Budapest in 4 Days: everything you need to know

When planning a multi-day trip to a new destination, it’s all too easy to make the mistake of not organising your time and itinerary properly.

Budapest is a city with so much to see and do, and in this four-day itinerary I’ll show you how to plan your route to make the most of every second and experience a bit of everything.

The east side of Budapest is characterised by its completely flat terrain, making it very easy to explore. Start your tour of the city by walking amongst the most impressive architectural and historical sites on the banks of the Danube.

Hop on the Budapest sightseeing bus

If you’re visiting Budapest for the first time, the best way to start your tour and get a feel for everything this wonderful destination has to offer is aboard the Budapest sightseeing bus. The route usually crosses the Chain Bridge, visits the Great Synagogue, the Millennium Monument and many more.

• Price: from approximately €37.
• Duration: you can choose between a 1-, 2- or 3-day pass.

Discover the Parliament Building

Located on the banks of the River Danube, the Parliament is one of the city’s most important and beautiful monuments; it is therefore a must-see on any visit to Budapest.

To save time and money, it’s best to buy your Parliament tickets in advance; although I believe the best way to explore it is through a guided tour of the Budapest Parliament, which always includes tickets in the price.

• Opening hours: from 10am to 4pm.
• Price of the guided tour: from €51
• Duration of the tour: 1 hour is usually enough to explore the interior.
• For more info... Check out the post ‘Everything you need to know about tickets to the Budapest Parliament’

Visit the Shoes on the Danube Memorial

Leaving the Parliament Building, on the banks of the Danube, you’ll come across the Shoes on the Danube Memorial. A small memorial commemorating the history of the Hungarian Jews who were murdered and thrown into the river during the Second World War.

Take a break for lunch

The area around the Parliament is one of the districts in Budapest offering the greatest variety of cuisine. Some options to consider are:

• Salaam Bombay: specialists in Indian cuisine.
• Élelem Étterem: healthy international cuisine; perfect for those with food allergies.
• Budapest Bistro: top-quality Hungarian food; well worth a visit for its garden terrace
• Szamos Café: offers a varied menu accompanied by the best views of the Parliament building.

Take a tour of Budapest’s Jewish Quarter

Erzsébetváros is the Hungarian name for this part of the city. It is one of the most eclectic areas, with a rich history and impressive traditions.

The best way to explore it is on a guided tour, which is why you’ll find various tours of Budapest ’s Jewish Quarter designed to suit every type of visitor.

• Price: from €32 for group tours and around €200 for private tours.
• Duration: allow around 4 hours for this experience.

Discover Váci Uta

Once your tour of the Jewish Quarter is over, you’ll find yourself in the heart of the city on one of the most important and picturesque shopping streets. Visit it not only to see the beautiful shop windows of multinational brands, but also to admire Budapest’s beautiful traditional architecture.

Enjoy an evening of wine and cheese.

As you know, getting to know and exploring a new city isn’t just about monuments and architecture; gastronomy is an important part of the experience.

Hungary is renowned for the high quality of its wines, so setting aside one of your evenings for a Hungarian cheese and wine tasting is something you won’t regret. And one of the best ways to do this is through a food tour of Budapest, where an expert guide will introduce you to the history and traditions. But you can also visit some of the many bars in the city that offer this experience on your own:

• Kadarka at 1068 Budapest, Király utca 42.
• Doblo at 1072 Budapest, Dob utca 20.
• Andante at 011 Budapest, Bem rakpart 2.
• Dropshop at 1072 Budapest, Dob utca 20.

Spend your second day exploring the Castle District in depth. This area of Budapest is characterised by its steep hill, atop which stands the majestic Castle. All the city’s ancient and medieval architecture is concentrated around it.

Start the day on Margaret Island

Between the Buda and Pest districts, right on the Danube, you’ll find one of the city’s largest and most beautiful parkland areas: Margaret Island. Start the morning of your second day in the city by getting to know this lovely area on a relaxing stroll.

And don’t miss a visit to Margaret Island Zoo, where you’ll find a collection of very unusual animals.

My recommendation is to explore Isla Margarita by bike. Hire costs around €3 for two hours, but you can also take the tourist train tour for around €2 or hire an electric car for four people for approximately €13.

• Price: free if you walk.
• Duration: 2 hours will be enough to explore it fully.

