This guide provides key facts about Budapest, plus an interactive map to help you plan your trip. I also share the story of what inspired me to visit Budapest.
Budapest is a city that endured the horrors of World War II followed by decades of oppressive Communist rule. Many of its buildings and bridges were destroyed during those years but the spirit of the Hungarian people endured. Through their strength and resiliency, Budapest has risen from the ashes and today is a cosmopolitan city filled with stately museums and music halls, thriving markets, and beautiful parks.
What made me decide to visit Budapest? Truth be told, I had never considered visiting Budapest. What led me to Budapest was falling in love with pictures of Prague and discovering a tour that included both cities. As I shared in my Prague story post, my parents visited several European countries in 2023, and when showing me their trip pictures, it was Prague that I fell in love with the most. From there, when searching for tours, I came across Rick Steves’ Best of Prague & Budapest in 8 Days Tour. I am beyond grateful that I had the opportunity to visit Budapest because it is truly a magnificent city with so much to offer. A return trip to Budapest has been added to the bucket list!
I highly recommend that travelers add Budapest to their bucket list. Budapest is a short 2.5-hour drive from Vienna and about 5.5 hours from Prague. Of course, you can always take the train or fly.
For the 2024 tours, Rick Steves’ Best of Prague & Budapest in 8 Days covers an evening and 2 days in Budapest. I felt that wasn’t enough time, so I stayed an extra day to explore the city more before heading home.
This is what I got to experience and enjoy while visiting Budapest.
Click the links to visit my posts about each site and activity.
- Walking tour that went through Liberty Square and Kossuth Lajos Square
- Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion
- Cooking Class at Chef Parade (Go Team Apple Strudel!)
- Great Market Hall
- Evening Cruise Down the Danube River
- Hungarian State Opera House
- Heroes’ Square and a Walk Through Városliget (Budapest’s City Park)
- House of Terror Museum
- Hungarian National Gallery
- Shoes on the Danube Bank Memorial
- Jewish Quarters ~ Dohany Synagogue, Weeping Willow Tree of Life Holocaust Memorial, Rumbach Synagogue, Carl Lutz Memorial
- St. Stephen’s Basilica
A big highlight of my time in Budapest was the evening cruise that took us down the Danube River. Seeing the Hungarian Parliament Building, Hungarian National Gallery, Matthias Church, and the bridges lit up against the night sky will forever be a memory I cherish! And the cruise was not the only evening outing I had with my tourmates. On the final night of the tour, a few of us headed to the Ruin Pubs of Budapest to celebrate a successful and wonderful tour. 🎶
Interactive Travel Map
A map of my adventures in Budapest! I prepared this map before my trip and then added a few restaurants at the end of my journey. The orange markers are the sites I visited with the tour group. The green, purple, and fuchsia markers indicate sites I explored solo. The restaurants are marked in red, while the hotel is marked in blue.
To learn how to create your own My Maps, visit this post.
Fellow adventurers can use this map as a guide when planning a trip to Budapest! Click on each icon to get more information on the location, such as address, phone number, and website. You can also select the option to view the site in Google Maps.
Key Facts
Language: Budapest’s main language is Hungarian. Like my experience in Prague, I did not encounter any issues communicating with locals at the hotel, restaurants, or attractions. I did come across a few people who did not speak English but spoke Spanish, so being bilingual and fluent in Spanish proved helpful in Hungary.
Currency: The Hungarian Forint (Ft) is the main currency in Budapest, but some places also accept Euros. I ordered cash via Bank of America before the trip, but ATMs are available throughout Budapest. Credit cards are accepted in most locations, but I recommend having cash when visiting the Central Market Hall. I came across a few vendors who did not accept credit cards.
It is strongly recommended that travelers solely use ATMs associated with Hungarian banks, as 3rd party ATMs may not be secure.
Weather: I was in Budapest from the end of May through the start of June, and it was warm. During my first few days in the city, temperatures hovered in the upper 70s (F), and on my last day, they reached the mid 80s (F). I definitely worked up a sweat that last day while walking around Budapest! Evenings were cooler and breezier and a light cardigan was sufficient to keep you warm.
Transportation: Budapest is a large city where many must-see sites are not close to each other. As such, travelers need to rely on public transportation or taxis to navigate the city. Public transportation in Budapest is reliable and efficient, and I had no issues with it during my three-and-a-half-day stay in the city. In Budapest, Uber operates under a partnership with Főtaxi.
Visit my post on Budapest’s Public Transportation to learn more about the city’s public transportation options and transportation passes.
Safety: Now to an important topic everyone has in mind – safety. Is Budapest a safe city? Yes! I felt completely safe walking around Budapest and taking public transportation during my solo adventures. The night a few of us went to the Ruin Pubs, which is an area with a lot of bars, all felt safe even when walking back to the hotel late in the evening. Based on my experience, Budapest is a city I recommend to fellow solo female travelers.
Excited about Budapest and ready to book a trip? Visit my posts about the sites and activities you can experience in Budapest, which include notes on what to expect, admission discounts, accessibility information, and much more. I also have posts about lodging, dining, and public transportation in Budapest.
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