8
Posts
6 days
Our trip
2026
Visited
Six days, two thermal baths, one free concert, nine taprooms and a stolen towel. Ruins, baths, taprooms and the Danube at dusk — this is our most complete city so far.
Why go
Thermal baths, ruin bars and the Danube at dusk
Budapest is one of those cities that gives you a lot without needing a huge budget — grand architecture, the Danube, thermal baths, lively neighbourhoods and plenty of good food and wine. Go for the views and the architecture, but leave time to simply wander, eat and soak in a thermal bath.
Start here
Budapest in Six Days — What We Actually Did
The full itinerary in both voices — start here, then pick a bath and a bar →
The Streets — Olesia
Walks and sights
Margaret Island: We Came for the Baths and Found the Ruins
A 13th-century convent, posing frogs, and a ruined church at dusk
Two Budapest Baths: One for Families, One for a Spa Day
Palatinus vs Rudas, and how to pick
Tasting Tokaji in Budapest: Three Bars, Zero Expertise
Hungary’s sweet wine, no expertise required
The Taps — Ian
Pubs, taprooms and breweries
Budapest Craft Beer: Every Taproom We Visited, Compared
Nine venues in one table: taps, prices, verdicts
Skip the Tourist Ruin Bars. Here’s Where Budapest Actually Drinks.
Szimpla Kert, Élesztő and KEG Sörművász
More Budapest Craft Beer: Mixát Udvar, Rizmajer Beerhouse, and the Time Out Market
A street-music courtyard, a cave bar and a piano bar
Budapest Craft Beer: HOPS Beer Bar, Beer Brothers and First Craft Beer & BBQ
A Friday night in two very different bars
Budapest through our lens
Plan your visit
The practical bits
Getting there
By plane: Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport is well connected to the city by public transport, the airport bus and taxis.
By train: a great option if you’re already travelling around Central Europe, with direct connections to cities such as Vienna, Bratislava and Prague.
When to go
Spring and early autumn are my favourite times — pleasant temperatures for walking, without the intense summer heat. We were there in the first few days of June and the weather was lovely. December is also a good choice if you enjoy Christmas markets and a colder, atmospheric city.
Where we’d stay
I’d choose Pest, ideally around the Jewish Quarter, Deák Ferenc tér or the Basilica. It’s handy for restaurants, bars, nightlife and most of the major sights, and Buda is easy to reach on foot across the bridges or by public transport — though staying in Buda costs more. We stayed on the inner ring road in District 8: slightly further out and cheaper, but still walkable, and very well served by public transport.
Keep exploring
More places we’ve written about
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