3 Days and Nights in Budapest – Travel Guide
If you are looking for a complete day-to-night guide for three days in Budapest, consider this post to be your best friend. If you’d like to save it for later, just pin it to your Pinterest with the picture below!
I recently went to Budapest with my best friend for the first time and I thought I’d share my experience as a first-timer. We only flew there because of this festival called Sziget, which we attended for two days, which meant we had three days to discover the city. If you’re planning on going for a short trip, consider this your guide.
Transport
Taxi
We got a taxi from the airport because they weren’t overpriced like you expect them to be for tourists. They have a set price per kilometre, so they shouldn’t be able to rip you off. All taxis are yellow, including bolt taxis and there are lots of them.
Public transport
We were pleasantly surprised at how well the public transport runs. There are buses, trams and Metro which is underground. Google maps will be your best friend at telling you which ones to get, so as long as you know where you’re going it is super easy to use.
Everything runs smoothly and is very well kept in Budapest, which makes public transport a pleasant experience. This would be my first choice of transport since it’s so cheap and easy. A whole day travel card is 2500 ft, which is something like €6!
You will have to buy the ticket from a machine which you can usually find at a metro station.
Scooters
We initially went for scooters to get around because they were familiar to us and we were hesitant to use public transport. They are really fun to use and not to mention, fast. However, one trip could cost you the same as a whole day travel card. They’re great for when it’s late and the public transport may not be running or just as an experience but don’t be afraid of using the public transport!
Day 1
The first day is for getting all the touristy things out of the way and they can be done mostly on the same day, so get your walking shoes on.
St. Stephens Basicila
We would start in the centre which is the main square of St. Stephens Basicila. There are lots of break brunch spots to grab a filling meal before your full day starts. It’s a beautiful spot to take some pictures in front of the cathedral.
The Fisherman’s Bastions
The next stop is the Fisherman’s bastions, which is where you will be able to see the entire city from a high point. You can get a bus and a metro right to the bottom of the stairs of the bastions.
Once you get there, you can choose to pay a small fee for entry to the highest vantage point. It’s usually a lot less busy and great for taking aesthetic pictures. I will warn you, it’s not a very long part until you end up back with the majority of the people so take your time up there!
Buda Castle
You can walk from the Fisherman’s bastions to the Buda castle. It’s another great viewpoint of the whole city. You can choose to get the lift up or walk up the stairs if you’re feeling brave. We actually took a wrong turn and ended up behind the castle and took a regular modern lift up and skipped the stairs (Sometimes getting lost isn’t so bad).
[view from the Buda castle]
Dinner in the inner city
Take a trip down to the inner city which is buzzing in the evening.
Since it’s your first night and you’ve done a lot of walking, a nice relaxed dinner would be ideal. My best friend and I love Italian cuisine, so we found a place called Il Terzo Cerchio, which had such a nice interior, lovely service and great food. It’s a real cosy vibe in there!
Day 2
Breakfast
There are lots of cafes near the thermal baths that we recommend staying the day in. There is a lovely lake and park nearby called Széchenyi Fürdő Előtti Park, which would make for a pleasant spot to eat breakfast.
Thermal baths
Thermal baths are a typical activity for the locals and you should consider it a ‘must-do’ activity when visiting Budapest, especially after a whole day of sightseeing. The city contains many other smaller and cheaper thermal baths, which are used by locals but if you’re there for the experience, then go to the biggest one called Széchenyi Thermal Bath.
There are something like 18 heated dip pools, inside and out, all at different temperatures, saunas, steam rooms and ice dips. Make a day of it and don’t rush your time there, so leave this as the main activity of the day.
Dinner at Stifler’s house
Tonight is a night to hit the Inner city after a day of rejuvenation at the thermal baths. I would recommend starting at Stiflers ház, where you can grab some dinner and then have a round of pool with your friends. The whole place is a play on the American pie tv show, so it’s American food. Not exactly a cultural point for Hungarian food but it’s just what we decided to do!
Ruin bars
The inner city of Budapest is known for their ruin bars, which are the ruins of old buildings, hence the name. They were derelict and abandoned buildings which are now turned into quirky bars and entertainment.
We happened to stumble onto the most popular and by far the best one called Szimpla Kert. It’s chaotic and overstimulating, in the most pleasurable way. Make sure to write your name on the walls and get lost in the different rooms.
Instant club
This is one of the more popular clubs, which I wouldn’t recommend going to until at least 11pm, that’s if you plan on having a late one. This one is recommended by many of the locals after asking around.
Day 3
Brunch
Assuming you had a good night out in the ruins, you will be opting for a later breakfast. We loved this place called the Cookie Beacon Brunch so much that we actually went back twice to try their unique and scrumptious menu. Fyi, I had to go back and try their cheesy waffle breakfast sandwich, I had never seen anything like it.
Chairlift
If you’d like to get away from the busy city and connect with the peaceful side of Budapest, I recommend riding the Zugliget chair lift. It’s such an underrated activity and the scenery is breathtaking, all for about €5 each.
The lift takes 30 minutes total, up and down but you can also stop at the top and get ice cream! If you really want to go deeper into the forest there are trails you can follow so take some hiking shoes with you. The view down is the best part so make sure you get back to the lift before 7pm.
The Central Market hall
This is a great last stop to buy your souvenirs to take back home to friends and family.
Over here you’ll find a food market on the ground floor and upstairs is a souvenir market. I would recommend getting any souvenirs from here because the ones at the airport are triple the price. Be mindful that it closes at 6pm. Take change because some stalls may not take credit cards.
Dinner at QUÍ
Our last dinner was at this cute and quaint Thai restaurant which was rated the best in Budapest. We were lucky to get a space on walk-in but I would recommend booking as there is limited seating.
It was the best Thai I’ve had in a long time and here’s what we got!
Boat cruise
This is the best way to end your trip, by taking a nighttime cruise tour of the city. It’s a totally different experience at night because all of the main buildings are lit up, like the Parliament building. Tours usually start at 9pm, so have an early dinner if you’d like to fit this in.
That concludes my three days and three nights travel guide for Budapest. If you’d like to see my vlog of a more in-depth view of Budapest, check out my channel, the vlog will be uploaded soon.
Don’t forget to pin this blog-post if you’d like to easily find it again. Happy travels!
Pin this to save for later!
Credits
[Featured image photo by Zalan Szabo]
[All images within the blog are taken by me]
You May Also Like