Take a break for lunch

Cross the Margaret Island Bridge to the Buda side of Budapest (the name given to the west bank of the Danube) for a leisurely stroll along the riverbank and an early lunch. Some suggestions for good places to eat are:

• Kacsa Étterem: a restaurant serving traditional Hungarian food with views of the Danube.
• Hanoi Restaurant: specialising in Vietnamese cuisine, it also offers wonderful views of the river.
• Cinnamon: the best option if you fancy a light meal or a simple snack.
• Vigadó Étterem és Söröző: traditional Hungarian food with an outdoor seating area by the street.
• Corvin Gastropub: with views of the River Danube, as well as the square and the small Szilágyi Dezső chapel.

Take the funicular up to Budapest Castle

A short walk along the banks of the Danube takes you to the funicular that will take you up to the Buda Castle complex.

The funicular stop is right at the foot of the iconic Chain Bridge, so if you want to explore it on foot, this is the perfect moment. This bridge offers the best views of the Parliament Building.

Access to the gardens and Buda Castle is free, but if you want to visit any of the museums, you’ll need to pay an entrance fee.

• Opening hours: daily from 7.30 am to 10 pm.
• Price: approximately €3 per trip. The castle’s museums are the Budapest History Museum, the Hungarian National Gallery and the National Library, all of which charge an admission fee.
• For more info... Visit the official website.

Discover St Matthias Church

Explore the most beautiful and famous neo-Gothic church in all of Budapest. For centuries, this was the site of the coronations of Hungarian royalty, so it’s well worth a visit to admire its beautiful interiors.

The exterior of St. Matthias is equally charming thanks to its many architectural details and beautiful coloured roofs.

• Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm; Saturdays only in the morning and Sundays only in the afternoon.
• Admission price: approximately €3.50 for an adult ticket
• Duration of the visit: 30 to 40 minutes is sufficient.

Discover the Castle Labyrinth

In the hills of Budapest Castle, thanks to the action of water, a series of caves formed over time, which the inhabitants would later put to a variety of interesting uses.

It currently operates as a cultural attraction, so you can explore around 1,200 metres of underground passages and admire everything from cave paintings to columns and statues. My favourite time to visit is at the end of the day, around 6 pm, when the lights go out and the walk must be done by the light of an oil lamp

• Opening hours: from 10 am to 7 pm.
• Admission price: approximately €3
• Duration of the visit: 30 minutes is sufficient.

Watch the sunset from the Fisherman’s Bastion

You can’t leave Budapest or the Castle District without visiting the Fishermen’s Bastion. This spot is a commemorative viewpoint, but its strategic location offers a complete panoramic view of the city.

Fancy taking some postcard-worthy photos? This is the perfect place! Arriving in time for sunset adds an even more special touch to the whole experience. To get down from Castle Hill, I recommend walking so you can discover the pretty streets you didn’t get to explore on the way up.

• Opening hours: always open.
• Admission: the viewpoint is free, but you’ll need to pay if you want to visit the towers.

Enjoy a cruise on the Danube.

In the evening, you can take a cruise with dinner and live music on the Danube – a two-in-one experience that lets you enjoy Hungarian cuisine whilst admiring the beautiful scenery of the buildings lining the viewpoint, which are spectacularly lit up at night.

• Price: from €57.
• Duration: approximately 2 hours.
• More information: Danube cruises in Budapest

On the third day, we head out to the north-west of Budapest to discover some of the most beautiful examples of Hungarian architecture and historic spots.

Visit St Stephen’s Basilica

Exploring St. Stephen’s Basilica is the best way to start the morning of your third day in Budapest. Built in the Neoclassical style, it is the largest religious building not only in the city, but in the whole of Hungary.

It is estimated that an average of 8,500 people can be accommodated inside, and its huge 96-metre-high dome (the same height as the Parliament building) is nothing short of impressive. Would you like to see it? Well, there are two ways: visit it on your own during the day or save it for the evening to attend an organ concert.

• Opening hours: from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday; Saturdays in the morning and Sundays in the afternoon only.
• Admission: free, but visitors are asked for a voluntary contribution towards maintenance and upkeep.
• Duration of the visit: 40 to 50 minutes is usually sufficient.

Take a stroll along Andrássy

Just around the corner and a few metres from St. Stephen’s is the start of what is considered the most beautiful and historically significant avenue in all of Budapest: Andrássy.

Here you’ll find a collection of beautiful buildings with cafés, shops and restaurants. During the Christmas season in Budapest, walking along it to see the decorations is something you simply mustn’t miss.

It leads to Heroes’ Square

Andrássy Avenue ends at the foot of Heroes’ Square. I recommend taking a few photos of what is the city’s most important public square.

Pay special attention to the impressive statues and the beautiful neoclassical building that houses the city’s Museum of Fine Arts.

