Budapest has undergone a lot of transformations in its long and chequered history. From Turkish occupation, to the Habsburgs, to the Nazis and Communists, Hungary has copped it all. They’ve come out on top though, and the result if crowning glory of Budapest.
Hungarians really like foosball.
And palinka.
Don’t know what palinka is? Well after a solid night of it, you probably won’t remember anyway.
Read on to find out how the mix of these two very different and unique cultural quirks mixed with a turbulent history has made this one of Europe’s most cosmopolitan and eclectic cities.
Things to See and Do
In Budapest, most significant sights are centred around the Danube river. The Castle Hill rises up out of nowhere on the Buda side, the Hungarian Parliament sits on the Pest side and the Chain Bridge joins the two very different halves of the Budapest. Spending a day on each side is the best way to cover the city, but when night falls, you want to be firmly on the Pest side to experience the selection of awesome, yet random, bars scattered throughout.
Castle Hill
The most prominent landmark in the landscape of Buda, Castle Hill is where the, you guessed it, the old castle used to be. It is dotted with great things to check out and has a real old town European feel to it. Definitely dedicate an entire day to this part of Budapest as there is a lot to see.
Royal Palace
Visible from all along the riverside on Pest, this is the most standout landmark atop Castle Hill. It’s been rebuilt many times over the centuries (Ottoman era, Habsburg era, post-WW2, Communist etc) and is a great example of Baroque architecture. It’s undergone many transformation based on ruling parties, with the guts ripped out many times and refitted depending on who was occupying Hungary at the time.
There is a fantastic fountain around the back that depicts a group of hunters and hounds with a killed deer, very dramatic and will be crawling with tourists trying to get the perfect photo of it.
Matthias Church
One of the most important churches in Hungary, the Matthias Church has seen many coronations and Royal weddings take place here. The present building was built in the 14th century, however the site dates back to the 11th century. It’s adorned with incredible orange/green/white tiling on the roof and the way it reflects the sunlight is nothing short of dazzling.
Don’t really bother buying a ticket to go inside though, it’s not nearly as amazing as the outside.
Fisherman’s Bastion
Built to commemorate the seven founding Magyar tribes of Hungary (there is a tower for each one), the Fisherman’s Bastion was built in the late 19th century and affords some amazing views of the Danube. It’s called the Fisherman’s Bastion because it was built on a part of the hill that was guarded by the fishermen during the Middle Ages.
Tip:Â Don’t bother buying a ticket for this either. Walk to the end and go up into the restaurant in the last tower (pictured above) for a great view of the Danube and the Pest side of the city.
Gellert Hill
Gellert Hill is named after St Gellert (Gerard), the Italian bloke who came to Hungary to convert all the Pagans to Christianity. As per usual in those times, he was brutally murdered in some way by the natives and was then canonised for his sacrifice.
Up on the hill are two worthwhile sights, the Liberty statue and the Citadel. Oh, and there’s a bar up there. For when you want to soak up the decent hike up and the wicked view of Pest with a few beers.
Liberty Statue
The Soviets erected this statue at the end of World War 2 to “commemorate” the “liberation” of Hungary. That was until they were swiftly transitioned to another brutal dictatorship under the Iron Curtain.
When the Hungarian Revolution came around in 1956, they decided to get rid of the Red Army soldier in front of the statue but leave the statue itself, instead rededicating it to the “second” liberation of Hungary and to freedom and independence of all the country.
Citadel
This was built by the Habsburgs in the mid 19th century. Not to defend Budapest, but to intimidate its citizens against causing trouble. It was strategically placed to rain fire down upon Buda and Pest in the event of an uprising, but was never used for such a purpose. There’s a war museum within the Citadel that tells the story of Budapest and a bit about the Nazi occupation also.
Hungarian Parliament
Modelled after the Houses of Parliament (Westminster) in London, the Hungarian Parliament sits right on the bank of the Danube and forms an imposing profile on the river.
The intricate attention to detail is evident from the other side of the Danube as well as up close, and if you can score a tour in the morning it provides an even more in-depth insight into the core of Hungarian democracy. If not, just go for a wander around. You can see the statue dedicated to where the Hungarian revolution took place, detailing how the people ripped the emblem of the Communists out of the centre of their flag and burned it.
