Hungary has a mild continental climate with considerable differences in temperature between the summer and winter seasons. The warmest months are June to August with averages above 25°C, while they tend to drop below zero around December and January. Rainfall is to be expected all year round, but especially in May, June, and in the autumn season from September to November.

There is a plethora of activities to do in and around Budapest all year round. The Christmas market in Vörösmarty Square is noted amongst the most beautiful in Europe, while the Sziget Fesztivál held every August features a lineup that attracts visitors from all over the world year by year.

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Best Time to Visit

Hungary can be visited visa-free for up to 90 days by citizens of most European countries, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Israel, UAE and most countries in America. If you are unsure whether or not you need to apply for a visa, we recommend that you contact the embassy or consulate in your country. International (non-Schengen) travellers need a passport that is valid for at least 3 months after the end of their intended trip in order to enter the Schengen zone. Citizens of Schengen countries can travel without a passport but must have a valid ID with them during their stay.

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Passport/Visa

Budapest’s main airport sits about 16 km east-southeast of the city centre, with the journey taking around 30–40 minutes. If you're taking public transport, the 100E Airport Express bus runs around the clock and connects directly to key central hubs such as Deák Ferenc tér, Kálvin tér, and Astoria, typically in about 40 minutes. Alternatively, bus 200E links Terminal 2 with Kőbánya-Kispest metro station, where you can transfer to Metro Line 3 and reach the centre in roughly 45 minutes. For door-to-door service, Főtaxi is the official airport taxi operator, while ride-hailing apps like Bolt and Uber also operate from designated pick-up zones just outside arrivals.

Suitcases in airport departure lounge, airplane in background

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Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD)

Public transportation in Budapest is provided by BKK. Tickets and passes can be purchased from purple ticket machines near the stops or on board. A single ticket is only valid for a single journey excluding any changes (except within the same metro station), so it is worth buying a pass valid for a selected number of days.

Budapest has a very well-connected public transportation system, but apart from a few sights, it is easy to explore on foot. The four metro lines as well as trams 2, 4, and 6 can be used to the major sights of the city.

Budapest is served by four railway stations for regional transport: Keleti, Déli, Nyugati, and Kelenföld, whereas the national bus terminal is found at Népliget.

For information on timetables and tickets, visit BKK's website.

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Public Transport

Contact any of the operators below:

Budapest Taxi
+36 1 777 7777

Főtaxi
+36 1 222 2222

6x6 Taxi
+36 1 666 6666

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Taxi

Postal services in Hungary are provided by Magyar Posta. Most post offices in Budapest are open from 7 am or 8 am until 6 pm. Letterboxes in the country are in the colour red.

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Post

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Telephone

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Electricity

One of the main pharmacy chains in Budapest is called Benu, boasting multiple locations across the city.

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Pharmacy

From its majestic bridges spanning the Danube River to its grandiose castles to its historical thermal baths, Budapest captivates visitors with its rich heritage and vibrant energy. Regarded as the ‘Pearl of the Danube’, this enchanting city seamlessly blends its medieval past with modern flair, offering a myriad of attractions, including UNESCO World Heritage sites, a thriving culinary scene, and a pulsating nightlife.

Spanning the majestic Danube River, the Széchenyi Chain Bridge stands as an iconic symbol of the city's grandeur and architectural prowess. Completed in 1849, it was the first permanent bridge to connect the Buda and Pest sides of the city. Designed by English engineer William Tierney Clark and later modified by Scottish engineer Adam Clark, the bridge's chain-link structure and ornate stone lions guarding its entrances evoke a sense of timeless elegance and pride. The lions guarding the bridge are also connected to the first suicide that happened here, committed by their architect upon the realisation that he had forgotten about the tongues of the animals.

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Széchenyi Chain Bridge

The Parliament is arguably the most prominent landmark of Hungary, also noted as the third largest parliament building in the world. It was designed in the Gothic revival style by architect Imre Steindl. It is 96 metres tall, which refers to the year 1896 when extensive constructions were carried out to celebrate the country's millennium.

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Hungarian Parliament Building

The charming district of the Buda Castle entails the prominent Fisherman's Bastion, Matthias Church, several museums, as well as some residential homes. You'll find the National Gallery here, along with a wide range of other museums dedicated to music, military history, pharmacy (housed in the first pharmacy of Buda), and the life of Houdini. Take a stroll under the blossoming trees of Tóth Árpád sétány, watch the change of the guard, and make your way back to the city centre by descending on the most scenic funicular in the world.

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Castle District

Marvel at Budapest's UNESCO-listed panorama on this lovely Danube River evening cruise. See the city's floodlit landmarks, such as the Hungarian Parliament and the Buda Castle district, and sail under the illuminated Chain Bridge as well as other bridges.

Chain Bridge in Budapest lit up at night, Hungary

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Danube River Sightseeing Night Cruise

St Stephen's Basilica is the largest church in Budapest. It was built in Neo-classicist style and has a capacity of up to 8,500 people. Its most noted relic is the mummified right hand of Stephen I, Hungary's first king, who among others converted Hungarians to Christianity. The adjacent square is home to several markets throughout the year and is lined by terraces of trendy bars and cafés.

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St Stephen's Basilica

Situated at the end of Andrássy Avenue, Heroes' Square is one of Budapest's most iconic landmarks. Dominated by the Millennium Monument, it pays homage to Hungary's history and leaders. It is flanked by the Museum of Fine Arts and the Palace of Art, and if you continue your way past the wall of sculptures, you'll reach City Park with Vajdahunyad Castle.

