Budapest City Guide

This comprehensive self-guided tour takes you through the highlights of Budapest, exploring the city's rich history, stunning architecture, and vibrant culture. You'll visit iconic landmarks like the Parliament Building, Buda Castle, and St. Stephen's Basilica, as well as hidden gems like ruin bars and thermal baths. The tour covers both Buda and Pest sides of the city, offering a well-rounded experience of Hungary's captivating capital.

Our Budapest city tour is a journey through time and culture in one of Europe's most beautiful capitals. The tour begins with an introduction to the city's history and its unique position straddling the Danube River.You'll start in the heart of Pest, exploring the magnificent Hungarian Parliament Building, an iconic symbol of the city. Nearby, you'll encounter the moving Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial, a poignant reminder of Budapest's darker history.The tour then takes you to St. Stephen's Basilica, Hungary's largest church, before crossing the famous Chain Bridge to the Buda side. Here, you'll explore the medieval Buda Castle district, including Matthias Church and Fisherman's Bastion, offering panoramic views of the city.Back in Pest, you'll visit Heroes' Square and City Park, home to the Széchenyi Thermal Bath. The tour also includes stops at the Great Market Hall, the elegant Andrássy Avenue, and the somber House of Terror museum.You'll experience Budapest's unique ruin bar scene at Szimpla Kert, and have the opportunity to relax in one of the city's famous thermal baths. The tour also covers Jewish heritage sites and offers insights into Hungarian cuisine.Optional day trips to nearby attractions like Szentendre, Visegrád, and Esztergom are included, as well as visits to Lake Balaton and the historic town of Eger.Throughout the tour, you'll gain deep insights into Budapest's history, architecture, and culture, experiencing both the grand landmarks and the hidden corners that make this city so special. The flexible nature of the self-guided tour allows you to explore at your own pace, customizing the experience to your interests.

HOW TO REACH

Here are the main ways to reach Budapest:

1. By plane:
- Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport is the main airport, located about 20 km from the city center.
- Many major airlines and low-cost carriers fly to Budapest from cities across Europe and internationally.
- From the airport, you can take bus 100E directly to the city center, or bus 200E to connect to the metro.

2. By train:
- Budapest has direct rail connections to many European cities.
- The main international train stations are Keleti, Nyugati and Déli.
- Popular routes include Vienna-Budapest (2.5 hours) and Prague-Budapest (7 hours).

3. By bus:
- International bus companies like Flixbus operate routes to Budapest from many European cities.
- The main bus terminal for international arrivals is Népliget station.

4. By car:
- Budapest is connected to major European highways.
- Remember to purchase an e-vignette for using Hungarian motorways.

5. By boat:
- During summer months, there are hydrofoil services on the Danube between Vienna/Bratislava and Budapest.

Once in Budapest, the city has an extensive public transport network of metro, trams and buses to get around. The airport and train/bus stations are all connected to the city center via public transport.