Budapest Travel Guide
SUMMARY
RESTAURANTS
Belvárosi Lugas Restaurant
Tuning Bar and Burger
SIGHTS
St. Stephen’s Basilica
St. Gellert Statue
Buda Castle
Fisherman’s Bastion
Shoes on the Danube
Hungarian Parliament Building
ACTIVITIES
Széchnyi Thermal Baths
Market Hall
BARS/CLUBS/PUBS
Publin’s
Szimpla Kert
Instant Club
Budapest Party Boat
HOSTEL
7 x 24 Central Hostel
Hive (BC people)
MEXICAN RESTAURANT AND LUNCH PLACE
COMMENTS
RESTAURANTS
Belvárosi Lugas Restaurant
· Absolutely LOVED this place
· Food was AMAZING; traditional Hungarian but upscale
· Split the goulash and duck (with orange glaze) with Madeleine and we both were obsessed; 1000/10 recommend these two dishes, you HAVE to try them
· Super cheap as well
· Had wine with dinner and it was not expensive at all
· I wore black jeans, black booties, and a going out bodysuit that was black and lacy but felt appropriate; dress is not super formal but I’d dress up a bit
Tuning Bar and Burger
· Went here for a quicker dinner Saturday night and really enjoyed it
· I think it might have been seasonal but I got the burger that was called something like the French Dreams burger and it was SO good (had goat cheese, arugula, fig jam, tomato, etc)
· Wine is cheap and good, I got red
· Would def recommend if you want a quicker meal and a good, more upscale burger
· I wore my black silky dress w a turtleneck and black booties here because we were going on the party boat after and def was overdressed; didn’t feel uncomfortable at all, but you just don’t need to dress up for this place
SIGHTS
St. Stephen’s Basilica
· Super beautiful
· Just saw the outside but would definitely recommend walking by
· Would have gone in if we had the time
· Easy spot to work into a walking loop
St. Gellert Statue
· You HAVE to go up here because it has such an amazing view that’s a little different from the Bastion and Castle
· Fun walk up too and there’s some really cool columns at the top
· Right when you get to the Buda side from the bridge, we went here on our way to the Castle
Buda Castle
· Okay so not actually a ~castle~ contrary to what I thought
· Still very cool
· Would recommend setting aside time here so that you can go into the museum
· Definitely worth going even if you don’t have time for the museum
Fisherman’s Bastion
· My FAVORITE thing we did
· So beautiful and just SO cool-looking along with the beautiful church
· We didn’t go into the St. Mattias church but would recommend if you have time
· Took amazing pictures here, set aside some time for that:)
· Awesome views of the Danube, the city as a whole, and the Parliament building
Shoes on the Danube
· Definitely a must-see memorial
· Very somber and sad to see but you really should go
· Close to the Parliament Building so you can see both in the same go-about
Hungarian Parliament Building
· SO beautiful
· We went right at sunset and there were lots of birds flying around so it was so beautiful and almost other worldly
· I don’t know if you can go in..? we didn’t
ACTIVITIES
Széchnyi Thermal Baths
· DEFINITELY a must in Budapest
· Go to this specific bath – it’s the most famous/“main” one and there were lots of locals there so I’m guessing it’s a good one
· We had a lot of fun here, would definitely recommend it
· Skip the baths inside, they’re not worth it
· Just head right outside!
· BRING YOUR OWN FLIP FLOPS (and towel if you can)
o They’re so expensive for what you get and you’ll just throw them away when you leave
· Just leave your phone in your locker or take some pictures quick and then go put it back inside, not worth it to worry about it after you’re doing using it:)
Market Hall
· We were only here for about 5 minutes because we went right when it closed BUT would’ve gone back if we could’ve
· Definitely stop by and get something to eat or drink
· Leave time to just stroll through and take in the sights, sounds, and smells
· We went right before 3 PM on Saturday and that’s when it closed so be conscious of time when going
BARS/CLUBS/PUBS
Publin’s
· Super random “Irish pub” that Pat and I found to grab quick drinks at
· Not the best mojito I’ve had but did the job and was cheap
· Plus now it’s a funny story to tell
· Drinks are strong (we had two and that was definitely enough)
Szimpla Kert
· SUPER fun bar spot!
· Just a really cool vibe and TONS of young people/abroad students from all over
· Would definitely recommend going with a group if you can
· Go upstairs to snag a table and hang out there at some point
Instant Club
· To be completely honest I didn’t remember that we left Szimpla to go to Instant but I do remember that I had a ton of fun the entire night so would definitely recommend it
· Decently close to Szimpla Kert so easy to make the move (clearly, because I don’t remember that we were in two different places)
Budapest Party Boat
· SO MUCH FUN
· Would recommend going with a group as well because it’s so so so fun
· We heard Mr. Brightside on the boat as our group of 35-40 BC kids and it was a CORE MEMORY
· You drive by the Parliament building at night which is SO beautiful, definitely a pinch me moment when it’s all lit up
HOSTEL
7 x 24 Central Hostel
· Pat and I stayed here and it was good
· You have to share a bathroom which wasn’t the cleanest one I’ve ever been in but it was fine
· Tricky to find, so be looking around
o (also we found it post-2 drinks at Publin’s so maybe it would’ve been easier if we were sober HA)
· We still joke that they were the most comfortable beds ever
· Place is really cute and slightly quirky
· Have full access to a kitchen if you need
· SUPER cheap ($20 each total for two nights)
· Booked through Airbnb and great option if you don’t want to stay in a traditional hostel but want a cheap place where you can have your own room
Hive (BC people)
· Everyone liked the Hive
· Said it was fun and the beds were nice lols
· Just know that it’s a PARTY hostel and there’s a bar in the middle
· Apparently it was loud really late so just keep in mind
· Almost everyone but Pat and I stayed here and they said it was pretty good
· Also pretty cheap but a bit more than 7 x 24
GENERAL ADVICE
Transportation
· We took a bus from the airport into the city and got off at the last stop they offered
o Super convenient and super cheap
o Honestly could not tell you which one it was because Pat was super on it and just told me where to go
o Look it up, we all took it so it has to be easy to find
· They do NOT use Uber, they have Bolt (download app before you go)
o Do NOT take any taxi that isn’t Bolt – apparently Budapest can be a hotbed for human trafficking by tricking people with fake taxis (didn’t know this til I left, love)
o Bolt is safe because they have to be registered
o Very cheap
· If you take the metro make SURE to buy tickets because they’ll validate them; sometimes they’ll check your ticket when you get off and if you don’t have one or it isn’t validated, they charge you a SUPER high fee (I think it amounts to something like $50)
City Itself
· The city is SO CHEAP so really just take advantage of that
o (the fact that I’m saying that coming from Granada is really something, so it really is cheap)
· TRY HUNGARIAN FOOD! It is so good, you HAVE to get goulash, it’s amazing
· The city is super walkable and has lots of things to see, so walk wherever you can
· Keep in mind that they don’t use euros, they use the Hungarian forint
o Would recommend getting a bit of cash before you go
o The metro station we were at only took cash
o Some places that are more tourist-y and/or central will also take euros but don’t count on it everywhere
· Mostly everywhere has someone who speaks English which is good because you’re kinda f***ed otherwise because Hungarian is super difficult and SO different than any other language (fun fact it’s the third hardest language to learn, right behind both types of Chinese)
· The Buda side has more historical sights and landmarks while the Pest side is a lot more modern and “city-like”
· I didn’t take advantage of the main shopping streets but would definitely recommend doing that
It was a really short trip for me so I didn’t do brunch or breakfast anywhere but lots of other BC people did and loved it
