Top 10 Things to Do in Budapest, Hungary
- Brian & Steph Hagan
- Aug 25, 2025
- 11 min read
Updated: Sep 29, 2025
This Hungarian city is one of our favorite cities in the world! Here are our top 10 things to do in Budapest. We've also added a bonus section, highlighting the best cafes and restaurants that you won't want to miss!
Budapest is filled with so much charm, culture, and life. The second we stepped into the city, we felt revived - like we could live there!
On our first sunset walk along the Danube, vibrant oranges and yellows danced across the buildings, revealing the carefree, relaxed spirit of Budapest, where people linger, laugh, and simply enjoy life.
The second you step into this city, you won't want to leave!
Here are some things to know when visiting Budapest:
HISTORY
Budapest, Hungary’s capital, was officially formed in 1873 from the unification of Buda and Óbuda on the west bank of the Danube with Pest on the east. Its history stretches back to Roman times, later flourishing as a medieval trade hub and enduring Ottoman occupation, Habsburg rule, and 20th-century wars before emerging as a vibrant cultural center.
Buda, on the west bank of the Danube, is home to the historic Castle Hill, while Pest, on the east, boasts grand shopping boulevards and lush, picturesque parks
CURRENCY
The currency in Hungary is the Hungarian Forint (HUF). While most places accept the euro, we don't recommend using it because of the unfavorable exchange rate.
For the most part, you can get by with card and contactless payment, but make sure to have some Forints in your wallet for tips and purchases from markets and street vendors!
WHERE TO STAY
We stayed on the Pest side of the city, a few blocks from the Hungarian Parliament Building. We highly recommend this area because it has a local charm that made us fall in love with the city! Here are a few accommodation recommendations:
Budget: VRBO on the Pest side of the Danube - live like a local!
Mid-Range: Casati Hotel - Adults only
Mid-Range: Hotel Oktogon Haggenmacher - 4-star hotel at an amazing price!
Luxury: Aria Hotel Budapest - Rated the #1 Hotel in the World on TripAdvisor!
1) Chimney Cake Workshop
The second you arrive in Budapest, or Central Europe in general, you’ll see Chimney cakes EVERYWHERE!
You're probably asking, "What's a Chimney Cake?!" A chimney cake, or kürtőskalács, is a sweet, spiral-shaped pastry from Hungary, especially beloved in Budapest. It originated in Transylvania as a festival treat, but became a beloved Hungarian delicacy in the 20th century.
One of our favorite things to do when we arrive in a new country is a cooking class, so we thought a Chimney Cake making class would be the perfect way to learn about the history of Chimney cakes and how they’re wrapped up in Hungarian culture.
This class did NOT disappoint.
Our experience took place at Kató Néni Finomsági, a cozy, family-run sweet treat cafe in the heart of the city.
Before channeling our inner pastry chefs,
our instructor gave us a brief history of chimney cake, including where it came from, and how to say chimney cake in Hungarian, which we still can’t do (haha).
This delicacy is made by wrapping dough around a wooden spit, rolling it in sugar, and roasting it until the outside is caramelized and crispy, while the inside stays soft.
After making 3 of these each, we had a quick sampler of our culinary art, before bagging them all up to take with us, along with our certificates that deemed us the best chimney cake bakers OF the world.
If you'd like to learn more about this experience, and watch us make our chimney cakes, check out the video below!
2) Thermal Baths: Gellért & Szécheyni
Thermal Baths aren’t something we typically do when traveling, but we figured "when in Rome," or rather, when in Budapest.
In fact, it was the Romans who first introduced the idea of baths here, building lavish bathhouses over the city’s natural hot springs. Centuries later, the Ottoman Empire carried on the tradition, adding their own Hammam-style designs, giving rise to what we now call Turkish Baths.
Today, Budapest is known as the Spa capital of the world!
We only had time for one Bath experience, so we picked Gellért, which was built between 1912 and 1918 in the stunning Art Nouveau style.
