I loved Budapest and intend to return with some of my friends ASAP. It had an amazing culture, felt safe to travel around, good public transport links, plenty of activities, lively nightlife, tasty food. Genuinely, what more could I want from a city?
I was in Budapest solo travelling for a bit before one of my friends flew out to join me and I have to say it was a highlight of both the solo travelling section and also the travel section with her! There is SO much to do in Budapest, however I’ve tried to condense it here as much as possible into what you really can’t miss.
Unmissable Activities
- Boat on the Danube at Sunset/Night time
The best views of the parliament you’re going to get are from the river – and it doesn’t look better than when it’s lit up for the night. There are so many cruises that go, plenty with options for unlimited drinks or unlimited prosecco (£22 for a boat with unlimited aperol spritz, beer and prosecco?*). Of course, there are loads of more chilled out options minus the alcohol to go down the river too. I would say look on Get Your Guide* for the widest variety of options, but also ask to see if your hostel has any deals on if you’re in one of the bigger hostels like OneFam. - Thermal Baths
Budapest is pretty famous for them, but as a a backpacker you can look at the price of a few of the famous ones and panic a bit. Totally okay. I did the same. However, some of the less well known ones (still thermal, some inside, some outside) have much cheaper prices AND student discounts. For example, you can get into the Lukács Thermal Bath as a student on weekdays for 3600 ft which is around £8. If you’re just wanting a thermal bath, I would recommend having a look on their individual websites and seeing if they offer any discounts for certain days/people.
If you’re not on as much of a budget, have a look at some of the larger baths too and maybe consider a Sparty (Spa Party – I spoke to a woman who’d done it and it sounded pretty cool). Another option is to get a joint ticket to Syechenyi Spa and a Wine Tasting* through sites like Get Your Guide. - Fisherman’s Bastion, Castle and Cathedral
I know this is three activities – you can do them all in one morning if you’re up early enough and then have lunch over that side of the river in one of the cafes up there. You can’t miss them if you go to Budapest. If you want to just look around the castle grounds, you’re able to use the lift up for free to have a look, or you can buy entrance tickets if you want the full experience. - The Ruin Bars
This had been on my bucketlist before I want and you absolutely have to try them out. Go to several – they’re all a bit different but make sure you go to Simpla Kurtz. It’s the first ruin bar and (in my opinion) the best one. Each room is so different and it’s completely unlike any other place or bar I’ve been.
Clubs and Bars?
Budapest has AMAZING nightlife. Speaking to other backpackers and based on my own experience, I would say most night seem to start at a Ruin Bar (read here: go back to Simpla Kurtz. It’s awesome. Also has a streetfood market next door where you get Langos before your night out.) In terms of clubs, Instant was my favourite – free and had a really good backpacker, young, party vibe about it and it was so close to the ruin bars.
Other option is Morrisons 2: it has decent music, good vibes and cheap drinks however I would recommend going there in a larger group, and just be aware that there will be very wide range of ages in the club.
Food in Budapest
For any of you that have been around here a while, you’ll be used to how much I love trying food in a new place. Hungary was no exception and I am fully intending on writing a separate post on what you need to try in Hungary. However, Budapest specifically, I have 3 restaurant and food recommendations:
- Drum Cafe
You’ll see it on most travel blogs, tiktoks etc. It’s worth the hype. It’s not expensive, it’s local and its such good food. Best dishes to try here: the goulash bread bowl and paprika chicken. - Retro Langos
Langos is a hungarian staple and this was a great place to try it at. Even if you don’t go here, make sure you have langos for at least one meal in Budapest. - Caravan Street Food
Next to Simpla Kurtz (what better location could you want?) and it serves a wide range of options (including langos if you haven’t yet tried it!). Well worth going at least once, even just for the atmosphere. Also a great group choice if you’re in hostels and all have different food preferences.
Where to stay in Budapest?
Honestly, I’m still trying to work out myself what the best option is. I was at two different hostels – the first one for less than £8 a night, great location, lovely host however the facilities were perhaps not up to the usual expectation. The second one, bit more expensive, way out of centre, lovely facilities. And then you have all of your other options that can be quite a bit more expensive such as OneFam etc.
If I were you, I’d just have a scroll on Hostelworld or Booking.com for Budapest and see what you’re feeling like. If you’re wanting really sociable places- I’d recommend at least looking on Hostelworld first so you can see reviews from other backpackers and how many others would also be staying at the same time.
Caitlin
* Disclosure: I do receive commission at no extra cost to you if you book Get Your Guide activities through these links HOWEVER I would not recommend them unless I genuinely think they are worth it and a good experience.
If you’re looking at other European city breaks (especially ones that you can go to seasons) , check out places like Zagreb, Croatia or Sofia, Bulgaria on my blog.
