How to See the Best of Budapest on a Budget

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All information in this post is accurate as of the publishing date, however it is always best to check timetables, pricing, or opening hours before visiting a destination or venue.

Budapest is a city known for its party scene, thermal baths and cheap eats. It’s a really great place to spend a couple of days! It has great landmarks, beautiful parks and a great market, and so many free activities. It’s possible to see so much of Budapest on a budget. Read ahead to find out what we recommend to make the most of your trip to the capital of Hungary:

Katherine standing in front of a big church with two bell towers and a big green dome in the middle in Budapest, Hungary "How to See the Best of Budapest on a Budget"

City Park

Cost: Free

City Park was a highlight for us in Budapest. It is a large park on the outskirts of the city, and is easily accessible by public transport. It has so many cool things to do, including the famous Széchenyi Thermal Bath (which is discussed more below including a fun money saving tip if you want to visit!).

In the park you’ll find an amazing children’s playground (that sadly adults aren’t allowed on – this upset Katherine very much), a huge cultural center, a sensory garden, a rose garden, and a little botanic garden that are all free to visit. Vajdahunyad Castle also sits in the middle of the park. It is an amazing castle recreation that was built in 1896 to showcase the evolution of Hungarian architecture.

A view across the water to Vajdahunyad Castle in City Park, Budapest, Hungary. Around the castle you can see are lots of big trees "How to See the Best of Budapest on a Budget"
Vajdahunyad Castle in City Park

It does cost to enter the castle, but it is free to walk around, and you can get right up to it without needing tickets. Sitting on the lake across from it is a beautiful way to take a break while wandering through the park.

Also in City Park is BalloonFly, a giant red and white balloon that you can see from all over Budapest. Like a hot air balloon that’s tethered to the ground, you can go up for an amazing view of Budapest. We chose not to do this as it’s about HUF 8,500 per person, but it would be a great place to see the city from. With so much to see we definitely recommend City Park be on your Budapest itinerary!

Széchenyi Thermal Baths

Cost: Between $31.50 – $39.50

The Széchenyi Thermal Baths is an absolute must do in Budapest. It was a bit pricey for us on our budget, but we do think it was well worth it. However, there is a way to do it slightly cheaper if you’re wanting to save a bit of money!

Inside the Széchenyi Thermal Bath in Budapest, Hungary with part of a big blue bath and behind it is a big yellow building with two blue domes on top "How to See the Best of Budapest on a Budget"
The empty Széchenyi Thermal Bath just after opening at 7am

If you go within 2 hours of opening Monday to Thursday (7:00am – 9:00am) you’re able to get the good morning ticket. This is slightly cheaper at HUF 7,500 each instead of HUF 9,400 each. These prices are higher on Fridays, and the good morning ticket is not available on weekends. The ticket gets you into every bath and you can stay as long as you like. You also get access to a locker and showers if you need them. Honestly, we loved going early because the baths are nice and quiet and you can really enjoy the space before it starts getting busy around 9am. We would highly recommend this ticket if you want to visit the baths!

Some things to note: long hair needs to be tied up in all pools, and you need a swimming cap in the lap pool. You’re given a wristband when you enter that is waterproof and opens your locker so you don’t have to be worried about walking around with a locker key!

Margaret Island and Musical Fountain

Cost: Free

Margaret Island is an island in the middle of the Danube just slightly north of the Parliament Building. It’s 2.5km long and is mostly covered in paths and beautiful parkland so makes the perfect escape from the city. Walking around the entire loop of the island takes about an hour and a half. The island is easy to access: you can take trams onto Margaret Bridge, then walk across to the island, or you can just walk there from the city, it only takes around half an hour, and the island is completely free!

A view over the Danube River in Budapest, Hungary with a boat on the water. Beyond the river is Margaret Island which looks like a plot of land covered in trees "How to See the Best of Budapest on a Budget"
The view of Margaret Island from Margaret Bridge
A garden on Margaret Island, Budapest, Hungary with lots of green grass and plants and trees around "How to See the Best of Budapest on a Budget"
One of the beautiful gardens on Margaret island

There are many things to keep you entertained on the island, however some of them cost a little bit of money. Margaret Island has its own thermal bath, Palatinus Strand Baths, where a 2 hour ticket will cost you HUF 2,200 on a weekday and HUF 2,500 on a weekend.

