Your Trip to Budapest: The Complete Guide SEE FULL GUIDE prev next Free Things to Do Best Museums Thermal Baths Shopping in Budapest Hungarian Dishes to Try Best Restaurants in Budapest Ruin Bars to Visit Best Time to Visit Weather & Climate Budapest Airport Guide Public Transportation Neighborhoods to Know Best Hotels 72-Hour Itinerary Day Trips From Budapest Top Things to Do Your Trip to Budapest: The Complete Guide close Overview Europe Hungary Budapest The Best 18 Things to Do in Budapest By Jennifer Walker Jennifer Walker Freelance Writer Instagram LinkedIn Jennifer Walker is a freelance writer specializing in art, travel, and culture. Jennifer's work has appeared in many publications, including Matador Network and CNN Travel. TripSavvy's editorial guidelines Updated on 12/06/19 Share Pin Email Budapest offers the perfect blend of complex history, vibrant nightlife, and stunning architecture. Whether you want to drink in one of their famous ruin bars, soak in a thermal bath, or get off the beaten track, we have prepared a starter kit for your trip to Budapest. From must-see sights to unusual attractions, get to know the Hungarian capital and its most exciting places with our picks for the best things to do in Budapest. 01 of 18 Take a Tour of the Hungarian Parliament Building TripSavvy / Alisha McDarris View Map Address Budapest, Kossuth Lajos tér 1-3, 1055 Hungary Get directions Phone +36 1 441 4000 Web Visit website The Hungarian Parliament is one of Budapest’s most famous landmarks. Although you can spend hours admiring the exterior in all its intricate details, try to get on a guided tour to look around inside. You’ll see the gold-gilded staircase, the 1,000-year-old crown jewels, parliamentary rooms, and more. Just take the tram number 2 to Országház látogatóközpont or metro 2 to Kossuth Lajos tér and head to the visitor’s center (open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m). Book a tour online (minimum four days head) before going so you can guarantee a spot. 02 of 18 Go for a Drink in Szimpla Kert Courtesy of Szimpla Kert View Map Address Budapest, Kazinczy utca 14, 1075 Hungary Get directions Web Visit website Pay a visit to Budapest’s most famous ruin bar. Szimpla Kert resides in a dilapidated apartment block in the Jewish Quarter, decked out with mismatched furniture, fairy lights, art, and graffiti-colored walls. It’s packed on the weekends, but you can escape the crowds and bachelor parties if you come on a weeknight or in the afternoon to soak in the atmosphere of this quirky bar. 03 of 18 Ride a Boat on the Danube Tu xa Ha Noi / Getty Images See Budapest the way it’s meant to be seen: from the river. You can book on a boat tour like Legenda, for a relaxed sightseeing or dinner cruise as the city floats by. Take the public transport boat run by the BKK for a couple of dollars to see the city from the water on a budget. 04 of 18 Go Spelunking Under Budapest Obencem / Getty Images There are hundreds of caves running under the city that have been carved out by thermal water. If you need an adrenaline fix, you can even go on a spelunking adventure with Caving Under Budapest. However, if you don’t want to get down and dirty on your hands and knees, you can visit the show caves at the Szemlőhegy or Pálvölgyi Caves. Continue to 5 of 18 below. 05 of 18 Relax at the Gellért Thermal Baths View Map Address Budapest, Kelenhegyi út 4, 1118 Hungary Get directions Phone +36 1 466 6166 Web Visit website No trip to Budapest is complete without a trip to one of the thermal baths. The Gellért Thermal Baths are an art nouveau jewel with thermal bath halls clad with turquoise mosaics. There is also a colonnaded swimming pool and an outdoor pool with a wave machine that shakes things up on the hour. Just head to the entrance behind the Gellért Hotel on Kelenhegyi út. The baths are open every day from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. 06 of 18 Walk Along the Danube Promenade Balazs Kofarago / EyeEm / Getty Images The Danube is the heart of the city, and no trip to Budapest is complete without a stroll on the Danube Promenade to take in the view. You can stroll along the Pest side for amazing views of the Royal Palace of Buda Castle and Gellért Hill, and on the Buda side for the Hungarian Parliament. Strolling is 100 percent free, so there’s no reason not to do it. 07 of 18 Climb Up to the Dome of St. Stephen’s Basilica TripSavvy / Alisha McDarris View Map Address Budapest, Szent István tér 1, 1051 Hungary Get directions Phone +36 1 311 0839 Web Visit website St. Stephen’s Basilica is another must-see landmark. Still, the best way to enjoy this stunning cathedral is to head up to the dome for 360-degree views over the city from its viewing platform. The Basilica is on Szent István tér, and the panorama lookout is open October to June from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and from July through September 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 08 of 18 Drink a Coffee at the New York Café Sandor Petranyi / Getty Images View Map Address Budapest, Erzsébet körút 9-11, 1073 Hungary Get directions Phone +36 1 886 6167 Web Visit website Budapest is home to one of the world’s most beautiful cafes, with twisted marble columns, frescoes, and liberal lashings of gold leaf. There is usually a line out the door at the New York Café, so it’s a good idea to book a table or come early morning for a weekday. It is pricey, but you’re paying for the opulent location rather than the coffee. However, it’s not every day you have the chance to sip in surroundings such as these. Take tram 4 or 6 to Wesselényi utca. Continue to 9 of 18 below. 