Where to eat in Budapest?
Local Grandma’s Kitchen(local diners and self-serving buffets):
Street Food:
Traditional Restaurants:
Where to drink in Budapest?
Favorite bars:
Favorite clubs/concert venues:
Budapest Museums
- National Museum – overview of the Hungarian history. 3500 Ft
- National Gallery – Hungarian fine art. 4200 HUF
- House of Terror – exhibition on Nazi and Communist terror. 4000 HUF
- Rock Hospital – hospital and nuclear military bunker in the cave. 7620 HUF
- Holocaust Memorial Center – From deprivation of rights to genocide of Hungarian Jews and Roma.
3600 HUF, Students: 1600HUF - Memento Park Museum – Outdoor museum with Social-Realist statues and a military barrack with a photo exhibition. 3000 HUF
- Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art – Excellent space with lots of art. 4200 HUF
- Museum of Fine Arts – a collection of international art. 4800 HUF
Budapest for Kids
- Zoo: Visitors can get up close and personal with the animals. Get a trolley for kids. Plenty of toilets & places to get snacks. Family (1+2): 9400HUF. Adult: 4500 HUF
- Tropicarium: Huge shark tank and stingrays you can touch. Family: (2+2) 16800 HUF
- Kopaszi Gát: a wonderful peninsula south of Buda with English-style lawn, indoor and outdoor playground, fancy restaurants.
- Children’s Railway: A nice train ride with spectacular views through the Buda hills. All are run by small polite schoolchildren. Return family ticket: 5400 HUF
Almost Free Outdoor Activities
Hop on #2 tram which runs along the Pest river side. The ride is less than 30 minutes and you will see the
Parliament, Chain bridge, a view to Castle Hill and Gellért hill, Central market hall and more.
The #19 #41 trams go along the West bank of the Danube.
The #4 and #6 trams go along a “Körút” (big ring). Both go across the Margaret bridge on and off
Margaret Island.
Visit Heroes’ Square, Margaret Island, Kerepesi cemetery or Vajdahunyad Castle (for an interesting peek into Hungarian history).
Visit Római Beach – with its pebbled beaches and fantastic ambience along the river.
Use the apple-green BUBI public bikes. Initial tickets and passes cost between 500HUF and 2000 HUF.
Registration is necessary. Credit card only.
Choose sailing on the public river boats. Dress warm in the winter.
Best Free Views
Gellért Hill: cross the “green” bridge (see our map) and walk up to the hilltop. Take bus #27 from “Móricz Zs.krt” if you are tired. Citadel is closed to visitors!
János Hill: Take bus #291 from „Nyugati Pu” (M3 blue metro) and the Chair Lift or the Cogwheel railway (#60) from „Városmajor” (2 stops from Széll Kálmán tér by tram #59 or #61). Visit Elisabeth look-out tower (FREE) to see the city from a bird’s eye perspective.
Budapest Must Sees
- St. Stephen’s Basilica: Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm. Sat. 9am-1pm; Sun. 1pm-5pm. Tickets between 2300HUF.- 6000 HUF
- Matthias Church: Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm; Sat. 9am-noon Sun. 1pm-5pm. 2500 HUF – Tower: 2900 HUF
- Dohány Street Grand Synagogue: for the latest opening times click here ; 10800 HUF adult, Students 8600 HUF. Family 2+2) 25000 HUF
- Fisherman’s Bastion: 1200 HUF ( free 9pm-7am )
- Parliament: Guided tours only. EU citizens 6000 HUF, EU students 3000 HUF, other 12.000 HUF, other students 6000 HUF. Reserve online.
