Season guide · Budapest · Hungary
Budapest in spring
March–May: 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
Blossom on Margaret Island, café terraces reopening and the Spring Festival; May is warm but showery. Expect highs up to 22°C (72°F) and lows around 2°C (36°F), with about 22 rainy days across March–May. April–May are among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- March–May
- Temperatures
- 2°C (36°F) to 22°C (72°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 22
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in spring
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 11°C (52°F) | 2°C (36°F) | 6 | 11.8 h | 2/5 |
| April | 17°C (63°F) | 6°C (43°F) | 7 | 13.6 h | 3/5 |
| May | 22°C (72°F) | 11°C (52°F) | 9 | 15.1 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 17°C (63°F) against a yearly 16°C (61°F), and 22 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 spring
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- March: National Day — commemorations of the 1848 revolution (15 March)
- April: Budapest Spring Festival — concerts and performances (usually April)
- April: Easter markets (March or April)
Make the most of the weather
Palace · Castle District
Buda Castle
The vast royal palace on Castle Hill, rebuilt many times since the Middle Ages and restored after the Second World War, houses the Hungarian National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum.
- Time needed
- Half a day with a museum
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Views
- History
- Free
- Architecture
Viewpoint · Castle District
Fisherman's Bastion
Come at sunrise for empty terraces and soft light on the Parliament, or after dark when both are floodlit.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Iconic
- Photo spot
- Couples
- After dark
Experience · City Park
Széchenyi Thermal Bath
One of Europe's largest spa complexes fills a yellow neo-baroque palace in City Park, opened in 1913, with three big outdoor pools kept warm all year and more than a dozen indoor thermal pools, saunas and steam rooms.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Rainy day
- Couples
- Outdoors
Experience · Gellért Hill riverside
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.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Couples
- Views
- After dark
- Rainy day
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
Day trips in spring
- Szentendre (About 40 minutes by suburban train) — A riverside artists' town of baroque churches built by Serbian settlers, cobbled lanes and galleries, including the Margit Kovács ceramics collection.
- Visegrád and the Danube Bend (About 1 hour 15 minutes by bus) — At the Danube Bend the river turns sharply south between wooded hills.
What to pack
- Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is spring a good time to visit Budapest?
Yes: April–May are among the best months. Blossom on Margaret Island, café terraces reopening and the Spring Festival; May is warm but showery.
+What is the weather like in Budapest in spring?
Highs of up to 22°C (72°F) and lows around 2°C (36°F), with about 22 rainy days over the season.