Visiting Budapest? Here's a two day itinerary including where to stay, places to visit, where to eat, the best time to visit and more! 

Hungary

Budapest, Hungary

Europe

Budapest, Budapest Airport (BUD), Hungary

2 Day Budapest Itinerary

8:00 am - 11:30 am - Take a flight early morning to arrive in Budapest.

12:30 pm - Book a transfer from Budapest airport and head to your accommodation to check in.

1:30 pm - Once checked in, leave from the hotel and head straight to explore Budapest! Find somewhere to eat lunch! If you love hummus, hummusbar is the place for you! We tried the hummus bowls and absolutely loved it!

1:45 pm - Head to Central Market Hall. Budapest's largest and oldest indoor market, built in the neo-Gothic style has a variety of grocery stalls on the ground floor & souvenir stalls on the 1st floor. The market was built in the late 19th century. ⁠ 

7:00 pm - Walk or take a taxi to La porta di Taormina. A lovely Italian restaurant where we ate dinner and enjoyed the evening. Perfect place for vegetarians and vegans too. 

2:50 pm - From the market walk to the Ferris Wheel of Budapest. The wheel is beautiful to see during the day or even at night when it is lit up! ⁠If you have time, you can go on the wheel to see the panoramic views of the city, 65 metres high.

3:00 pm - From the Ferris Wheel it is a 5 minute walk to St. Stephen's Basilica. St. Stephen's Basilica - a Roman Catholic basilica. A beautiful building to see from the outside but you can also climb to the dome for a panoramic view of the city. ⁠There are 364 steps to the dome at the top. You can also take the lift if you want to!⁠

4:00 pm - From the beautiful basilica, walk to the Hungarian Parliament Building⁠. It is about a 10 minute walk. You can walk through Liberty Square, which is a quiet park with walking paths & monuments.   The Parliament building is a popular tourist destination in Budapest and is located on the eastern bank of the Danube. It was opened in 1904 and has been the largest building in Hungary since its completion. ⁠ ⁠

 1️⃣ The best time to see the parliament is at sunset! ⁠ ⁠ 

2️⃣ See the parliament lit up at night. It is a beauty! ⁠ ⁠ 

3️⃣ Take a guided tour to see inside the building.⁠ ⁠ 

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm - Watch the lights turn on at the Parliament building after sunset. Definitely recommend seeing the Parliament building both during the day and night!

6:00 pm - Walk to Fashion Street which is a sophisticated street with upscale fashion boutiques, restaurants & bars.

9:00 pm - The rest of evening enjoy the night life or visit a bar - KIOSK Budapest!

9:00 am - Wake up and check out of your accommodation. Head to eat breakfast at Madal Cafe. One of the first specialty coffee shops in the city. A beautiful cafe to sit at with a variety of options for vegans! Enjoy a hot chocolate & some banana bread 😋

10:00 am - St. Gerard Sagredo Statue - If you are staying on the Pest side, walk across Elizabeth Bridge and you will see the Gerard of Csanád Monument⁠ located on the hills overseeing the river Danube. You can ⁠climb to the top to get a view of the river and the city - it a short 10 minute walk to the top. You can get to see a stunning view of Elizabeth Bridge from here. ⁠

10:45 am - From the monument to Buda Castle we walked for 15 minutes. Located on the Buda side and is a historical castle and palace of the Hungarian kings in Budapest. It was first completed in 1265, but the Baroque palace was built between 1749 and 1769.

11:15 am - From the Fountain of King Matthias, it is another 10 minute walk to Fisherman's Bastion⁠! Matthias Church is in front of the Fisherman's Bastion within the Buda's Castle District. The construction of the church began around 1246. Matthias Church has intricate Gothic carvings and design.⁠ A beautiful place and stunning views of the river Danube and Pest. I recommend spending a good amount of time here!⁠

12:15 pm - From Fisherman’s Bastion walk down to the Parlamenti nézőpont on the river side for 10 minutes and see the stunning view of the Hungarian Parliament Building across the river. 

12:45 pm - Cycle down the river side for 10 minutes to get near Liberty Bridge.

1:00 pm - Eat lunch at Veganlove street food - Delicious vegan street food with a variety of options! Loved the Mac’N’Cheese & the Teriyaki Tofu Sandwich.

2:30 pm - Walk across Liberty Bridge and back to the accommodation to pick up your luggage if you left it there.

3:00 pm - Take your transfer back to the airport for your flight in the evening.

Return back home after a great 2 days exploring Budapest!

11:00 am - It is worth seeing the Fountain of King Matthias & the Castle Garden Bazaar.⁠ ⁠Matthias Fountain is one of the most beautiful fountains in Budapest located in the Buda Castle in the Hunyadi Court. The fountain shows King Matthias in a royal hunting scene with a hidden love story.⁠

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☀️ The best time to visit Budapest is between May to September and December. The summer months are ideal for outdoor activities.

🌸 If you are looking to avoid the crowds and still want to enjoy the pleasant weather, March to May (Spring) and September to November (Autumn) are the best time to visit. During the spring months, you can enjoy the outdoor activities and avoid the scorching hot weather. 

🚶‍♀️Active - Majority of the trip is walking, with some cycling too! However, you can choose to take local transport if you would like too. 

🎭 Culture (museums, galleries and theatres)

😋 Foodie (traditional Hungarian dishes)

🍺 Night Owls (vibrant nightlight life from pubs to nightclubs

🏛History (several historic buildings such as Buda Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion)

🌲Nature Lover (beautiful natural landscapes perfect for those who love hiking) 

💰€ - an affordable destination with the cost of food, accommodation and activities relatively low. However, depending on the time of year you visit, the cost of flights will vary.

 🎄While December is great to experience the Christmas and wintery atmosphere. However, during this period it will cost more and there will be a greater crowd. 

🍁 During the autumn months, enjoy the leaves turning a beautiful colour, with the weather being a perfect temperature to walk around and explore the city. 

La Prima Fashion Hotel Budapest

Szent István Apartments

Hotel Oktogon Haggenmacher

Hotel Vision

K46 Residence

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Most of Budapest’s inner city and historic districts are best to explore by foot.

 Budapest has four subway lines that connects most of the city’s important areas.⁠⁠

 Tram number 2 on the Pest side goes along the Danube River. The tram provides views of Buda and Buda Castle on the other side of the Danube. The tram passes the Hungarian Parliament, the Central Market Hall and other landmarks on the eastern bank.⁠⁠

An environmentally friendly transport mode best for short rides. We used these bikes along the Buda side to get from Fisherman's Bastion to Szabadság híd. ⁠⁠

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2 Day Budapest Itinerary

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