The Budapest Postcards
my guide to a weekend trip in Budapest!
Budapest was my favorite trip from my summer working in Vienna! It is amazingly located if you’re interrailing or find yourself anywhere remotely nearby. I met several people while in Vienna who regularly commute from Budapest, so the distance is actually quite doable! I prefer the train, but you can also go by ferry across the Danube or via bus.
In my opinion, a weekend was the perfect amount of time to explore. It’s a beautiful city for so many reasons, but especially its architecture! It is also very history-rich if you have time to explore some of the museums and history behind the city.
I included a mini itinerary of how I would spend two days in the city. My full list of recs is compiled at the bottom, along with some notes on places to stay and safety!
ALSO: a MASSIVE thank you to all of my lovely Hungarian friends for giving me so many recs! I don’t remember exactly who recommended what — otherwise I’d give more specific credit — but there wasn’t a single rec I didn’t also love :)
If you want a mappable version of the guide to plan your own itinerary, the link to my Google Maps is here.
Planning Activities
Originally, I thought Budapest was formed in the 1800s from merging two cities, but it was actually three — Óbuda (“Old Buda”), Buda, and Pest. I found it easiest to structure my time by splitting one day in Buda and one day in Pest. Buda is generally the quieter and more residential side but has amazing parks with fantastic views (thanks to the many hills), while Pest is a bit more modern and lively.
Day 1 (exploring Pest)
If you wake up early, walk to the banks of the Danube and people watch (I woke up around 7AM — perks of the hostel life)
Walked to breakfast (I went to herBar, which is great for vegans/celiacs — the gf waffle was mid, but the smoothie was delish)
Walk around the Jewish Quarter and visit the Dohány Street Synagogue, which is the largest synagogue in Europe.
The synagogue is stunning — take the opportunity to book a tour of the inside and learn about its history, if possible. If it’s a weekend trip, I recommend making it a priority for Friday since it is closed on Saturdays for Shabbat.
Important note: Expect to be asked to cover up the majority of your body (both men & women) and men are expected to cover their hair while inside. Look online for the full guidelines.
Go thrifting:
Make your way over to the Hungarian Parliament Building (can stop for food on the way — Kata PEST is a good choice for my gf besties)
Walk to the hostel along the Danube & take a break at Szezám for a matcha and sweet treat (can also take public transport in the colder months)
Grab dinner
Watch sunset on the Danube and/or go out on one of the hostel bar crawls! I opted not to since we were in peak Euros season, so I watched the game in the hostel bar instead.
Day 2 (exploring Buda)
Walk through Central Market Hall — a famous covered market
Breakfast at DoubleShot Coffee & Brunch (gluten free bread for my gf besties!)
Cross via bridge to the other side of the Danube (Buda) and go on a short hike for insane views in Citadella Park (tons of gorgeous viewpoints that were worth the asthmatic pain I went through to get there)
From there, head over to Buda Castle (also magnificent gardens!)
Walk through Matthias Church (stunning, yet also next to a Starbucks and Burger King, which is devastating) and Fisherman’s Bastion — which is absolutely a must, but worth coming at sunrise if you want the gram pics because it gets pretty crowded midday
Stop for a matcha at 4minutes cafe (BEST MATCHA EVER!! These Eastern Europeans are doing matcha better than the French have ever done)
Climb the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene tower for some insane panoramic
Take public transport back to the hostel
Dinner
Call it a night or go out (popular options are the prosecco boat tours or the spa raves at the thermal baths)
Safety
There was a decent amount of catcalling, but overall, I felt very safe as a solo traveler. I took public transportation without any issue (although please do remember to validate your ticket with the machines on board, as they DO check and WILL be mean about it). I didn’t experience or witness any petty crime or pickpocketing, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen — just be aware of your surroundings, and you should be totally fine.
Also, there is a reputation that Hungarians are cold/unwelcoming — I definitely didn’t experience that vibe at all. I had very kind interactions with everyone (many of them went out of their way to help or recommend places/things to me), but maybe that was coming after back-to-back experiences with the Parisians and Viennese lol
Where I Stayed
Places to See
City Park Ice Rink (I was there in the summer so it wasn’t open yet)
Szechenyi Baths (so popular and a beautiful location! communal baths are not at all my vibe but they are a must for so many people which is why I wanted to make sure I included it)
Vaci Ucta (tourist street — if you want your classic brands like Zara, H&M, etc. you can come here but otherwise AVOID it’s so crowded)
Shopping
Humana (chain of thrift stores across Europe)
Citygraph Art Gallery (unique hand drawn postcards)
Coffee Shops
Charbon Art Café (natural wine bar + cafe)
Food
For my gluten free besties:
Bohémtanya Gluténmentes Vendéglő (traditional food AND gluten free!)
Cöli Bistro (best for grabbing snacks)
Everyone else:
Pick Bistro (next to the parliament — good traditional Hungarian cuisine without being too pricey!)
TwentySix Budapest (more upscale if you want to treat yourself)
Going Out
Szimpla Kert (cool cave-ish club, super popular if you want to meet other travelers and some locals + the staff speaks English which is always helpful when out)
Ibolya (classic bar, retro in the sense it has looked the exact same since communist times, apparently)
360 bar (rooftop bar with a great view)
Hostel bar crawl (if you’re going to do a crawl, this is a fun city to do one in and a great way to meet people since most hostels run one almost every night for new guests)
Most people also do a prosecco boat tour where you sail along the Danube at night with unlimited prosecco — it’s cheapest with a bigger group, so see if your hostel is organizing one in advance or book one with friends
Another popular option is the parties in thermal baths during the summer — also often organized through hostels and cheaper in big groups