St Stephen’s Basilica and Andrassy Avenue
Located on the Pest side of the Danube, St Stephen’s Basilica is the other very important church in Budapest, and without a doubt the most important in the entire country. The dome collapsed in 1868 which lead to the complete reconstruction of the entire church, which delayed completion till 1905. It’s dedicated to the first King of Hungary and their most revered saint, St Stephen I (circa 10th century).
You can go inside for free, but not very far (although it is worth it, the interior is quite impressive with the browns of the wood and the gold plating). If you want to take an elevator up the top it will cost you a bit, and this is dependent on whether the church is being used for a service or not.
Andrassy Avenue is the UNESCO World Heritage main shopping thoroughfare of Budapest. It’s kind of like the Champs Elysees in Paris and has the Royal Hungarian Opera on it about half way down. Underneath Andrassy Avenue is Metro Line 1, and I’ll talk about this more on the next page.
Segway Tour
This is without a doubt the coolest way to see Budapest. After you’ve been on a Segway, you’ll think walking is for chumps. The Segway tour leaves from the Discover Budapest office just behind the Opera house and is lead by an English speaking guide. The tour goes for about 2 hours and you’ll receive lots of training time to get you used to the Segways before you’re let loose on Budapest.
After a minute or so of wobbling around the place you get the hang of them pretty quickly. Next thing you know you’re blazing down Andrassy Avenue towards the centre of Pest.
Here’s a quick video of us goofing around at the end of the tour.
The Segway tour was provided by Expedia, and you can book the tours here. Check out the other short activities Expedia offer in Budapest here.
Disclosure: The Segway tours we took of Budapest were supplied complimentary by Expedia.
Food and Drink
The Pest side of the city is an absolute treasure trove of cool bars and cafes. From the Jewish quarter on Kazinczy Utca to the long drag of clubs just to the west of Andrassy Avenue, there’s lots to keep you occupied at night during your time in Budapest.
Mika Tivador Mulato
As you enter through the front door, you’re immediately greeted with a 10 foot high blackboard at the far end of the bar listing all the drinks the sell here. No menus, just the big blackboard, and it is PACKED with choice. One entire side is dedicated to the different varieties of palinka they sell.
It’s set out over 2.5 levels with live music in basement, a lounge feel on the ground level and a mezzanine level with comfy couches. A good place to start the night out.
Ellato Kert
With a warehouse style vibe, this feels like a run down pub in the back lot of a factory. It has high ceilings, lots of room and a huge “beer hall” vibe to it. You’ve got foosball tables, live music, graffiti, street art on the walls and fresh Mexican food on offer here. The bar is cheap and it’s well stocked. Prepare to meet both locals and other travellers, this is a cool place to hang out.
Instant
The coolest club on Nagymezo utca, Instant is a one of a kind joint in Budapest. Let me set the scene, when I checked in here on Foursquare it was categorised as a Frat House.
It features an Alice in Wonderland theme throughout the place, with a huge tree in the centre of the main room and grass on the walls. it has 3 floors laden with (once again) foosball tables, pinball machines and chill out areas. Not to mention all kinds of nooks and crannies, 4 bars and a basement room with DJs banging out drum and bass. This place is a must visit and will totally make your night.
Szóda
A chilled out, relaxed bar with lots of seating and anime decor, Szoda is located not far from Mika Tivador Mulato and Ellato Kert. As the name suggests, there’s an affinity with soda water bottles here, and they adorn the stretch of the bar. Ya know, when you want a water fight at 2am.
Like lots of bars in Budapest, Szoda serves Palinka, and lots of it. Palinka is the national spirit of Hungary and will hit you for six with ease. It’s distilled from fruit and  comes in all kinds of flavours like apple, cherry, grape, raspberry and pear. It’s basically fire in a shot glass, proceed with caution.
Vörös Ördög
Located on Castle Hill, tucked away down a side street, this is real authentic Hungarian restaurant. Generous servings of goulash, steaks with sides of dumplings (think a donut-like puff) are served up with friendly service (and free wifi).
The airy courtyard is great for lunch after traipsing around Castle Hill all morning and the meals are decently priced.
How to get there
The flight from Britain to Budapest is about 2.5 hours and is served by a bunch of varied airlines from Britain.
WizzAir fly from Luton and will cost you from £150, whilst the Hungarian flag carrier, MALEV fly from Gatwick and start from £180 return.
British Airways fly from Heathrow and flights start from £200. As always, prices will vary based on when you fly and when you book.
A bit of orientation
Here’s a handy map laying out all the sights I mentioned above to give you an idea of the layout of Budapest. Click on the markers to see the sight listed and zoom and pan around to see more of the map.
