Budapest in winter is a dream with snow-dusted Neoclassical and Gothic architecture, steaming thermal baths, and rich comforting dishes. Visiting in the colder, darker months means fewer crowds and more affordable accommodations. Here’s how to make the most of a long, wintery weekend in Hungary’s capital.
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*My thoughts on political concerns at the bottom.
Day 1: Széchenyi Thermal Baths, Vajdahunyad Castle, and Paprika Chicken
Széchenyi
Location: Budapest, Hősök tere, 1146 Hungary
Hours: 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Cost: About $45 USD for access, plus a changing cabin
We landed in Budapest in the early evening, dropped off our bags, and hopped on the Millennium Underground, the oldest electric metro in continental Europe, which took us to the Széchenyi Thermal Baths.
If you’re in Budapest, you’ve gotta visit at least one thermal bath and Széchenyi is the city’s most famous. Opened in 1913, it’s also the largest medicinal bath in Europe. The sunny yellow Neo-Baroque building has over a dozen pools, plus steam rooms and saunas. We enjoyed dipping into a variety of pools but the massive outdoor one was our favorite. Yes, you’re in there with a crowd, even in the dead of January, but that doesn’t take away from the magic of relaxing in hot water while snow falls around you. If I could change one thing about visiting Széchenyi, I would’ve bought our tickets in advance to skip the line.
Vajdahunyad Castle
Location: Budapest, Vajdahunyad stny., 1146 Hungary
Feeling warm and noodle-y from the baths, we wandered over to Vajdahunyad Castle, which despite its medieval appearance, is not actually that old. It gets its name and looks from a legit Transylvanian castle but was originally made out of cardboard and wood for a 19th-century expo. The castle has since been reconstructed in sturdier stone. Another cool upgrade is a bust of Bela Lugosi tucked into an alcove. Bela was a sneaky, late-night addition to the castle in 2003 by German artist Hartmut Zech.
Dinner at Frici Papa
Location: Budapest, Király u. 55, 1077 Hungary
Hours: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Monday – Saturday
We ended the night with dinner at Frici Papa, a cozy Hungarian restaurant serving up paprika chicken with gnocchi and cold beers. Hearty, comforting, and exactly what you need after a long day of travel.
Day 2: History, Hauntings & Ruin Bars
Shoes on the Danube
Location: Id. Antall József rkp., 1054 Hungary
We woke up to the type of freezing, windy rain that feels like an assault, but were determined to walk over to the Buda side. On the way, we passed the haunting bronze memorial Shoes on the Danube, in remembrance of 20,000 Jews who were executed during WWII.
Fisherman’s Bastion
Location: Szentháromság tér, Budapest 1014
Hours: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. every day
Cost: Free to walk around, small fee to go up in the turrets
From there, we crossed over the Chain Bridge to the hilly Buda side up to Fisherman’s Bastion. This UNESCO World Heritage Site looks like it’s straight out of a fairy tale — an ornate monument with seven stone towers to symbolize the seven founding chieftains of Hungary. If you look out from the main facade, you have sweeping views over the Danube and the Parliament. Turning the other way, we were treated to a busker playing an accordion in front of Matthias Church.
Hospital in the Rock
Location: Budapest, Lovas út 4/c, 1012 Hungary
Hours: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Cost: $30-ish
Hospital in the Rock is a former World War II hospital, turned Cold War fallout shelter, turned museum. The museum is only accessible by taking a tour and no photos are allowed but what you get is well worth it. It is a truly unique experience to walk the tunnels beneath the city and see 200+ wax figures depicting gruesome scenes of overcrowding, surgery, and nuclear shelter protocol.
The Labyrinth
Location: Lovas út 4/c, 1012 Hungary
Cost: $13-ish
Just down the road, we descended back underground into The Labyrinth beneath Buda Castle Hill—where, according to legend, Vlad the Impaler was once imprisoned. No photos allowed here either, so you’ll have to take my word that the atmosphere is dark, damp and effectively spooky. This place also has life size figurines… including at least one child mannequin in a cage. We navigated the completely unlit areas by the light of my phone and my boyfriend scared the hell out of another unsuspecting couple. 10 out of 10, would recommend!
Chimney Cake
Back on the surface level, we tried chimney cake, which is a gigantic curly-cue of a donut. The dough is wrapped around and baked on a spit, then covered in cinnamon sugar (at least ours was). It was just the sweet boost needed for our cold, wet trudge back to the Pest side via the Elizabeth Bridge.
Dinner at Mazel Tov
Location: Budapest, Akácfa u. 47, 1072 Hungary
Price: $$ (Mid-range)
After spending almost all day exploring the underbelly of Buda, we decided to treat ourselves back by our Airbnb. We lucked out with no reservation for dinner at Mazel Tov, a beautiful, plant-filled restaurant in a converted ruin building. I’m not usually one for eating at “fancy” places but this was an exceptional dining experience. We ordered the shawarma and shakshuka — both were perfect.
Szimpla Kert
Location: Budapest, Kazinczy u. 14, 1075 Hungary
Hours: 3 p.m. – 4 a.m.
And since we were in the party district, we decided to check out Szimpla Kert for a night cap. Starting in the early 2000s, enterprising locals have transformed dilapidated factories, homes, and courtyards into ruin bars. Szimpla Kert was the first, a former stove factory. This place is massive, and when we visited it was jam-packed with tourists (including myself in that description!). The space is like being in a labyrinth of rooms covered in graffiti, mis-matched furniture, art installations, bathtubs, and disco balls. In spite of the crowds, I’d say the DIY spirit shines — definitely fun to hang out.
