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Voykit pocket guide · Hungary
Budapest
Budapest is a two-bank city: Pest for the Basilica, Parliament and the old quarter on foot; Buda for the castle by taxi; and a thermal bath or a river walk as the rest.
Budapest is easy to walk on the Pest side and steep on the Buda side, and the river splits both. The trips that go wrong book the Parliament tour last, walk the castle hill at noon in July, or pay for a taxi from an unlicensed driver. Four clusters cover a first visit: Belváros with the Danube, the Parliament and Szabadság tér, the Jewish Quarter, and Castle Hill across the bridge.
- Country
- Hungary
- Best months
- Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Sep · Oct · Dec
- Time zone
- Europe/Budapest
- Stay
- 2 days: Basilica, Parliament and Belváros; Castle Hill and the Jewish Quarter
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- HUF
- Money
- Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; carry some forint for small cafés, tips and public toilets. Pay in forint, not euros.
- Daily spend
- Budget HUF 12,000–22,000 excl. bed · Mid HUF 22,000–45,000 excl. bed · High HUF 45,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Install an eSIM before you fly, or buy a SIM at a shop with your passport.
- Emergency
- All services 112 · Police 107 · Ambulance 104 · Fire 105
- Plugs
- 230 V; type C and F sockets.
- Tipping
- About 10% in restaurants unless a service charge is already added; round up taxi fares.
- Water
- Tap water is safe to drink.
- Toilets
- Cafés, malls, museums and stations; carry small coins.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a café | HUF 1,200–1,800 |
| Goulash at a sit-down restaurant | HUF 3,500–6,000 |
| Beer (0.5 l draught) | HUF 900–1,600 |
| Single public-transport ticket | HUF 450 (2026 estimate, check) |
| 24-hour travel card | HUF 2,500 (2026 estimate, check) |
| Thermal bath day ticket | HUF 10,000–15,000 |
| Museum or church entry | HUF 3,000–8,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD)
- BUD to Belváros: a taxi from the official rank or an app car, about 35–50 minutes, or the 100E airport bus to Deák tér; decide the taxi before you land and avoid touts.
By rail and road
| Station | Serves | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Keleti (Eastern) station (Keleti pályaudvar) | International trains from Vienna, other EU cities; most domestic east routes | Metro M2 to Deák Ferenc tér, about 10 min |
| Nyugati (Western) station (Nyugati pályaudvar) | Some international and domestic routes | Metro M3, a few minutes to the centre |
| Déli (Southern) station (Déli pályaudvar) | Routes toward Lake Balaton and the south-west | Metro M2, a few minutes |
| Népliget bus station | International coaches (FlixBus and others) | Metro M3, about 15–20 min |
Typical fares
- Airport → centre, taxi
- HUF 9,000–14,000, about 30–40 min
- Airport bus 100E
- HUF 2,000–2,500
- Taxi across the centre
- HUF 2,500–4,500
Get around
Walk inside a cluster; the metro, tram and bus network covers the rest well and is cheap by Western European standards. A car is a liability in the centre.
| How | Fare | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Free | Inside Belváros, along the Parliament riverbank, the Jewish Quarter |
| Metro | HUF 450 single (2026 estimate, check) | Andrássy Avenue and City Park, longer hops |
| Tram | Same ticket as the metro | Riverside routes (trams 2, 4, 6) — some of the best views in the city are from a tram window |
| Bus | Same ticket as the metro | Castle Hill (bus 16) and routes off the tram and metro grid |
| Ride-hailing (Bolt, Uber) | HUF 2,500–4,500 across the centre | Late nights, bags, Castle Hill |
| Licensed taxi | Metered; confirm it is running before you set off | Street hail when apps are slow |
| Funicular (Castle Hill) | A separate paid ticket, pricier than a metro ride | The short climb from the Chain Bridge to Castle Hill |
| Danube cruise / ferry | Sightseeing cruises HUF 4,000–8,000; public ferry (D11/D12) at transit fares | A different view of the Parliament and both banks |
Fares are estimates; check before you ride.
- Passes
- A 24- or 72-hour travel card pays off on two long rides a day; short walks need no pass.
- Late at night
- The metro stops around midnight; night buses and trams run on main routes, and taxis and ride-hailing run all night. Check the current hours.
See and do
01Hungarian ParliamentOrszágház
The city's grandest building, on a timed tour; book ahead.
02Fisherman's BastionHalászbástya
The postcard view over the Danube and Parliament, best before the tour buses.
03Széchenyi Thermal BathSzéchenyi gyógyfürdő
A soak in Europe's largest thermal bath complex, indoors or out.
04St Stephen's BasilicaSzent István-bazilika
The city's largest church and a central heat shelter.
05Great SynagogueDohány utcai zsinagóga
Europe's largest synagogue and the memorial garden behind it.
06Chain BridgeSzéchenyi Lánchíd
The bridge that first linked Buda and Pest, lit up at night.
