This is a 3 Day Travel Guide for Budapest! As a Local we wanted to share a comprehensive guide to the capital of Hungary and share how we would spend 3 days in Budapest if this was our first time there! And you can find more details and info on this page, such as a detailed map, links and the detailed prices shown in the video.
In this video we cover some of the most important historical sites and attractions that we can fit into a 3 day travel plan without breaking the bank but also having a good time! Budapest offers many fun experiences but how can you fit the most into 72 hours? What are the Areas to visit and what are the most interesting sites that should be part of a 3 day trip to Budapest? Let’s dive into this.
We give some history and context behind the city and the attractions along with some crucial and important tips when exploring Budapest.
We also share the prices of each experience we paid for and give a view of the overall budget of this travel (which does not include accomodation).
MAP of the 3 Days
You can Open the below map in an new Browser Page or save a Copy to your personal Google Maps Storage.
Day 1 – Budapest Downtown
We start the Day with including a 72 Hour Travel Pass as the Itinerary is for a 3 day adventure. Price of the 2 Adult 72h Travel Passes altogether:
11000 HUF / ~28 Euro / ~30 USD
1, Central Market Hall – The largest Market Hall in Budapest full of nice vibes located in a well preserved old building with a unique atmosphere. Full of food products to browse and enjoy on the ground floor along with an underground area that showcases some local Hungarian special products. You can also visit the first floor where there are many souvenirs and food stalls but I would just look and not buy anything here.
2, Make a brief stop at the Liberty Bridge – The Iconic Green bridge of the Danube with unique detailed architecture to observe and the view of the yellow trams passing from Pest to Buda.
3, Walls of Old Pest – At Bástya Park you can observe the old city walls of Pest, Bástya means Bastion which is why the street and the park is named as such, since in old times a Bastion used to stand here.
4, NOR/MA – A Nordic Style bakery with lot’s of nice baked goods. For one baked item (pastry with Pistachio flavoring) we paid:
1400 HUF / ~4 Euros / ~4 USD
5, Belvárosi Disznótoros – A classic Butchers’ style eatery with simple but delicious food, we highly recommend their Sausages with bread, pickled stuff and mustard. For this set we paid:
2400 HUF / ~6 Euros / ~6,5 USD
6, VIVINA’S Café & Roastery – Specialty Coffee Shop to get some much needed Caffeine. Price of 1 Espresso and 1 Cappuchino with Alternative Milk:
2250 HUF / ~6 Euros / ~6 USD
7, The Area has many small and narrow streets and some gorgeous Buildings to check out, most of them are residental, some host nice cafes or restaurants or hotels such as the Parisi Udvar building.
8, Grabbing a Chimney Cake at Molnar’s Chimney Cake shop – Chimney cake is a sweet dough that’s rolled into the shape of a chimney and is then heated next to fire, on charcoal or electric heating devices. This crystalises Sugar on the outside and also cooks the dough into a fluffy delicious treat. Many different flavorings are available, for the simple walnut one we paid the following:
2000 HUF / ~ 5 Euros / ~5,5 USD
9, Walking along the Danube Promenade – You can catch some really nice views of the Palace building here and the Danube river as well as you walk along this pedestrian way.
10, The Szechenyi Chain Bridge – The Iconic bridge that was the first permanent bridge to connect Pest and Buda.
11, The St Stephens Basilica – One of the most well known landmarks of the city, named after the first King of Hungary who’s right hand is held as a relic inside this Basilica. You can also go to the top of the Dome and get a unique perspective of the city.
Price for the combined tickets for 2 People (Entry Inside and Visiting the Viewing Deck):
12000 HUF / ~31 Euros / ~33 USD
For latest ticket details you can visit the following website:
https://www.bazilika.jegy.eu/
12, Stopping for a Hot Dog at Simon’s Hot Dog, a local franchise for fast food and also getting a coffee at the specialty coffee shop of Espresso Embassy:
Price of 2 simple HotDogs:
1180 HUF / ~3 Euros / ~3 USD
Price of an Espresso and Cappuchino with Alternative Milk:
2250 HUF / ~6 Euros / ~6 USD
13, Hungarian Parliament Bulding – the Iconic building of the city which happens to be the largest building in the country. It’s where the National Assembly sits. It can be visited if you book ahead for a tour as only guided tours are allowed inside, for more information you can check the following website:
https://jegymester.hu/event-host/900/parlament
14, Shoes on the Danube River – A monument Commemorating the tragic events against the Jewish People during World War 2.
