7 days in Budapest

Day by day

1. Day 1: Hungarian Parliament Building and Shoes on the Danube Bank

   Hungarian Parliament Building and Shoes on the Danube Bank, then Fisherman's Bastion in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Hungarian Parliament Building

      District V · 1 hour tour · mid-priced. Guided tours run in several languages and sell out in high season; book a time slot on the official ticket site.

   2. Late morning

      Shoes on the Danube Bank

      District V · 15 minutes · free.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Goulash soup

      Traditional restaurants (vendéglő) and csárda-style places; a bowl with bread makes a full lunch.

   4. Evening

      Fisherman's Bastion

      Come at sunrise for empty terraces and soft light on the Parliament, or after dark when both are floodlit.

2. Day 2: Buda Castle and Matthias Church

   Buda Castle and Matthias Church, then Szimpla Kert and the ruin bars in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Buda Castle

      Castle District · Half a day with a museum · free.

   2. Late morning

      Matthias Church

      Castle District · 45 minutes · low cost.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Chicken paprikash

      Home-style restaurants and weekday set-lunch menus across the city.

   4. Evening

      Szimpla Kert and the ruin bars

      Visit once in the afternoon to see the rooms properly, then come back late to see it full.

3. Day 3: Hospital in the Rock and Széchenyi Thermal Bath

   Hospital in the Rock and Széchenyi Thermal Bath, then Széchenyi Chain Bridge in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Hospital in the Rock

      Castle District · 1 hour · mid-priced.

   2. Late morning

      Széchenyi Thermal Bath

      City Park · 2–3 hours · mid-priced. Buy tickets online for weekends and holidays, when the queue at the entrance can be long.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Lángos

      The upper gallery of the Great Market Hall, market stalls and street-food counters, especially at weekends.

   4. Evening

      Széchenyi Chain Bridge

      Walk across from Pest at dusk towards the floodlit castle, then ride bus 16 up to the top of Castle Hill.

4. Day 4: Day trip to Szentendre

   About 40 minutes by suburban train each way. Getting there: HÉV H5 from Batthyány tér.

   1. Morning

      Travel to Szentendre

      About 40 minutes by suburban train (HÉV H5 from Batthyány tér); about 20 km.

   2. Day

      Szentendre

      The Hungarian Open Air Museum (Skanzen) on the edge of town brings together village houses from every region of the country.

   3. Evening

      Back in Budapest

      Dinner: try Chimney cake.

5. Day 5: Heroes' Square and City Park and Museum of Fine Arts

   Heroes' Square and City Park and Museum of Fine Arts, then Rudas Baths in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Heroes' Square and City Park

      City Park · Half a day · free.

   2. Late morning

      Museum of Fine Arts

      City Park · 2 hours · mid-priced.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Chimney cake

      Street stalls in the centre and the Christmas markets on Vörösmarty tér and in front of St Stephen's Basilica.

   4. Evening

      Rudas Baths

      Book the rooftop pool around sunset, and check which days the Ottoman bath is mixed and which are single-sex before you go.

6. Day 6: Day trip to Visegrád and the Danube Bend

   About 1 hour 15 minutes by bus each way. Getting there: Bus from Újpest-Városkapu, or a summer boat from Vigadó tér.

   1. Morning

      Travel to Visegrád and the Danube Bend

      About 1 hour 15 minutes by bus (Bus from Újpest-Városkapu, or a summer boat from Vigadó tér); about 40 km.

   2. Day

      Visegrád and the Danube Bend

      Visegrád's hilltop citadel looks down on the bend, and the remains of King Matthias's Renaissance palace lie by the river below. Summer boats from Budapest make the journey itself an outing.

   3. Evening

      Back in Budapest

      Dinner: try Fisherman's soup.

7. Day 7: Dohány Street Synagogue and St Stephen's Basilica

   Dohány Street Synagogue and St Stephen's Basilica, then Hungarian State Opera House in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Dohány Street Synagogue

      Erzsébetváros · 1.5 hours · mid-priced. Queues are long in summer; a timed ticket bought online saves waiting.

   2. Late morning

      St Stephen's Basilica

      Lipótváros · 1 hour · low cost.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Fisherman's soup

      Fish restaurants (halászcsárda) and traditional places along the Danube.

   4. Evening

      Hungarian State Opera House

      Book a performance rather than only the tour for the full effect; the least expensive upper seats have restricted views.

Before you go

Reserve timed tickets for Hungarian Parliament Building, Széchenyi Thermal Bath and Dohány Street Synagogue before you travel; the rest of this plan needs no advance booking.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 7 nights, Belváros and Lipótváros (District V) keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Erzsébetváros (District VII) ($$) suits nightlife, food lovers, budget and solo travellers. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 21–25 hours of visiting over 7 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 8.5 hours in December to 15.9 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Budapest
• 2 days in Budapest
• 3 days in Budapest
• 4 days in Budapest
• 5 days in Budapest

Questions travellers ask