Budapest Tourist Attractions
Hungary

Tourist Places to Visit and Top Things to Do in Budapest

Mustafa Natalwala 3814 Views

Budapest is the national capital city of Hungary. In 1873, three cities known as Buda, Obuda, and Pest were merged to form Budapest. This Hungarian capital has often been called the Capital of Spas and Thermal Baths. You would witness this to be true as you go through the list of best places to visit in Budapest. The city has a variety of natural and artificial thermal baths. There are indoor baths as well as outdoor baths. There are also public and private baths. It is among the best things to do in Budapest, Hungary. The baths have a very chilled-out vibe. Besides leisure, they are also known for their healing properties owing to the natural mineral water which flows in these thermal baths. Some of these baths can also be included among free things to do in Budapest as there are no charges to use them. All you need to do is follow decorum. The best places to visit in Budapest for this incredible experience are the Szechenyi baths. Many of the baths are located quite close to important historical things to see in Budapest. So you can enjoy Budapest sightseeing along with this leisurely experience.

When it comes to historical Budapest attractions, you will see a blend of various cultures, empires and ages. You will see the influence of Roman, Turkish and Gothic architecture on Budapest’s top attractions. The city is well known for Neo-Gothic Architecture in its castles and churches. The pointed tops of Budapest tourist attractions like the Hungarian Parliament Building, Matthias Church, St. Elizabeth Church, and Paris court are a must-see of admirers of architecture. One of the most popular areas for Budapest sightseeing, especially for historical architecture is District VIII. Another popular area to explore during Budapest travel is Castle Hill. It is among Budapest’s must-see attractions. The castle was built 700 years ago and has played an important role in defending the people from numerous invaders. You will encounter several places to see in Budapest within the gothic-looking castle. Among other best things to do in the Budapest trip is the ride of Tram No. 2 which runs alongside the river Danube. You will get to see Budapest’s top attractions including the Parliament Building on this ride. This tram is not very expensive either, hence is among popular activities in Budapest for tourists.

The Hungarian capital is also known as the Capital of Festivals. Many people visit Budapest exclusively for music, food and cultural festivals. Some of the most popular festivals to attend on a Budapest trip include Sziget Music Festival, Budapest Wine Festival, Danube Festival, and Budapest Spring Festival. You will get to enjoy some of the top things to do in Budapest during these extravaganzas. The city is also known as one of the most groovy party destinations in Europe. The music scene is quite vibrant and so is the nightlife. Some of the clubs and party spots in Budapest are developed around ancient ruins. You should talk to a local to find the most fun things to do in Budapest at night. The people are very friendly and easy to talk to.

This Blog Post contains affiliate links. If you purchase anything from that link then I may earn a small part of the commission and for that, you do not need to pay any extra amount.

Enjoy The Best Tourist Places of Budapest in 4 Days

This section covers all the best things to do in Budapest, which you can explore in a 4-day trip to this Hungarian city.

Day 1

1. The Chain Bridge (Széchenyi Chain Bridge)

This is the bridge that connects Buda to Pest, completing Budapest. It is hence one of the most significant structures among Budapest attractions. You would need 15 to 20 minutes for this bridge.

The Chain Bridge

2. Hungarian Parliament Building (Országház)

This is the third largest parliament building in the world. Besides its political significance, the House of Parliament is included in Budapest sightseeing for its architectural features as well. You can see a mixture of Renaissance, Gothic and Baroque designs in the building. You will need 20 to 30 minutes to explore this building.

I suggest you should take a Guided Tour of the Hungarian Parliament Building.

Hungarian Parliament Building

3. St. Stephen’s Basilica (Szent István-bazilika)

This church is a work of art within itself. The interior of the church features various mosaics and paintings to admire. The basilica is included among the most beautiful places to see in Budapest. You would need 30 to 45 minutes to explore it.

I suggest you should go for a Guided Tour of St. Stephen’s Basilica with an Entrance Ticket. At St. Stephen’s Basilica, you should also try to attend Organ Concert and Classical Music Concert.