15, Closing the Day with some Local flavors are Pozsonyi Kisvendéglő. A simple and straightforward restaurant. Nothing fancy, just classic Hungarian flavours.
Price for the dinner of 2 that included 1 Glass of Wine, 1 Shot of Pálinka (Local Fruit Brandy), 1 Drink and 2 Main Dishes:
15000 HUF / ~38 Euro / ~41 USD
Day 2 – The Castle District of Buda
1, At the begining of the Day, we bought some baked goods at Lisboa Bakery. From Deák Ferenc tér there is a bus going straight up to the Castle District.
Price for 2 baked items:
1640 HUF / ~4 Euros / ~4,5 USD
2, Buda Castle Palace and the Views of Budapest from the area around the Palace Building. The Palace today hosts Museums like the Budapest City History Museum and the National Art Gallery. Many of the buildings in the district are under renovation today or are being reconstructed as most of the castle district was destroyed during the Siege of Budapest in World War 2.
3, Buda Castle Cave Walks – A Guided tour that takes you underground of the Castle District. Buda’s mountains and hills are unique thanks to the rock type that makes them up. This feature makes the area ideal to form caves, many of these were used by those who lived in Buda castle district, and this has become part of the History of the area in unique ways. You can learn a lot about this if you take part in the Cave Walk Tour. For more info on the tour, visit the following site:
https://www.getyourguide.com/budapest-l29/budapest-buda-castle-caves-walking-tour-t391260/
Price for 2 adults taking part in the 1.5 hour tour:
13000 HUF / ~33 Euro / ~35,5 USD
Alternative Cave experiences:
Hospital in the Rock: https://www.sziklakorhaz.eu/en
Buda Castle Labyrinth: https://labirintus.eu/en/
4, Time to Get some local Strudel (Rétes) at Rétesvár and some Coffee at Flat White Art coffee shop.
Price for 2 Strudel’s (Rétes):
1200 HUF / ~3 Euros / ~3 USD
Price for a Batch Brew and a Cappichino with Alternative Milk:
3700 HUF / ~9 Euros / ~10 USD
5, Visiting Matthias Church – Named after one of the most famous Kings of Hungarian history, it is a unique church of the city with distinct architectural features and gorgeous insides.
Price for 2 adult tickets to the Matthias Church:
5800 HUF / ~15 Euros / ~16 USD
You can also walk up to the tower for which there are combined tickets available, for more information check out the following site:
https://matyas-templom.hu/en/
6, Fisherman’s Bastion – One of the best places to get some nice views of the river Danube and the city of Pest. The bastion may feel like a castle from a magical tale, in reality it’s commemorating the 7 tribes that came to the Hungarian plains and settling here, which is why you can see 7 towers here. Walking up to the walls will cost money during the day, but personally it’s not worth the price, you can still get amazing views without being about 5 meters higher.
6, Walking down to Batthany Ter Subway station. As you walk down the streets and the stairs, you can get some nice and unique views of the city. Down at the station which is next to the Danube river you can also get an excellent view of the front of the Parliament Bulding.
7, Closing the Day at VÃgvarjú Restaurant – We head back to Pest side to take the scenic Tram 2 Line from the Parliament building back to VÃgadó station where a contemporary restaurant serves Hungarian flavors with some modern twists.
Price for the dinner which included: 1 glass of wine, 1 drink, 2 main dishes, 1 espresso and 2 desserts:
25000 HUF / ~ 64 Euros / ~68 USD
Day 3 – Városliget City Park and the Nightlife of Budapest
1, Starting the Day with some relaxing time at the most famous Thermal Spa in Budapest: The Széchenyi Termal Bath. The Hot Medicinal Pools are not only relaxing but also good for your body thanks to the minerals in the waters.