07Buda CastleBudai Vár
The former royal palace, with two museums inside.
08Ruin-bar evening, Jewish Quarter
Szimpla Kert and its neighbours: the city's best-known nightlife.
09Danube evening cruise
The Parliament and both banks lit up from the water.
10Great Market Hall
Produce, paprika and a food-stall floor under a 19th-century iron roof.
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Szentendre | Suburban rail (HÉV) or boat, about 40–60 min | Half or full day |
| Visegrád and Esztergom | Bus, boat or car, about 1–1.5 h each way | Full day |
| Vienna | Direct train, about 2.5 h | Overnight is better |
Eat
| Where | What · area | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retró Lángos Büfé | Lángos · Andrássy Avenue area | HUF 1,200–2,500 | Budget |
| Kürtőskalács (chimney cake) stands | Chimney cake · Christmas markets, Castle Hill | HUF 1,000–2,000 | Budget |
| Great Market Hall food stalls | Market-hall food stalls · Great Market Hall | HUF 1,500–3,500 | Budget |
| Frőhlich Cukrászda | Flódni and kosher bakery · Jewish Quarter | HUF 1,000–2,500 | Budget |
| Kárpátia | Goulash and traditional Hungarian mains · Belváros | HUF 4,500–8,000 | Mid-range |
| Mazel Tov | Israeli-influenced small plates · Jewish Quarter | HUF 4,000–7,500 | Mid-range |
| Gerbeaud | Coffee-house cake and light meals · Belváros | HUF 3,000–6,000 | Mid-range |
| Michelin-listed tasting-menu restaurants | Modern Hungarian tasting menus · Belváros and District VI | HUF 25,000–60,000 | Splurge |
Per person, one dish or one meal, 2026 estimate. Addresses change: check the day before.
Sleep
| Band | Price a night | Where | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| budget | HUF 5,000–10,000 dorm bed - HUF 18,000–30,000 double | Erzsébetváros (Jewish Quarter) | Hostels, budget guesthouses |
| mid | HUF 30,000–60,000 | Belváros | 3–4 star hotels, boutique guesthouses |
| splurge | HUF 90,000+ | Danube-view hotels, Buda side | International chains, historic grand hotels |
Per room per night in forint, 2026 estimate; festival weekends and Christmas markets add 30–80%.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Jó napotyo NAH-pot |
| Thank you | KöszönömKUR-sur-nurm |
| Please | KéremKAY-rem |
| The bill, please | A számlát, kéremuh SAHM-laht KAY-rem |
| Please take me to this address | Kérem, vigyen erre a címreKAY-rem VEE-dyen ER-reh uh TSEEM-reh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Synagogues and churches: Shoulders and knees covered; men cover their heads in the synagogue (kippot are usually provided at the door).
- Greetings: A handshake is normal; close friends may greet with a cheek kiss.
- Tipping: About 10% in restaurants unless a service charge is already added; round up taxi fares. Tipping is not expected at counters or cafés with self-service.
- Queues and transport: Validate your ticket before boarding — inspectors fine on the spot with no leniency for tourists.
- Toasting: Hungarians traditionally do not clink beer glasses, a custom said to date to 1849; wine and spirits are clinked normally. Few visitors are corrected for it, but it is a known point of local pride.
Red lines
- Synagogue and Basilica: cover shoulders and knees; men cover heads in the synagogue.
- Do not photograph inside the Parliament beyond the marked areas.
- Ticket-validate on the metro and trams; inspectors fine on the spot.
Scams and watch-outs
- Unlicensed taxis at the airport and stations that charge several times the normal fare: use the official counter, the rank or an app.
- Bars and restaurants that add a large 'service' or drinks bill after you order without prices: check the menu before you sit.
- Exchange booths with a great rate on the sign and a large commission in the small print: use a bank ATM instead.
One and two days
1 day
A stopover on the way to or from Vienna. Skip: The thermal baths and City Park: both need more time than a single day allows.
- 09:00Basilica, then the Parliament tour
- 13:00Lunch in Belváros
- 14:30Taxi to Castle Hill: Matthias Church and Fisherman's Bastion
- 17:30Chain Bridge on foot back to Pest, riverside evening
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Budapest Airport: www.bud.hu/en
- Hungarian Parliament visitor information: www.parlament.hu/
- Wikivoyage — Budapest: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Budapest
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Budapest
Kérem, vigyen erre a címre
Please take me to this address
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- OrszágházHungarian Parliament
- HalászbástyaFisherman's Bastion
- Széchenyi gyógyfürdőSzéchenyi Thermal Bath
- Szent István-bazilikaSt Stephen's Basilica
- Dohány utcai zsinagógaGreat Synagogue
- Széchenyi LánchídChain Bridge
Most embassies sit in Districts I, II and V (US: Szabadság tér; UK: District II). Write your own embassy's line below.
Show the address written out; drivers and staff work well from a screenshot of the map pin.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/budapest). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.