How to Spend 2 Days in Budapest: Perfect Itinerary for First-Time Visitors
Traveled in November 2018
Budapest is this very special mix of old world elegance and whimsical charm. Even though we only had two days to explore this European gem during our Christmas market trip through Central Europe, we were able to soak in its iconic architecture, savor delicious food, and experience the city’s vibrant culture. Budapest is still a great value compared to Western Europe, so it’s the perfect place to indulge in amazing meals and unwind at relaxing spas. Follow this itinerary to make sure you don’t miss any of the must-see sights, breathtaking views, and unforgettable eats on a 2 days in Budapest adventure!
Budapest in 2 Days Itinerary
Just Give Me The Highlights! (aka the TL;DR)
Here are my top hotel picks and must-dos in Budapest:
Hotels
- Opera Residence (6th District) – centrally located 2 bed 2 bath apartment
- Hotel Moments Budapest (6th District) – great location with spacious rooms
- W Budapest (6th District) – for a luxury stay, across from the Opera House
- Hotel Vision Budapest (5th District) – modern rooms, right across from the Danube
- Aria Hotel Budapest (5th District) – grand rooms in a great location, fantastic rooftop bar
Things to Do
- Danube River Cruise
- Thermal Baths
- Sights in Buda (Fisherman’s Bastion, Matthias Church, Buda Castle)
- Ruin Bars
When to Go
We visited Budapest in early winter during a European Christmas markets trip. While it was definitely chilly, it was still comfortable enough to walk around and take in the sights. Summer is high season in Budapest with the liveliest atmosphere, but it can be quite hot and crowded. I’d recommend visiting in late spring (early May) or early fall (late September) for ideal weather and less crowds.
How to Get There
The main airport in Budapest is the Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (airport code BUD). To get from the Budapest airport to the center of Pest, you can take express bus #100E (40-60 min) or if traveling with a group, it is cost effective and easier to grab a taxi or private transfer.
Budapest is also well-connected to the rest of Europe by train. The main train station in Budapest is Budapest Keleti station.
Booking tip: certain flight searches like Kayak, Skyscanner, or Google flights allow you to set price trackers that will alert you when the price of your flight changes. I never book a flight without tracking prices first because there is no better feeling than snagging a good deal! And if you book your flights with a travel credit card like the Chase Sapphire card, the card usually includes some travel insurance protections (like lost luggage reimbursements, trip delay reimbursements, or trip cancellation insurance) to save you the cost of buying extra travel insurance. Use my contact form if you’re looking for a credit card referral with bonus sign up points!
Bonus Booking tip: sign your kiddo up for frequent flyer accounts with airlines to start earning airline miles for them! Most airline miles do not expire for minors so your kiddo will thank you later.
Where to Stay
Budapest is a city made up of different neighborhoods, each with a distinct character. The city is divided into two main areas by the Danube River: Buda and Pest. The Buda side is more residential whereas the Pest side is more urban. Although the Buda side boasts architectural gems like Fisherman’s Bastion, I recommend staying in Pest for the most convenience.
On the Pest side, the main districts that are most convenient for tourists are the 5th District (Belváros-Lipótváros), 7th District (Erzsébetváros), and 6th District (Terézváros). Our recommendations for the best places to stay in these areas are:
- Opera Residence (6th District)
- Hotel Moments Budapest (6th District)
- W Budapest (6th District)
- Hotel Vision Budapest (5th District)
- Aria Hotel Budapest (5th District)
- For all the details on the pros and cons of staying in each neighborhood, read our complete guide to where to stay in Budapest.
How to Get Around
Budapest is split into the Buda side and Pest side by the Danube River. The main tourist districts are very walkable and we covered the majority of this 2 day Budapest itinerary on foot.
Show Me the Money
Budapest in Hungary uses the Hungarian forint (abbreviated HUF). Credit cards were widely accepted at larger stores, restaurants, so we mostly relied on our no-foreign-transaction-fee credit card. We use the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Always choose to pay in the local currency rather than USD for a better exchange rate. We did withdraw a small amount of cash in each country just in case for the Christmas markets. If withdrawing any cash, look for ATMS run by the local banks and always choose to withdraw the amount in the local currency rather than USD for a better exchange rate.
