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Budapest in one word? Incredible! I wasn’t sure what to expect from the city, but l’d heard good things so l was excited. I’m happy to say that we were not disappointed. It definitely deserves all the accolades. The city is gigantic and offers plenty to do. There are about two million people in the city. Here is your ultimate 4 days Budapest guide.
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4 Days In Budapest:
I think it is incredibly hard to take a bad picture and you find yourself oohing and aahing at every turn. . If you plan on visiting this amazing city, here is a guide to enjoying Budapest. We’ve now done two trips and love it totally. Here is what we suggest doing with only four days in Budapest.
Where to stay in Budapest:
The best place to stay in Budapest that will give you a bang for your buck is definitely the Pest side. Budapest is a city with 2 sides, namely Buda and Pest. The two sides are divided by the river Danube. The Buda side is older, more residential, hilly with narrower streets. It makes it a little a little harder to get to Pest where much of the restaurants and nightlife happens. To save yourself time on the metro or bus, I would recommend staying in Pest.
We stayed at an AirBnB accommodation. At a very affordable €30/night, we were pleasantly surprised to see that it had all the comforts of home and it was in an excellent location in District 5, very close to the Hungarian Parliament building (less than 5 minute walk) and the Chain Bridge. We couldn’t have asked for a better apartment, and that was for the whole unit, not a room. Budapest is affordable for sure.
Budapest where to stay? AirBnB is an option. Our amazing digs in Budapest. The hostess was just great and it went so smoothly. I highly recommend her place.If you would prefer hotels in Budapest, here is a suggestion of a budget hotel in Budapest:
Aventura Boutique Hostel has an ideal location, close to the metro station. It also offers great amenities including:
- Free WiFi
- Guest kitchen
- Laundry service
- Breakfast option
- Themed rooms
- Family friendly accommodation
Where to stay in Budapest – Luxury Hotel
If budget travel is not your style, there are of course many options for lodging in Budapest. Here is Boscolo Budapest, a well rated luxury hotel in Budapest at a surprisingly reasonable cost. Parking, pool, WiFi, and breakfast buffet, it’s easy to see why it’s a fantastic place to stay in Budapest.
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Getting Around Budapest: (Budapest Travel)
Budapest has so much history and we had a great time wandering. The first couple of days, we did the tourist bus tour which was well worth it for us. It is just too big a place to navigate on your own, at least in the beginning. it was a good overview of everything. The rest of the time, we walked, took the metro and walked some more. The metro is quite easy to use in Budapest. One tip is to make sure you keep your ticket because the police do make spot checks and if you’re caught without it, there is a steep fine. You can of course take cabs, but it’s really not needed.
What to see in Budapest in 4 days: Some of the best Budapest attractions
- Hungarian Parliament
- Szechenyi Chain Bridge
- Buda Castle
- Shoes on the Danube monument
- Central Market Hall
- Heroes Square
- Museum of Terror
- Opera House
- Margaret Island
- Fishermans Bastion
- Ruin Pubs
- Andrassy Avenue
It’s impossible to see it all due to the size of the city, but here are some of the suggestions of the best sights that l think should be included in your Budapest itinerary (that we saw on our 4 day Budapest trip).
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Hungarian Parliament:
The building is also known as the Parliament of Budapest. It is a top attraction and definitely one of the top things to see in Budapest. It is massive landmark and has stunning views of the Danube and Buda. Did you know that over 80 pounds of gold and half a million precious stones were used in the construction? Who says all that glitters is not gold? There is a central dome and the architectural style is classified as Gothic Revival. I consider it one of the best places in Budapest. If you have time, you can take a tour of the building. You can purchase your tickets here.
Szechenyi Chain Bridge:
Another very popular tourist attraction in Budapest. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can join the holiday crowd on the suspension bridge that crosses the Danube river, walk from Pest to Buda or vice versa, something that we did a couple of times. It is an absolutely beautiful bridge. On the Pest side at the end stands a little lopsided church that had to be moved because of the bridge construction, one of the little tidbits we learned on our tour.
