Budapest Holidays

Budapest is one of Europe's best-value city breaks, just a short flight from the UK and Ireland, with more thermal baths than any other capital in the world and pints under a fiver (go on then I'll have two). The romantic Parliament Building lights up the river at night and the ruin bars are famous across Europe.

Budapest Holiday Highlights 2026/2027

• A city of two halves - Buda and Pest - Buda is the hilly, historic, slower side; Pest is the flat, lively, going-out side. Talk about 2 for 1!

• One word: goulash - AKA, a hug in a bowl. Rich, slow-cooked, and packed with paprika-spiced goodness.

• Every day's a spa day thanks to all the thermal baths!

• Home to 'Ruin Bars' which look like your grandma's living room, with a side of craft beer

• Danube River is basically the city's catwalk - cruise it, walk it, or just gaze at it while deciding where to eat next

☀️ Good to Know

• ☀️ Budapest gets over 2,000 hours of sunshine a year, with summer highs around 28°C and winter lows dipping to -2°C. Pack layers for spring and autumn, and sunscreen for July and August

• 💶 Your money goes proper far here. A pint of local beer is around £2.50-£3.50 / €3-€4, a meal at a decent restaurant £8-£15 / €10-€18, and a 24-hour travel pass for unlimited buses, trams and metros costs about £5 / €6. One of the best-value city breaks in Europe

• ♨️ Budapest has more thermal baths than any other capital city in the world, with over 120 natural hot springs feeding the likes of Széchenyi, Gellért and Rudas. Soaking in steaming outdoor pools while it's snowing? Bucket list stuff.

Budapest is perfect for you if...

• You want a proper European city break without Amsterdam prices

• You would rather spend a Saturday afternoon in a hot outdoor pool than in another cathedral

• You like a night out that starts in a bar built inside a derelict building and ends somewhere you cannot quite describe afterwards

• You are doing a long weekend and want somewhere you can actually see in three days without a route march

• You want fairtytale grand imperial architecture without spending a grand

• You are travelling in December and want Christmas markets, mulled wine and an outdoor thermal bath in the snow

🗣️ Local Lingo – Talk Like a Hungarian 🇭🇺

In Hungary, Hungarian (Magyar) is the official language and it’s totally unique, so don’t expect it to sound like anything else in Europe! Don’t worry though, a few phrases will go a long way.

• Szia, SEE-ya, Hello or goodbye (informal, and the one you will use most)

• Jó napot, YOH NAH-pot, Good day (the polite version, for shops and restaurants)

• Köszönöm, KER-ser-nerm, Thank you

• Kérem, KAY-rem, Please

• Szívesen, SEE-veh-shen, You're welcome

• Egészségedre, EGG-esh-shay-ged-reh, Cheers (a genuine tongue-twister, and worth the effort)

• Mennyibe kerül?, MEN-yee-beh KEH-rool, How much is it?

Best Day Trips on your Budapest holidays

While the city centre is packed with action, the surrounding Hungarian countryside is lush and well worth a detour. From the "Hungarian Sea" to royal palaces, these day trips are easy to reach and add a whole new layer of pizazz to your jollies.

• Szentendre: a quirky artists' village 40 minutes north of the city, with colourful cobbled streets and a marzipan museum. The HÉV suburban railway runs there from Batthyány tér.

• Lake Balaton: the "Hungarian Sea", largest lake in Central Europe, with swimming, sunbathing and watersports through summer. Around 90 minutes by direct train to Siófok on the south shore, day-trip-able from May to September.

• Visegrád: medieval hilltop citadel and a summer toboggan run, with some of the best views of the Danube Bend. About 90 minutes by train and bus.

• Esztergom: Hungary's biggest basilica sits here, and the Mária Valéria bridge across the Danube takes you to Slovakia for a quick two-country flex. Two hours by train.

• Gödöllő Palace: Empress Sisi's favourite Baroque palace, 30 minutes east on the HÉV. State rooms, gardens, and a working palace chapel.

• Eger: further out at two hours on the train, but worth it for the castle, thermal baths, and the famous 'Bull's Blood' red wine.