Saving tip: to avoid ATM fees (from the foreign bank and your bank), look for a checking account that offers ATM fee reimbursements. I can personally recommend the Schwab investors checking account and the Betterment checking account for this purpose.
How to Stay Connected
Because we took this trip before e-sims were commonly used, we bought tourist prepaid sim cards for our cell phones. Orange and Vodaphone are two popular cell phone companies in Europe and sell prepaid tourist sim cards that can be used throughout Europe.
However, if traveling again we would definitely use an e-sim from Airalo.
If you have an unlocked phone, then you can either purchase a prepaid sim card or you can use an e-sim. The e-sim is the cheapest way to get international cell phone data. We had a great experience using Airalo to purchase an e-sim on our trip to Canada and our trip to Switzerland. The downside is that you only have data and no phone service when using Airalo e-sims, so it’s a good option if you don’t anticipate needing to make phone calls.
- The Airalo website has great tutorials and I also watched this Youtube video for more installation tips.
- We usually start the installation process at home to load the e-sim into our phones, and then once we land at our destination we turn off our US e-sim and turn on the international e-sim.
Airalo offers local e-sims for specific countries or regional e-sims for all of Europe.
- Get the Hungary Airalo e-sim here to stay connected as soon as you arrive (and use my referral code ATEASP4988 for $3 off!).
- Get the regional Europe Airalo e-sim here if traveling to other European countries on your trip.
Itinerary at a Glance
| Day | Activity | Sleep In |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Explore Buda side Buda Castle, Matthias Church, Fisherman’s Bastion Gellert Baths | Pest |
| 2 | Explore Pest side Hungarian Parliament and St. Istvan’s Basilica Hungarian State Opera House Great Market Hall Danube River Boat Tour | Pest |
Day 1: Explore Buda Side
Budapest is split into two sides by the Danube river, the Buda side and Pest side. On the Buda side, you will find the popular photo spots of the Buda Castle, Matthias Church, and the Fisherman’s Bastion. It’s the perfect introduction to the iconic architecture of Budapest! We mostly walked from place to place and used Google maps as a guide.
Buda Castle
We started at the Buda Castle on Castle Hill. The terrace outside the palace has one of the best views of the Pest side across the river. We visited the palace mostly for the views from the terrace and skipped the museums.
Matthias Church
From the palace courtyard, map to the Matthias Church. Matthias Church, with its lacy spire and colorful roof, is very photogenic. There is a fee to enter the church, but we just enjoyed the outside.
Fisherman’s Bastion
In the end of the square next to the Matthias Church is possibly the most photographed spot in Budapest, the Fisherman’s Bastion. There is a fee to enter the Fisherman’s Bastion and it is worth it for all the photo ops. The openings of the ramparts that run along the cliff are perfect frames for the view of the Parliament building across the river.
Gellert Baths
After all that walking, the afternoon is for relaxation. Relaxing in the thermal baths is one of the unique experiences of Budapest. The thermal baths have a variety of jetted pools heated to different temperatures. There is usually also a dry sauna, wet steam room, and cold plunge pool.
The two biggest thermal baths in Budapest are the Szechenyi Baths on the Pest side and Gellert Baths on the Buda side. There are more outdoor baths at the Szechenyi Baths and it is generally a little more rowdy, more like a water park than a spa. The indoor pools at the Gellert Baths are beautifully decorated and overall feel a bit more genteel and spa-like. If you plan on visiting a thermal bath, pack a swim suit and flip flops to take in with you. You do also have to bring a towel – some hotels loan out towels for the baths. You don’t need to buy tickets in advance for the baths. Just show up and pay at the counter for your locker rental and entrance ticket.
We went with the Gellert Baths because we wanted a more relaxing experience. The crowd was older and it did feel more like a spa, which is the vibe we were going for.
