Packed with history, beautiful architecture, and amazing food; Budapest is a city with something for everyone. It’s an ideal destination for history buffs, museum goers, photographers, foodies, families, and budget backpackers. Continue reading to find out how you can make the most of three days in Budapest.
Day 1 – Arrive in Budapest
We found an amazing AirBnB centrally located in the Jewish quarter. We traveled to the AirBnB via Taxi from the airport. It is really easy and safe to use the taxi system in Budapest. Make sure the taxi driver understands where you are going (we had one incident where the driver took us way past our destination).
Buda Castle
After settling into our AirBnB, we were ready to start exploring! Our first destination was the Buda Castle. Along the way we walked past St. Stephen’s Basilica, the third largest church building in Hungary, and the famous Széchenyi Chain Bridge. The Széchenyi Chain Bridge was the first bridge to connect the two sides of Budapest (lightbulb moment: Budapest is separated into two sides Buda and Pest by the Danube river). The bridge crosses the Danube and has amazing views in either direction. We walked across the Széchenyi Chain Bridge to leave the Pest side and arrive on the Buda side.
Once we reached the Buda side of the city, the beautiful Buda castle was in view, but still far away. The castle is located on top of a hill which is why it is easy to see from the Pest side. You have two options for reaching the castle: a steep walk up many flights of stairs or a short ride on a funicular. If you’ve read other travel blogs of ours, you know I always opt for the walking option!
Countless steps later and after working up a small sweat, we reached the castle level and the views were incredible! From the castle you can see far across the Pest side and have an incredible view of the Parliament building. We enjoyed the view for a while as we weren’t planning to wait in line to go inside the castle. The historical Buda castle complex was home to many Hungarian Kings. Today, it holds various exhibits and museums such as the Budapest History Museum.
Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion
After thoroughly soaking in the views from the Buda Castle, we continued exploring the Buda side with a short 15 minute walk to Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion. We made a short detour at Ruszwurm, a famous Budapest confectionery. Budapest is known for its delicious sweets such as chimney cakes. Chris and I shared the Ruszwurm Crème Cake which I was delightfully surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Ruszwurm is a popular spot and can be really busy. Even if you don’t eat at Ruszwurm you need to find a great confectionery to enjoy while in Budapest.
Located right down the street from Ruszwurm you will see Matthias Church, a 700-year old Roman Catholic Church, with striking architecture and a colorful tiled roof. Tickets can be purchased to tour the church and climb the bell tower for even better views of the city.
Fisherman’s Bastion is located right next to Matthias Church. You may recognize Fisherman’s Bastion as it has become an insta-famous destination. Many of the cloisters are free of charge to pose in and take photos of the city. We recommend visiting this area for sunrise or sunset. You will be able to check out the whole area free of charge and there will be considerably less tourists in the area.
Parliament Building
At this point in the day we were starting to work up an appetite and we were ready for dinner. As we walked down the steps from Fisherman’s Bastion towards the edge of the Danube river, we were stopped in our tracks by the beauty of the Parliament Building. The Parliament Building is an excellent example of the amazing architecture found in Budapest. Be sure to take photos of this building close up and far away, as well as at night and during the day, it is truly stunning.
Szimpla Kert
With only three days in Budapest, we wanted to try as many local dishes and wine as possible. We returned to the Jewish quarter in search for a traditional Hungarian meal. For all of the details on where we ate during our three days in Budapest, check out our list of Top 5 Traditional Hungarian Dishes to Eat in Budapest with recommendations of our favorite spots.
We ended our first day in Budapest by exploring the most famous ruin bar in Budapest, Szmipla Kert. Ruin bars are rundown abandoned buildings, that instead of being renovated or torn down are turned into bars. Szimpla Kert was much larger than expected! When entering the bar you walk into a large courtyard with tables, a dance area, and several bars. At first glance you may think the courtyard space is the whole bar, but you would be mistaken. Take the spiral staircase upstairs and explore the many rooms with unique furniture and hang out areas. We kept walking from room to room and enjoyed the indoor/outdoor experience of the bar. Don’t leave without stopping in the bathrooms for an even more unique experience!
Day 2
Andrássy Avenue
For our second day in Budapest we explored more of the Pest side of the city. Our first stop was Andrássy Avenue, an elegant street in Budapest known for shopping and architecture. Many of Budapest’s main attractions are located on this street including the Hungarian State Opera House. Walking down this road you can’t help but admire the Neo-renaissance mansions and townhouses.
House of Terror
We stopped along Andrássy Avenue for our only museum visit of the trip. Located at 60 Andrassy Avenue, The House of Terror, is a museum with exhibits on the fascist and communist regimes in Hungary. Once inside your eyes are drawn to a tank elevated on a jet black platform sitting in about a foot of water. The tank’s striking presence sets the tone for the museum visit.
As you walk up the stairs to the top floor you pass statues of communist leaders such as Stalin and Lenin. The first exhibit is about the Nazi occupation of Hungary, late into WWII. Hungary lost so much in World War I, they tried to remain isolated during WWII which was impossible because of their geographic location in-between Nazi and Soviet territories.
The Nazis put into place the Arrow Cross Party, which worked to disestablish the Hungarian way of life. Over 400,000 Hungarian Jews were killed during WWII. The exhibits described the establishment of the Hungarian Communist Party through a rigged election in the 1950s. They ruled with an iron fist killing thousands, including using torture cells in the basement of the museum. I could go into more detail, but this is an informational and moving museum. I highly recommend spending a few hours here.