The Gellért Thermal Baths are part of the historic Hotel Gellért complex on Buda’s scenic side of the Danube.
Inside, you'll see stained glass roofs, turquoise Zsolnay mosaics, ornate sculptures, and columns that make you feel like you're stepping back in time.
You can choose between a standard day pass or a tiered ticket that comes with a private cabin.
Your day pass will include:
Multiple indoor medical thermal pools (35–40 °C)
An indoor swimming pool
An open-air wave pool
Outdoor sitting pools and plunge pools
Saunas, steam rooms, and cold plunge pools
What you’ll need to know:
Bring your own towel and footwear
A swim cap is mandatory for some of the pools
Go early before it gets too busy
3) Vajdahunyad Castle & City Park
We set out for a leisurely stroll through Budapest’s City Park, completely unaware we’d stumble upon the storybook-like Vajdahunyad Castle tucked away inside. You can get here by walking or taking the metro!
Vajdahunyad Castle in Budapest looks as though it was plucked straight from a fantasy novel and dropped into City Park
Built in 1896 for Hungary’s Millennium Exhibition, it’s actually a mash-up of different architectural styles: Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque, designed to showcase the country’s most famous landmarks in one place.
Today, it houses the Hungarian Agricultural Museum, but most visitors come for the whimsical, almost make-believe atmosphere.
The best part: IT’S FREE! We recommend walking the perimeter and finding a wooden bench to relax on as you stare, mesmerized, up at the majestic castle.
In City Park, you won’t want to miss the hot air balloon rides in the helium-filled tethered balloon. This attraction revives a tradition dating back to Budapest’s 1896 Millennium Exhibition, when a Ballon Captif carried 12–14 passengers into the sky from this very spot, delighting locals and visitors alike.
You'll also find Széchenyi Baths (another great thermal bath), the Budapest Zoo, a small amusement park, and the Museum of Fine Arts, which we HIGHLY recommend.
4) Fisherman’s Bastion
The Fisherman’s Bastion is our absolute FAVORITE thing in Budapest. It sits on the Buda side of the Danube River, and you’ll probably assume it’s the castle for how grand it looks from across the way!
The Fisherman’s Bastion in Budapest may look like a medieval fortress, but it’s actually a relatively young landmark, built between 1895 and 1902. It was part of a grand project to beautify Buda Castle Hill for Hungary’s Millennium celebrations. Its name comes from the medieval fishermen’s guild that was responsible for defending this section of the city’s walls in the Middle Ages.
It typically costs 1500 HUF (about 5 USD), but if you visit for sunrise (before 9 am), you’ll be able to go up to the observation deck for free.
The Fisherman’s Bastion offers panoramic views over the Danube and the Pest skyline, including the Hungarian Parliament Building. It looks like a painting, especially at sunset!
This is the PERFECT spot to set up your tripod for dreamy, romantic shots of the city skyline, especially at sunrise.
5) Ervin Szabo Public Library
As book lovers, this is a library we’ve wanted to visit for a while!
To get to the library, you’ll venture through a part of Budapest that has a lively, college-town vibe with book carts for shopping on the street and cafes filled with chatter.
The Ervin Szabó Library is Budapest’s oldest public library, founded in 1878. It was once part of a palace, but is now a cultural space and study spot. It can be a little tricky to spot since it’s tucked inside a modern library, but the front desk staff will happily guide you in the right direction!
Once you take the elevator up to the 4th floor, you’ll feel as though you're stepping into the Beauty and the Beast set with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, gilded interiors, winding staircases, and natural light.
Things to know:
The entrance fee is 2,000 HUF (5 USD)
This is a popular study space for students so be respectful when walking through and taking pictures
Bring a book or journal so you can do as the students do
6) Szimpla Sunday Farmer’s Market
Visiting the Sunday Farmer’s Market was the first thing we did when arriving in Budapest. We couldn't have asked for a better way to be welcomed into the city and get a feel for the warmth of the Hungarian people and culture!