Budapest is a great place to spring for some nice dinners because it is relatively more affordable. We really enjoyed Macesz Bistro in the Jewish quarter. The menu is inspired by Hungarian Jewish favorites. This was a surprise favorite restaurant in Budapest during our 2 days there.
Since we were in the Jewish quarter, we finished out the night by getting a drink in one of the Ruin Pubs. Even if you’re not a bar/club person, the ruin pubs are unique to Budapest and worth it to experience the vibes at least once. Szimpla Kert is one of the originals.
Day 2: Explore Pest Side
Hungarian Parliament
We started our second day in Budapest at the Hungarian Parliament to admire its iconic facade after seeing it lit up the night before. You can tour the inside, but it requires a ticket. We did not get a chance to visit because the tickets were sold out online and we didn’t get there early enough for the limited same day tickets either. We still enjoyed the exterior of the building and the fabulous views of Buda from the riverfront by the Parliament Building.
- Buy tickets online ahead of time here!
St. Istvan’s Basilica
Next, we walked to St. Istvan’s Basilica, the biggest church on the Pest side. We went to check out the Christmas market outside. But for more views, you can buy a ticket to ride an elevator up to the panorama terrace at the top of the basilica.
Hungarian State Opera House
A 10 minute walk from Erzebet Square is the Hungarian State Opera House. Budapest would be a great place to experience an opera because of the affordable tickets. But even if you’re not an opera fan, it’s worth it to go for a 60 min tour of the Opera House (buy tickets online here) to admire the opulent decor. There were no opera performances in Budapest during the 2 days we were there, so we just enjoyed the tour.
Cafe Break
At some point during your 2 days in Budapest, make it a point to detour to one of Budapest’s grand cafes! These lavishly decorated coffee shops with their sparkling mirrors and stained glass will make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. It was fun to feel super fancy while sipping our coffee and nibbling on our cake. We can definitely get used to this cafe life. One option is Parisi Udvar, which is close to the river. The other famous grand cafe is New York Cafe (but it is a little further away from the river, so would be more of a detour).
Great Market Hall
For food souvenirs, we went to the Great Market Hall. This place is HUGE and can feel a little overwhelming when you first walk in. The ground floor is where all the produce, paprika, and bakeries are. The upstairs has the eateries and souvenirs, and the downstairs is a supermarket. I love to browse markets for some foodie souvenirs. We came away with some paprika and flavored salts to remind us of this 2 days in Budapest trip when cooking back home.
Danube River Boat Tour
In the evening, we walked along the Danube promenade between the Chain Bridge and Erzebet Bridge to watch the buildings along the river slowly light up. This section of the Danube promenade has some the best views of the Castle Hill across the river.
Another great way to enjoy the river is with a Danube River boat tour. While gliding down the river you can admire the architecture on both sides of Buda and Pest. We went with Legenda Cruises and highly recommend it (dock is in front of the Marriott). The daytime cruise is 75 minutes long and nighttime cruise is 1 hour long. We went for the nighttime cruise and it is beautiful to see the buildings all lit up at night. From the river, the Hungarian Parliament looks like a floating palace. But keep in mind that it can be cold on the uncovered upper deck of the boat at night in the winter.
Michelin Star Dinner
Not gonna lie, we definitely splurged out on dinners during our 2 days in Budapest. Michelin star restaurants in Budapest are still expensive, but more affordable than back home. Think $180-200 USD for a tasting menu in Budapest compared to $400-600 USD in the Bay Area. (I know, it’s still a lot, but this was before we had kids and we were living that DINK life.) We made reservations at Borkonyha and thoroughly enjoyed it. They have a wide range of Hungarian wines that you won’t find elsewhere and they have an a la carte menu.
There are many more new Michelin star restaurants in Budapest now than when we visited. Other Michelin star restaurants in Budapest include:
- Babel Budapest
- Stand Restaurant
- Rumour by Racz Jeno
- Salt Budapest
- Essencia Restaurant
- Costes Restaurant
A splurge dinner is the perfect end to this Budapest in 2 days itinerary.
