A fascinating city of elegance, history and grandeur.

When the building’s lights and reflections are mirrored across the mighty River Danube it’s easy to see why people call this city ‘Paris of the east’. The streets and back alleys are fascinating and rewarding to explore. There’s majestic buildings at every turn — many of which still show remnants of a war-torn past. The castle district is a another great place to explore — there’s the Neo-Gothic style buildings, castles, museums and the area feels like a different place entirely. Budapest also has a great nightlife and food scene, there’s many quirky ruin-style bars, clubs and pubs to visit but don’t forget to sample some of the interesting Hungarian dishes, such as Goulash.

Budapest is the capital city of Hungary and was formerly two separate cities Buda and Pest, both divided by the River Danube. Buda is situated on the west of the river, it’s semi suburban and consists of largely hilly terrain which can make it tricky to navigate. Pest sits on the east side of the river and acts as the urban centre of the city. Buda and Pest both have their own attractions and feel like different cities in their own right.

Budapest has a population of around 1.7 million people and is the most populous city in Hungary. It’s also one of the largest in the European Union with the metropolitan area covering a massive 2,944 square miles.

The climate in Hungary and Budapest can be classed as European continental with warm, dry summers and fairly cold winters.

Spring is March and April and is mainly sunny with frequent scattered showers and temperatures rising towards the end of April to around 25°C (77°F).

Summer is June to September and the weather is largely warm with frequent heat waves but is also the wettest time to visit, temperatures averaging between 30–35°C (86–95°F).

Autumn is September to late October, the weather is milder and getting cooler towards the end of October with hardly any rain during these months.

Winter is December to March with the weather being largely cold and cloudy but can be variable and unpredictable with chances of snowfall.

Generally the best time to visit is March to May and September to November when the weather is more idyllic and the city is less crowded.

Budapest is great for exploring on foot but also has an extensive and convenient transport system.

Buses

Budapest operates over 200 bus lines, there are express buses with red number signs that serve the busiest routes in the city. They travel along the same routes as the regular buses with the black number signs, but make fewer stops. There is also a nightly bus service which you can board from bus stops marked with the black-and-white owl symbol. The trolley bus service powered by electrical lines are available on 13 lines on the Pest side only.

Trams

Budapest has a vast system of tram lines that are easily distinguished by their yellow colour. The most useful lines for tourists are 4 and 6 as they follow the large ring road that encircles the Budapest city centre. Line 2 follows the Danube River on the Pest side and lines 19 and 41 follow the Danube River on the Buda side. Lines 47 and 49 run through central Pest and across the river to the Buda side.

Metro

There are 4 metro lines in Budapest – M1 (Yellow), M2 (Red), M3 (Blue) and M4 Green). The Yellow line is the oldest underground transportation line in continental Europe. The trains on each line run very frequently from 4:45 am to around 11:45 pm everyday.

Taxis

The Fő Taxi company offers fix rates between the airport and various parts of Budapest. In the city it is recommended you only go with taxis with large company names and telephone numbers printed on the sides. All licensed taxis will have yellow plates opposed to white ones and all metered taxis are equipped with a receipt-printing function showing fare and drivers identity.

The Hungarian currency is the Hungarian Forint (Ft, HUF), note denominations come in 500 Ft, 1,000 Ft, 2,000 Ft, 5,000 Ft, 10,000 Ft and 20,000 Ft notes.

ATMs are widespread around the city, although it’s best to use ATMs owned by larger banks, the main banks in Hungary are OTB, MKB and K&H. If you have cash it’s best to exchange money in Budapest as the banks here offer better rates than foreign ones. Credit cards such as Visa and Mastercard are also widely accepted.

Average Costs (in Hungarian Forint)

• Mid range hotel 8,000–21,400
• Budget accommodation 4000–6000
• 3 course meal for 2 at a mid-range restaurant 6,000–12,000
• Budget dinner 1,300–2,600 Ft
• Pint of beer 250–550
• Regular coffee 350–450
• A bottle of water 100–300
• A 3 km taxi ride 1,300–1,600 Ft
• Taxi from airport to city centre 4,800–10,200 Ft

Budapest is a fantastic city to explore and below is a list of some of the most popular attractions.

Castle District 

The castle and its many courtyards are a joy to explore whilst the district itself is packed with historic sights, attractions and interesting museums. The area also has some fantastic panoramic views across the city and over the River Danube.