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Heroes' Square

The distinct symbol of the Jewish quarter in Budapest, the Great Synagogue is also noted as the largest synagogue in Europe, seating up to 3,000 people. The visit entails a guided tour with a walk in the building and its surrounding garden, where you will also find sculptures of famous Hungarian writers and artists of Jewish origin. There is also a Jewish museum beside the synagogue, not to be confused with the Holocaust Memorial Centre further away on Páva Street.

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Dohány Street Synagogue (The Great Synagogue)

Conceived by film director Can Togay, Shoes on the Danube Bank is an ironwork memorial erected in 2005 consisting of sixty pairs of shoes, which pays tribute to the thousands of Jewish victims who were shot into the Danube during the Arrow Cross movement in 1944-45. With over 800,000 people expelled or killed, the Hungarian Jewish community is regarded as one of the biggest victims in the dark era of the Holocaust.

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Shoes on the Danube Bank

The Hungarian State Opera is a neo-Renaissance masterpiece, boasting the third-best acoustics in Europe after the Scala in Milan and the Opera Garnier in Paris. It was designed in 1884 by Miklós Ybl, who also planned St Stephen’s Basilica. Lavish inside and out with a gorgeous fresco by Károly Lotz gleaming in a vast bronze chandelier in the Main Hall, the Opera is home to the Hungarian National Ballet founded the same year.

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Hungarian State Opera

One of the biggest indoor water theme parks in Europe offers unforgettable entertainment to visitors of every age throughout the year.

pool ring in cool blue refreshing blue pool

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Aquaworld Aquapark

The 2.5-km-long Margaret Island between Buda and Pest makes for a perfect lazy day outside the bustling city centre. The island is home to a small zoo, an art nouveau water tower, medieval ruins, and a beloved musical fountain. It also offers an array of outdoor activities with jogging tracks, thermal spas, and swimming pools. During the summer, Margaret Island comes alive with bars, restaurants, and live music.

margitsziget margaret island budapest fountain

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Margaret Island (Margitsziget)

Stretching behind the imposing Heroes' Square, Városliget is one of the most popular recreational venues in the city. There are plenty of entertainment options in the neighbourhood, including the Széchenyi Baths, Budapest Zoo, Circus, the Vajdahunyad Castle housing the Agricultural Museum and various fairs, as well as a pond that turns into a popular ice rink in the winter season.

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City Park (Városliget)

Built in an eclectic-neoclassical style, between 1900 and 1906, the Museum of Fine Arts houses a vast collection spanning from prehistory to the present day. Highlights include an impressive Egyptian collection, Renaissance frescoes, and an array of 19th-century paintings.

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Museum of Fine Arts

Known locally by its acronym Müpa, the Palace of Arts (Művészetek Palotája) is a striking complex by the Danube created for the new millennium. It consists of the Bartók National Concert Hall, the Festival Theatre and the Ludwig Museum. The Bartók National Concert Hall is known for its outstanding acoustics created by Russell Johnson, who worked with some of the world’s most renowned architects. This is also the home of the prestigious Hungarian National Philharmonic, founded in 1923. The Ludwig Museum's exhibition space displays artwork by modern and contemporary artists, and it is open all year round.

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Palace of Arts (Müpa Budapest)

A fortress built under the Austrian empire and used also by fascist and communist forces, Citadella sits atop the 235-metre high Gellért Hill, together with the Liberty Statue, a bronze lady holding a palm leaf and guarding the city since 1947 (hence was originally intended to celebrate the Soviet liberation from the Nazi forces after WWII).

liberty statue of budapest in gellért hill

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Citadella

Housed in a beautiful neoclassical building along what is called the small boulevard of Budapest, this museum houses various permanent and temporary exhibitions on the history of Hungary, starting from the Roman period, when the province of Pannonia stretched far beyond the present borders of the country.

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Hungarian National Museum

Located in what once was the headquarters of ÁVH, the secret police authority of the communist era, the House of Terror gives a strikingly honest insight into the history of fascism and communism, the two terror regimes Hungary suffered from in the not-so-distant history. It is also a memorial to the victims of these regimes, including those detained, interrogated, tortured, or killed in the building.

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House of Terror

Regarded by the National Geographic among the most scenic tram routes in the world, these yellow trolleys will help you discover Budapest's most beautiful buildings for the price of a single tram ticket. Make sure you do it at night (as well), to see the splendid city lights illuminating the elegant Buda hillside.

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Tram Line 2

Only 20 minutes by bus, and you will find yourself in the midst of unspoilt greenery without even setting foot out of the capital. Start your trip by taking the bus to the Normafa parks, and try the best strudel in the city with scenic views over the Buda hills. From here stretches a short hiking trail all the way up to the lookout tower with cafés, playgrounds, and a funicular. From the top of the lookout tower, you will be rewarded with breathtaking views that at clear times even encompass the peak of the High Tatras.

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Elizabeth Lookout Tower

An imposing sculpture park paying homage to the era of Cold War and communism. When the proletarian dictatorship’s enormous monuments and statues were no longer considered politically correct, they were moved from their conspicuous locations to this southern suburb of Buda. Works to see include the gigantic Lenin statue and the Cubist statues of Marx and Engels.

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