Trip to Budapest and its Surroundings
General
Budapest, the capital of Hungary, is an interesting city with a rich history, magnificent buildings in diverse styles, numerous restaurants and cafes, and a wide and impressive river separating its two parts: Buda and Pest, with many huge bridges connecting them. The city also features large and magnificent churches and a huge, grand parliament building as well.
You can come and tour only in Budapest and its surroundings, allocating 3-4 days of travel to Budapest and another 1-2 days to the Danube Bend region, and of course, you can also combine a trip in Budapest with a trip to neighboring Slovakia. Details in the article: Star Trips for Families in Slovakia.
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♦ High-quality and recommended apartment hotels in central Budapest:
7Seasons Apartments
Budapest
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There is no need to rent a car for a trip to Budapest. Public transportation is excellent, and it is especially worthwhile to explore the city length and breadth on foot. That way you will feel and get to know the city better across its two parts: Buda and Pest. If you are continuing your trip to Slovakia, then of course it is worthwhile to rent a car in Budapest and continue with it to Slovakia, visiting the Danube Bend and its sites along the way.
A pleasant and convenient way to start your visit in Budapest is with a guided tour. It's great to know already at the airport that a guide you coordinated with is waiting for you, ready to show you every corner in the city and its surroundings and provide you with many tips for the rest of your trip.
Recommended Attractions and Guided Tours in Budapest from Viator:
♦ Hungarian Food Cooking Class including a market tour
Hungarian Cooking Class and Market Walk - 2025 Foodapest
Tour the local market and then learn to prepare characteristic Hungarian food dishes. Finish with a 3-course meal you prepared. Lasts about 4 hours.
♦ Private Airport to Hotel Transfer - Budapest One Way Private Transfer to or from Airport
♦ Car Rental from the Reliable and Convenient Booking Site: Booking.com
Must-See Sites in Pest:
Tour the Jewish Quarter, the Great Synagogue on Dohany Street which is one of Budapest's most magnificent buildings and the Jewish Museum attached to it (which is located on the site where the house where the visionary of the state, Herzl, was born stood).
Walking tour on Andrassy Avenue which has many tourist sites such as: the House of Terror, the Opera House (where it is worthwhile to take a guided tour lasting about an hour),
the impressive Heroes' Square, and home to many embassies.
You must not miss a guided tour of the Parliament building. A tour in Hebrew takes place daily at 10:30 and 13:30.
On the river bank near the Parliament building, you can see the Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial in memory of the Jews who were murdered and thrown into the Danube River in 1944/5.
It is also recommended to tour St. Stephen's Basilica – Szent Istvan Bazilika, the largest church in the city (considered the second most sacred in the country) and do not be lazy and climb to the observation deck located on the church roof from which an impressive view of the city unfolds.
It is also worth visiting the colorful, large, covered market where you will see an interesting variety of meats, sausages, dried red peppers from which paprika is made and which are the trademark of Hungary. On the second floor there are various souvenir and clothing stalls.
The largest city park is called "City Park" Varosliget and it is a wonderful place to visit with children. It has an amusement park, a zoo, a circus, a lake with an island where you can sail, various play equipment, such as trampolines and green spaces to run around in.
The Szechenyi Gyogyfurdo Baths are also located in the park. These are the only large baths in the city where bathing is mixed in all pools for women and men together. These are large baths with outdoor and indoor pools, jacuzzis, and saunas. The baths are housed in an impressive Art Nouveau building with beautiful mosaic decorations.
Interesting Sites in Buda on the Other Bank of the River
In the center of Buda is Castle Hill (Varhegy). It is nice to climb it by the Budavari Siklo funicular which connects Adam Clark Square to the palace on the hill.
In Adam Square is "Zero Kilometer Stone",
from which distances to European cities are measured.
The reconstructed
Royal Palace now serves as home to two museums: the National Gallery
and the City History Museum. The National Library is also located
in the palace. The palace stables house the residence of the President of Hungary.
A short
walking distance from the palace is Matthias Church (Matyas Templom) where
King Matthias's wedding took place.
Adjacent to it is "Fisherman's Bastion" (Halaszbastya) with its seven pointed towers. It is a must to look out from it over Pest and the Danube River.
Nearby is the Hilton Hotel, which was built on the ruins of an ancient church, parts of which have been preserved and can be seen through a glass wall in the hotel.
A wonderful walking tour in Buda is to Citadella Hill located at the peak of Gellert Hill. You can climb to the top of the hill on a choice of nature trails all along which a wonderful view of Pest, Castle Hill, and the bridges connecting the two parts of the city is visible. At the top of the hill are fortress ruins with a museum and the "Liberty Monument" – a 30-meter high statue of a woman in the wind.
The view
from the top of the Citadella is breathtaking, with the entire city spread out before you in all
its glory. Along the way, you will pass by the statue of the revered Queen Elizabeth (Sisi)
and the impressive Gellert Monument (especially at night) Gellert Emlekmu .
Those who are lazy (or unable) to climb
to the top of the hill can reach the Citadella by car (transfer or taxi).
On the slopes of Gellert Hill is the Gellert Hotel, which features an impressive
and luxurious bathhouse (where separation of sexes is customary most of the time).
Between the two parts of the city, in the heart of the Danube, is Margaret Island (connected
by two bridges to both sides of the city) Margit-Sziget, which is considered
one of the first parks in Europe. The island is popular among sports and active recreation enthusiasts. This is the place to rent a bicycle and ride safely on paths amidst green scenery and a variety of plants and flowers. On the island are a sculpture garden, a rose garden, and a Japanese garden, as well as a variety of sports and recreation facilities including swimming pools, water slides, and an open-air theater under the stars.
