What to see and where to visit in Budapest in 3 days on your own or with the help of excursions? What are the best must-see attractions? Let's draw up an action plan that will most fully reveal all the interesting places for tourists, find out the prices for excursion tours with a Russian guide and get acquainted with a map of popular places.
The capital of Hungary is a very beautiful city for travelers, stretching along the banks of the Danube. The name of the city is the combined name of two cities - Buda and Pest, located opposite each other. According to legend, the love of a young man named Buda and a girl named Pesta served as the foundation of this wonderful city.
The city will be an ideal option for hikers and weekend trips. If you have a couple of days left and you want to spend them interestingly and profitably, then Budapest is waiting for you.
Where to go in Budapest?
Of course, you can't see the whole of Budapest in one or two days, but most of the interesting places can be visited. The capital unites many eras, its iconic places combine beauty and tragedy, mystery and charm. What can be seen in Budapest from the sights? Where to walk, what unusual places in Budapest to see for free?
- Fisherman's Bastion
This castle, which came to us from the tales of knights and dragons, princesses and fairies, a snow-white fairytale palace will certainly be of interest to tourists.
The fishing bastion in Buda is a favorite place for tourists, it hardly justifies its name, it does not look too much like a defensive fortification, looking at the castle, you understand that it was created for beauty and fabulous balls to the music of a waltz. There is a cafe in one of the towers of the ancient castle, which offers a great view of Pest.
- Hungarian Parliament Building
Directly opposite the fairytale castle, on the other bank of the Danube, another fairytale palace is reflected in its waters, which also bears little resemblance to an administrative building. Many people point out that the Houses of Parliament are very similar to the Parliamentary Palace in London.
- Matthias Church
Surrounded by a fishing castle inside the courtyard, there is a magnificent church with a multi-colored roof, which seems to have been laid out with mosaics. The building of the church, perfectly combined with the fairytale castle, looks much more elegant from the outside than its interior decoration. Although, perhaps, this is a biased attitude due to the fact that from the outside it can be seen by absolutely everyone, and inside is allowed only for a certain fee.
- Saint Stephen and the Plague Column
The statue of the first king Istvan is located near the fishing bastion, there is also a plague pillar on the square next to the Matthias Church, it is believed that it was erected during the plague epidemic, as a tribute to heaven. Although, looking at the monument, it is definitely not associated with the plague, it looks more like a fountain without water.
- Buda fortress
The first palace that arose on the site where the city of Buda later grew up, back in the 13th century. This palace has endured many kings, eras, victories and defeats. On the territory of the fortress there is a symbol of Budapest - the turul bird - a mythical bird about which many legends have been written. Historians still argue what kind of bird it was: a falcon, a hawk or a kite. Most often it is spoken of as a falcon.
- Adam Clark Square and Kilometer Zero
One of the places to go to in Budapest is a must for all tourists. A fascinating attraction from which all the roads of Hungary are counted, a kind of zero kilometer, is located on Adam Clark Square in Budapest. And nearby there is a car tunnel, which runs through the triumphal arch and part of the fortress wall.
- Basilica of St. Stephen and Vaidahunyad Castle
On the Pest side, which can be reached via the Chain Bridge, is the Basilica of St. Stephen, crowning the Chain Bridge and another magnificent castle - Vaiduhanyad.
- Gellert Baths and Szechenyi Baths
For the sake of visiting these thermal springs, people come from all over the country and the world. To visit at least one of them, it is worth setting aside a whole day. It is advisable to take bathing accessories with you, renting the necessary accessories is not a cheap pleasure.
Prices for excursions in Budapest
To visit interesting places in Budapest, you can go on an excursion, the tour program usually includes a survey of several sights accompanied by a Russian-speaking guide, plus the transport issue is resolved.
If you like to relax in an organized way, excursions around Budapest are ideal. It remains only to decide where to go on excursions in Budapest, which direction to choose and how much will it cost?
To make it easier for you to decide, we have divided walks around the city by topic:
- Sightseeing excursions
- Gastronomic tour
- History and architecture
- Excursions in the surroundings
The best option for exploring popular places is a city tour. Guided tours are convenient when you are traveling in a group of 3 or more. The cost of the sightseeing program will be from 150 euros to 220 euros, depending on the number of people in the group. The duration of the tour is about 3-4 hours.
