Budapest Travel Guide
Do, See, Eat, Stay!
I spent a few days in Hungary and thought my lovely trip and travel experience could be summarised into a comprehensive Budapest Travel Guide. Budapest is the capital of Hungary and is in the Eastern part of Europe.
The capital is a combination of three cities Buda, Pest and Obuda. Today, the city can be categorised in two – Buda on the west bank of the river Danube and Pest on the east bank. It is so fascinating how Buda is less busy and more residential while Pest is more touristy and the vibey part of Budapest.
WHAT TO DO...
1. Boat Cruise over the Danube
The Danube is Europe’s 2nd largest river (after the Volga). It runs through 10 countries. Can you believe that?! It starts from Germany and runs through Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia before emptying into the Black Sea!
Since we were staying just off Liberty Bridge, the Danube was in view and we knew we had to go on a little cruise. Mr E and I were going to do a dinner cruise but realised we could ride the boat just around the popular spots as part of a tour and that’s what we did! We chose the first boat on the pier, Silverline cruises and the entire tour lasted about 2 hours. This is a fantastic way to tour Budapest and you get to see the contrast between Buda and Pest as you sail through.
It cost only 2700 HUF per person and on board, there are food and drinks to buy. The boats leave every 2 hours and we caught the 1pm slot and had a fantastic time touring.
2. Go to Margaret Island for the Day
They say Margaret Island is to Budapest as Central Park is to New York!
Margaret Island (Hungarian: Margitsziget) is on a precious Island on the Danube and what I will call a slice of beauty in central Budapest. The best thing about Margaret Island is that it is more familiar with the locals than tourists so it’s pretty laid back and not touristy at all. On the island, there is a musical fountain, a swimming pool, restaurants and the most gorgeous gardens including a Japanese garden.
We rented a golf cart to explore as far as we could and it was possibly the highlight of our entire trip! So if you’re ever in Budapest, head to Margaret Island.
3. Light a candle at St Stephen’s Basilica
By now, you know my obsession with Basilicas so I had to go the popular St Peter’s in the Pest side of the city. It was such a stunning structure. The exterior is magnificent and striking. The Basilica has its own square with restaurants and activities happening all around it so it is always buzzing. However, as soon as you step into the church, you recognise that all too familiar serenity you usually get once you walk into a Cathedral or Basilica. It is quite overpowering and this is where I know that God is welcoming us into his church.
When we went in, there was Mass going on which was so beautiful to watch. We lit our candles, said our prayers and took some pictures.
4. Watch sunset on the Liberty Bridge
Ohhhh my love for sunsets, will it ever end?
They fascinate me so much. All the colours and beauty in the transformation make me feel like I’m in a fairytale. I do love sunrises but because I’m too lazy to wake up early for them lol, I have fallen in love over and over with sunsets. It is so exciting to try to catch a decent one on every trip.
The first evening post dinner, we noticed people were on Liberty Bridge and wondered why. Then we noticed they were facing the same view where the sun had just set so I knew I had to be at that exact location the next day lol
Budapest had a few sunsets spots as with every city but this was the only spot we watched the sunset from and I totally recommend!
4. Relax at Gellért Spa
For a chill day, the best thing to do is to visit one of the spa & thermal bath facilities in Budapest. It is one of the main things to do there so work it into your time in the city. I’d recommend spending at least half a day here in the summer to use the pools (the wave pool was a vibe lol). In winter, you can actually spend the whole day hoping from thermal bath to sauna to massage parlours etc.
There is a very comprehensive post on it so for all the extra and intricate details, click my blog post on Gellert Thermal Baths Budapest.
5. Visit The Gellért Hill Cave (The Cave church)
Hungarian: Sziklakapolna
Ok this was the most fascinating thing we did! It was not on our list of places to see that day. However, we had just walked from Pest through the Liberty Bridge to Buda and saw this huge rock formation, walked up to it and voilà! Just in front of us was a Catholic church! Sziklakapolna is situated on Gellért Hill, across from Gellért Thermal Baths and simply put, is a church inside a cave, dedicated to the Lady of Hungary. The Cave Church was reopened in 1989 to the public and is now a tourist attraction.
Fun fact: It is always 20 degrees inside the church regardless of the weather outside; winter or summer due to the thermal springs running through the rocks.
WHAT TO SEE...
1. Great Market Hall
(Hungarian: Nagyvásárcsarnok) The oldest and largest indoor market in Budapest. Located at the end (or beginning, depending on where you are coming from) of the popular Váci Utca, on the Pest side of Liberty Bridge.
2. Shoes on the Danube bank
This is probably one of the most emotional memorials I have ever come across. It is on the Pest side of the Danube and is in honour of the Jews who were killed during WWII. They were ordered to take their shoes off at the bank; shot and their bodies fell into the water. Shoes on the Danube are in their memoriam as a significant eerie reminder of the tragedy.