The Sunday Farmer’s Market takes place within the Szimpla Ruin Pub, which was the FIRST ruin pub in the city and helped to shape Budapest's nightlife into what it is today.
This farmer’s market isn’t a traditional market like the Central Market, which we’ll discuss later. Instead, it has a more modern vibe, featuring local vendors, fresh produce, dairy products, chutneys, natural cosmetics, and a coffee shop. The decorations are vibrant and eclectic - you could spend an hour wandering through, taking in the personality, art, and bohemian atmosphere.
This market is a great place to grab a pastry, coffee, and premium fruits and veggies, and start up a conversation with locals or other visitors.
We actually met some amazing people at this market! We struck up a conversation with a woman who made her own snack bars with whole foods and healthy ingredients. We talked to her for over an hour about the differences between health standards in the United States and the EU.
The market runs 9 am - 2 pm every Sunday!
7) Buda Castle & History Museum
Perched high on Castle Hill overlooking the Danube, Buda Castle is one of Budapest’s most iconic landmarks and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The sprawling complex, which dates back to the 13th century, has been rebuilt and renovated countless times, blending Gothic, Baroque, and modern architectural styles.
The views from the castle grounds are some of the best in the city, offering sweeping panoramas of the Parliament Building, the Chain Bridge, and the Pest side shimmering across the river.
Our favorite part of Buda Castle was visiting the Budapest History Museum, where we learned about life in Budapest, dating back to Roman times.
We also stopped at the Hungarian National Gallery, home to an impressive collection of Hungarian art spanning medieval times to modern masterpieces. If the art doesn’t take your breath away, the top floor offers one of the most stunning panoramic views of Budapest, stretching across the Danube to the spires, bridges, and boulevards of Pest.
8) Organ Concert at St. Stephen’s Basilica
St. Stephen’s Basilica is the largest church in Hungary and one of Budapest’s most iconic landmarks. Completed in 1905, it blends neoclassical and neo-Renaissance architecture, with twin bell towers and a grand dome that dominates the skyline.
Inside, you’ll find lavish marble, gilded details, and impressive artworks. One of its most important relics is the mummified right hand of St. Stephen, Hungary’s first king and namesake of the basilica.
Visitors can climb (or take the elevator) to the dome’s observation deck for panoramic views over Budapest.
OR....
You can experience an organ concert within the basilica! We decided to purchase tickets last minute, and the concert BLEW us away.
We recommend purchasing tickets in advance and arriving early, as seats fill up fast. Also, you'll want some time before the concert to explore the church’s interior.
The roughly 90-minute concert featured an impressive organist, flutist and opera singer, all in one of the most ethereal-sounding acoustic spaces we’ve ever experienced!
9) Explore & Cruise the Danube
The night we arrived in Budapest, we checked into our Airbnb and decided to stroll along the Danube. This walk is what led us to fall in love with the city.
It wasn’t just the views of Buda Castle, Parliament, and the Fisherman’s Bastion…
it was the energy.
Locals and visitors alike,
out enjoying life.
That’s Budapest in a nutshell.
One thing you can’t miss is the “Shoes on the Danube Bank” memorial on the Pest side of the river. The installation consists of 60 pairs of 1940s-style iron shoes: men’s work boots, women’s heels, and children’s lace-up shoes, scattered as though their owners had just stepped out of them.
The memorial is a tribute to the thousands of Jews who were executed along the riverbank during World War II by members of the fascist Arrow Cross party
Another thing you can’t miss is a cruise on the Danube. We recommend booking a sunset cruise so you can catch golden hour and the iconic Hungarian Parliament Building lit up at night!
There are many different tiers of this cruise, some with wine & food - we’ve linked our favorite options below!
10) Central Market Hall
If there’s a market in the city we’re visiting, you can BET we'll check it out - and this one did NOT disappoint!