Excursion around the evening Budapest by car, if the group is up to 3-4 people, or by minibus, if the number of people is about 10. Such a trip will cost about 120-180 euros.
A very informative and interesting excursion to the city of Eger, located in the Bükk mountains. It is the religious center of Hungary and a very beautiful city. During the tour, you will be invited to taste a wonderful local wine. Tour cost from 240 euros for a group of 3-4 people and from 350 euros for large groups. The event takes about 9 hours in time, this is worth considering, especially if you are traveling with children.
What to do and where to go with children?
Since we are talking about little travelers, the question arises of what to do in Budapest with children?
- Millenarish Park... This is a favorite vacation spot with a child in the capital of Hungary. The park is located on the territory of a former factory, divided into an outdoor area and an indoor area.
- Budapest Zoo... A zoo in any city is interesting for children of all ages. The Budapest Zoo also has a rope park where you can compete in agility.
- MiniPolisz, city of professions. An entertainment center where to go in Budapest with children is a must, here they can try on any role and any profession.
- Museum Minversum (Miniversum). Miniature Museum Miniature real life projection
- Bath of RomaiFurdo... A great alternative to pompous bathing suits. This bathhouse is aimed at a children's audience. Small water park in thermal springs.
Map of Budapest with attractions
What can you see in Budapest on your own in 3-5 days?
We have already discussed what to see in Budapest on our own, mastered a map with addresses and websites of significant places where you should definitely go. But what to see in Budapest in 3 days? If time is limited, and you want to reach the maximum, then follow our route. How to make the best program?
By the way, if you need a car for rent, it is better to search through Economybokings, the service looks for free and cheap car rental offers among all the companies in the city.
Where to go in Budapest on the first day?
Recommended to spend on major attractions, best visited on a weekday:
- Hungarian Parliament;
- Chain Bridge;
- Fisherman's Bastion;
- Matthias Church;
- dungeons of Buda;
- walk along the Danube embankment.
Due to the fact that most of the hotels are located on the Pest side, it is worth starting sightseeing from this side, later, going to the Buda side, on which the most ancient buildings are located. A walk along the embankment can be made between visits to Pest and Buda, or at the end of the tour, as an evening exercise.
The embankment is famous for its monument dedicated to the victims of fascism. This monument looks like 60 pairs of shoes scattered along the embankment: men's, women's, and children's.
You can also end the evening with a boat trip along the Danube.
Where to go on the second day?
If you haven't prepared comfortable shoes in advance, then the first day convinced you that they are necessary. The second day is expected to be even more eventful than the first.
Today we will start from the Basilica of St. Stephen, the most convenient way to get there is by metro. From the Basilica, we will slowly walk to Andrassy Avenue. A huge number of architectural creations are concentrated here. Here you can also drink coffee, have breakfast and relax a bit. Further on the program are Heroes' Square and the Budapes Zoo. If you want to dine (which is a must), like a true queen, welcome to the Gundel restaurant.
More democratic establishments can be found in Varoshliget Park, where there is also a mysterious and slightly frightening statue of Anonymous. There are many versions about who is depicted on the monument, it is believed that this is a certain blind chronicler, whose name has been lost in history. Also in the park is the Vaidahunyad Castle - a century-old palace built in the style of a medieval castle.
Széchenyi Bath. You can leave a visit to the baths the next day, or not take a long walk, since bathing takes a lot of time, and it is much more pleasant to enjoy bathing in thermal springs with feeling and sense. Don't forget your swimwear!
The third day of city walks
We will begin our walk around the interesting places of Budapest with a visit to the Philosophical Garden, located on Gellert Hill. There is also a statue of King Buda and Pest
The third day can be left for a walk around the central market and local shops on Vaci street. Here you can buy souvenirs from your visit to Hungary.
Margaret Island. If there is no desire to go shopping and more attracts to nature, then you are on the island of Margaret. You can get there by tram. In the evening, you can comfortably sit in a local cafe on the Danube embankment and take a walk in the evening city.
To visit popular places in Budapest on your own, you will need a metro map:
- Accommodation and hotel offers