Culinary Delights Beyond Gulyás/Goulash
Food list:
- Töltött káposzta – Stuffed cabbage with minced pork
- Halászlé – Spicy fish soup
- Csirkepaprikás – chicken stew
- Főzelék – veggie stew
- Véres/Májas hurka – Blood/liver sausage
- Hortobágyi palacsinta – Pancake filled with meat
- Túrós csusza – Curd dumplings with bacon
- Gyümölcsleves – Fruit soup
Booze list:
- Bikavér – Bull’s Blood – dry full-bodied red wine from Szekszárd or Eger regions
- Tokaji Aszú – honey-sweet dessert white wine. Go for 5 stars / ”puttonyos”
- Dreher Bak – full-bodied sweet dark beer with 7,3% alcohol
- Pálinka – national firewater, Hungarian fruit brandy from 37% to 55,5% alcohol
- Unicum – Hungarian Jägermeister. Drink as a digestive and aperitif
Snack list:
- Túró Rudi – cold chocolate bar filled with quark cheese;
- Lángos – deep-fried flat bread with cheese, sour cream and garlic oil;
- Kürtőskalács – chimney-shaped cake baked on open fire.
- Dobos torta – sponge cake layered with chocolate topped with hardened caramel.
- Somlói galuska – chocolate trifle, made of vanilla, walnut and chocolate flavoured sponge cake.
- Kakaós csiga – pastry filled with cocoa and twisted around in the shape of a snail’s shell.
Yummy!
Thermal Baths in Budapest
- Széchenyi Bath: 7am-7pm. Entry: 9400-10900 HUF (mixed)
- Gellért Bath: 9am-7pm. Entry: 9400-10900 HUF (mixed)
- Lukács Bath: 7am-7pm. Entry: 4400-4800 HUF (mixed)
- Király Turkish Bath: Temporarily closed!
- Rudas Turkish Bath: 6am-8pm. Entry:8600-12200 HUF (On weekdays Turkish bath can be visited only by men or by women on certain days.)
- Veli bej Turkish Bath: Mon-Fri: 3pm-9pm.; Sat-Sun:6am-12pm; 3pm-9pm Entry: 4500-5500 HUF
Best way to use the baths:
1. Shower 2. Relax in a warm pool 3. Cold pool 4. Sauna 5. Cold shower 6. Steam bath 7. Cold
shower 8. Pools with different water temperatures 9. Shower 10. Rest and relax wrapped up in
a beach towel.
Bring flip flops, towel and swimming cap for the lap pool! Don’t bring silver jewels and other
valuables.
What to buy in Budapest for yourself & your loved ones
Markets: Hungarian quality wine (8€/bottle), goose liver paté, spicy Pick sausage, paprika
spice, hot paprika spread called “Erős Pista”, licorice candy called Negro, commie-era relics,
Rubik‘s cube, Unicum, Zsolnay-type ceramics, Herend porcelain, folk-art textiles, postcards,
honey & gingerbread, wooden toys for kids.
Grand Market: Open Mon to Fri from 6am-6pm. Sat: 6am-3pm. Sun: closed.
Shopping malls: Open Mon to Sun from 10am-8pm.
The Do’s and Dont’s in Budapest
Do ask how many HUF you’ll get for US$1/EUR at the exchange offices before you change
money. The rate they post may apply if you change a big amount. Some write the selling rate
first, which is higher.
Use the public transportation less and walk more!
Punch ticket before you get down to the subway platform or when you board the bus/tram.
Drink tap water. It is safe and free. Refill your plastic bottle!
Color code for Hungarian type of mineral water bottle caps in the shops:
BLUE = fizzy, PINK = still, GREEN = softly carbonated.
Do visit a “Cukrászda” (pastry shop) for delicious cakes and sweets.
Hungary is a tipping nation. 15% tips in local currency, US dollars or Euro are widely
accepted and appreciated.
Don’t say „thank you” in a bar or restaurant when paying until you got your change. It means:” keep the change”.
Do not use the taxis unless you have previously bargained for your fare.
Don’t order drinks without checking their prices. (Especially at restaurants offering TOURIST
MENU)
Don’t leave your tips on restaurant table.
Do not leave your bags and belongings unattended at any pubs, clubs or parks.
Avoid girls who try to befriend you with the sole purpose of taking you to a bar where
money will be extorted out of you.
Last but not least
Thanks for choosing Free Budapest Walking Tours. We hope that you enjoyed our tours and learned a lot about Budapest and the Hungarians. Please join our Facebook group to see photos from your tour.
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Thank you!
We look forward to your return!
The schedules are subject to change due to unpredictable Covid 19 situation.
