This is how to make the most of your trip to Budapest be it a weekend or a week! I befriended many travellers who were just in Budapest for a night or two before continuing on to Croatia or Austria but I would highly recommend at least 3 nights in this magical city.

This was my longest solo trip yet! As a 21st birthday treat to myself. I stayed in Budapest for 5 nights and I still felt like staying on by the end of it, partially because of the people I met who lived there!

I would recommend Wizzair flying into Budapest as they are a Hungarian airline. There’s also affordable direct flights from Berlin to Budapest via Ryanair. There’s also average cost is €30-50 if you book a month or two in advance and about €80-100 if you book week of spontaneously.

The BudapestGo app will be your best friend this trip. If you are a student in Europe you can get a monthly pass for a ridiculously cheap price (the cost of the one month pass if equal to one U-Bahn ride in Berlin, insane right?). Tickets are checked frequently by ticket officers outside the train and metro stations. Other popular passes are the 24 and 72 hour travel card. Getting from the airport to the city centre can be done in 2 ways, bus 100E which you need to buy a separate ticket for regardless of what pass you have, or bus 200E which is included in the passes.

I stayed at Avenue Hostel, and I have no complaints. Free breakfast is included in all stays. I actually chose this hostel thinking it would be a bit more chill and not such a party hub like The Hive or Wombat’s but it was so social. I met new people every time I sat down at a table in the kitchen area. They also offer dinner if you buy a drink at the bar between 7-9pm daily and they have shower kits and towels for an affordable price. The amenities were clean and I actually loved the location so much that I extended my stay. It’s located in Oktogon, around the corner to a McDonald’s and a 12 minute walk from the ruin bars.

Budapest is a hub of solo travellers and everyone is always down for company. You can use the Hostelworld group chats to connect with other travellers or do it old school and join a group’s conversation in the dining hall. On my first night, we checked out the ruin bars. Very chill atmosphere not chaotic at all. Everyone was sitting and drinking beer at Szimpla Kert. Definitely a good experience but it can get smokey so I didn’t stay for long. I did however visit Szimpla again on Sunday where they had a pop-up farmers market. There is also a quirky shop on the right of Szimpla with very unique trinkets to take back as a souvenir. On the same road you will also find a photobooth with black and white photos for only €2.50. Needless to say I returned quite often.

A popular nightclub is Instant-Fogas with multiple different rooms, each with a different genre of music, pop, rock, latin and techno.

I would start any trip with a free walking tour. These tours can be found in every major city and are donation based. They definitely give you a better understanding into the rich history and culture of Hungary. I did two on the same day, 12pm tour through the Pest side and 3pm at Buda. If you didn’t know already Budapest is two sides of a city separated by the river. Buda being the side with Buda Castle, Fisherman’s Bastion and generally where wealthier Hungarians would stay. The Pest side has the Parliament, St Stephen’s Basilica and is vibrant and very lively. Can you tell which I prefer? In between the two there is Margaret Island which is accessible across the bridge, it’s a very green area which I personally just took the bus through but didn’t stop in.

Now let’s talk about the best spot for sunset and sunrise. Sunset at Gellert Hill is so worth the walk and sunrise at Fisherman’s Bastion is very worth the wake. Budapest, an already stunning city is somehow even more gorgeous when illuminated by the sun rays.

Other notable things to not miss out on are the boat cruise, Parliament, shoes by the Danube, Moon Budapest, St Stephen’s Basilica, the thermal baths (Szechenyi, Gellert , Rudas and Veli Bej), Vajdahunyad Castle and Central Market Hall.

There are many boat cruises available for as cheap as €14 for 50 minutes with a welcome drink of Prosecco. I recommend doing this at night so you can see the Parliament lit up.

As for the thermal baths, Gellert is currently under construction until 2029. Szechenyi is known for its overcrowding. I personally went to Veli Bej, while it is one of the oldest Turkish baths in Hungary it is also a local treasure and hence not very tourist friendly.

St Stephen’s Basilica is stunning and was actually accidentally declared as a Basilica by the Pope when he misspoke as it was just built as a normal cathedral. The entry is about €16 and that is all inclusive, you can even climb up to the dome where you will get a view of the entire city. Fun fact: No building on the Pest side is allowed to be taller than the Basilica or the Parliament.

I ate lunch at the Central Market Hall and a meal of Hungarian Pork Stew with Hungarian Pasta was €12. You have to try the pepper paste as well. Hungarians really love their peppers.
Other notable snacks are Chimney cakes and Langos. Hungary is also a wine making country and are known for their Palinka, fermented fruit drinks with a high percentage of alcohol.

Hungary is a very affordable country and you can roughly convert 2000 HUF to about €5.

Let me end this post with one of my most memorable moments which was sitting by the shoes by the Danube. There is a cement ledge where you can sit and ponder for a while, reflecting about the history. There is a very sad story behind this memorial and you can read more about it here. https://www.yadvashem.org/articles/general/shoes-on-the-danube-promenade.html I also was in Budapest just a few days before October 23rd which was a very significant date for them as a tragedy spurred their revolution into motion.

Budapest is a beautiful city with a charm of it’s own and a rich history that can be seen all around.