I had booked my trip to Budapest Hungary without knowing much and expecting much but perhaps those are the best trips! We had met fellow travelers who all spoke highly about Budapest or had this destination on their list of places to go so I only felt it right to check it out myself!
Kevin and I spent 5 days here which was plenty of time to visit both Buda and Pest (the different sides of the river) at a leisure pace.
I’ll list the top ten places worth visiting during your trip but do recommend kicking off with a walking tour! Walking tours are always great because they’ll will point out the major sites, give you information and stories about the sites along with the city overall and then this allows you to go back revisit and spend more time. I used Withlocals and booked with Nicholas and it was truly one of the best tours we’ve taken.
Visit St Stephen’s Basilica. The most well known and most visited Roman Catholic Church in Budapest.
Pair your visit to St Stephen’s Basilica with climbing the tower and taking it the views. Take the 300+ stairs to the top of a clear day and take in the stunning views of the city!
Visit the Shoes on the Danube Bank, located on the Danube river in front of the Parliament building. This is a memorial dedicated to the Jews killed by the Arrow Cross militiamen whom shot men, women and children into the river.
Schedule a tour to visit the Hungarian Parliament. Tickets can be purchased online for a selected time slot which includes a 45 minute guided tour.
Visit the Dohány Street Synagogue and take advantage of the free tour. Tours operated in various languages throughout the day where it was great to learn about the synagogue and religion within Budapest in the past and present. The synagogue is truly impressive and stunning visually.
Grab a drink at Szimpla Kert Ruins Bar. Szimpla Kert which translates to simple garden is an open air pub open year round. It is the most popular and most touristic ruins bar in Budapest. There are numerous rooms on two floors that allow you to appreciate the unique decor which is basically old recycled items. I thought ruins bars were only a nighttime activity but this is not true, a visit during the day will better allow you to take in the uniqueness during daylight without the crowds of night.
Walk across the Széchenyi Chain Bridge. The chain bridge was the first permanent bridge to connect Buda and Pest across the Danube River.
The following two locations go together:
Visit Matthias Church, located at the top of the Buda hill and is the central church of Buda also known as the Coronation church. This is located at the heart of the Budas Castle District.
Behind Matthias Church is Fisherman’s Bastion and perhaps one of my favorite spots! We visited twice because it was like visiting a fairytale castle. The walls were built on the 1700s and later the piece referred to as Fisherman’s Bastion was built as a memory to the fisherman of Budapest whom helped protect the city during the wars. This can become very busy during the day and sunset so it is worth visiting early in the morning to avoid crowds!
Take a sunset cruise on the Danube River. This was a last minute decision for us but one of our favorite activities. We booked the one hour elegant evening cruise with drinks included through Duna Cruises. It was relaxing and the perfect amount of time and they time it perfectly to pass by Parliament once the sun has set. Duna cruises also offers evening historical cruises and daytime historical cruises. It is definitely worth seeing the city from the water.
I hope this post helps to point out the major sites worth visiting while also allowing you plenty of time to wander and explore the less popular attractions.