Day 3: Baths in a Blizzard & The Danube at Night
Szimply
Location: Budapest, Károly krt. 22, 1052 Hungary
Hours: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
I’d seen a picture of Szimply on Instagram and it is even cuter in person, the definition of a cozy brunch place. Small and bright with the prettiest Eggs Benedict and lattes. The snow started falling again right as we finished breakfast.
Rudas Baths
Location: Budapest, Döbrentei tér 9, 1013 Hungary
Hours: 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Cost: $24-ish
We walked back over to the Buda side, this time to the Rudas Baths at the foot of Gellért Hill. Rudas was noticeably less crowded than Széchenyi and, again, all the pools were excellent. The centerpiece at Rudas is a 16th-century Turkish bath where a huge octagonal pool sits under a dome studded with rainbow glass. We also really enjoyed the open-air rooftop pool. The snow was still coming down thick and fast so sitting in the rooftop tub was like being in a reverse snow globe.
Drum Cafe
Location: Budapest, Dob u. 2, 1072 Hungary
Hours: 9 a.m. – 12 a.m.
Hit up the Drum Cafe for an early dinner. This is a great restaurant for tourists to try Hungarian dishes. Reviews vary but we had no wait and friendly, speedy service. Jason got the mushroom goulash and I tried the “classic” langosh, a buttery fried flat bread topped with cheese, garlic, and sour cream.
Cat Café
Location: Budapest, Révay u. 3, 1065 Hungary
Hours: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Cost: $10-ish for a drink
We passed Cat Cafe Budapest a couple times and I’m so glad we made time to stop in for a drink. The cats roam free and they were huge! I wanted to pet them allll.
Danube Cruise
Location: Budapest, Dock 42 port, Szent István park, 1138 Hungary
This cruise was just right for us — seeing the landmarks of Budapest by temperature controlled boat with a glass of prosecco. There’s an audio recording that plays in whatever language you need and the Parliament looks amazing illuminated at night. Here’s the cruise we booked.
M Restaurant
Location: Budapest, Kertész u. 48, 1073 Hungary
Hours: 6 p.m. – 12 a.m., Thursday – Sunday
M Restaurant was on the same block as our Airbnb and they focus on Hungarian and French cuisine. We enjoyed our bone marrow and drinks by candlelight. Cute feature: you can draw on the tablecloth!
Day 4: Cemeteries, Coffee, and a Last Hurrah
Ervin Szabó Library
Location: Budapest, Kertész u. 48, 1073 Hungary
Hours: 10 a.m. – 8 a.m., Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday
Cost: $4 to visit
This beautiful mansion was once the home of a Hungarian count at the end of the 19th century. The city bought it in 1931 and turned the palace rooms into a library. Including the modern additions, this must be one of the most stunning public libraries on earth. Head up to the fourth floor to soak in the ornate detailing and old-world elegance. If I lived in Budadpest, I would be here all the time, curled up with a book.
Hidegkuti Nandor Stadium
Location: Budapest, Salgótarjáni u. 12-14, 1087 Hungary
The one thing we weren’t successful in seeing was the inside of this stadium where some of the 1981 movie Victory was filmed. My boyfriend’s a huge fan of the film and Pelé so I’d emailed prior to visiting and we asked staff in person but were told it was “not possible” to see the pitch. Still kinda neat to check out if you’re a super fan.
Fiume Street National Cemetery
Location: Budapest, Fiumei út 16-18, 1086 Hungary
Hours: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
This day ended up having the best weather of the trip and we had a lovely walk from the stadium along Salgotarjani Street. We passed a Jewish cemetery overtaken by vegetation and ended up at Fiume Street National Cemetery. This cemetery has a lot of history and interesting pieces I wasn’t expecting. A kind local offered to take us to the Josef Antall tomb, then to Zsa Zsa Gabor’s.
Lángosom
Location: Budapest, Wesselényi utca 35, 1071 Hungary
Hours: 11 a.m. – 12 a.m., every day
This was our longest day of walking and we built up quite an appetite so these langos really hit the spot. They were served piping hot, with crispy dough and melty cheese. I’m sorry I didn’t leave room to try the cottage cheese donuts.
Széchenyi Beer Spa
Location: Koós, Budapest, Széchenyi, Kós Károly stny. 1, 1146 Hungary
Hours: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., every day
We made a second trip to Széchenyi to try the upstairs Beer Spa, where we literally soaked in a tub of hot water hops, malt, and beer salt. It smelled surprisingly good and my skin was left very soft. You have your own tap for unlimited beer while you bathe. (It looks if you go to the Széchenyi location, you buy this ticket in addition to the rest of Széchenyi. At the time, we were able to buy it separately.)
New York Café
Location: Budapest, Erzsébet krt. 9-11, 1073 Hungary
Hours: 7 a.m. – 12 a.m., every day
I wasn’t sure if we’d make it into the New York Café because every time we walked by it had a line out the door. But on our last night, we caught it during a slow period and got to end our trip on a decadent high note with chocolate cake.
Where to Stay
Since it was our first time visiting Budapest, we stayed in this charming Airbnb on the Pest side, in the Jewish Quarter. It was steps from a lot of attractions, restaurants and ruin bars, but the apartment itself was in a quiet 19th century building, overlooking a courtyard — it felt very serene. Next time, I want to spend more time on the Buda side and am looking at hotels in the Castle district.
Budapest in winter? Absolutely worth it.
*Thoughts on visiting places with oppressive leadership: No one should overlook a country’s anti-LGBTQ laws, or racial/religious profiling. However, I don’t think it’s fair to fully write off a country based on its politics (I live in the Southern US…). The world is complex and, in my experience, people are waaay cooler and more open-minded than their government.
