Top Things to See and Do in Budapest

I have just got back from a wonderful trip to Budapest, Hungary with my friends and I am already searching for flights to go back! This european city break has something for everyone - dreamy food, music, culture, shopping, architecture and there is so much to see that we couldn't even fit it in all four days. But for now here are my top things to see and do in Budapest.

We started off our Budapest trip by seeing many of the tourist attractions on a hop on hop off bus tour with Big Bus Tours being open top you can see the sights and soak up the sun at the same time. You can get off whenever you wish which is how I was able to take a lot of these beautiful photos below. The bus tour also includes a night tour and Danube river cruise which we didn't make use of because of time, but overall this tourist bus was a fab way of getting around Budapest and discovering it's history.

Another way to travel around Budapest is by metro and you can do this by purchasing single tickets or buying a budapest card which lasts up to 3 days depending on which one you purchase. Another advantage of this card is that it gets you discount off the bus tours, certain attractions and museums.

Visit Margaret Island

Margaret Island is a recreational park in the center of the Danube River with a fountain that plays music, a Japanese garden and a small wildlife centre. A fun thing to do while your there is to rent a golf buggy to tour the park instead of walking as it is 2.5km long!

The Bridges

Eight bridges link Buda and pest today but in World War II all of Budapest's bridges were destroyed.

The Elisabeth Bridge was the only bridge after the war that couldn't be rebuilt to its original form. It is named after Queen Elisabeth - wife of Habsburg Emperor Franz Joseph - unfortunately not named after me ;)

The Chain Bridge was the first to be built, it hangs on iron chains and is the symbol of Budapest. Works were started in 1839 to the plans of English engineer William Tierney Clark.

Liberty Bridge is the shortest bridge built in 1896 and is considered the prettiest with its green hue.

Architecture

The Parliament Building sits on the edge of the Danube River and is the world's third largest Parliament building. Fully completed in 1902 (90 years before I was born) you can take a guided tour around but I recommend a boat tour for the best views.

Andrássy Avenue (similar to Paris Champs-Elysées) leads to Heroes Square a world heritage site opened in 1896. At the centre is Millennial Column topped by archangel Gabriel. 

Opposite Heroes Square is The Art Gallery was founded in 1877 and designed by Albert Schikedanz. It is an institution run by artists that does not maintain its own collection.

The Opera House is another beautiful building in Budapest, opened in 1884 and Located on the elegant Andrássy Avenue they showcase ballet and opera.

The St Stephen's Basilica was named in honour of Stephen, the first King of Hungary and is the largest church in Budapest. It took 50 years to build and you can see why! There is a fee to go up to the observation deck but the view is meant to be incredible.

Széchenyi Thermal Bath

The largest thermal bath in Budapest we also booked this on Viator but there were no queues when we arrived as it was a Tuesday. It was so relaxing in the heated pools and I even managed to get sunburnt while sunbathing. On a Saturday evening they have "sparties" so basically like a pool party.

Boat Tour

We hired a private boat through Viator which lasted an hour and even had a bar! We chose a great time because it was getting darker so we could see the beautiful sights in the evening.

If you want to find out anymore information about places to visit in Budapest the Budapest Tourism is a great site and if you have a travel bucket list Budapest should be at the top!

I've also written a guide on where to eat and drink in Budapest.

Let me know if you have ever been in the comments!

Liz x