St. Stephen's Basilica

4. Hungarian State Opera House (Magyar Állami Operaház)

The National Opera House has a regal presence to it. You can see Neo-Renaissance design with elements of Gothic architecture in this structure. The building also features a variety of Gold decor in its interiors. It is also among the beautiful things to see in Budapest. You will need about half an hour to explore it.

Hungarian State Opera House

5. Hungarian National Museum (Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum)

This museum exhibits the history, culture, traditions and art of Hungary over the ages. There are enough exhibits in the museum to warrant 2 hours of your time during Budapest travel.

Hungarian National Museum

6. Great Market Hall (Central Market – Nagyvásárcsarnok)

Also known as the Great Market Hall, this market is housed in a beautiful building built in 1897. You will need about 30 to 45 minutes to explore the market.

Great Market Hall

7. Museum of Applied Arts (Iparművészeti Múzeum)

This art nouveau structure is home to the museum of applied arts. As incredible as this building is from the outside, the interiors and the art exhibits inside are even more intriguing. You will need 2 hours to explore this museum.

Museum of Applied Arts

8. Holocaust Memorial Center (Holokauszt Emlékközpont)

This memorial center is created inside Pava Synagogue. It depicts the history and atrocities faced by Hungarian Jews during the second world war. You will need an hour for this memorial center.

If you like to know more about Jews History then, I suggest you should go for a Guided Walking Tour of Jewish Heritage in Budapest.

Holocaust Memorial Center

Day 2

1. Hungarian National Gallery (Magyar Nemzeti Galéria)

The National Gallery features the largest collection of works of fine arts in the country. Though the exhibits are primarily focused on Hungarian arts, you will also find several international pieces here. You will need about 2 hours to explore the National Gallery.

Hungarian National Gallery

2. Fisherman’s Bastion (Halászbástya)

This bastion is kind of a promenade and an ornate castle which looks straight out of a Disney movie. It is one of the most beautiful things to see in Budapest. You would need a couple of hours to explore its magnificence.

I suggest you should book a Guided Walking Tour of Buda Castle District in advance.

Fisherman's Bastion

3. Matthias Church (Nagyboldogasszony-templom)

This ornate church was originally built in 1255 and then has undergone a few reconstructions and renovations. It still retains many of its original aspects and is a work of art by itself. You should keep aside 20 to 30 minutes for this church.

At Matthias Church, I suggest you should try to attend the Classical Music Concert.

Matthias Church

4. Institute for Musicology (Zenetörténeti Múzeum)

For all those who practice music or musical instruments, this institute would be among the best places to visit in Budapest. This Museum of Music features several exhibits including compositions, instruments, artifacts, and so on. It will take you about an hour to go through various exhibits of this museum.

Institute for Musicology

5. Mediaeval Jewish Chapel (Kozepkori Zsido Imahaz)

This Jewish Prayer House was built in 1364 by some of the earliest Jewish settlers in the region. It was discovered during an excavation in 1960 and is an integral part of historical places to see in Budapest. You would need 30 to 45 minutes here.

6. War History Museum (Hadtorteneti Muzeum)

This museum is established appropriately in former military barracks. There are several exhibits here concerning the war and the military of Hungary. It also includes military artifacts from Ottoman and pre-Ottoman eras. You will need an hour to explore this museum.

War History Museum

Day 3

1. Heroes Square (Hősök tere)

This is the largest square in the city and is close to many top things to do in Budapest. It is surrounded by monuments, sculptures, museums and historical buildings. You should keep 30 minutes of time for this square.

Heroes Square

2. Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden (Fővárosi Állat- és Növénykert)

The zoo was first built in the 1820s and is among the oldest zoos in the world. It is still one of Budapest’s top attractions. The zoo and botanical gardens are both parts of a single complex, so you get to enjoy flora and fauna in one place. You will need about an hour to explore it.

Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden

3. Széchenyi Thermal Bath (Széchenyi gyógyfürdő)

These 19th-century thermal baths can be considered among the best things to do in Budapest. Your trip will be incomplete without a dip in these historic pools. You should keep an hour aside to relax in these pools and admire the architectural beauty around.

I suggest you should get a Full Day Entrance Pass of Szechenyi Thermal Bath with a Free Guided Pálinka Tour.

Széchenyi Thermal Bath

4. Vajdahunyad Castle (Vajdahunyad vára)

This castle was inspired by another eponymous castle in Transylvania, which used to be a part of Hungary. You will need about an hour to explore this castle.

Vajdahunyad Castle

5. Hungarian Technical and Transportation Museum (Magyar Műszaki és Közlekedési Múzeum)

The name says it all, this museum is dedicated to various means of transport road, air and water. It will take you about an hour to explore it.

Hungarian Technical and Transportation Museum

6. Postal Museum (Postamúzeum)

This museum depicts the evolution of the postal system in Hungary. Here too you will need an hour.

Postal Museum

Day 4

1. Tomb of Gül Baba

This is the final resting place of several Ottoman Turk Sultans. The style of architecture is quite distinct from various other Budapest tourist attractions. You will need 20 to 30 minutes at Gul Baba Tomb.

Tomb of Gül Baba

2. Király Thermal Bath (Király fürdő)

These baths were built in 1563 in an oriental style. They have since become popular Budapest attractions and are visited for their cultural significance and unique architecture. You would need 1 hour at Kiraly Baths.

Király Thermal Bath

3. Budapest History Museum (Budapesti Történeti Múzeum)

This museum depicts the history of the city starting from the pre-historic era till post-soviet rule. You will need 2 hours to explore the history of the city at this museum.

Budapest History Museum

4. Semmelweis Museum of Medical History (Orvostorteneti Muzeum)

This museum gives you an insight into medical history as it evolved in Hungary. You will need an hour to explore it.

Semmelweis Museum of Medical History

5. Inner City Parish Church in Pest (Belvárosi Nagyboldogasszony)

This is the oldest church on the Pest side of Budapest. It is prominently known among places to see in Budapest for its 2 iconic spires. You would need 30 to 45 minutes here.

Inner City Parish Church in Pest

If you plan to visit Budapest for more than 4 days or if you want to know about all the tourist attractions and activities in Budapest; check out the section below.

Things to do in Budapest

Monuments, Museums & Historical Places to Visit in Budapest

  1. Buda Castle
  2. Hungarian Parliament Building
  3. Fishermen’s Bastion Fortress
  4. St. Stephen’s Basilica
  5. Heroes Square
  6. Matthias Church
  7. Hungarian State Opera
  8. Vajdahunyad Castle
  9. Dohany Street Synagogue
  10. Citadella
  11. Museum of Fine Arts
  12. Liberty Statue
  13. Hungarian National Gallery
  14. Hungarian National Museum
  15. Budapest Castle Hill Funicular
  16. Gellert Hill Cave
  17. Budapest Torteneti Museum
  18. Vigado Concert Hall
  19. Museum of Applied Arts
  20. Millennium Monument
  21. Museum of Ethnography
  22. Budapest Hall of Art Museum
  23. Museum of Hungarian Agriculture
  24. Ludwig Museum
  25. Rumbach Street Synagogue
  26. Hungarian Railway Museum
  27. Holocaust Memorial Center
  28. Elizabeth lookout Tower
  29. Castle Garden Bazaar
  30. Aquincum Museum
  31. Metropolitan Ervin Szabo Library
  32. Gul Baba Mausoleum
  33. Sandor Palace
  34. Hungarian Natural History Museum
  35. Church of St. Mary Magdalene
  36. Fiumei Road Graveyard
  37. Swamis Chocolate Museum
  38. Kiscelli Museum
  39. Flipper Museum
  40. Vasarely Museum
  41. Transport Museum