Hungarian Parliament Building 

This iconic building is the third largest Parliament building in the world and there are guided tours here when the National Assembly is not in session. The tour lasts around 45 minutes and you get to see the Hungarian Crown Jewels. Tours cost 2,000 HUF for EU citizens or 4,000 HUF for non-EU citizens.

Great Market Hall

Visit this late 19th century market hall, also known as the Central Market Hall due to its central location, to admire the architecture and shop for local trinkets and souvenirs, as well as sample local delicacies. The market is closed on Sundays, but opens at 6:00 am every other day and closes at 3:00 pm on Saturdays, 5:00 pm on Mondays and 6:00 pm Tuesday to Friday.

St Stephen’s Basilica

Budapest’s largest church and most sacred relic is an amazing sight, even more so as you explore the interior where even the dome is covered in ornate paintings. It is dedicated to the holy king St Stephen who was the founder of the Hungarian state. The church is open to tourists 9:00 am till 17:00 pm daily, entry is free but there is a place for donations within the church.

Szechenyi Baths

The largest and most popular baths in Budapest. There is a mix of outdoor and indoor pools including 12 thermal pools, the warm medicinal waters in these pools is supplied by two thermal springs with temperatures sitting around 74–77°C (165–170°F). The baths are open year round, prices including a locker costing 4,700/5,200 HUF Monday–Friday and 4,900/5,400 HUF Saturday & Sunday.

Visit The Cities Ruin Bars

There are many of these bars around the city, they are condemned/ruin style buildings that have been converted into watering holes and clubbing spaces that make for a great night out, here are some of our favourites — Simpla Kert, Racskert, Instant and Anker’t.

Budapest is organised by districts and each one is numbered. There are 23 districts in total so below will provide more detail on the most popular districts to visit.

District 1/Castle District

On the Buda side of the river the main area to visit is District 1, which is usually referred to as the Castle District. This area forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and the view over the Danube and across to Pest from Castle Hill is a must-do while in Budapest. You will find Buda Castle, Matthias Church, Holy Trinity Square, Fisherman’s Bastion and Buda Palace in this district and all the sights are within walking distance of each other.

District 5

This buzzing area on Pest side of the river is generally considered the city centre and is home to the Hungarian Parliament, St Stephen’s Basilica, Liberty Square, Chain Bridge and Shoes on the River Danube. There are many fine dining restaurants and 5 star hotels in this area, but there is also plenty of choice for different budgets. The area is also full of cafes, bars, shops and boutiques.

District 6

Another area with plenty of sights, the most famous being Andrassy Avenue, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This elegant boulevard is over two kilometres long and takes you from Deak Square to Heroes’ Square and the City Park. Along the avenue there are plenty of luxury stores, the Hungarian State Opera House and restaurants. If you venture down some of the side streets you will find theatres, cafes, pubs and bars. This is also where the Western Railway Terminal is located and some of Budapest’s leading contemporary art galleries.

District 7

The inner parts of this district are known as the historic Jewish quarter and this is where you can find the huge Dohány Street Synagogue, also known as Great Synagogue. The beautiful building of the New York Cafe is located in this district, with its stunning decor and huge chandeliers you can see why they call it the most beautiful cafe in the world. There are a huge number of bars and pubs in this area with one of them being Szimpla Kert, which is one of the more well known and popular ruin bars and is well worth a visit. The nearby Gozsdu Udvar is a long courtyard filled with various different bars and restaurants and this whole area is one of main centres of nightlife in Budapest.

• Budapest has more thermal springs than any other capital city in the world.
• Budapest has one of the worlds largest Synagogues — The Dohany Street Synagogue which covers a whopping 2000 square metres in area.
• It has the worlds largest thermal water cave system, with over 200 caves found to date.
• Erno Rubik, the inventor of Rubik’s Cube and Laszlo Biro, the inventor of the ballpoint pen, also know as the biro, were both born in Budapest.
• The Western Railway Station was built by the Eiffel Company of Paris, 12 years before they built the Eiffel Tower.
• No building in Budapest can be taller than 96 metres. The number 96 represents the year the Magyars settled in the area (896) and only two buildings stand at 96 metres tall — the Hungarian Parliament and Szent Istvan Basilica.