History · Budapest · Hungary
8 historic sites to see in Budapest
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: JoshuaCrawford, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Hungarian Parliament Building, Buda Castle and Dohány Street Synagogue. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 11–12 hours across 6 areas; 2 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 2
- Time to see them all
- 11–12 hours
- Areas
- District V, Castle District and Erzsébetváros
Historic sites in Budapest
Architecture · District V
1.Hungarian Parliament Building
Guided tours climb the gilded main staircase to the domed hall, where the Holy Crown of Hungary is displayed under guard, and visit one of the old chamber halls.
- Time needed
- 1 hour tour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
Palace · Castle District
2.Buda Castle
Its terraces look across the Danube to the Parliament and Pest, and the courtyards and gardens are free to wander.
- Time needed
- Half a day with a museum
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Views
- History
- Free
- Architecture
Religious site · Erzsébetváros
3.Dohány Street Synagogue
The complex includes the Hungarian Jewish Museum, the Heroes' Temple and a memorial garden with Imre Varga's metal weeping willow, each leaf engraved with the name of a Holocaust victim.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Architecture
- Iconic
- Rainy day
Religious site · Lipótváros
4.St Stephen's Basilica
The mummified right hand of St Stephen, Hungary's first king, is kept in a side chapel, and a lift and stairs lead to the panorama walkway around the dome.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Views
- History
- Iconic
Religious site · Castle District
5.Matthias Church
Franz Joseph and Charles IV were crowned kings of Hungary here, and the bell tower can be climbed on guided visits.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Art
Experience · Gellért Hill riverside
6.Rudas Baths
A modern wellness wing adds a rooftop hot pool looking straight down the Danube to the Parliament, and the baths are known for late-night bathing sessions at weekends.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Couples
- Views
- After dark
- Rainy day
Historic site · District V
7.Shoes on the Danube Bank
The memorial, created in 2005 by film director Can Togay and sculptor Gyula Pauer, is simple and deeply moving.
- Time needed
- 15 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
Architecture · Terézváros
8.Hungarian State Opera House
Guided tours show the building, and evening opera and ballet tickets are good value by Western European standards.
- Time needed
- 1 hour tour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Architecture
- History
- After dark
- Couples
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| District V | Hungarian Parliament Building and Shoes on the Danube Bank | 1 hour tour + 15 minutes |
| Castle District | Buda Castle and Matthias Church | Half a day with a museum + 45 minutes |
| Erzsébetváros | Dohány Street Synagogue | 1.5 hours |
| Lipótváros | St Stephen's Basilica | 1 hour |
| Gellért Hill riverside | Rudas Baths | 2 hours |
| Terézváros | Hungarian State Opera House | 1 hour tour |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 2 free, 2 low cost, 4 mid-priced. Book ahead for Hungarian Parliament Building and Dohány Street Synagogue. The longest visit is Buda Castle; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Hungarian Parliament Building: Guided tours run in several languages and sell out in high season; book a time slot on the official ticket site.
- Dohány Street Synagogue: Queues are long in summer; a timed ticket bought online saves waiting.
How to fit them into 4 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (District V): Hungarian Parliament Building → Shoes on the Danube Bank, at least 1 hour.
- Half-day 2 (Castle District): Buda Castle → Matthias Church, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Erzsébetváros, Lipótváros and Gellért Hill riverside): Dohány Street Synagogue → St Stephen's Basilica → Rudas Baths, at least 5 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Terézváros): Hungarian State Opera House, at least 1 hour.
The quietest months for queues
- February: highs of 5°C (41°F), about 6 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Still cold, with some of the lowest hotel prices of the year; a good month for baths, museums and coffee houses.
- January: highs of 3°C (37°F), about 7 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Cold, often grey and sometimes snowy; the outdoor pools at Széchenyi steam in the frosty air and the City Park ice rink is open.
- March: highs of 11°C (52°F), about 6 rainy days, quiet crowds. Days lengthen and café terraces begin to reopen, though nights stay cold.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Belváros and Lipótváros (District V) — The Pest riverfront between the Parliament, St Stephen's Basilica and Váci utca
- Erzsébetváros (District VII) — The old Jewish Quarter of synagogues, ruin bars and street food
- Terézváros (District VI) — Andrássy Avenue, the Opera House and café-lined Liszt Ferenc tér
- Castle District (Várnegyed) — Cobbled medieval lanes on Castle Hill above the Danube
- Víziváros — Buda's riverside 'Watertown' below Castle Hill
- Újlipótváros (District XIII) — 1930s apartment blocks, local cafés and Margaret Island next door
More of Budapest
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Budapest?
Hungarian Parliament Building. Hungary's neo-Gothic Parliament, completed in 1904, stretches about 268 metres along the Danube beneath a central dome 96 metres high.
+Which of these are free in Budapest?
Buda Castle and Shoes on the Danube Bank.