Season guide · Budapest · Hungary
Budapest in autumn
September–November: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Marc Ryckaert ( MJJR ), CC BY 3.0
Quick answer
Wine festivals, golden Buda Hills and mild sightseeing weather until late October; foggy and cold by November. Expect highs up to 23°C (73°F) and lows around 3°C (37°F), with about 20 rainy days across September–November. September–October are among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- September–November
- Temperatures
- 3°C (37°F) to 23°C (73°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 20
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in autumn
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | 23°C (73°F) | 12°C (54°F) | 6 | 12.5 h | 4/5 |
| October | 16°C (61°F) | 7°C (45°F) | 6 | 10.8 h | 3/5 |
| November | 9°C (48°F) | 3°C (37°F) | 8 | 9.2 h | 2/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 16°C (61°F) against a yearly 16°C (61°F), and 20 of the year's roughly 84 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 3/5 and hotel prices 3/5 on average.
What's on in autumn
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- September: Budapest Wine Festival in Buda Castle (usually September)
- October: Budapest Marathon (usually autumn)
- October: Commemoration of the 1956 Revolution — national holiday (23 October)
- November: Christmas markets on Vörösmarty tér and in front of St Stephen's Basilica (usually from mid-November)
Make the most of the weather
Religious site · Lipótváros
St Stephen's Basilica
Budapest's largest church, finished in 1905, shares a height of 96 metres with the Parliament, a reference to the Magyar arrival in 896.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Views
- History
- Iconic
Landmark · Danube
Széchenyi Chain Bridge
Walk across from Pest at dusk towards the floodlit castle, then ride bus 16 up to the top of Castle Hill.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- After dark
- Photo spot
- Views
Park · City Park
Heroes' Square and City Park
At the top of Andrássy Avenue, the colonnades of Heroes' Square, lined with statues of Hungarian kings and chieftains, frame the Millennium Monument.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Architecture
- Iconic
Park · Margaret Island
Margaret Island
Rent a bike or a pedal cart near the southern entrance and catch one of the musical fountain shows.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Active
Historic site · District XXII
Memento Park
Communist-era statues removed from Budapest's streets after 1989 — Lenin, Marx and Engels, and giant soldiers and workers — stand together in an open-air park on the city's south-western edge, with a replica of the boots left behind when the Stalin statue was toppled in 1956.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Day trips in autumn
- Esztergom (About 1–1.5 hours by train) — Hungary's largest church, the domed Esztergom Basilica, stands on a hill above the Danube looking across to Slovakia.
- Gödöllő Royal Palace (About 50 minutes by suburban train) — One of the largest baroque palaces in Hungary, the summer residence of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth (Sisi), with restored royal apartments, exhibitions about Sisi and a large landscaped park.
What to pack
- Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is autumn a good time to visit Budapest?
Yes: September–October are among the best months. Wine festivals, golden Buda Hills and mild sightseeing weather until late October; foggy and cold by November.
+What is the weather like in Budapest in autumn?
Highs of up to 23°C (73°F) and lows around 3°C (37°F), with about 20 rainy days over the season.