Heroes Square
We continued our walk along Andrássy Avenue and after a quick stop for lunch at Paprika, we finally reached Heroes Square. This plaza is the largest square in Budapest and the huge statue in the center is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Be sure to stop in this square during the day and to see it lit up at night.
City Park (Varosliget)
Walking through Heroes Square we entered the large public park in Budapest. There always seem to be events happening in the park. During our visit, we stumbled upon three different events! If you don’t find any events to explore in the park be sure to check out the Vajdahunyad Castle, the Anonymous statue, and the Szechenyi Baths which are all located in the City Park.
Szechenyi Baths
Budapest is referred to as the ‘City of Baths’ so a visit to one of the many thermal baths was a must do on our list. We chose to visit the Szechenyi Baths as the location fit in perfectly into our three day Budapest itinerary.
The Szechenyi baths is one of the largest bath complexes in Europe. Entrance prices are steep, but you can save money by going early in the morning or in the evening. We purchased a day pass with lockers for about 20 euros per person. There is the option to upgrade for a cabin, which is a private place to change and leave your belongings. We opted for the lockers, but the locker room experience was not as pleasant as a cabin. If you are traveling with a significant other, take our advice and purchase the cabin!
We knew we were planning to stop at the baths, so we packed a backpack with our bathing suits, flip flops and towels. Our AirBnB was kind enough to leave us towels specifically to use in the baths. After exiting the locker room area, we were greeted by three large outdoor pools. Since the sun was already setting, we headed to the thermal pools inside the building. There are many baths inside each with a different temperature. The temperatures ranged 18-34°C (64-93°F). We hopped from pool to pool, getting comfortable with the varying temperatures and amount of people around us. We even spent time in the sauna and then hopped in a 20°C pool immediately after – a fun hydrotherapy experience! Visiting the baths is a great way to experience the local culture and can be very relaxing!
Our second day in Budapest flew by quickly, after the baths we enjoyed a few beverages at Doblo Wine Bar.
Day 3
St Gellert Statue, Statue of Liberty, and the Citadel
We ambitiously started our third day in Budapest with a morning run to the top of Gellert Hill with stops at St. Gellert Statue, the Statue of Liberty, and the Citadel. Gellert Hill is located on the Buda side so we started our run to the Danube and crossed the Elizabeth Bridge. Once on the Buda side we started running uphill. The steepness of the hill quickly caught up to us and our morning run turned into a morning walk.
We reached St. Gellert Statue first. The statue and waterfall commemorates the first bishop of Hungary and the educator of the son of the first Hungarian King. We continued following the steep path up until we finally reached the Statue of Liberty. This statue of a tall bronze woman holding a palm can be seen from many locations around the city. Located just behind the Statue of Liberty is the Citadel, an old fortress used in several wars. Locals originally didn’t want to maintain the fortress, but the city ultimately decided to keep it and turn it into a tourist destination.
Central Market Hall
After reaching the top of Gellert Hill, we were able to continue our morning run as our journey was all downhill from here! Crossing the Liberty bridge we returned to the Pest side of the city. We planned to make a stop at Central Market Hall, the largest indoor market in Budapest, to pick up provisions for an afternoon picnic. We heard that this market had many vendors selling fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, and souvenirs and it’s a great place to try Langos and some of Budapest’s delicious confectioneries. Unfortunately, the Central Market Hall is closed on Sundays, but we quickly came up another great option, the Szimpla Kert Sunday Farmer’s Market. It was the perfect place for us to gather items for an afternoon picnic.
Margaret Island
When planning a fast paced itinerary, we always save time for simply relaxing and enjoying the destination. In Budapest, this turned out to be a leisurely walk to Margaret Island to set up a picnic and soak up our last evening in Budapest.
Margaret Island is located in the middle of the Danube and can be easily reached by walking across the Margaret bridge. The island is a popular recreation location with a jogging track and workout areas under the bridge. You will also find lovely gardens and a musical fountain near the center of the island. We eventually found a great spot to set up our picnic after being bombarded by ants at our first spot. Note to future self: find a packable picnic blanket to travel with.
Shoes on the Danube Bank Memorial
After spending a few hours on Margaret Island, the sun was starting to set on our last day in Budapest. We walked back to our AirBnB along the Danube and watched the city lights turn on for the night.
On our walk we came across an extremely moving memorial in front of the Parliament Building to those who lost their lives as a result of the atrocities committed by Budapest’s Arrow Cross. The memorial with 60 pairs of iron shoes is a reminder of Jewish victims who were brought to the edge of the river and instructed to remove their shoes before being brutally shot and swept away by the river. Many pay their respects at this memorial by leaving flowers, candles, lanterns, and ribbons. This area has a subdued atmosphere as it’s a somber reminder of the past. As travelers, we are thankful for seeing powerful memorials such as this one first hand. There is no better way to learn about history than to learn it in the place that the history actually occurred.
After one last delicious meal at M Restaurant, before we knew it our three days in Budapest were over. For all of our food and restaurant recommendations be sure to check out our blog post ‘A Foodie’s Guide to Eating in Budapest‘. An affordable European city with so much history and beauty, be sure to add Budapest to the top of your bucket list if it’s not already.