If you’re not sick of swimming, you could also visit the Hajos Alfred Swimming Pool Complex for HUF 2,200. The complex has all types of indoor and outdoor pools, saunas and is the training venue for the main Hungarian swimming and Olympic polo teams.

Also on the island are a number of eateries, an outdoor cinema, a free zoo, a church, a water tower, and several beautiful gardens to explore.

The Musical Fountain

However, our favourite thing on the island and our main reason for visiting was to see the musical fountain. This fountain is one of the largest in Europe. It shoots jets 10 meters into the sky, and at night over 250 colourd lights illuminate the huge pool of water. Each our there is a show where the lights and fountain are timed to music. As of 2023, the music show happens every hour from 11am until 10pm, with the show running for 20-30 minutes. A list of the songs can be found here. This is a wonderful free activity for adults and kids alike so we highly recommend this if you’re in Budapest.

A big water fountain in Margaret Island in Budapest, Hungary. The fountain is on at night and are lit up with blue and purple lights "How to See the Best of Budapest on a Budget"
The amazing musical fountain and light show at night

The Buda Castle District

Cost: Free

On the Buda side of the Danube you’ll see many beautiful landmarks, and most of them are free to visit! The first one is Gellért Hill, which is a big hill right at the end of the Erzsébet Bridge. This hill is home to lots of parks, playgrounds, and beautiful viewpoints over the Danube and Pest side of the city. At the bottom of the hill is the Gellért Thermal bath (open every day with tickets costing HUF 9,400).

On the very top of Gellért Hill is the cittadella, which is a fortress with beautiful views of the city. When we visited in September 2023, it was shut for renovation, so make sure to check if its open before walking the 30 minutes up the hill. We didn’t bother walking all the way up and instead turned around after a beautiful viewpoint.

A view over the Buda side of Budapest, Hungary and the Danube River including a beautiful garden, lots of buildings and Gellért Hill at the back of the photo "How to See the Best of Budapest on a Budget"
A view of Gellért hill from Buda Castle

The Buda Castle

A little way along the water from Gellért Hill, you’ll find the Buda Castle district. In the district, you can explore the streets, shops and restaurants, and visit landmarks such as the Buda Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion. To reach this area without climbing stairs all the way up, we recommend entering the district via Buda Castle Gardens. You can also catch the 4 or 6 tram to Széna Square and walk to the district from there.

The Buda Castle gardens are free to enter and are lovely to walk around. From there, there’s a lift and escalators all the way up to the castle. Inside Buda Castle (also called the Royal Palace) is the National Gallery, the Budapest History Museum and St Stephens Hall Museum, all of which are closed on Mondays and all of which cost to enter. However the grounds and the district are free to enter.

Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion

Continuing walking from the castle, you’ll find Matthias Church (tickets cost HUF 2,500) and Fisherman’s Bastion (free!). Fisherman’s Bastion is easily recognisable as one of the most photographed spots in Budapest. It really surprised us, as we thought it would be a castle but really is just more of a façade. It gets very busy here so we’d recommend visiting early in the morning or late in the day. We visited mid-afternoon and it was crowded, but we were able to get photos without too many people with some patience.

There are also some nice views over the Danube and the Pest side of the city from here as you’re still up on the hill. There is an easy staircase right by Fisherman’s Bastion to take you back down to the water when you’re done.

Overall we’d recommend some time just walking around the Buda Castle district as it has a really nice vibe.

Krissie walking up a staircase in the Fisherman's Bastion in Budapest, Hungary. It looks like a white castle made of stone with a pointed tower in the background "How to See the Best of Budapest on a Budget"
The beautiful Fisherman’s Bastion

Central Market Hall

Cost: Free (Unless you buy anything of course!)

You know how much we love a good market, and Budapest is no exception with its central market hall. It’s open 6 days a week (shut on Sundays) and within walking distance from the city. It’s a great place to wander around, look at some souvenirs and try some delicious food. The markets sells fresh produce including fruits, veggies, meats and baked goods, as well as more lunch style food that is served hot and smells delicious (made us feel annoyed for eating before we got to the market haha).