Admission fee for 2 adults with basic storage:
24000 HUF / ~61 Euros / ~65,5 USD
For more information about the Baths you can visit the following site:
https://www.szechenyibath.hu/
2, Having a Lángos at Ligeti Lángosos – Lángos is a deep fried dough which then can be customised with toppings. We recommend the simple version of Sourcream and Cheese but enjoy it any way you like.
Price for 1 Lángos with Sourcream and Cheese:
2390 HUF / ~6 Euros / ~6,5 USD
3, Vajdahunyad Castle – This structure is a mix of many different historical buildings from Hungarian History. It was built for the Millenium Celebrations in Hungary at the end of the 19th Century.
4, Exploring the Városliget City Park – There are many Unique buildings and Museums in the park. If you have the time feel free to explore it as much as you like, you can visit the House of Music Interactive Exhibition or the Museum of Ethnography as well. Take a Balloon ride and get a unique perspective of the city perhaps.
5, Heroes Square – An Iconic Landmark of Budapest where statues of important Kings and Statesmen from Hungarian History can be found.
If you want to learn more about the History behind these statues and the Characters, check out our video where we explain their history:
https://youtu.be/qcQGM7OAKXU?si=rnRxXGWjN2NnEsvk
6, Művész Café right next to the Hungarian State Opera – We take the historic subway from Heroes square to the city center. Here at the Opera bulding there is the Művész Café, an oldschool Café with nice coffee and some excellent confectionary.
Price for 2 Cakes and 1 Espresso and 1 Latte with Alternative Milk:
8395 HUF / ~21 Euros / ~23 USD
7, Unique view of the Basilica – As you walk around the Hungarian State opera to admire it’s structure you can check out the streets behind it. Lázár Street goes straight towards the Basilica and the giant building is being framed by the buildings on the side of the street.
8, Dinner at P̦rc ̩s Pr̩zli РA nicely decorated restaurant with local vibes and occasionally some live music.
Price for dinner which included: 2 Main Dishes, 1 Glass of Wine, 1 Coffee and 1 Dessert:
24800 HUF / ~63 Euros / ~68 USD
9, Walking through the old Jewish District to Grab drinks at Szimpla Kert Ruin Bar – This place was the one that made the Ruin Bar a cult classic. Old furniture and Garbage used as art, its like walking around a weird museum for very contemporary art but you can also get drinks.
Price for 1 Craft Beer and 1 Cocktail:
6825 HUF / ~17 Euros / ~18,5 USD
10, Exploring the Jewish District further, checking out the Dohány Street Synagogue and having another Drink at Rácskert Ruin Bar.
Price for 1 Craft Beer and 1 Lemonade at Rácskert:
2900 HUF / ~7 Euros / ~8 USD
11, Night in the city, Lit up buildings from the Danube Promenade. Back at the river the sun has set and the buildings become illuminated. You can walk along the river all the way to the Parliament to enjoy the views of some of these gorgeous buildings as a way to close your 3rd Day in Budapest.
CONCLUSION:
Total Spend over the course of 3 days which included food, entry tickets, coffees, sweets and the 72h travel pass all for 2 Adults:
170,610 HUF / ~436 Euros / ~466 USD
Some other Useful Links:
Budapest Go Application for Public transport Digital Tickets and Route Planning:
Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=hu.webvalto.bkkfutar&hl=hu
Apple AppStore:
https://apps.apple.com/hu/app/budapestgo/id916193835
Budapest Public Transport website and links to Tickets:
https://bkk.hu/en/tickets-and-passes/prices/
Budapest Public Transport Discounts:
https://bkk.hu/en/tickets-and-passes/discounts/
Useful Videos and Information about Budapest:
Everything to know about Budapest Public Transport:
Local Foods to Try in Restaurants:
Generally what are the Things you MUST Know when Traveling to Budapest:
For more videos about Budapest and what to know, check out our following Playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtV2zB28YXqgvYfBNZfafItQ4OEmFpCAb&si=bgaKZOie7Q0uEZbl
Hope when you come to Budapest you will have an Excellent time! 🙂
Stuffed Cabbage Adventures 