Nature & Wildlife Tourist Spots in Budapest

  1. Gellert Hill
  2. Buda Hills
  3. Obuda Island
  4. Normafa Park
  5. Palvolgyi Cave
  6. Janos Hill
  7. Harmashatarhegy Mountain Forest
  8. Szemlo Mountain Cave
  9. Budakeszi Wildlife Park

Entertainment & Leisure Tourist Spots in Budapest

  1. Szechenyi Thermal Bath
  2. Gellert Thermal Bath
  3. City Park
  4. House of Terror
  5. Shoes on the Danube Beach Sculpture
  6. Szimpla Kert Pub
  7. Memento Park
  8. Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden
  9. Rudas Bath
  10. Huvosvolgy Children’s Railway
  11. Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel
  12. Lukacs Baths
  13. Kiraly Thermal Baths
  14. Palatinus Strand Baths
  15. Tropicarium Oceanarium
  16. Count Dracula Labyrinth
  17. Margeret Island Musical Fountain
  18. Capital Circus of Budapest
  19. Elte Botanical Garden
  20. Budapest Eye
  21. 3D Gallery Budapest

Shopping in Budapest

  1. Central Market Hall
  2. Vaci Street
  3. Mammut Mall
  4. 1001fonal
  5. Paloma
  6. Falk Miksa Street
  7. Ecseri Market

Offbeat Places, Tours, & Adventure in Budapest

  1. Ice Staking
  2. Boating
  3. Zugliget Chairlift Cable Car
  4. Budapest River Cruise
  5. Dinner Cruise

Sightseeing in Budapest

  1. Szechenyi Chain Bridge
  2. Margaret Island
  3. Andrassy Avenue Street
  4. Liberty Bridge
  5. Vorosmarty ter Square
  6. Elisabeth Bridge
  7. Castle District
  8. Margeret Bridge
  9. Liberty Square
  10. Deak Ferenc ter Square
  11. Batthyany ter Square
  12. Kossuth Lajos Square
  13. Castle Hill
  14. Liberty Square
  15. People’s Park
  16. Elizabeth Square
  17. Liszt Ferenc ter Square
  18. Millenaris Park
  19. Arpad Bridge
  20. Kiraly Street

Food, Dining, Restaurants, & Street Food in Budapest

  1. Mazel Tov
  2. Csarnok Vendeglo
  3. Menza
  4. Kadar Etkezde
  5. Borkonyha Wine Kitchen
  6. Bite Bakery Cafe
  7. Rosentein Vendeglo
  8. Gulyas Tunkolo Bufe
  9. Cafe Kor
  10. Jacques Liszt
  11. Divin Porcello
  12. Langos Papa
  13. Szeraj
  14. Stand 25 Bistro
  15. Borbirosag
  16. Kurtoskalacs
  17. Dobrumba
  18. Toltott Kaposzta
  19. Vakvarju E’tterem
  20. Dobos Torta
  21. Bock Bistro
  22. Gyumolcsleves

Where to Stay in Budapest?

Here we have listed Top Rated Luxurious, Mid-Range and Budget Hotels in Budapest. You can check below listed hotels for your perfect stay in Budapest.

Luxurious Hotels

  1. Hotel Moments Budapest
  2. Prestige Hotel Budapest
  3. Hotel Palazzo Zichy
  4. Casati Budapest Hotel
  5. InterContinental Budapest, an IHG Hotel
  6. Corinthia Budapest
  7. Hilton Budapest
  8. Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel
  9. Aria Hotel Budapest by Library Hotel Collection
  10. Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace
  11. Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest
  12. Budapest Marriott Hotel

Mid-Range Hotels

  1. ROOMbach Hotel Budapest Center
  2. Hotel Parlament
  3. Continental Hotel Budapest
  4. Maverick City Lodge
  5. Opera Garden Hotel & Apartments
  6. Danubius Hotel Astoria City Center
  7. La Prima Fashion Hotel
  8. Boutique Hotel Budapest
  9. Novotel Budapest Danube
  10. Bo33 Hotel Family & Suites
  11. Hotel Nemzeti Budapest – MGallery
  12. Hotel Zenit Budapest Palace

