City Review: Budapest, Hungary

Back in February, I headed over to Europe for the second time in 2 months. This time, instead of traveling with Matt like I have over the past few years, I met up with my best friend from college, Hanna. We studied abroad together in London in 2013, where we became friends. Considering it’s 2023 now, we decided to take a 10-year anniversary visit. But while we were over there, I wanted to visit a new country, too. And that’s why we went to Budapest, Hungary.

About Budapest

Budapest is the capital city of Hungary, and it’s the 9th-largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.75 million. The city, which straddles two sides of the Danube River, was originally divided into two different cities: Buda and Pest. Back in 1873, the city was unified into “Budapest” as we know it today.

In Budapest, as in the rest of Hungary, the population speaks Hungarian. However, we found that most people we interacted with in the tourism/hospitality industries had a proficient level of English. Many restaurants provided English menus as well. Interestingly, we encountered a lot of British people in Hungary… not because they lived there, but because they were participating in “stag” or “hen” parties — bachelor/bachelorette parties in American English! It turns out, Budapest is the second-most popular destination for stag parties in Europe, after Prague.

With that being said, Budapest is a great city with a lot of character. Its Eastern European roots always show through — its stately architecture, silently dignified, and comparatively quiet main streets — but you don’t have to look hard to find the city’s fun-loving spirit. Whether it’s a collective of street food trucks in a park, the psychedelic Szimpla Kert bar, or yes, the famously cheap beer prices, it’s hard not to fall in love with Budapest.

How Many Days Do You Need in Budapest?

You could probably see Budapest’s highlights in a whirlwind two days, but I’d recommend three days at least. Budapest is not a small city, and there’s plenty to keep you busy. You’ll probably need at least one day to explore each side of the river. Plus, if you’re planning on experiencing one of Budapest’s famed thermal baths, you don’t want to be rushed spending a few hours there.

Things To Do in Budapest

So, how will you fill your three-plus days in Budapest? Let me count the ways.

On the Pest side — the east side of the Danube — there’s the Hungarian Parliament Building which is a true architectural marvel with its Neo-Gothic design. Whether or not you decide to go inside for a tour, the largest building in Hungary is certain to impress.

Just next to it, by the river, is the memorial sculpture Shoes on the Danube. The installation, which is made up of 60 pairs of metal shoes, pays tribute to the Hungarian Jews shot along the river bank by the fascist Hungarian militia during World War II.

And speaking of Jewish history, you can’t visit Budapest without visiting the Dohány Street Synagogue. It’s the second-largest synagogue in the world, and the largest in Europe. I’ve never had the chance to take a tour of a synagogue before, so I really appreciated the opportunity.

The Dohány Street Synagogue is both a museum and memorial to the Hungarian Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust, and a testament to the thriving Jewish community in Budapest in present day. This second part is evidenced by the lively and colorful Jewish quarter, which is home to many shops and restaurants, as well as some of the best bars in the city. (Like Szimpla Kert.)

Not far from the Dohány Street Synagogue and the Jewish quarter is St. Stephen’s Basilica, a grand cathedral dedicated to Hungary’s first king. You can climb to the top for a great view of the city!

Now, over to the Buda side of Budapest. The iconic Fisherman’s Bastion is probably one of the best places for photos — not only of it, but of the Parliament Building across the Danube. While it was previously used for defense of the city of Buda, these days it’s just for decoration. Nearby, you’ll find Buda Castle, which is now home to several museums.

And, of course, I have to mention the thermal baths! There are several famous ones throughout the city, though we visited the Gellért Thermal Baths near Gellért Hill.

Find more things to do in Budapest.

How Expensive Is Budapest?

When it comes to the cost of visiting European countries, I typically compare places to Spain. For example, places like the UK and Ireland are way more expensive than Spain. France is a bit more expensive than Spain. Budapest is less expensive than Spain. Which means that many travelers from English-speaking countries will be quite happy with the prices there.

Something to note is that Hungary, while part of the EU, does NOT use the Euro as its currency. Instead, it uses the Hungarian Forint (HUF). I’ll be honest — I can’t remember the exact conversion we were doing in our heads at the time. But it’s something like 1000 HUF was about $3 USD.

At coffee shops, a cappuccino would cost about 700 HUF or $2 USD. A restaurant entrée, such as a traditional Hungarian goulash, would be about 4000 HUF/$11 USD. A pint of beer was about 1000 HUF/$3 USD. A ticket on the tram cost less than 50 cents. And taxis, which were especially useful for getting from one side of the city to the other, were only a few $USD per trip.

Budapest is definitely a city you can enjoy to the fullest without draining your bank account. (Looking at you, London. Financially, it hurt going back to London after being in Budapest. 😂)

Where We Ate

I’m going to start this section a little unconventionally. The first place I want to mention is somewhere we ate, but I would absolutely not recommend: New York Café.

New York Café is apparently known for being the “most beautiful café in the world,” and it is beautiful, but… in a fabricated kind of way? I felt like the only people who were there, were people trying to get the perfect Instagram photo, so the whole thing felt really artificial.

Besides that, the prices were absolutely astronomical. It was more than $9 USD for an Americano, and that was the cheapest coffee on the menu! I ordered a $10+ “regular” cappuccino — not the one with 24 carat gold leaf in it — and some blueberry pancakes that were $13, hoping the price would be illuminated by the quality. Instead, I got a very regular-tasting cappuccino and cold pancakes.

Upon hearing that people often line up for hours to get into New York Café, I say… don’t waste your time or your money.

Now, here are some great places we ate in Budapest!

Gettó Gulyás: A warm and cozy place for goulash, one of Hungary’s most famous dishes. Gettó Gulyás also has a variety of stews and other things that will fill you up before a night of partying — it’s in the Jewish quarter, with all its nightlife just steps away.

Gettó Gulyás
Budapest, Wesselényi u. 18
1077 Hungary

Street Food Karavan: A food truck park also in the Jewish quarter, you can get all kinds of cuisines — from Hungarian, to Mexican, to burgers, and more. If you haven’t yet tried a piping-hot Chimney Cake in Budapest, make sure to grab one here.

Street Food Karavan
Budapest, Kazinczy u. 18
1075 Hungary

For Sale Pub: While its name may make it sound like it’s just a place to grab a pint, it’s also another great place to eat in Budapest. We did wait in line to get in here, but I think it was worth it! You get huge portions of traditional Hungarian food, and the décor is made entirely of notes written by other customers, and a healthy layer of peanut shells on the ground. (You get a giant bucket of free peanuts with your meal.)

For Sale Pub
Budapest, Vámház krt. 2
1053 Hungary

Where We Stayed

We really loved the place we stayed in Budapest! While in London, we were paying an arm and a leg for the tiniest room with hardly any space for our bags or even to walk around, our money took us much further in Budapest. We stayed in a studio-apartment type room at a place called Lord Residence.

It was in a great location for a great price, especially when we split the cost between the two of us. We were able to walk almost everywhere we wanted to go in Budapest. Or, if it was too late or we were too tired, we could take a taxi for just a couple of dollars. I would stay there again in a heartbeat!

Final Thoughts

I didn’t know what to expect from Budapest, but I absolutely loved it, and I can’t wait to go back with Matt someday! Between the delicious food, interesting history, gorgeous architecture, and affordable costs, Budapest is a place I would recommend to any traveler.

 

Are you thinking about visiting Budapest? What else do you want to know? Let me know in the comments!

-Cathy

This site contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you.