View 48 hours in Budapest in a larger map
Get around in Budapest
All the places I’ve listed are mostly walkable, but the Metro is never far away. It was the first ever underground metro system in continental Europe (London’s was first in the world) and covers a lot of Pest and some of Buda. A single ticket costs 320 HUF and can be bought from the machines or ticket inspectors in each station.
Where to stay
Budapest is another one of those cities that does pretty well for itself when it comes to highly rated hostels. Tiger Tim’s and the Home Plus/Home Made duo are among some of the best you could check yourself into. Make sure you check out Hostelbookers for availability.
Budget
Although part of the EU, Hungary is not part of the Eurozone and thus they do not use the Euro. Their currency is the Hungarian Forint (HUF) and currently (at time of writing) £1 GBP will get you just over 300 HUF.
Budapest is cheap, but not as much as the whole “it’s really cheap in Eastern Europe” ploy a lot of people have in their heads. A bottle of beer from a “non-stop” (basically a 24 hour off license/convenience store) will cost between 290 FT and 350 FT, so around about £1.
Conclusion
Budapest is basically the heart of Central Europe, and is the gateway to more obscure adventures into Eastern Europe. I’d call it a good introduction to Slavic culture and language. A lot of the signs use an alphabet similar to English (save a few additional characters), so the only barrier is the pronunciation.
I wouldn’t put Budapest up in my Top 5 must see European cities, but I have to say it has a very unique character about it with loads of history, a pumping nightlife and it’s reasonably priced. If you get the opportunity, go.

I lived in Budapest a few years ago, and although the pictures and recommendations in this article are quite spot on, I feel the author was a bit too bias with his opinions of the city and made an overall judgement that Budapest wasn’t the ‘greatest’ European city to visit. Regardless of his personal aversions, I think he should have been more objective, especially for a travel piece. In my opinion, Budapest is a beautiful city and my favourite that I’ve visited so far in Europe. To me, this article misleads its readers with a haphazard nod to what is an amazing city.
Did you try the baths at Gellert? They’re fab!
Sophie’s World recently posted..Kuwait Towers
Hi Sarah, thanks for commenting. I appreciate your opinion and value your feedback.
This blog is my own take, based on my travels. Having said that, I grant my readers the liberty of using their own initiative and “taking things with a pinch of salt”. What I say about a city may differ completely with another blogger or journalist.
And in the end, one can’t know the real story until they go there and find out for themselves. 🙂
Unfortunately didn’t get a chance to Sophie! Totally kicking myself now though.
@Sarah: Whilst I think your comments are entirely valid, I think you’ve slightly missed the point. The whole ethos of 48 Hour Adventure is inherently biased, because that’s what such a project demands. I often travel within a similar time frame, and rely on outlets such as this blog to provide me with the information, and thorough detail, to make the trip a success (and by success I mean an enriching, fruitful experience).
I also think you should note that travellers will use a blog such as this as a skeleton for their trip to a city – Budapest or otherwise. My point is that this blog would lack soul without the opinion of its author, and I’m certain that those who will read this blog and then travel to Budapest will remain wholly objective to the city and use the tips contained to enhance, rather than narrow, the experience.
Overall, I think it’s important to note that 48 Hour Adventure is an powerful resource for those taking short trips, and what you consider to be a ‘haphazard nod’ instead, to me, amounts to a considered article of tips – tips which are individual to the author, something that separates this blog from countless others.
While I appreciate the arguably ill-conceived constraints of a 48 hour time limit, I have to agree with Sarah. I’ve lived in Budapest, and have visited extensively, and these are not the sights that I would consider a “skeleton” for travelers.
Not mentioning the baths, the fantastic markets and Margaret Island, I’m not sure what, other than the sponsored segway ride, this post offers that is not in any guidebook or even wikipedia.
But maybe I overreacted to the ridiculous notion that you shouldn’t bother to go inside Matthias church.
Or, maybe it’s because this statement: “When the Hungarian Revolution came around in 1956, they decided to get rid of the Red Army soldier in front of the statue but leave the statue itself, instead rededicating it to the “second†liberation of Hungary and to freedom and independence of all the country” is incomprehensible. (The 1956 Revolution was not successful. Hungary was not free until 1989.)
I do get the irreverent writing style, and like it. I’d love to take you on a real 48 hour tour of Budapest!