Shoes On The Danube Bank:
Another one of the places to see in Budapest. A moving memorial to the victims who lost their lives during the war. This is a must-see sight in Budapest. It features bronze shoes to depict the poor people who suffered at the hands of fascist militia. The victims were ordered to take off their shoes, they would then be shot, so that their bodies would fall into the water and float away so they wouldn’t have to be buried. How cruel are men? It is within walking distance from the Hungarian parliament.
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Buda Castle:
This is the palace complex of the Hungarian kings. This baroque palace is humongous and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is on top of Castle Hill and can be seen from afar. It is especially beautiful at night. We didn’t tour the palace, but did walk up the steep hill to get a closer look. It is definitely a must see in Budapest, and gives you a glimpse at how the powerful people lived.
Andrassy Avenue Budapest is gorgeous and a must visit:
Home to all the exclusive retail shops such as Tiffany and Louis Vuitton among others. This is where the money is. Lots of exotic cars zooming up and down the avenue. It’s a great place to people watch and window shop.
Central market Hall: (Great Market Hall)
Largest and oldest indoor market in Budapest. You really get a glimpse of everyday Hungarian life as locals shop for fresh produce. Join them and try some Hungarian specialties such as their cold cuts and pate, or grab a drink. Upstairs, you can find shops selling souvenirs. It’s a nice way to spend time in Budapest.
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Heroes Square in Budapest:
What to see in Budapest should include a visit to Heroes Square. Located at the end of Andrassy Avenue, it is another of popular places to see in Budapest. This is where you will find the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, as well as the iconic statue complex called Seven Chieftains of the Magyars. This is another UNESCO World Heritage Site that is one of the top tourist attractions in Budapest. Despite the large size, it can get crowded with tourists. The Museum of Fine Arts is also located by there.
One thing for sure, the Hungarians of past really had a lot of time to think up creative punishments. People were shot, an Italian priest placed in a barrel of thorns and pushed down a hill, a Turk was killed by placing a burning crown on his head and burned. Really creative no? A lot of things were also “blown up”, bridges, caves etc. I swear it seems like they said it at least 10 times!!! Yeah.. I enjoyed the bus tour :-).
Museum of Terror:
Located on Andrassy Avenue, it was indeed a terror for the many victims who were imprisoned there, falsely accused for the most part in an effort to seize their houses and wealth.
Related Reading: Museum of Terror Visit
The Opera House:
Amazing and elegant building. Neo-Renaissance in style and Baroque architectural design, it is the 2nd largest opera house in Hungary. Otto Klemperer was a music director there for 3 years ( I only know that because l was a big fan of Hogan’s Heroes which starred his son Werner) 🙂 . It is gorgeous inside with marble stairs and lots of red.
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Budapest Ruin Pubs:
No visit to Budapest is complete without checking out one of the famous ruin pubs. These are basically abandoned buildings taken over by young hipsters. Full of psychedelic ambience and mismatched crappy furniture, it started as a place for young people to hang out and drink for cheap, but has evolved into a must do thing in Budapest, even the locals hang out there. Worth checking out one or two. There are several located in the 6th District.
As you can see, there are so many points of interest in Budapest, definitely enough things to hold your interest over a 4 day Budapest holiday. Best to narrow down what interest you most and then work out a schedule that will accommodate them.
If you prefer to do Budapest tours, we recommend using this tour company, one we have used personally often during our travels. We find their prices competitive and their customer service and guides excellent.
Best time to visit Budapest:
Weather wise, the best time of year to visit Budapest is March, April, May, September, October and November. Not only is Budapest less crowded at these times of the year, kids are back in school :-), but the weather is milder and idyllic to go adventuring.
Related Reading: Our Budapest Home exchange
What to eat in Budapest: Some of the yummy food we had
Budapest prices for food and drink are very reasonable, so have no fear. The cost of eating out in Budapest can be as low as $7 or less per person if you go to where the locals eat. This means getting off the main avenues and venturing just one or 2 streets over.