The city (on both
its parts) also has many museums, ranging from the Museum of Fine Arts,
Museum of Applied Arts, the Hungarian National Museum,
Museum of Ethnography, to the Marzipan Museum where you will find famous
buildings in the city made entirely of marzipan with meticulous craftsmanship, characters
from children's stories, and a host of other surprises. A visit to the marzipan shop
attached to the museum is a celebration for fans of this sweet. The "Szabo" Marzipan Museum
is located on Castle Hill, adjacent to the Hilton Hotel
near the Fisherman's Bastion in Buda.
Cooking Class:
A wonderful and especially delicious experience is a Hungarian
cooking course including a guided tour of the covered market,
during which you will hear explanations about characteristic foods, spices, market structure, etc.
After
the tour, you will arrive at the cooking "school", where you will prepare a full meal
including a starter, main course, and dessert.
We prepared chilled cherry soup, chicken paprikash, and for dessert, apple strudel.
The preparation of all dishes is easy and takes place in small, intimate groups,
with explanations and help from the experienced chef. The result: finger-licking good!
You of course eat what you cooked, and if you don't finish, they will give you what's left to take to the hotel, just so you won't leave hungry...
Booking a Cooking Course from Viator :
♦ Hungarian Food Cooking Course including a market tour
Hungarian Cooking Class and Market Walk - 2025 Foodapest
Tour the local market and then learn to prepare characteristic Hungarian food dishes. Finish with a 3-course meal you prepared. Lasts about 4 hours.
Restaurants and Cafes:
Even on days when you won't cook your own meal, you won't stay
hungry...
Budapest is known for its selection of excellent restaurants
and rich food. It is also known for its wonderful cakes.
One of the luxury restaurants in the city is Gundel Restaurant, located
near the city zoo. Although in the evening its prices
are extremely high and formal attire is required (suit and tie for men),
at lunchtime (Monday to Saturday) there is a business menu including a starter,
main course, dessert, and even a glass of wine at a price affordable to everyone.
The service, standard, and design are amazing! It is recommended to sit inside
the magnificent restaurant rather than on its outdoor terrace.
A completely different style can be found at FOR SALE restaurant located opposite the covered market. This is a pub-restaurant filled entirely with thousands of business cards and various notes hanging from the ceiling, walls, and practically everywhere possible. The restaurant specializes in typical Hungarian food. The portions are huge (you have been warned) and the prices are attractive. Its address: Vamhaz korut, 2, District V.
A chain of "buffet" restaurants operating on an "all-you-can-eat-and-drink" basis is Trofea Grill, which has two branches in Pest and one in Buda, near Margaret Island. The variety of food in the restaurant is very large and includes Hungarian food alongside international food. The area where the meats and fishes you chose are cooked right before your eyes with the sauces and side dishes you want is especially successful. The desserts are also of a good standard.
And speaking of desserts, you can find the most successful cakes in the city at the Marriott Hotel located in Pest, on the river bank. In its lobby, every day starting from 12:00 noon until late evening, there is a cake and dessert buffet (which also includes savory pastries and variety). At an attractive price, you can eat wonderful cakes as much as you want, drink free-flowing wine, and one coffee. Highly recommended, but not for those watching their figure...
Other successful cafes in the city are:
The luxurious and glittering "New York Cafe",
and "Chagall Cafe" with its unique design and interesting pictures. Its address: Hajos utca 27., Budapest .
The Danube Bend:
A wonderful day trip
outside the city is to the "Danube Bend" (Dunakanyar), and for those who have time,
especially families, it is worth dedicating two full days to the area.
It is worth
starting the visit in Szentendre, located at a distance of
only 20 km from Budapest.
This is a picturesque artists' town where
it is nice to wander between shops and stalls, watch artists at work
and visit two cool museums: the Marzipan Museum
(in the style of Buda's Marzipan Museum) and the miniature museum
called Ausstellung Mikro Art where you will watch through microscopes
tiny works of art smaller than a pinhead. Extremely impressive
and highly recommended!
The town also has the Dobos Chocolate Museum,
The Doll Museum, a pottery museum, a wine museum, and a host of other small museums.
For those
who have more time in the area, and especially families with children, it is recommended to visit
the open-air museum of the Hungarian village Szabadteri Neprajzi
Muzeum which features typical peasant houses and buildings from various periods and plenty
of activities. The museum is located 3 km from Szentendre towards
Visegrad.
Visegrad is a small town 24 km
away from Szentendre, which is the next destination on the trip to the Danube Bend. It
served as the seat of the kings of Hungary and is known for the
Fellegvar Visegrad Castle built on top of a cliff overlooking the Danube,
right where it bends and creates the famous curve.
The view from the castle is breathtaking. The castle features a small wax museum displaying scenes from the lives of kings and also a museum of ancient weapons.
To get into the atmosphere of the place, it is recommended to eat at
the adjacent Renaissance Restaurant where in addition to quality food (this is an
excellent grilled meat restaurant combining typical Hungarian dishes)
you will enjoy a royal atmosphere: every diner receives a crown (made of cardboard)
and can wear knight and royal clothing.
In Visegrad, close
to the castle, there is a selection of activities for children and youth: an alpine slide,
a rope park, and trampolines.
From there continue to Esztergom
close to the border with Slovakia, which is considered an important Catholic center.
It served as the ancient capital of Hungary and where King
Saint Stephen was crowned. Esztergom is home to the most sacred cathedral
in Hungary, where according to belief the skull of Saint Stephen is located.
On the way back to Budapest, right before entering the city, it is worth
stopping by the large and high-quality confectionery named:
Emil
