If you’ve got three days on a Budapest city break, there are plenty of things to do in Budapest. Here are 11 attractions and activities you should attempt to fit into your mini-holiday.
Things to do in Budapest
Budapest doesn’t have any one absolute must-see, but it does throw up an extraordinarily long list of good quality options to keep the visitor occupied. It is the sort of place you leave thinking you’ve got a lot of unfinished business with. And that’s probably why it’s such a perennially popular city break destination. Pick the city you prefer or mix and match between the two – but it’s hard to think of an excuse for being bored. And here are 11 of the best things to do on a Budapest city break.
Gellert Hill
The Citadella fortress and its typically unsubtle Soviet-era Statue of Liberty top this wooded behemoth on the Buda side. Walking up can be a sweaty, albeit thoroughly enjoyable, hike and the views from the top out over the Danube, Castle District and Pest are well worth the shoe leather.
Buda’s Castle District
Laid out over Buda’s Hills, the Castle District includes the tourist honeytrap of the Matthias Church, as well as the former Royal Palace. The latter now doubles as the Budapest History Museum and is a surprisingly Spartan maze inside. Budapest Castle tours give a more detailed experience.
Danube Cruise in Budapest
Budapest is the starting point for many a European river cruise, but those who don’t want to plump for the multi-day option can chug up and down the Danube for an hour, admiring the likes of the Parliament building and the Basilica of St Stephen on the river cruise.
Széchenyi Baths
The city has numerous thermal bathing complexes, but on a hot summer’s day you can’t beat Szechenyi’s complex of pools. In the sprawling City Park and surrounded by what feels like a bright yellow palace, the baths are a social hub. Swimmers are complimented by old men playing chess at the edge of the tubs.
Memento Park
When the iron curtain fell in 1989, most of Budapest’s communist era statues were pulled down. Many were saved and moved to the delightfully surreal Memento Park, where they stand together in all their pomposity.
House of Terror
It’s visceral, it’s striking, but the House of Terror perhaps tries a bit hard to impress. The exhibitions in this former secret police HQ feel like a series of giant, loosely-themed art installations. Alas, the stories of the thousands killed by the Nazi and Communist regimes can get lost in the undeniably imaginative presentation.
Hospital in the Rock
When the city bigwigs rediscovered a hodge-podge network of manmade caves in the early 20th century, they decided to utilise them. A hospital was built into rock at the back of the Castle District, and hour-long tours walk visitors through this bizarre facility – which also served as a nuclear bunker during the Cold War.
Vasarely Museum
Budapest has a few good art museums, but the Vasarely Museum is the most distinctive. Featuring hundreds of works by Op Art maestro Victor Vasarely, it’s all about perception, patterns and visual trickery. Many pieces seem instantly recognisable – Vasarely’s style has permeated further than you may think.
Great Market Hall
The souvenirs tend to be slightly cheaper on the third floor of this huge, visually astonishing building. The main level is a foodie’s dream, however – and it’s the spot to pick up dried paprika, cheeses and other local goodies. Take a gourmet market walk to taste the best and meet the stallholders.
Szimpla kert
Kerts – loosely translated as garden bars – spring up all over Budapest during the summer months. Often sprawling through abandoned courtyards, they tend to feature DJs, thoroughly mismatched furnishing and a gleeful party spirit. The Szimpla kert is a stalwart of the scene that operates year round, and it’s the star of a street with plenty of other kert options.
A38
This former Ukrainian ship, moored on the riverbank, has morphed into A38, a cultural venue where you’re just as likely to see a photographic exhibition, jazz concert, punk gig or DJ set.
More Budapest travel ideas
You can choose from a large selection of Budapest activities and experiences.
Other Budapest travel articles on Planet Whitley include a guide to visiting Budapest in May with children and suggestions for the best Budapest accommodation.
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