Step inside Budapest’s Central Market Hall, and you’ll feel like you’ve stumbled into a Hungarian treasure chest, only this one smells like paprika and freshly-baked chimney cakes.
The soaring, steel-framed building, dating back to 1897, is a feast for the eyes before you even spot the actual feast.
Downstairs, stalls brim with pyramids of paprika, shiny jars of pickles, and every type of salami and cured meat you can imagine.
We learned that Hungarian paprika is different than other paprikas you'll find around the world.
Most generic paprika sold in the U.S. or Western Europe is mild and mainly used for color, with very little depth. Hungarian paprika, on the other hand, comes in a range of varieties, from delicate and sweet to smoky and fiery hot. It’s richer, more complex, and considered an essential flavor in Hungarian cooking.
You’ll also find lángos: deep-fried dough pillows slathered with sour cream and cheese. Plus, every kind of sweet treat from chimney cakes to delicate pastries.
Upstairs, stalls sell embroidered tablecloths, hand-painted ceramics, and other souvenirs that may or may not fit in your suitcase (but are definitely worth trying to cram in).
Whether you’re here for a quick snack, a full meal, or to gawk at the beautiful chaos, the Central Market Hall is basically a love letter to Hungary in edible form!
FOOD & COFFEE
We found some of the BEST places to eat in Budapest. Here are 5 of our favorites!
We happened upon this brunch restaurant by accident, but it’s our favorite brunch spot we’ve EVER been to - EVER!
You can sit outside where they have cozy blankets to keep warm, or sit inside - although you might have a wait.
Everything is AMAZING, but we recommend the Hungarian French Toast!
If you’re craving a quick but flavorful meal, Street Food Karaván is the spot to be! Tucked into a vibrant courtyard, this lively food court is lined with colorful stalls serving everything from gourmet burgers and fragrant curries to classic Hungarian street eats.
Long communal tables make it easy to strike up a conversation with fellow travelers over a plate of something delicious.
This is also where we tried our very first lángos: a golden, deep-fried flatbread topped with sour cream and a generous layer of cheese. Crispy on the outside, fluffy inside, and irresistibly indulgent, it was the perfect introduction to Hungary’s favorite street food.
3) Mazel Tov
Our Airbnb host recommended this place, and it’s still one of our favorite restaurants we’ve been to!
Mazel Tov is one of Budapest’s trendiest ruin bars-turned restaurants, blending a modern, airy atmosphere with Middle Eastern flavors.
Housed in a beautifully restored building in the Jewish Quarter, it doesn’t have the grungy feel of many ruin pubs. Instead, think high ceilings, fairy lights, leafy greenery, and an open courtyard that feels like a garden oasis.
The menu focuses on Mediterranean and Israeli-inspired dishes: hummus platters, shakshuka, grilled meats, and fresh salads, all beautifully plated and bursting with flavor.
Make reservations in advance because it’s a popular spot, even for locals.
The food was SO good, we visited the next night, without a reservation & were willing to wait an hour to be seated!
Spíler Original is a lively gastropub tucked into the bustling Gozsdu Courtyard in Budapest’s Jewish Quarter. Unlike the grungy ruin pubs the area is known for, Spíler Original blends industrial-chic design with playful, eclectic touches, exposed brick walls, street art, hanging greenery, and soft lighting create a vibrant yet relaxed atmosphere.
The menu is a mix of high-quality street food and Hungarian-inspired comfort dishes, from juicy burgers and grilled meats to inventive salads and rich desserts. The bar serves local craft beers, Hungarian wines, and creative cocktails featuring regional spirits like pálinka.
As you know, we’re coffee snobs.
Six Letter Coffee Co was where we got our coffee every morning.
I don’t think we need to say more.
We hope these Budapest recommendations help you plan the trip of a lifetime and you end up falling in love with the city as much as we did!
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us here or on Instagram!
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