🏨 Where to Stay on your Hungary holidays

• 🌉 Buda is the quieter, hillier, more historic side, Buda Castle, Fisherman's Bastion, Matthias Church, Gellért Hill and the Belle Époque Gellért thermal baths all sit here. Cobbled streets and panoramic viewpoints. Best for couples, slower mornings and a more residential feel.

• 🏙️ Pest is the flat, lively, going-out side, the Parliament Building, the Opera House, the Central Market Hall, Andrássy Avenue and the famous ruin bars in the Jewish Quarter all on this bank. Best for families wanting easy walking and step-free transport, and for groups making the most of the nightlife (the Jewish Quarter is the heart of the ruin-bar scene).

🏨 Best Hotels In Budapest

Whether you're after a romantic city break for two, a family holiday with the kids, or something properly luxurious, we've got Budapest hotels to suit. Have a look through some of our top picks below, or, if you like to look at all your options, you can browse all our Budapest hotels here:

💑 For Couples

• Eurostars Palazzo Zichy – a gorgeous four-star boutique hotel set inside a restored 19th-century palace. It's got 80 rooms, a wellness area with sauna, and a complimentary lounge with coffee and tea all day. Tucked away in the Palace District near the National Museum, it's romantic without being stuffy.

• Hotel Moments Budapest – sitting right on Andrássy Avenue (a UNESCO World Heritage site, no less), this four-star has 99 rooms, a Middle Eastern restaurant, and a gym with sauna. You're a stone's throw from the Opera House, St. Stephen's Basilica, and the ruin bars of the Jewish Quarter.

• Prestige Hotel Budapest – 85 rooms of boutique elegance with a Michelin Guide-recommended restaurant, a relaxation room with jacuzzi and sauna, and a rooftop terrace. A proper treat for a couples holiday with a bit of fine dining thrown in.

• Up Hotel Budapest – a trendy four-star with 156 rooms, some featuring yoga corners and stretch equipment. The Posner Bistro serves cracking local and international dishes, and you're close to the Opera House and some of the city's best ruin bars. Stylish without the price tag.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 For Families

• Dean's Home Budapest – four-star with a rooftop terrace, games room, fitness centre, and an on-site convenience store for those emergency snack runs. Right by public transport links so getting the whole crew around Budapest is dead easy.

• Novotel Budapest Centrum – a proper reliable pick for families, with 227 rooms, great local cuisine on-site, and brilliant transport links. Close to the ruin bars and Central Market Hall, though you might want to save those for after the kids are in bed.

• Kempinski Hotel Corvinus – five-star with 353 rooms, kid-friendly dining options including children's meals and child-sized robes and slippers (cute, right?). There's a spa, indoor pool, and fitness centre too. Walking distance to Chain Bridge, St. Stephen's Basilica, and the Central Market Hall.

• Petnehazy Aparthotel – something a bit different for families who want space and fresh air. Set in the Budai Landscape Protection Area on the Buda side, it's got three swimming pools, pet-friendly rooms, and a quieter vibe away from the city centre bustle. Great if the kids need room to run about.

✨ Luxury

• Anantara New York Palace Budapest – if you're going to splash out, this is the one. A five-star tribute to Europe's Belle Époque era with 185 rooms and suites, and home to the New York Café, which has been dubbed the most beautiful café in the world. Close to the Opera House and the Jewish Quarter. Pure luxury holiday material.

• Hilton Budapest – five-star in the historic Castle District, right next to Fisherman's Bastion and Matthias Church. The LANG restaurant has 16 panoramic windows with views across the city, there's a White Raven Skybar for sunset cocktails, and you'll feel like royalty waking up on Castle Hill every morning.

• Aria Hotel Budapest – a five-star boutique stay in the heart of Pest, right by St. Stephen’s Basilica. This music-inspired hotel blends luxe design with playful vibes, think complimentary breakfast and afternoon wine & cheese, a Harmony Spa for unwinding, and the High Note SkyBar serving up 360° city views. It’s the kind of place where every day feels a little big magic.

🎉 For Groups

• Up Hotel Budapest, the same trendy four-star that fits Couples also works for groups, plenty of rooms, easy access to the Opera House, and the best ruin bars right on the doorstep. Stag and hen weekends do well here.