3. Buda Castle
The historical castle of the Hungarian Kings in Budapest, the castle is a part of the world heritage site and has baroque designs, which add to its beauty. It currently is a Gallery and History Museum and oh, from the top of the stairs, facing Pest, you can see a magical skyline of the city.
4. Széchenyi chain bridge
(Hungarian: Széchenyi Lánchíd)
The Széchenyi chain bridge is the most popular bridge in this city of bridges. It is the oldest bridge in Budapest, which connects Buda to Pest (like the other bridges), it was named after Charles Széchenyi and opened in 1849. We walked down the bridge on our way to Fisherman’s Bastion and also sailed under it on our Danube boat cruise tour. Although there are other bridges which link east and west, Széchenyi chain bridge is seen as a symbol of national awakening.
5. Fisherman’s Bastion
(Hugarian: Halaszbastya)
The Fisherman’s Bastion stands to commemorate the fishermen who provided for the city. It resembles the famous Disney tower which features in Disney cartoons and as the popular backdrop in Disneyland. The Fisherman’s Bastion is a few steps away from Buda Castle and if I did not know what it looked like, I would have confused it for part of the Buda Castle.
6. The Hungarian Parliament Building
One of the most prestigious governmental buddings in Europe and was founded in 1902. It is probably one of the most recognisable buildings in Europe as well, especially on Instagram. I managed to photograph it in all its glory from my Danube boat cruise.
7. Liberty Bridge
(Hungarian: Szabadság Híd)
This one was in our back yard. We had a cute view of the bridge from our window. Going to Budapest, the only bridge I was interested in was Széchenyi because it is the most popular one. However, I can now say that my favourite bridge was Liberty Bridge. Probably because it was the one we walked through the most. Most importantly, for the gorgeous sunset views!
WHERE TO EAT...
1. Anna’s Café
This was such a lush terrace restaurant at the foot of our hotel. We literally slept through the first day we were in Budapest and once we left for our evening stroll, the sun was still ridiculously hot. I mean, it was burning so we sought solace in Anna’s Café which was the perfect spot for people watching. Service was lovely, food was tasty and vibe was perfect for our first meal in Budapest. Loved it!
2. New York Café
When you have read that the most beautiful café in the world is in Budapest, you know that you have to see it live, eat in it and just be in it. Prior to going to Budapest, I made a reservation a few weeks before our trip because I knew it was a busy spot. Of course, all the fanciness deserved a blog post of its own and there is a more expansive review here New York Cafe Budapest.
Totally recommend going there for the hot chocolate and chocolate milkshake!
3. Grappa
This was one we stumbled upon on our last evening while strolling on Váci Utca. Mr E and I were so hungry but I was very particular about eating at Grappa because I had spotted it the previous night and I could perceive the aroma of the food lol. We ordered a few different plates to try and everything was so tasty!
One thing to note is that lemonade seems to be the most popular drink in Budapest so get ready to be offered lemonade everywhere you go and on every menu!
WHERE TO STAY...
Residence Baron Hotel
When I say that they were the nicest staff ever, I mean it. We got a free upgrade after we arrived almost at midnight to check in, I thought it was very sweet of them. They went out of their way to accommodate us for an extra day because our flight was not till 8pm (check out was at noon). I cannot recommend them enough! It is even lovelier that the hotel’s location is literally off Váci Utca, on the Pest side of the river, few steps from the Liberty Bridge and Great Market hall; therefore very central!
Residence Baron hotel is 4 stars and has 23 rooms. It is situated in a building, which dates back to 1870. How cool is that?! It also offers wellness and spa services. Residence Baron hotel has a cozy, romantic and timeless vibe to it, which as you all know, I tend to go for!
A few hotels I also think were lush are Gellért Hotel and New York Palace Hotel. Gellert Hotel which housed the spa is on the Buda side of the river. New York Palace Hotel which housed the New York Cafe is on the Pest side of the river. Both super luxurious and worth your coins!
TO NOTE...
Currency – HUF (Hungarian Forint). Most restaurants and shops will accept your Euros but things are generally cheaper in HUF than in Euros.
Language – Hungarian.
I hope you have enjoyed my extra comprehensive Budapest travel series.
Until next time…
…Bisous, ‘Bugo x
4 Comments
Rumz
Wow, I’ve learnt so much from reading this. I definitely would love to visit and would definitely use their currency. Thanks LWB x.
Bugo
Yay! I’m glad you liked it 🙂
You can also have your travel card with you. I use the starling bank card (you can use a few others like Monzo, Resolut etc). That way you don’t need to carry cash around, you can just pay in HUF via card everywhere x
Timi
Fantastic write-up! You covered everything ! Can’t wait to visit
Bugo
aww thank you darling for your lovely comment.
You’ll enjoy Budapest when you visit. If you need anymore tips, let me know x