Attraction
Hungarian Parliament Building
Hungary's neo-Gothic seat of parliament on the Danube, completed in 1904, where guided tours lead to the Holy Crown and the domed central hall.
There are plenty of things to do in Budapest, a capital split by the Danube into hilly Buda and flat Pest. On the Buda side, Castle Hill holds Buda Castle, Matthias Church and the Fisherman's Bastion, while Gellért Hill and its reopened Citadella give the widest views of the river. Across the water, Pest has the Parliament, St Stephen's Basilica, the grand Andrássy út with the Opera House, the Jewish Quarter with Europe's largest synagogue, and City Park with Heroes' Square and the Széchenyi Thermal Bath. The city's spa culture, built on natural hot springs, is one of its great pleasures.
Hungarian food goes far beyond goulash: try paprika stews, goose, lángos at the Great Market Hall and classic cakes in the old coffee houses, or book one of several Michelin-starred restaurants. Nightlife centres on the ruin bars of District VII, and Hungarian wine is a highlight. Three days covers the main sights and a bath; four or five days allows more museums and a day trip along the Danube.
Attraction
Hungary's neo-Gothic seat of parliament on the Danube, completed in 1904, where guided tours lead to the Holy Crown and the domed central hall.
Attraction
The former royal palace on Castle Hill, rebuilt many times since the 13th century, now home to the Hungarian National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum.
Attraction
A neo-Romanesque lookout terrace with seven turrets beside Matthias Church, built between 1895 and 1902 with wide views over the Danube and Pest.
Attraction
Budapest's largest church, completed in 1905, which holds the relic of St Stephen's right hand and has a dome terrace with views across the city.
Attraction
The Church of Our Lady of Buda Castle, a Gothic church with a patterned tile roof, scene of royal coronations in 1867 and 1916.
Attraction
Europe's largest synagogue, consecrated in 1859, with the Hungarian Jewish Museum, a Holocaust memorial garden and a cemetery for victims of the wartime ghetto.
Café
A lavish 19th-century café on the Grand Boulevard, with gilded ceilings, frescoes and marble columns, open from breakfast until late evening.
Café
Budapest's best-known confectionery, founded in 1858 and run by Emil Gerbeaud from the 1880s, serving cakes and pralines on Vörösmarty tér.
Café
A literary café near the University Library, open since 1887, with all-day breakfasts, Hungarian cakes and live piano music twice a day.
Café
A city-centre branch of the Auguszt family confectionery, a Budapest pastry business founded in 1870, serving traditional and modern cakes.
Café
A speciality coffee bar near St Stephen's Basilica, open since 2012, serving espresso and filter coffee from Hungarian and guest roasters.
Café
A speciality coffee shop on Múzeum körút with an espresso bar and a separate room for filter coffee, breakfast and lunch.
Hotel
A luxury hotel in the Art Nouveau Gresham Palace, completed in 1906, facing the Chain Bridge across Széchenyi István tér.
Hotel
A five-star, music-themed hotel near St Stephen's Basilica with a spa and pool, a rooftop bar and a complimentary afternoon wine and cheese reception.
Hotel
A luxury hotel in a restored 1902 palace by Elisabeth Bridge, with Spago by Wolfgang Puck and The Duchess rooftop bar.
Hotel
A four-star hotel in a renovated palace on Andrássy út, with 99 rooms, a sauna and fitness room, close to the Opera House and St Stephen's…
Hotel
An adults-only design hotel at the Buda end of the Chain Bridge, with 79 rooms, a bistro and a year-round rooftop bar, holding one Michelin Key.
Hotel
A 40-room design hotel in the inner city, home to the Michelin-starred SALT restaurant and the SOLID rooftop bar.
Bar
Budapest's original ruin bar, in a rescued former stove factory on Kazinczy utca, with a maze of rooms, a courtyard, live music and a farmers' market.
Bar
A large party complex in the Jewish Quarter combining several clubs with different music styles, ruin bar rooms and a garden, open every night until 06:00.
Bar
A rooftop bar above Andrássy út with 360-degree views over Budapest, offering heated igloo tables in the colder months.
Bar
The rooftop bar of the Aria Hotel, a short walk from St Stephen's Basilica, serving cocktails and bar food with panoramic views over Pest.
Bar
A wine bar on Dob utca in the Jewish Quarter, focused on Hungarian wines, with table booking and late opening every night of the week.
Bar
The jazz club and restaurant of the Budapest Music Center, with concerts at 21:00 from Wednesday to Saturday featuring Hungarian and international musicians.
Restaurant
Tamás Széll and Szabina Szulló's two-Michelin-star restaurant, reinterpreting Hungarian dishes such as goulash and Somlói sponge in tasting menus.
Restaurant
A Michelin-starred wine kitchen near St Stephen's Basilica, pairing modern Hungarian dishes with a long list of Hungarian wines by the glass.
Restaurant
A grand City Park restaurant with more than 130 years of history, known for classic Hungarian dishes and the rum-flamed Gundel pancake.
Restaurant
A family-run restaurant near Keleti station serving Hungarian and Hungarian-Jewish dishes such as matzo ball soup, sólet and flódni.
Restaurant
A popular restaurant on Liszt Ferenc tér with a nostalgic Budapest café interior, serving Hungarian comfort food and a good-value weekday lunch menu.
Restaurant
One of the first restaurants in the Jewish Quarter, open since 2005, serving Hungarian and Jewish-inspired dishes, with its own garden bar next door.
Thing to do
A Neo-Baroque thermal bath complex in City Park, opened in 1913, with outdoor pools fed by hot springs that stay open all year.
Thing to do
Budapest's largest and oldest indoor market, opened in 1897 beside Liberty Bridge, selling paprika, sausages, pickles and Hungarian street food.
Thing to do
A 235-metre hill above the Danube topped by the Citadella fortress, which reopened in 2026 with a park, viewing terraces and a history exhibition.
Thing to do
A 2.5-kilometre island park in the Danube between Margaret and Árpád bridges, with a running track, a musical fountain, gardens and medieval ruins.
Thing to do
Miklós Ybl's Neo-Renaissance opera house on Andrássy út, opened in 1884, offering opera and ballet performances and daily guided tours.
Tour operator
Budapest's first food tour company, running culinary walks since 2008, with daily Hungarian wine tastings in its cellar in the Palace District.
Tour operator
A Danube cruise operator sailing from Dock 7 on the Pest embankment, offering one-hour day and evening sightseeing cruises with commentary in 30 languages.
Tour operator
A walking tour company running tip-based city, Buda Castle, Jewish District, communism and Art Nouveau tours in Budapest since 2007.
Tour operator
A tour company in the inner city running guided bike, e-bike and Segway tours of Budapest, from one-hour rides to four-hour city tours.
Tour operator
A Budapest tour company creating private, tailor-made tours, city breaks and events built on local knowledge, from small groups to large corporate parties.
Three days covers the main sights on both sides of the river and a visit to a thermal bath; four or five days allows more museums and a day trip to the Danube Bend
District V (Belváros and Lipótváros) is best for first-time visitors and sightseeing, District VI around Andrássy út suits those who want restaurants and theatres, District VII is the place for nightlife, and the Castle District and Víziváros in Buda are quieter
The 100E airport bus runs to central Pest, ending at Deák Ferenc tér; public buses connect with metro line M3, and taxis and ride-hailing apps are also available
Budapest is more affordable than most western European capitals, although prices in the most central restaurants and at major attractions have risen; markets, kifőzde canteens and public transport keep costs down
Budapest is generally safe; watch for pickpockets on crowded trams and in nightlife areas, check bills carefully, and use licensed taxis or ride-hailing apps