Is Budapest guide in one day It is designed for the first day in the city of any traveler or for those who have very little time.
Budapest, the jewel of the Danube, is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe both day and night, with a great cultural and leisure offer, so having only one day is necessary to trace the routes through the city to be able to visit its most important places of interest and make the most of the time.
Budapest is a city that can and should be explored on foot, since much of its charm lies in its magnificent buildings, parks, museums, streets and shops that will make you fall in love with it at first sight.
Based on our trip to Budapest in 4 days, in which we enjoy its most interesting places, we have made this Budapest guide in one day.
How to go from Budapest airport to downtown or to the hotel
Budapest airport is located about 40 kilometers from the city and it operates low-cost companies such as Ryanair or Wizzair, among others. To get from the airport to the center of Budapest or to your hotel you have several transport options:
- 200E bus or train: The cheapest way to get to the center, around 1 euro, in a journey of about 20 minutes.
- Cab: Prices vary between 10 and 20 euros, depending on the area in which the hotel is located. If you opt for this option it is advisable to choose the officers with the fixed price.
- Minibus: With a price of about 10 euros they will take you directly to the hotel. The downside is that they do not leave until they fill up and tour all the hotels leaving the passengers, so you waste a lot of time.
- Direct transfer: The most comfortable way and depending on the number of passengers, you can get cheaper even than the taxi or minibus. At the exit of the airport a driver with a sign with your name will wait for you and take you directly to the hotel. You can book it here.
You can have more information about the transfer in this post about how to go from Budapest airport to downtown.
Accommodation in Budapest
During our days in the city we stayed at the Maverick Hostel, located downtown, a few meters from Vaci Utca Street. Its situation and the very good quality / price ratio makes it highly recommended, especially if you are not going to spend many days in the city and want to save time in travel.
For more information on the best hotels and neighborhoods you can consult this post of where to stay in Budapest.
Save money in Budapest
This list of tips will help you organize your trip and save money:
- Buy the Budapest Card that includes, in addition to free tickets and discounts, public transport.
- Booking this free tour of Budapest with a guide in Spanish Free!, Will allow you to learn more about the history of the city. Another option is to take a tourist bus from Budapest that stops at the main attractions, saving you time in the route through Budapest in one day.
- Remember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot. You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
For more information and recommendations you can consult this post on essential tips for traveling to Budapest.
Budapest guide in one day
During this Budapest itinerary in one day You will also visit a part of the historic center, Buda Hill, with magnificent views of the city.
The route starts arriving in Parliament first thing, they open at 8 in the morning, one of the most essential places to visit in Budapest. This building, located on the banks of the Danube, is the most famous in the city with an interior decorated with marble and an impressive neo-Gothic exterior. The visit to the interior is guided, in Spanish it is at 10:15, 13:15, 14:15 and 16:00 hours and you can buy tickets online at www.jegymester.hu or book this guided tour in Spanish .
A good option to visit it is to take advantage of this city tour that includes a visit to Parliament with a guide in Spanish.
Budapest Parliament
Before or after the visit to Parliament we recommend approaching the moving monument Shoes on the Danube, located on the bank of the Danube, next to the Parliament. The monument was built in honor of the Jews killed during the Nazi occupation.
After the visits, you can follow the route by taking a nice walk along the bank of the Danube to the magnificent Liberty Bridge. Throughout the tour you can enjoy magnificent views of the entire Buda Hill and the bridges over the Danube, such as the emblematic Chain Bridge.
Buda Castle
Upon arriving at the Liberty Bridge you can cross it to see the outside of the Gellert Hotel, a hotel that has one of the best and most beautiful spas in Budapest, with a spectacular central pool surrounded by columns that came out in a famous advertisement for Danone
If you have more days you can take the opportunity to enter, although it is recommended to book this ticket for availability or this ticket that includes a relaxing massage. The spa is open every day from 6 to 20h.
Gellert spa
Crossing the Liberty Bridge again you will reach the Central Market, the most popular and largest of the 5 markets built at the end of the 19th century. In addition to touring the hallways on the ground floor full of stalls with fresh produce, you can go upstairs to eat, although we do not recommend it if it is your first day, as there are better places to try Hungarian food such as the restaurant Borbirosag, near the market, or the Rustic on Vaci Utca street.
The Budapest route in one day Continue after lunch, walking along Vaci Utca Street, the city's most commercial pedestrian street full of cafes, restaurants and shops. As advice we will tell you that if you are a Christmas lover, do not forget to enter the store Philantia.
Stroll along the Váci Utca on the route through Budapest in one day
The VAci Utca street ends at the lively Vorosmarty Square that has a great restoration offer, in which the historic Gerbeaud Pastry, an entire institution in the city and one of the best things to do in Budapest. And it is that sitting at one of their tables and devouring one of their delicious cakes with a good coffee next to it is something you can not miss in your route through Budapest in one day.
If at this point of the day you go well in time you can walk to St. Stephen's Cathedral to see its exterior, the largest church in Budapest.
As the sunset approaches, depending on how tired you are or if you have more days, we recommend booking a romantic boat trip on the Danube or this cruise with dinner and music, considered two of the best tours in Budapest.
If you are only going to do Budapest in one day, then it is obligatory to cross the Chain Bridge to go to the spectacular Buda hill and enjoy the best views of Budapest.
The Chain Bridge is the oldest bridge in the city and one of the most beautiful in the world, both day and night. This bridge destroyed during World War II links the areas of Buda and Pest, two cities that were unified in 1873 forming the current Budapest.
Chain Bridge
To climb to the top of the hill where the Buda Castle and the Fisherman's Bastion are located and from where the views of the city are impressive there are several options. We go up by funicular at sunset and walk down at night. Inside the Budapest Castle there is the Széchenyi Library, the Hungarian National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum, although your visit, if you do not have much time, is not essential.
Views from Buda Castle
After enjoying the views you can wander around the area around the castle, until you reach Matthias Church, the most important Catholic church in the city, in neo-Gothic style. Next to the church is the Fisherman's Bastion, the best viewpoint of the city and the last visit of the Budapest in one day.
Fisherman's Bastion
The Fisherman's Bastion is a large terrace with 7 towers that represent the 7 tribes that founded the country and is the perfect place to see how the city lights up, with special attention to Parliament, while the sun goes down.
In addition to these views, when you walk down you can not miss the views of the Chain Bridge, which are spectacular. Once here and before crossing the bridge, we recommend dining at a restaurant in the lower part of Buda, such as Marvelosa or if it's cold, taste a good goulash soup in the Meat Boutique, two of the best restaurants to eat in Budapest.
To fire this Budapest in one day, nothing better than crossing the illuminated Chain Bridge and thinking about returning soon to the jewel of the Danube.
Chain Bridge
If you have one more day, you can follow the Budapest guide in 2 days.
Map of the route through Budapest in one day
Do you want to organize a trip to Budapest?
Get it here:
The best offers of Flights to Budapest here
The best hotels at the best prices in Budapest here
Get € 35 for your reservation with AirBnb here
Book the best tours and excursions in Budapest in Spanish here
Book your transfer Airport⇆Centro or Hotel in Budapest here
Budapest guide in 2 days
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here
Rent your car in Hungary at the best price here
The best offers of Flights to Budapest here
The best hotels at the best prices in Budapest here
Get € 35 for your reservation with AirBnb here
Book the best tours and excursions in Budapest in Spanish here
Book your transfer Airport⇆Centro or Hotel in Budapest here
Budapest guide in 2 days
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here
Rent your car in Hungary at the best price here
