’ Square, built to celebrate the thousand years of Hungarian history in 1896.

Visiting the Buda Castle is also an excellent option. The Castle has its own district on top of the Castle hill, with a stunning view of Pest and its monuments towards the east and the Buda Hills towards the west. The Castle district offers sights such as one of the oldest church ruins of the city, the oldest confectionary shop (still open), as well as various museums.

If you want to see as much of the city as possible in the shortest time possible, you can go for a round on the giant Ferris Wheel in the city center, hop on one of the many sightseeing buses almost anywhere close to it, or even take one of the sightseeing ships that leave for their hour-long cruises from Március 15 Square.

Try the food

Beside a number of Michelin rated restaurants, Budapest offers countless options for fine dining. Of course, you can also find restaurants that offer more traditional Hungarian dishes.

You will also find a flourishing café culture. Hungarians typically drink espressos that are short and strong, or a variation with milk, at almost any time of the day. Of course, you can also find world renown coffee chains in Budapest, but also small businesses with specialty coffees.

Dance through the night

It might not be true that Budapest never sleeps, but at least it stays up quite late. Even restaurants often stay open until 10 p.m. (they usually indicate when the kitchen closes, so you will know until when you should place your order). Pubs are typically open at least until midnight, but there are quite a few places that stay open until morning.

A section of the city center is often referred to as the “party district”, because it has a great number of bars, beer gardens, and night clubs. You can always find places with live music and concerts, even outside the festival season. During spring and summer, Budapest attracts a great number of foreign performers – and their fans.

Chill at a Spa

Hungary is famous for its spa culture, and Budapest also has its fair share of spas. Many of the most famous spas are located in historic buildings, so you can admire the architecture while taking a break.

Rudas Spa at the foot of Gellért Hill, on the bank of the Danube, was first built more than 450 years ago. It is not too far from Gellért Spa, which is just a section of secessionist Hotel Gellért. Széchenyi Spa, which is located in the City Park behind Heroes’ Square, is the biggest spa complex of Budapest with 3 outdoor and 15 indoor pools. All of these are served by thermal springs.

Discover a museum

If you say a topic, you will certainly find a museum for it in Budapest. Sure, there is the National Gallery for paintings, the National Museum of history and other more commonplace topics, or the Natural History Museum to learn more about nature. At the same time, you can find modern and post-modern art at Ludwig Museum, or have fun with your friends or family at the Pinball Museum or at the Palace of Miracles (which is in fact an interactive science museum, not only for kids).

See what’s on the stage

Budapest has over 100 operational theaters, and you can always find performances in foreign languages. Subtitled performances are not rare either at the National Opera House, Erkel Theater, the National Theater, or the Operetta Theater. Small troupes sometimes also have performances in English, even in improv theater. If you are lucky, you can also catch a visit to behind the scenes.

Hug a tree, but don’t hug the animals

If you have had enough of the buildings and the pavement, you can easily find some greenery without going too far. Margaret Island in the middle of the city is almost 3 km long, and it is a popular place to have a breather. It offers a pleasant climate even on hot summer days thanks to the river Danube, and offers various sights, such as a huge flower garden, a pool complex, a theater, and even a small zoo. For extra fun, 2 or 4 of you can rent a pedal carriage to ride around the island.

The City Park (“Városliget”) is just behind Heroes’ Square, so still quite close to the city center, easily reached by Metro Line 1, which was the first subway train built on the continent in the 1890s. The City Park has several gardens, a rowing lake which functions as a skating rink during winter months, and its very own castle. The Budapest Zoo is right next door, if you want to see animals from all over the world.

For tropical and sea animals, you will need to visit the Tropicarium, though. It is a bit further out, but it promises a lively day of entertainment to the entire family.

Public transport

Budapest is quite a walkable city. Wherever you stay, you will find a grocery store, specialty shops, or even clinics close enough, even when you are not at one of the shopping malls that want to offer all kinds of entertainment in one place. If a place is too far to walk, you can always take a taxi, or use the local public transport, which can even support your night out, as there are a lot of buses even at night.

You can buy single tickets or even daily passes from vending machines all over the city, but the public transport system also has its dedicated mobile phone app, so you can also check the timetables and plan your trips easily. The interface is available in English as well as Hungarian, and it lists not only the city lines, but also trains and the most popular bike share spots too.

Make yourself at home in Budapest

Do you like Budapest? With the help of the Helpers Team, you can become a resident or a citizen, and start calling Budapest your second home. Reach out to us now and discover your options with the help of an expert.