• Continental Hotel Budapest, four-star in central Pest with a luxury rooftop spa and the ruin bars within walking distance. Sound choice for a stag, hen, or birthday weekend where you want a proper hotel rather than a hostel.

• Hotel Vision Budapest By Continental Group, five-star in central Pest with French balconies in every room, a tapas restaurant doing inventive Spanish small plates, and a spa with sauna. One of the best-reviewed properties in our Budapest line-up.

💰 Value

• Hotel Museum Budapest, a four-star with a superb central location near the National Museum, a great spa, and a lobby bar serving Hungarian wines. Properly central Pest, properly four-star, properly affordable. Consistently well reviewed.

• Atrium Fashion Hotel, a four-star in central Budapest close to the famous ruin bars, a TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice award winner, and fair pricing for the area.

• Intercontinental Budapest, a riverfront five-star on the Pest side that often comes in at less than you'd expect for the location, with direct Danube views across to Buda Castle and the Chain Bridge. A guest-favourite location for first-timers.

👉 All hotels in Budapest

🗺️ Budapest Holidays 2026/2027 Travel Guide

💑 What are the best things to do for couples in Budapest?

• Sunset Danube cruise - Ninety minutes on the river with the Parliament Building, Buda Castle and the Chain Bridge lit up. Cheaper than the equivalent in any other European capital, and the dinner version is worth the upgrade.

• Gellért Thermal Bath - An Art Nouveau bathing palace with mosaic-tiled indoor pools, an outdoor wave pool in summer and a thermal section in the original 1918 building. The most beautiful of the baths by a distance.

• Gellért Hill and the Citadella - The best free view in the city, a half-hour uphill walk from the Pest side over Liberty Bridge. Go at sunset.

• Wine tasting in a cellar - Hungarian wine is badly underrated: Bull's Blood from Eger, Tokaji dessert wine, Furmint whites. The Faust Wine Cellar under the Hilton on Castle Hill is the atmospheric one.

• High Note SkyBar - The Aria Hotel's rooftop with 360-degree views. Book ahead at weekends.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 What are the best things to do in Budapest with kids?

• Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden - Over a thousand species across eleven hectares in the City Park, open since 1866. A full day with a picnic.

• Csopa Palace of Wonders - Interactive science museum with experiments, optical illusions and things to press. The rainy-day answer.

• Margaret Island - A car-free island in the middle of the Danube with bike and pedal-quad hire, a musical fountain and the Palatinus water park for summer splash days.

• Pinball Museum - A retro arcade on the Pest side with around 130 working machines, all playable on the entry ticket. Children lose hours in there and so do adults.

• Children's Railway - A narrow-gauge mountain railway in the Buda Hills staffed almost entirely by children aged 10 to 14, under adult supervision. Ride it out and picnic at a woodland stop.

🎉 What are the top things to do for groups in Budapest?

• A ruin bar crawl through the Jewish Quarter - Szimpla Kert is the original and still the best, but the district is dense with them: Instant-Fogas, Mazel Tov and Anker't among others.

• A boat party on the Danube - Floating nightclubs run May to September, with the skyline going past and DJ sets on deck.

• Escape rooms - Budapest invented the modern escape-room format and has over a hundred venues, from prison breaks to vampire crypts.

• The Széchenyi Sparty - Weekend pool parties at the Széchenyi Baths from June to September, DJs playing over the outdoor thermal pools, running until dawn.

• Gozsdu Courtyard - A covered alley lined end to end with bars and restaurants, so you can bar-hop without going outside.

🌍 More Destinations to Explore

Central Europe

🇦🇹 Austria – think Vienna’s grand coffee houses, Salzburg’s Sound of Music charm, and dreamy Alpine backdrops

🇨🇿 Prague – gothic spires, great-value beer, and one of Europe’s most photogenic old towns

🇭🇷 Croatia – from Dubrovnik’s iconic walls to island-hopping along the Adriatic coast

City Breaks

🇳🇱 Amsterdam – canals, culture, and a nightlife scene that goes toe-to-toe with Budapest

🇪🇸 Barcelona – Gaudí gems, beach days, and buzzing strolls down La Rambla

🇮🇹 Rome – ancient ruins, pizza by the slice, and the Colosseum glowing at sunset 🌇