Head to Városliget Park for lunch

Városliget Park is the city’s most important park and is located just behind Heroes’ Square. Take a moment to stroll through the gardens and around the lake, and stop for a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants in the area. Among the highlights are:

• Városliget Café: serving top-quality Hungarian cuisine.
• Robinson Étterem: specialising in Mediterranean cuisine.

Discover the Budapest Opera House

It is the city’s most impressive Neo-Renaissance building. If you’re interested in architecture and classical interiors, this is a sight not to be missed.

It is located on Andrássy Avenue itself, so you’ll need to retrace your steps to see it. The best time to visit the Hungarian Opera House is in the afternoon when guided tours in Spanish are available

• Opening hours: tours are available from 11am to 5pm or at the start of performances.
• Tour ticket price: approximately €9
• Duration of the visit: approximately 40 to 50 minutes.

Discover the Chocolate Museum

It’s about a 15-minute walk from the Budapest Opera House to the Chocolate Museum, taking you through one of Budapest’s best areas. It’s a small, charming museum dedicated exclusively to chocolate, with plenty of exhibits and interesting facts on display.

The museum is located on the second floor of a beautiful two-storey building. My recommendation is that you sit for a while in the café on the ground floor and try a slice of delicious cake. Then take the tour.

• Opening hours: from 10am to 6pm.
• Admission price: approximately €3.
• Duration of the visit: 30 minutes for the museum tour.

Take a tour of Budapest’s Ruin Bars

Budapest’s Ruin Bars are all the rage; a taste of the vibrant and alluring nightlife in the city’s Jewish Quarter.

As you can’t leave the city without experiencing these lively spots with their youthful atmosphere, I recommend spending the evening of your third day exploring the city’s best Ruin Pubs.

If you’ve followed the itinerary to the letter, this is an area you haven’t explored yet, so it’s worth spending your last day getting to know a few key spots that are particularly popular with the locals who live in the city.

In the morning, explore the Central Market

The city’s most important market is located in the south-east of Budapest, in the Pest side of the city.

On the morning of your last day, you can get up early to explore the hundreds of stalls selling food, kitchenware and all sorts of accessories. If you need to buy souvenirs, this is the perfect time to do so.

• Opening hours: from 6am to 6pm, except on Mondays when it closes at 5pm and on Saturdays at 3pm.
• Admission: free.
• Duration of visit: as long as you like.

Take a break for lunch

When you’ve had enough of shopping and exploring the curiosities of the Central Market, head up to the second floor where you’ll find a vast area dedicated to food stalls. Here, I recommend taking an early break to enjoy a delicious dish before continuing your exploration.

Head to the Holocaust Memorial

After lunch, head further south to visit one of the city’s most moving museums: the Holocaust Memorial. In addition to the powerful exhibition, the striking and meticulously designed interior architecture makes it one of the world’s finest museums dedicated to the Holocaust. It’s a must-visit if you’re interested in history, particularly that of the Second World War.

To get there from the Central Market, take the BKK bus route 83 from the Üllői út stop and get off just three stops later at the Fővám tér M stop; the museum is just a minute’s walk across Ferenc Krt.

• Opening hours: 10am to 6pm, Tuesday to Sunday.
• Admission price: approx. €4
• Duration of visit: 1 hour is usually sufficient.

Spend the rest of the day at the

Budapest’s thermal baths are one of the must-see attractions when visiting the city, as it is famous for having the most beautiful and traditional public baths and swimming pools in all of Europe. My recommendation is that you spend the rest of the afternoon and evening of your last day at one of these relaxing destinations.

Széchenyi Thermal Bath
A visit to the Széchenyi Thermal Baths means visiting Budapest’s largest thermal baths, as well as the most beautiful and best-equipped. It is well worth a visit at any time of year.

• Location: in Városliget Park, in the north-east of the city.
• Opening hours: from 6am to 10pm.
• Admission price: approximately €17 per person.

Gellért Baths
This is the most famous of all the city’s baths; the main pool is truly spectacular.

• Location: Gellért Hotel in the southern part of the city, on the west bank of the Danube.
• Opening hours: from 6am to 8pm.
• Admission price: approximately €13.50 per person.

Rudas Baths
Ranked as the most beautiful Turkish-style bath in all of Europe, it has restrictions on use. Until the early 20th century, women were forbidden entry, but today they are admitted at specific times.

• Location: in the Buda area, on the west bank of the river, very close to the Elizabeth Bridge
• Opening hours: from 6am to 8pm; Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays for men only; Tuesdays for women only; and mixed on Saturdays and Sundays.
• Entrance fee: approximately €13.50 per person.