Woah, I sounded a bit harsh! Didn’t mean to. It is a very comprehensive and well-written description of most of the main sites. I bet you’re going to prove me wrong in the next installment …
Haha that’s ok Eva. The main point of 48 Hour Adventure is to cut through the overwhelming amount of content traditional guide books give to travellers and to present a concise snapshot of a city should you only have 48 hours there. This is why I sometimes miss out covering things in cities that other people might suggest.
Thanks for the feedback, hope to see you back soon!
I love to see a good discussion building on a blog post and couldn’t help but join in! I thought this was a very thorough and detailed piece by an author who was describing their own 48 hour adventure in the city. It is by no means an exclusive list of sights but it is a vivid account of what the author saw/thought/felt – surely this is the point of a blog? The day a blogger becomes more objective is the day I stop reading!
It is great to see people writing comments – there is so much content out there that people don’t feel moved enough to read to the end let alone comment on. I feel it is a sign of a good post if it sparks comments – even if they are negative. Eva if you happen to write your own tips for Budapest, I’d love to see them 🙂
I have always wanted to see Budapest’s Parliament building. The city seems to have such inspiring architecture, that building included.
Suzy recently posted..Suzy Stumbles Over Travel- Week of May 23- 2011
It’s definitely got its fair share of diverse architecture Suzy. Everything from the Parliament building and the grandeur of Andrassy Avenue to the still very stoic Communist era areas in Buda make it a great city for architecture gazing.
I went to high school up in the castle just below the Fisherman Bastion and the Mathias church. I haven’t been to Hungary for over twenty years, but this brings back some memories, however I also find the writing style is somewhat dry. There is just so much more to the city and even the specific landmarks Justin visited.
We used to sit on the 4′ wide window sill up on the 3rd floor which over looked the Danube from right across the Parlament. (It is a beautiful view.) A bit more info to the construction of the Parlament is that it has a very thick foundation, and we were told (in Architecture school) that 100 pairs of Murakozi horses (large strong Hungarian breed) died during the construction.
I didn’t realize that the Fisherman Bastion and the Mathias church was only available if one paid, but I guess there isn’t much to see there. We used to run up that way every day at lunch time to a restaurant in the castle…
The Lanchid (Chain Bridge) should have also been mentioned which connects Buda and Pest – by the way they used to be two separate cities, Buda being the older one. There are two stone lions at each end of the bridge and the legend goes that the commissioner of the bridge (Istvan Szechenyi)was told that the lions have no tongues. He said if that was true he’d jump in the river from the bridge, which he did upon observing that it was the case. (FYI, he didn’t die from the jump). Afterwards however it was discovered that the lions do have tongues…
Anyway, this is getting long, but I thought I’d jump in…
Later,
Zsolt
Hey Zsolt, thanks so much for giving us a bit more of an insight into Budapest from your own personal experiences. That’s amazing about the 1000 pairs of horses dying during construction of the Parliament building, wow.
I remember our guide on the Segway tour mentioning something about someone jumping off the Chain Bridge into the Danube regarding the dome of St Stephen’s Basilica? Seems like a theme in Budapest to prove your mettle. I can imagine someone in a bar one night going “if I don’t pick up that girl, I’ll jump off the Chain Bridge tomorrow morning!” haha.
Once again, really appreciate hearing about the city from a local and I’m glad I was able to bring back some memories for you.
Haha! I can just imagine the chaos you’d create trying to navigate a Segway down one of the narrow pedestrian laneways on the bridge.
I loved the area around Fishermen’s Bastion, and the Holocaust Memorial Center was the best exhibition I have ever seen.
Budapest is an interesting city, rough – but still beautiful!
Looks like a great place, can’t wait to check it out!
Kris Koeller recently posted..Farmer Warren
Well well we were at budapest during the sziget festival. It was great time being islander 🙂 Also we checked out otkert-szimpla-szoda. All was cool and great. Wines are indeeply good and cheap.
We will come back
I love your photo Basilica, I’ve found that it’s really tricky to get a good shot in there with all the lights. After coming back home i checked photos of mine none of them was clear as yours. Huhh may be i was so drunk and its good reason for going back…
For God’s sake please correct your sentence that” I’d call is a good introduction to Slavic culture.”
Hungarian is not a Slavic language. It is Finnic-Ugric origin. Hungarians are not people of Slavic origin!!!!!!!!!!! They are descendants of the Magyars.
Cheers,
Liz
Hey Liz, thanks for the correction. I had no idea! Good to know.