Budapest is my favorite city in Eastern Europe, and honestly it’s one of my favorite cities I’ve ever been to. It is brimming with exciting things to do and stunning places to visit. This guide includes everything from the best 5-star hotels (or hostels) to stay at, the best restaurants, cafes, bars, and activities available in the city, and any other information you need to know before traveling there.
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Accommodation
Splurge-worthy hotels
- Anantara New York Palace – A luxury hotel close to the city-center with beautiful architecture. It is also home to the famous New York Cafe.
- Matild Place, a Luxury Collection – This luxury Marriott collection is a perfect combination of classical and modern. It features the Matild Cafe and five-star dining by Wolfgang Puck.
- Aria Hotel Budapest by Library Hotel Collection – The Aria is a 5-star luxury hotel and spa near St. Stephen’s Basilica that offers a unique musical theme, interesting architecture, and a popular rooftop bar.
- Verno House – This boutique hotel in the city center is near many major landmarks and offers chic and modern rooms while still emphasizing comfort.
For the savers
- Maverick Urban Lodge – This boutique hostel is in a great location and has unbeatable prices for the facilities offered. They also offer free luggage lockers and a free luggage room, which is something I struggle with at hostels when traveling with a full-sized bag.
- Netizen Budapest Centre – This modern hostel next to the New York Cafe offers all of the amenities that you might need for a great price.
- Opera Garden Hotel & Apartments – This is a renovated 110 year old apartment building that is in a prime location and will give you a lot of bang for your buck.
- Courtyard by Marriott Budapest City Center – I used Marriott points to stay here and had a lovely stay, but a standard room goes for around $100 USD if you are not traveling during peak season.
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The best restaurants, bars, & cafes
- Twentysix Budapest – The interior of this restaurant is stunning and is reason enough alone to grab a bite to eat here. I went for brunch which was fantastic. They have a handful of options for people with dairy and gluten allergies, so I had the vegan Shakshuka which was phenomenal.
- New York Café– Inside the Anantara New York Palace Hotel, this cafe is often deemed the most beautiful cafe in the world (I concur). The prices are more expensive as you are paying for the architecture (and social media hype).
- High Note SkyBar – Overlooking St. Stephen’s Basilica, this rooftop bar at the Aria Hotel is known for its great views and unique cocktails. It also offers yoga classes on Sunday mornings and occasional live music.
- Mazel Tov – This restaurant serves Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern fusion cuisine and is popular amongst locals and tourists alike.
- Centrál Grand Cafe & Bar – Another historical cafe, Central Cafe dates back to before WWI and breakfast, coffee, and cakes and a lovely outdoor patio.
- Café Gerbeaud – This is a historic cafe and traditional Hungarian pastry shop in a central location.
- Matild Café & Cabaret – This two-story coffeehouse in the city center offers a beautiful space and classic Hungarian cakes. Like New York Cafe, prices are marketed more towards tourists so expect to pay a bit more.
Restaurants for people with dietary restrictions
- Szabad Bisztró – Új Hely – This fully vegan restaurant is one of the best I’ve ever been to. I ordered a French cashew Camembert cheese and the Hungarian potato casserole, both of which were superb. The ambience was both lively and homey.
- Édeni Vegán – This hole-in-the-wall vegan restaurant on the Buda side of the city is buffet style and had lovely traditional Hungarian food and coffee.
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Activities you can’t miss
Evening sightseeing cruise with unlimited prosecco
This $25 unlimited Prosecco cruise (yes, you read that right) was one of the highlights of my trip and I don’t even really enjoy alcohol that much. The nighttime views of the city from the river were fantastic and it was a very peaceful outing for me since I was alone (however, you could get pretty rowdy during this hour-and-a-half trip if you really wanted to).
Thermal baths
Visiting a thermal bath is a MUST when visiting Budapest.
Széchenyi Thermal Bath – One of the most famous tourist attractions in Budapest, this is a must-do activity. Of course, it gets extremely crowded due to how well known it is so I would recommend getting there early in the morning. You need to bring sandals and your own towel, otherwise you will have to purchase them (no rentals are available).
Gellért Thermal Bath – Gellért Thermal Bath should be less crowded than Széchenyi but it is still wildly popular. I actually preferred it to Széchenyi because I loved using the interior baths, but it has exterior baths as well. Like Széchenyi, make sure you bring your own towel and sandals to avoid having to purchase some.
Museums & tours
Hungarian Parliament Building – The iconic parliament building is hard to miss. Tickets to visit cost 10,000 HUF for non-EEA citizens, which is around $28 USD.
Fisherman’s Bastion – Fisherman’s Bastion offers beautiful views of the city from the Buda side. There are many areas where entry is free, but tickets to other points of entry cost 1200 HUF (around $3.50 USD).
City park
This beautiful public park holds Széchenyi Thermal Bath, the beautiful Vajdahunyad Castle, and the famous Gundel Restaurant. It is a perfect place to take a walk and the fall foliage here was beautiful. It is also home to an outdoor ice skating rink in the winter season.
House of Music Hungary – Located within City Park, this new musical institution that presents the history of music is a beautiful architectural feat that is worth visiting, even if just to see the building’s exterior.
Hiking
Gellért-hegy Jubileumi park – For more active travelers, there is a very enjoyable hike on the Buda side of the city that offered great views of the Danube. I started it right outside of Gellért Thermal Bath and ended close to Fisherman’s Bastion. This took roughly an hour to and hour-and-a-half.
Aesthetic procedures
This one is specifically for the girlies (or guys) who have been itching to get different aesthetic procedures done but find it too expensive in the States or in other countries. I have always struggled with acne and redness all over my face, so when I realized I could get an IPL Photolaser treatment for $70 USD (as opposed to anywhere from $700-$1200 in New York…) I was sold. My experience was great and I would highly recommend the clinic I went to (Heiszler), though there were others offering even cheaper prices that I was unable to get into on such short notice. IPL Photolaser procedures were far from the only cheap aesthetic procedures, as I found that Fraxel, Botox, and laser hair removal were significantly cheaper as well.
Heiszler Ivett Hair Salon – This is both a hair salon and spa, with all of the facial procedures being done on the second floor. My esthetician (Bogi) spoke great English and was very gentle.
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Public transportation
Public transportation in Budapest is very affordable and single ride passes, day passes, and passes for extended periods of time are available. I bought single-day travel cards and was able to use it on the metro, trolley buses, and city buses. You can access the website for more information here.
Uber is not available in Budapest, but Bolt is very similar and had cheap prices in the city. I usually take public transportation when traveling but it is always good to have a backup plan. You can access the website for more information here.
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