The Hungarian capital straddles the Danube: hilly Buda on the west bank holds the Castle District and Gellért Hill, while flat Pest to the east holds Parliament, the Belváros and the grand boulevards. Residents drink in the ruin bars and courtyards of Erzsébetváros (District VII), shop at the market halls, and soak in thermal baths such as Széchenyi, Gellért and Rudas.
Must-see
The sights to fit in even on a short trip.
- 01Hungarian Parliament Building
- 02Buda Castle (Royal Palace)
- 03Fisherman's Bastion
- 04Matthias Church
- 05Széchenyi Thermal Bath
- 06St. Stephen's Basilica
- 07Széchenyi Chain Bridge
- 08Dohány Street Synagogue
- 09Heroes' Square
- 10Great Market Hall
History & museums 41
- Fisherman's Bastion
- House of Music Hungary
- Hungarian Parliament Building
- Liszt Academy of Music
- Matthias Church
- Pesti Vigadó
- Tomb of Gül Baba
- Buda Castle (Royal Palace)
- Heroes' Square
- Hungarian National Gallery
- Hungarian State Opera House
- Kerepesi Cemetery
- Margaret Island
- Museum of Fine Arts
- Shoes on the Danube Bank
- St. Stephen's Basilica
- Széchenyi Chain Bridge
- Vajdahunyad Castle
- Andrássy Avenue
- Aquincum Museum and Archaeological Park
- Gellért Hill, Citadella and Liberty Statue
- Hospital in the Rock Nuclear Bunker Museum
- Inner City Parish Church
- Margaret Island Water Tower
- Holocaust Memorial Center
- Hungarian National Museum
- Rumbach Street Synagogue
- Budapest History Museum - Castle Museum
- Gellért Hill Cave Church
- Museum of Ethnography
- Dohány Street Synagogue
- Great Market Hall
- Lukács Thermal Bath
- Rudas Thermal Bath
- Memento Park
- Széchenyi Thermal Bath
- House of Terror
- Buda Castle Funicular
- City Park
- Kazinczy Street Synagogue
- Liberty Square
Where to eat 50
- Japan Okonomiyaki Kincsán
- Bors GasztroBár
- essência
- Lángos Land
- N28 Wine & Kitchen
- Stand
- Tökmag Vegan Street Food
- Don Doko Don
- Fausto's
- Hai Nam Pho
- Lángosom
- Pizza Manufaktura
- Pizzica
- Róma Ételbár
- Smashy
- Szaletly
- Bamba Marha Burger Bar
- Borkonyha Winekitchen
- Budapest Bägel
- Café Kör
- Ennmann
- Gettó Gulyás
- Kéhli Vendéglő
- Komachi Bistro
- LEVES.
- Mazel Tov
- Retro Lángos
- 101 Bistro
- Black Cab Burger
- Buja Disznók (Buda)
- Ligeti Lángos
- Menza
- Parázs Premium
- Stand25 Bisztró
- Belvárosi Disznótoros
- Édes Mackó
- Kádár Étkezde
- Moto Pizza
- Frici Papa
- Karaván
- Spicy Fish
- Horgásztanya Vendéglő
- Dabao Jiaozi
- Buda Smash
- Flórián tér Potato Lángos
- Goli
- Majorelle
- Pinczi Butcher Shop
- Pingrumba
- Simon's Burger
Night out 29
- Cintányéros
- Tuk Tuk Bar
- Warm Up
- Zsír
- Boutiq'Bar
- Budapest Jazz Club
- Hotsy Totsy
- Opus Jazz Club
- Doboz
- Kőleves Kert
- Mátra Borozó
- Palack Wine Bar
- Szimpla Kert
- A38
- Black Swan
- DiVino Bazilika
- Dürer Kert
- Élesztő
- Kadarka Wine Bar
- Manyi
- Csendes Létterem
- Doblo
- High Note SkyBar
- Kisüzem
- Instant-Fogas
- Pótkulcs
- 360 Bar
- Akvárium Klub
- Calgary Antik Drinkbár
Locals only 22
- Children's Railway
- Normafa
- Café Jedermann
- ELTE Botanical Garden
- Károlyi Garden
- Kopaszi Dam
- Massolit Books & Café
- Printa
- Metropolitan Szabó Ervin Library
- Nándori Cukrászda
- Római-part
- Auguszt Cukrászda
- Daubner Cukrászda
- Három Holló
- Szimpla Sunday Farmers' Market
- Veli Bej Baths
- Fény utca Market
- Sommer Cukrászda
- Lehel Market
- Hunyadi tér Market
- Bambi Eszpresszó
- Bem Mozi
Walking routes 6
- 01Castle Hill loop: funicular to Vienna GateRide the 1870 funicular up to the Royal Palace, then walk north along Castle Hill past the presidential palace, Matthias Church and Fisherman's Bastion to the medieval streets around the Vienna Gate.
- 02Danube promenade, Pest side: Parliament to the Great Market HallA flat walk south along the Pest embankment, part of the UNESCO-listed Danube banks, from Parliament past the Shoes on the Danube Bank, the Chain Bridge and the Vigadó to the Great Market Hall.
- 03Andrássy Avenue to Heroes' Square and City ParkThe UNESCO-listed boulevard from the Opera House past Oktogon, the House of Terror and Kodály körönd to Heroes' Square, then into City Park to Vajdahunyad Castle and the Széchenyi Bath.
- 04Jewish Quarter: three synagoguesA short walk through Erzsébetváros, the old Jewish Quarter of Pest, linking the Dohány Street Synagogue, the Rumbach Street Synagogue, the Orthodox synagogue on Kazinczy utca and the Gozsdu passage.
- 05Gellért Hill climb: Cave Church to the Citadella and RudasClimb Gellért Hill from Szent Gellért tér past the Cave Church to the renovated Citadella and the Liberty Statue, then walk down the Danube side to the Ottoman Rudas Bath.
- 06Margaret Island loopA green loop from Margaret Bridge up the island past the musical fountain, the medieval Dominican convent ruins and the 1911 water tower to the Japanese Garden, returning along the western side.