You can also cut costs by shopping for sandwiches at convenience stores that are spread all over the city. What to eat in Budapest includes local Hungarian dishes, and of course Hungarian goulash soup. I think we had that almost every night, and we were not disappointed. I had no idea that Turkey ruled for 150 years, meaning at least 4 generations of Turks and therefore great food!. We also had the famous Hungarian pancake dessert.
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4 days in Budapest. How much does it cost?
4 Days in Budapest Budget:
Here is the breakdown of our visit to wonderful Budapest. I loved the fact that prices were reasonable enough. I am breaking down our costs here so you can use it as a gauge if you find yourself on a Budapest trip 🙂 .
Our bus ride from the airport was €5 each, then a short walk to the flat. You might want to get a door to door shuttle from the airport. In hindsight, we should have done that. The AirBnB flat was €30/night. We ate a lot of gyros and kebabs, because we love them and they cost €2 each for the most part. Our most extravagant dinner was €70, at Restaurant Kherion which included:
Bottle of great Hungarian red wine
2 starters, (Hungarian sampler plate & goulash soup)
2 main courses (roasted duck breast & Game stew with dumplings)
2 desserts (flambé pancake and white chocolate mousse)
I highly recommend it as a great restaurant to eat in Budapest. The atmosphere was romantic and classy and they had live music which added to the experience.
Breakdown cost for 4 full days:
Return flight for 2 €220
Airbnb €90
Food €210
Big Bus Tour €30
Transport €38
Souvenirs and postcards €8
Total: €596
For even more ideas on how to spend time in Budapest, check out this awesome list of things to do. The city, despite its cruel or perhaps because of its past is extremely photogenic. It is extremely hard to take a bad picture. I know for sure we can’t wait to re-visit. It is definitely one of our favourite cities to date. After having visited, I can say “I get it now”. I had always thought people were exaggerating just a bit about its beauty and affordability. No, they were not.
So.. how many days in Budapest to stay? We recommend a minimum of 4 days to fully appreciate most of what it has to offer. Slow travellers like us might benefit from a longer stay, but not everyone has that luxury. The point is that you don’t want to feel rushed through your Budapest vacation.
Have you been to Budapest? If not, is it on your radar? What do you think of city as presented and do you think it’s affordable? Would you care to spend some time there?
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Ahhhhh…..that looks awesome! I wish I lived in Europe so that I could easily see cool places!
It sure is an advantage being on this side of the pond! I love traveling so much and it’s finally nice to be able to indulge instead of 2 weeks here and there.
Your pictures are gorgeous! I liked Budapest a lot but preferred Prague. My favorite part of Budapest were the baths, the castle and the food! I loved that the city was so lively all the time with little cafés and restaurants everywhere.
Thanks for the compliment Pauline, and thanks for stopping by. I wish we had at least seen the baths. I loved the food and walking and people watching. I can not wait to visit Prague now. It seems so lovely from everything l’ve seen. I am sure we will be back to Budapest again soon.
So beautiful. It’ll be sometime before I can travel again, I’ll have to live vicariously through your photos.
Glad l can be of service! and thanks for stopping by and commenting. Amazing the wanderlust in everyone.. :o)
Ah I’m so jealous! I’m actually half Hungarian and grew up with a lot of that culture and food, so it’s someplace that I’ve always wanted to go!
Well, l enjoyed your peeps goulash for you! :o)) and l am sure you will get to go soon. It was a really good time, just too short!
Ah, you were so close to Romania! 🙂 I am glad you liked Budapest. For some strange reason, I never visited Hungary (been in their train station for 2 hours, but that doesn’t count) but it’s on my to do list. It’s clearly a must see country!
We should have had the plane buzz you eh? Oh..I loved it! A lot!if Bucharest is like that, l can’t wait to visit it either..see, the list increases! I only wish l had made it a week at least! I do take it as a sign that we need to go back!!!
