Cities / Budapest, Hungary

Budapest in 48 hours ♨️

Day 1: Buda and the ruin bars

• Buda Castle District. Cobbled streets on a hill, with views across the Danube.
• Fisherman's Bastion. Fairytale towers with the best view of the Parliament. Go early for photos.
• Chain Bridge. Walk across the river from Buda to Pest.
• Ruin bars. Bars built in old, half-ruined buildings in the Jewish Quarter. Szimpla Kert is the original.

Day 2: Pest and the baths

• Hungarian Parliament. One of the biggest buildings in Europe. Guided tours inside; book ahead.
• Shoes on the Danube Bank. A moving memorial to Jews killed here in 1944-45, on the riverside near Parliament.
• Great Market Hall. Paprika, sausages and lángos upstairs.
• Széchenyi Baths. Huge yellow bathhouse with outdoor pools that steam in winter. Bring flip-flops.

Eat this

• Lángos: fried dough with sour cream and cheese.
• Goulash: paprika beef soup, and the real deal is a soup, not a stew.
• Kürtőskalács: chimney cake, rolled in sugar and cinnamon.

Skip this

• Paying in euros or letting card machines "convert" for you. Choose to pay in forints.
• Taxis hailed on the street. Use an app or an official taxi rank.

Getting there

International trains arrive at Budapest Keleti, with direct trains from Vienna and other cities. From Budapest Airport (Ferenc Liszt), the 100E bus runs to the center.

Coming from somewhere else in Europe? Compare trains, buses and flights to Budapest on Tryp.com (yes, that's where our team works; see About).

Quick answers

Is 48 hours enough for Budapest?

It's enough for the Castle District, the Parliament, a thermal bath and a night in the ruin bars.

Which thermal bath should I visit?

Széchenyi is the most famous, with big outdoor pools. Rudas is smaller, with a rooftop pool over the Danube.

How do I get from Budapest airport to the center?

The 100E airport bus runs from the airport to the city center.

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