It is inside a 126 year old old hall, which is large enough that it doesn’t get too busy. Also, even though the Hungarian Forint is the national currency, many places at the market accept Euros, which is very convenient if you’ve got them on hand! Just keep in mind that they often won’t have change to give if you pay in Euros. Even if you don’t intend on buying anything, it’s a lovely place to just walk around and admire everything.

Walk along the Danube

Cost: Free

The best way to see the incredible views of the Buda side of the city is to walk along the Danube on the Pest side, which also takes you past some important landmarks. You could start this walk anywhere along the water. We started right down by the Central Market.

As you walk towards the Parliament building, you’ll come across the Shoes on the Danube Bank sculpture. This is a memorial for 3,500 people killed on the riverbank in WWII and is quite a moving sculpture.

A sculpture on the side of the Danube River in Budapest, Hungary which is many pairs of shoes made of bronze. Some of the shoes have flowers in them and there are people standing around looking at them "How to See the Best of Budapest on a Budget"
The Shoes on the Danube Bank sculpture

As you walk you’ll also see the most beautiful views across the Danube to Buda Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion. The number 2 tram also follows the same route, and is considered one of the world’s most beautiful tram rides. The best part is that you can use your regular Budapest transport tickets and this route doesn’t cost any extra.

You can start the route at Fővám Square which is just outside the Central Market Hall, then ride it all the way to Jászai Mari tér which is the last stop right at Margaret Bridge. The whole route only takes 10 minutes on the tram and takes you past the stunning Parliament Building as well as giving you the most beautiful view of Buda Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion across the water. Make sure you sit on the river side to get the best views!

A photo of the Parliament building in Budapest, Hungary taken from across the Danube River. The parliament building is a huge while building with a red roof, 4 taller sections and a big red dome in the middle "How to See the Best of Budapest on a Budget"
The INCREDIBLE Parliament building

Local food to try

While in Budapest, or anywhere in Hungary, we’re sure you’d like to try some local food. Our favourites were Lángos and Chimney Cakes (kürtőskalács).

Lángos

Lángos can be found in many eateries in the city. We got one from Lángos Papi’ which was great and affordable! It is essentially a deep fried flatbread, the the texture similar to a pastry or a roti.

Traditionally, lángos is topped with garlic, sour cream and cheese. You can also get additional toppings such as bacon, sausage, onion and you can even get sweet ones with Nutella. At Lángos Papi’, the bread with garlic is HUF 1,200, then it will cost more for any additions but overall it’s going to end up being quite a cheap meal.

Keep in mind that they are very large and filling, so you can definitely share one between two. They are also quite oily, as you can imagine being a fried dough, so eating one before a lot of walking or climbing might not feel amazing haha.

A giant bit of flat fried dough with grated cheese on top in Budapest, Hungary "How to See the Best of Budapest on a Budget"
A huge langos from Langos Papi’ with garlic and cheese

But they are very tasty and well worth a try if you’re in Hungary!

Chimney Cake

After your Langos, if you’re hungry you might want to try a chimney cake! This is a sweet dough wrapped in strips around a baking spit the size of a large jar. It’s then cooked until golden brown, and can be unravelled like a slinky. It tastes like a crispy doughnut and is usually rolled in cinnamon sugar. You can also get them topped with nuts, dried raspberry, chocolate, or filled with soft serve.

We chose to get ours from Molnár’s kürtőskalács where one cinnamon cake was HUF 2,000, but you can find them everywhere in the city, so you won’t have a problem finding one if you’re looking!

Krissie looking at the camera and holding a circular funnel cake in Budapest, Hungary "How to See the Best of Budapest on a Budget"
Our cinnamon chimney cake!

Final Thoughts

If you are going to Budapest soon, please let us know what you got up to and if we missed any great budget things we could add to this list! It truly is such a beautiful and interesting city, and we really hope to go back one day and also to visit more of Hungary!

You can check out exactly what we got up to in Budapest in our vlog:

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