09 of 18 Take in the View From Fisherman’s Bastion Mint Images / Getty Images View Map Address Budapest, Szentháromság tér, 1014 Hungary Get directions Phone +36 1 458 3030 Web Visit website Fisherman’s Bastion is one of the top spots in the city for a panoramic selfie, and it’s easy to see why. This neo-Gothic lookout overlooks the river and the Hungarian Parliament from the Castle Hill in Buda and offers the most romantic views over the city. The perfect spot for a photo or you can just take in the view. Come early in the morning when the crowds are minimal. 10 of 18 Ride the Children’s Railway into the Buda Hills View Map Address Budapest, Gyermekvasúthoz vezető út 5, 1021 Hungary Get directions Phone +36 1 397 5394 Web Visit website Ride into the Buda Hills on this nostalgic railway line staffed by school-age children (the drivers and engineers being the exception though). The Children’s Railway began life as a communist initiative to encourage children to learn work ethic, but today it runs without the socialist ideology yet keeps its retro feel. Take tram 56 to Hűvösvölgy or tram 60 to Széchenyi-hegy and ride from one end to the other. 11 of 18 Explore Communist History in Memento Park Courtesy of Memento Park View Map Address Budapest, 1222 Hungary Get directions Want to know where communist statues go to die? Then trek out to this surreal statue park in the suburbs to visit these old communist monuments from statues of Lenin to Stalin’s boots and giant bronze propaganda pieces. You can take the 150 bus from Újbuda-Központ (which you can reach with metro or tram 4) to the Memento Park stop. Alternatively, you can take the 101B or 101E from the Kelenföld train station (reached by metro 4, tram 49 or 19). 12 of 18 Drink Unicum at the Zwack Museum and Visitor’s Point View Map Address Budapest, Dandár utca 1, 1095 Hungary Get directions Phone +36 1 476 2383 Web Visit website If you're interested in knowing more about Hungary's most famous bitter liqueur, pay a visit to the Zwack Unicum Factory Museum and Visitor's Point. You won't just learn about Unicum—you'll also sample it straight from the barrel and may get a sneak peek of what goes into a bottle. Take tram number 2 to Haller utca/Soroksári út. Continue to 13 of 18 below. 13 of 18 Eat a Cake at Gerbeaud AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images View Map Address Budapest, Vörösmarty tér 7-8, 1051 Hungary Get directions Phone +36 30 382 7701 Web Visit website Hungarians are famous for baking for delicious cakes. If you want to enjoy a classic cake in decadent surroundings, you can't beat the Gerbeaud Cafe on Vörösmarty tér. Velvet drapes, marble tables, and delicious cakes await. Try their Dobos torta, a chocolate cake topped with hard caramel, or the eponymous Gerbeaud slice, a cake made with ground walnuts, apricot jam, shortcrust pastry, and chocolate. 14 of 18 Visit the Great Synagogue Walter Bibikow / Getty Images View Map Address Budapest, Dohány utca 2, 1074 Hungary Get directions Phone +36 1 413 5584 Web Visit website The Great Synagogue at Dohány utca is the largest synagogue in Europe and one of the largest in the world. Take a tour inside to see the colorful interior, grand organ, and rose window. The enclosed grounds include the Hungarian Jewish Museum and Archives. There is a cemetery left behind from the Holocaust, and the moving Tree of Life Memorial in the garden, where thousands of victims' names are inscribed on the leaves. 15 of 18 Go Shopping at the Central Market Hall Jared I. Lenz Photography / Getty Images View Map Address Budapest, Vámház körút 1-3, 1093 Hungary Get directions Phone +36 1 366 3300 Web Visit website Pay a visit to this stunning 19th-century market hall. You can pick up packs of paprika powder, canned goose liver, Tokaj wine, and other yummies on the ground floor, or head up to the mezzanine level for some folk art. Or just come to look around, especially in the mornings when it’s quiet. The market is next to the Fővam tér metro 4 station and tram 2, 47, 48, 49 stop. 16 of 18 Play a Game at the World’s First Room Escape Game View Map Address Pécs, Váradi Antal utca 8, 7621 Hungary Get directions Phone +36 70 286 5799 Web Visit website Budapest is the home of the first-ever live room escape game, and you can get locked in where it all started at ParaPark. This basement room escape game lies under a lesser-known ruin bar in Vajdahunyad utca in the VIII District. Come and get locked in a code-breaking themed game or a 1990s detective theme. Continue to 17 of 18 below. 17 of 18 Go Ice Skating in City Park ZoltanGabor / Getty Images View Map Address Budapest, City Park, 1146 Hungary Get directions When winter hits, head up to City Park for one of the most beautiful ice rinks in Europe. Skate over a drained lake overlooking Vajdahunyad Castle, which is at its most beautiful when it’s lit up at night in the snow. You can rent skates at the ice rink, so don’t worry about leaving the skates at home. You can get to city park ice rink by taking metro line 1 to Hősök tere or Széchenyi Fűrdo. 18 of 18 Discover Budapest’s Ottoman History at the Tomb of Gül Baba titoslack / Getty Images View Map Address Budapest, Mecset utca 14, 1023 Hungary Get directions Phone +36 1 618 3842 Web Visit website The Turks occupied Buda for 150 years. Other than the baths, little remains from the Ottomans, which is what makes this dervish saint's tomb so interesting. Gül Baba's tomb is a curiosity that doesn't just give you a peek into Ottoman Budapest through its museum and mausoleum but also has fantastic views over the river. Get off at the Lukács baths and take the steep Gül Baba utca up the hill. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Share Pin Email Tell us why! Submit