The city guide to Budapest, Hungary

Best of Budapest

The queen of the Danube: grand coffee houses, thermal baths, ruin bars and one of the most beautiful river views in the world.

Where to eat What to see

Your trusted, one‑stop guide to Budapest

Budapest is two cities in one: hilly, historic Buda with its castle above the Danube, and grand, lively Pest with its boulevards, coffee houses and nightlife. Between them flows the Danube, lined with some of the finest views in Europe. Our editors have chosen the places worth your time, from MICHELIN-starred tables and steaming thermal baths to ruin bars and the cafés where writers once spent their days, so you can enjoy the city like someone who knows it well.

The icon of the Danube

The Hungarian Parliament

Lipótváros·Landmark

Few buildings define a city like the Parliament defines Budapest: a forest of neo-Gothic spires along the Danube, crowned by a great dome. Book a guided tour to see the Holy Crown of Hungary in the domed hall, then cross to the Buda bank at dusk and watch it light up across the water.

Plan your visit

Christmas in Budapest

Two famous markets, light shows on the Basilica, skating in City Park and the light trams: Budapest is one of the great Christmas cities of Europe.

Vörösmarty SquareChristmas in BudapestThe city’s oldest Christmas fair

St Stephen’s BasilicaSt Stephen’s BasilicaAdvent, lights and skating

The city of baths

More than a hundred hot springs rise beneath Budapest, and bathing here is one of the great experiences of Europe: steaming outdoor pools in the snow, Ottoman domes lit by coloured glass and grand bath palaces.

The back storyThe city of bathsRoman springs, Ottoman domes and bath palaces

City ParkSzéchenyi Thermal BathOutdoor pools that steam all year

BudaRudas BathsAn Ottoman dome and a rooftop pool

BudaLukács BathsWhere the locals bathe

The Danube and its icons

The Danube is Budapest’s main street, and the view along it, from the Parliament to Buda Castle and the bridges, is one of the most beautiful city views in the world.

PestThe ParliamentThe icon of the Danube

Castle DistrictFisherman’s BastionThe best-known view in Budapest

The DanubeThe Chain BridgeThe bridge that united Buda and Pest

BudaGellért HillThe city at your feet

A city of music

Liszt founded its academy, operetta was perfected here and there are concerts every night of the year, from the gilded Grand Hall of the Liszt Academy to jazz clubs and a concert ship on the Danube.

ConcertsThe Liszt AcademyAn Art Nouveau concert hall

OperaThe State OperaA neo-Renaissance jewel

OperettaThe Operetta TheatreOn Budapest’s Broadway

On the DanubeA38Concerts on a ship

Know Budapest

The stories behind the city: our guides to the Jewish Quarter and the Castle District, the ruin bars, the bridges and the coffee houses.

Neighbourhood guideJewish QuarterSynagogues and ruin bars

Neighbourhood guideCastle DistrictSeven centuries on the hill

The back storyRuin barsBars in crumbling courtyards

The back storyThe bridgesHow Buda and Pest became one

The back storyCoffee housesA golden age around 1900

The back storyHungarian foodGoulash, lángos and paprika

Beyond Budapest

Some of Hungary’s finest places are an easy day trip from the capital: the towns of the Danube Bend, the shores of Lake Balaton, and Eger and Hollókő in the northern hills.

Day trip · 1 hourThe Danube BendSzentendre, Visegrád and Esztergom

Day trip · 2 hoursLake BalatonThe Hungarian sea

Day trip · 2 hoursEger & HollókőA castle, wine and a UNESCO village

Day trip · 1 hourGödöllő & the PusztaSisi’s palace and the horsemen

Trip · 3 hoursPécsRoman tombs and Zsolnay

Trip · 3 hoursTokajThe king of wines

Trip · 2.5 hoursSzegedArt Nouveau and paprika

Coming soon: Budapest to Belgrade by train

The rebuilt railway between Budapest and Belgrade is expected to open to international passengers in December 2026, linking two great Danube capitals in around three hours.

Expected December 2026Budapest to Belgrade by high-speed trainJourney times, tickets and the border

Our sister guideULTIMATE Belgrade City GuideWhere to eat, stay and explore in Belgrade

ULTIMATE City Guides: Balkans & Central Europe

Planning a longer journey? Each city in the network has its own independent guide, written with the same care and checked place by place. Here are the guides that are live, with more on the way.

SerbiaULTIMATE BelgradeWhere the Sava meets the Danube: a buzzing capital of art, classical music and famous nightlife, with a new waterfront and the mountains of Zlatibor and Kopaonik.Visit the guide

GreeceULTIMATE AthensThe Acropolis and the Plaka, rooftop bars facing the Parthenon, the Athens Riviera and the Greek islands: our original guide, and our deepest.Visit the guide

RomaniaULTIMATE BucharestBelle Époque palaces, concerts at the Athenaeum, a buzzing food and coffee scene, and the castles and mountains of the Carpathians.Visit the guide

CroatiaULTIMATE ZagrebCroatia’s elegant capital of cafés, museums and markets, and the gateway to Plitvice Lakes, Istria, Dubrovnik and the islands of the Adriatic.Visit the guide

Our sister guideULTIMATE Split & the coastDiocletian’s Palace, beaches and the islands of Brač, Hvar and Vis: the Dalmatian coast, part of our Zagreb guide.Visit the guide

SloveniaULTIMATE LjubljanaSlovenia’s green, car-free capital of river cafés and Plečnik’s bridges, an hour from Lake Bled, the Julian Alps, the caves and the Adriatic.Visit the guide

MontenegroULTIMATE PodgoricaMontenegro’s relaxed capital of rivers and café terraces, and the gateway to the Bay of Kotor, Lake Skadar, Cetinje and the mountains.Visit the guide

BulgariaULTIMATE SofiaRoman streets beneath the city, golden domes, warm mineral springs and a mountain at the end of the main boulevard.Visit the guide

Coming soon: Istanbul, Turkey · Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina · Tirana, Albania · Skopje, North Macedonia

HOT TOPICS · Have Your Say

The latest from our readers: visitors and locals talking about Budapest, its baths, food and where to go.

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This week's pick

Széchenyi Thermal Bath

City Park·Thermal bath

Autumn is the perfect time for Széchenyi: cool air, warm water and steam rising from the outdoor pools. Go early in the morning or late in the afternoon, and stay until the lights come on.

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