Budget Hotels

  1. Marmara Hotel Budapest
  2. Bohem Art Hotel
  3. The Three Corners Hotel Anna
  4. K+K Hotel Opera
  5. Royal Park Boutique Hotel
  6. Soho Hotel
  7. Danubius Hotel Helia
  8. Danubius Hotel Erzsebet City Center
  9. Leonardo Hotel Budapest
  10. Ibis Budapest City Hotel
  11. Star Inn Hotel
  12. Ibis Budapest Centrum

TripAdvisor

Custom Tours Package in Budapest

How to Reach Budapest?

By Air

Your best option for Budapest travel is Franz Liszt International Airport located about 16 km away from the city. It is the largest airport in Hungary and the most popular choice for Budapest trip. You can get direct flights to visit Budapest from Dublin, Paris, Lyon, Berlin, London, Geneva, Basel, Cologne, Bonn, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Edinburgh, Manchester, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Oslo, Stockholm, Brussels, Billund, Tampere, Bristol, Athens, Eilat, Milan, Pisa, Rome, Venice, Poznan, Barcelona, Malta and many more. You can basically get a direct flight for Budapest travel from almost every major city in Europe.

Once you reach the airport you can take a public bus, shuttle bus, or cab for a Budapest trip. You can either take a bus to the nearest metro and continue your journey to the best places to visit in Budapest by metro. You can also take a bus all the way to the city and enjoy all the fun things to do in Budapest, Hungary. You can also choose to travel to Budapest by taxi from the airport. You can also use cab hailing applications or call for a cab service to pick you up from the airport and take you to whichever Budapest tourist attractions you want to visit or your hotel. You can also book a cab for the entirety of your Budapest sightseeing journey.

By Road

As for land transport, you have the option of train and bus for Budapest travel. You can get direct trains to visit Budapest from several cities in central and eastern Europe. There are three main train stations for Budapest trips from European cities. All three of them are connected with the city’s internal metro network as well, so you can directly head to the best places to visit in Budapest from the station. You can direct trains for Budapest travel from Berlin, Munich, Vienna, Prague, Bratislava, Warsaw, Bucharest, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade, Sofia, Kiev, Moscow, and Zurich. The stations are also fairly close to some of the best things to do in Budapest, so your sightseeing trip needs to wait for another transport to tourist attractions.

The bus network to visit Budapest is even more widespread. There are five major bus stations in the city catering to international buses for Budapest travel. You can get buses to make Budapest trip from several cities in Austria, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Croatia, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Romania and other nearby European countries. If you are traveling by road, there are several routes you can take to visit Budapest depending on where you begin your journey. Route E77 connects with the city from the north, E60 from the west, E73 & E75 from the south, and E71 & E79 from the east. You also get to enjoy several fun things to do in Budapest, Hungary along the way. Eastern and Southern routes are especially great for Budapest sightseeing.

By Water

You can get cruise boats along the Danube River for Budapest travel. Between the months of May and September, you can also visit Budapest from Vienna in Austria with these cruise boats. The cruise also covers many Budapest tourist attractions along the ride. There are also dinner cruise rides among the top things to do in Budapest.

Image Reference

Mustafa Natalwala

Mustafa is a content writer and digital marketing expert at WideWorldTrips.com His mainly interests are into travelling, photography, film-making

You May Also Like

Tourist Places to Visit in Szentendre

Worth Visiting Tourist Attractions and Things to Do in Szentendre

Mustafa Natalwala
Top Tourist Places to Visit in Esztergom, Hungary

10 Beautiful Places to Visit and Things to Do in Esztergom, Hungary

Mustafa Natalwala
Top Things to Do and See in Eger

Remarkable Places to Visit and Things to Do in Eger, Hungary

Mustafa Natalwala