The Best Things to do in Budapest

Even though I haven’t spent a lot of time in the Hungarian capital, I fell in love with Budapest. The city has some special atmosphere and charm, and I also find it very romantic.

For the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle, and Andrassy Avenue the city was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List for the cultural and architectural significance. It’s often called ”Paris of the East”, to be honest, I like it even more than Paris even though I spend less time here.

I was in Budapest for a few days. Four, to be exact. But for those four days, I went for three-day trips to Vienna, Szentendre, and Visegrad, so I didn’t have much time to explore more of the city. In this post, I would share with you the best things to do from my little, but lovely experience. You can also check The Travel Leaf post on 2 days in Budapest in case, you also have limited time in the Hungarian capital.

And if you’re wondering how to get around Budapest, so you can see as much as possible in a limited time, I recommend checking The Hot Flashpacker post on is the Budapest Card worth it (don’t buy it before you read this!). 

So, let’s get started

Take a boat on the Danube river

A boat trip on the Danube river in Budapest also known as the Pearl of the Danube will let you see some of the most fascinating sights of the city. Without a doubt, the cruise is an awesome way to see some of the most beautiful sights of the city, located on both sides of the river in Buda and in Pest.

The trips are made during the day and also during the night. You can book a night cruise for a romantic dinner. The prices for the cruises vary, depend on the length of the trip, the time of the day, etc.  Want to make your better half happy, here’s an idea, brought her/him to Budapest, one of the most beautiful places in Europe.

Watch the sunset from one of the beautiful bridges 

Taking a boat trip on the Danube river will let you marvel at the beauty of the bridges crossing the river. The bridges are one of the symbols of the city, and maybe the most famous and beautiful one is the Chain Bridge.

One of the best parts of my time in the city was exactly watching and enjoying the sunset from the Elisabeth Bridge. There is something very special in watching the sun dipping in the waters of the river in this gorgeous city. Romantic level high. 😀

Enjoy the night view from Gellert Hill

Watching the sunset may be one of the best parts of my trip, but watching the lights of the city from Gellert Hill at night takes the first place. One of the best free things to do in Budapest without any doubts!

I think that the picture speaks for itself so I don’t think that there is anything else to be said.

Admire the architecture of the Parliament 

If you’ve read my previous post about Vienna you know that when I was there I’ve got asked which one I like more – the Austrian Parliament or the Hungarian. My answer was the Hungarian one, and can you see why?! This building is huge and so impressive. I was admiring the architecture looking at it from the boat cruise, from the Fisherman’s Bastion, and also touring around it. There is no surprise that it’s ranked as one of the most representative and famous parliamentary buildings in the world.

READ NEXT: What to do in Vienna for one day – Highlights of the city

Stroll down Andrassy Boulevard

If the city itself is the ”Paris of the East” then Andrassy Avenue is the Champs – Elysees of Budapest. The Boulevard connects Varosliget ( City Park ) and Erzsebet Square. The whole area is under the protection of UNESCO, among the most important buildings there are the State Opera House, the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, museums, etc. Andrassy Avenue is one of the Budapest main streets filled with restaurants, cafes, Embassies, luxury boutiques, and theaters. Beneath the avenue runs the Millennium Underground Railway so if you get tired because the avenue is long you can hop on it to keep on moving.

Visit Fisherman’s Bastion

The Fisherman’s Bastion is one of the main and most visited attractions in the city. As mentioned above this place offers a great view of the Hungarian Parliament building and the bridges over the Danube river. Located next to the Bastion is also the St. Matthias Cathedral which is also worth checking out. Located near is also the Marzipan Museum.

Eat the best Goulash

The food in Budapest is delicious. The Goulash is an original Hungarian dish dating back to the 9^th century. The soup is made from stewed meat and vegetables, seasoned with paprika and spices. The soup is also pretty popular in Bulgaria, but the one there, the real one Goulash is ways better.

Accidentally I found a great place that serves the best Goulash ever. The place is super cool and authentic. The walls and the ceiling are covered in notes left from people, you can leave one as well. When you get a table you get free peanuts also. The portions of the Goulash are huge and can feed two people with no problem. The beer is good.

So what is this place? It’s called For Sale Pub and the exact address is Vamhaz krt. 2. It’s close to the Budapest Central Marker Hall, just on the other side of the street.

Heroes Square

The Heroes Square ( Hosok tere in Hungarian ) is among the major squares in Budapest, most known for its iconic statue complex of the Seven Chieftains of the Magyars and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Square is located in Pest, at the end of the Andrassy Avenue close to the City Park. In the area of the square are located also the Museum of Fine Arts and the Showroom.

Of course, Budapest has a lot more to offer, but those are the tips I can give from my little experience in this amazing city, next time more. 

If you can spend more time in the Hungarian capital, there are many other ideas about what you can do in Budapest. And most importantly, don’t forget to have fun in the meantime and enjoy this beautiful city!  

Thanks for reading, 

Bilyana

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