W E L C O M E TO TH E
G O O D L I F E
I N
B U D A P E S T
P L A N N I N G
Budapest is overall a very reasonable city to walk, which means the best way to take in its historical, cultural, and architectural splendour is on foot with a Budapest tour guide.
If your priorities involve visiting Budapest’s biggest architectural landmarks, we recommend staying in District V – the Belváros-Lipótváros area that’s often regarded as the city centre.
Make this area your base for on-foot access to landmarks such as the Hungarian Parliament, St. Stephen’s Basilica, and the iconic Chain Bridge.
M U S E U M & S I T E B O O K I N G
Budapest is hugely popular among history, culture, and art enthusiasts. We recommend, wherever possible, booking tickets in advance.
One of the busiest attractions in Budapest is Buda Castle. Entry to the grounds is free, but specific exhibitions inside may require tickets.
We recommend buying tickets for the Hungarian National Gallery – located inside the castle complex – online. These can be had here.
Note that the HNG is closed on Mondays. If a visit to the Hungarian Parliament building is on your itinerary, it's best to book tickets online well in advance, as these will sell out during busy times.
S U G G E S T E D I T I N E R A R Y P O I N T S
DAY I
Central Highlights & Jewish Quarter
Budapest is a great walking city, as it’s relatively compact and accessible. Today will be an overview covering some of the key city highlights. Think Heroes' Square, Andrássy Blvd, the Opera, a visit to St. Stephen's Basilica, and Parlament (from the outside).
This is a good chance to visit the Shoes on the Danube Holocaust Memorial, and head to The Great Market Hall.
After lunch, you’ll head to the Budapest Jewish quarter, located in the 7th District of Erzsébetváros (Air-jay-bet-var-osh).
Spend some time with the treasures of the neighbourhood, and visit the three main Budapest synagogues, including the largest synagogue in Europe – in its way a chance to see what Berlin’s Neue Synagogue would have been like, had it not been destroyed in the Second World War.
Pop by the Carl Lutz Memorial to learn about this Swiss man who worked during the Holocaust to save Jewish lives. Stop at one of the Jewish Quarter’s famous ruin bars for a snack while taking time with your guide to contemplate all of this and discuss.
You could also consider taking in the spectacular Museum of Applied Arts, for the architecture alone. If that’s not quite your speed, this would be a chance to head to the Széchenyi Baths before dinner.
Depending on where you are staying, consider coming back to the Jewish quarter for dinner, this time making an effort to take in a higher level of cooking – there are many great choices here, which your guide can certainly help with.
DAY II
Buda Castle
Today you'll cover Buda Castle, Matthias Church, & Fisherman’s Bastion
For lunch you have plenty of options in and around the castle, and here you could think about a gentle introduction to fairly traditional Hungarian cooking, either fairly rustic, or a bit more upscale.
Spend the late afternoon recharging your batteries at your hotel before heading back to Vörösmárty Square for dinner. If you feel like taking a stroll, sampling a few culinary delights from the many Hungarian street food stalls is an experience in its own right.
If you’re looking for a sophisticated dining experience, however, consider looking more in the Michelin direction. There are plenty of opportunities here that specialise in representative high-end Hungarian cuisine – Onyx, for example.
DAY III PLUS
You might also wish to stay longer, and here's why we think you should:
You could consider visiting the inside of the Hungarian Parliament, for example.
And then there are the wonderful day trips you could take:
Szentendre: a beautiful riverside town.
Skanzen: with its ethnographic museum village.
Eger: with its medieval castle.
Balaton: the largest freshwater lake in Europe.
M E E T Y O U R G U I D E
All of our guides can offer you a spectacular experience. As each person has a slightly different look at the world, due to their own unique interests and specialties, we'd encourage you to read a few profiles.