I was last in Budapest in 1996. Either your photos are really good or else they have prospered and cleaned up! Hopefully a lot of both. We struggled to find ‘recognizable’ food when we were there (probably why it’s called Hungary, badum-pa). Thanks for sharing
The hubby is a photographer, so l think it is a bit of both. Not sure what it was like then, but now..wow! We loved it..very much! Thanks for dropping by .
Hi kemkem! I’m so glad to read your post. Buda and Pest looks great! I’ve been to the city but that was about 10 years ago and indeed, I only had about two nights which was definately not enough. You’ve taken some brilliant photos especially the marching soldiers and the shoes at the river side!
I didn’t know about the priests rolling down and the era of terror, and we certainly didn’t do the Hop-on-Hop-off run which is always good, but we did a boat cruise instead as we were there on a summer weekend. Great read my dear!
Yep..they certainly knew how to dispatch of people. I couldn’t find the picture of the guy with the burning crown of thorns, the statue is just below the Buda castle. I can just picture these people trying to come up with ways to torture people. Insane. Glad you enjoyed your visit there too.
Yes, yes, yes to ALL of the above. I can’t believe after 30 years of living in Europe I have not yet made it to Budapest. Even my son has already visited….But I will make it there soon enough. Your excellent guide is going to be very handy indeed. I will be referring back to this post when I finally make it there. I can’t believe how reasonable the prices are. Love all your photos 🙂
Hahah! Gilda. I’m not surprised. It’s always the places closest to us that we take for granted. We adored Budapest. I remember when we got the offer of the time share. We had just come back for the 4 days, but we had to do it..so we went right back..Haha! I hope the guide can be of some use when you finally make it there. :-).
Your blog is excellent for me as I would be travelling to Europe next week and Budapest is already there in my bucket list!
I belong from India and I have been to the European sub continent previous times also but never thought of visiting Budapest!
This time I am sure to have a hell lot of fun once in town!
Oh nice! I’m sure you’ll have a great time in Budapest. You sound like you deserve some fun. Having had a chance to visit a lot of places, Budapest still remains one of my most favorites :-).
Couldn’t be more timely! We are off to Budapest on Sunday – have talked about it for years now and finally doing it and Vienna. Five days Budapest and three in Vienna. Between Lonely Planet, the Budapest Info site and your post, I am eager to get there and set off exploring!
Your trip sounds wonderful as you are hitting two of my favorite cities that took me by surprise because l liked them way more than l thought l would :-). I want to go back to both as soon as possible, but there are so many more places l want to see before l can think of doing that. Make sure to read the post on Vienna too! 🙂
This comes at the perfect time. I have just arrived in Budapest for a long weekend. So I’ll make sure I keep your itinerary handy, as i yet again managed to start my weekend without any preparation
Oh that is perfect! Sometimes when we travel, I also don’t plan anything, either from exhaustion or the need to be surprised. I hope it’s of some help to you then. Have fun in one of my favorite places ever! 🙂
I hope to visit Budapest for next year!! It looks like an amazing city to explore!
I’m positive you would enjoy it. We were both stunned how much we enjoyed our first visit and when we had the chance to go for a longer time right afterwards, we jumped at it.
I keep seeing posts about Budapest and the more I read about it, the more I want to go! The architecture looks so beautiful, even the metro is pretty haha! Thanks for this great guide.
That is funny! One of the things l said as well was how pretty the metro was. The architecture was also not what l had expected, so everything was a nice surprise. It’s getting to be hugely popular and l hope the prices stay reasonable and not like Dubrovnik for instance. I hope you get there soon.
Budapest looks amazing. The more I see of it the more I want to go. The food looks incredible too. Looks like a city full of history and culture and still different to a lot of other European capitals
I have yet to meet one person who has been to Budapest and didn’t like it which is amazing all by itself. Most people have the Prague or Budapest debate, and finally having been to both can proudly say Budapest. It has the history, beauty and amazing food. Hope you get to visit soon. It is worthy :-).