Skip to content

48 Hours in Budapest

Budapest

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my terms & conditions for more info.

In January I went to Budapest along with my Mother and Sister. We got a fantastic deal on Groupon which covered our flights and hotel all for less than £150. Good old Groupon!

 

I had never been to Budapest before so I was really keen to see as much of the city as I could in 2 days. Before we went I made a list of all of the things I wanted to see and do and then worked out the best way to fit it all in. Yes I’m that sad!

 

I thought I would share with you what we got up to in 48 hours.

 

48 Hours in Budapest

 

Our Hotel

 

We stayed in the Aquamarina Hotel which is in one of the outer districts of Budapest. It’s a floating hotel on the River Danube. 

 

Buda & Pest

 

Before I go any further I think it’s good to let you know that Budapest is split into two different sections, you have the Buda side of the river where you will find many of the iconic buildings. The Pest side is where the majority of the bars, restaurants and shops are found.

 

Day One in Budapest 

 

On the first day we decided to stick to the Buda side.

 

The Chain Bridge

 

The chain bridge is a suspension bridge that links Buda and Pest. You’ll know it when you see it as it has two huge lions, called the Guardian Lions at either end.

 

The Chain Bridge in Budapest

 

Fun Fact: It was the first permanent bridge over the River Danube in Hungary.

 

Hungarian National Gallery

 

Next stop for us was the Hungarian National Gallery located on top of the hill in the Palace District on the Buda side. To get up there you can either take the Funicular or walk like we did. Tough walk but well worth it! We got in free due to our Budapest Cards that we bought, also well worth buying.

 

Hungarian National Gallery in Budapest

 

Goulash & Brandy Lunch

 

We stopped to have lunch at a little restaurant that we found which I can’t for the life of me remember the name of! Obviously we had Goulash and tried some Panyolai Pálinka which is an incredibly strong brandy!

 

Goulash in Budapest

 

Matthias Church

 

After lunch we headed over to the Buda District and went inside the Matthias Church. Entry wasn’t covered on our Budapest Cards but was totally worth paying extra for. The inside is just as gorgeous as the outside.

 

Matthias Church Budapest

 

Fishermans Bastion

 

The Fishermans Bastion is another must see whilst in Budapest.

 

Fishermans Bastion in Budapest

 

Candlelit Dinner River Cruise

 

In the evening we opted to go on a candlelit dinner cruise with Legenda. I would highly recommend it! You get to see the city all lit up from the river.

 

Candlelit Dinner Cruise in Budapest


UK_Getaways_728x90

 

Day Two in Budapest

 

Day two we spent on the Pest side of the river.

 

Shoes on the Danube Bank

 

Of all of the tourist spots in Budapest this was the one that I wanted to see the most, mainly due to my Jewish roots. It’s a memorial for the Jewish victims shot into the river by arrow cross militiamen in 1944-45.

 

Shoes on the Danube Bank Budapest

 

Hungarian Parliament Building

 

Next stop was the Hungarian Parliament Building which is just behind the shoes. We didn’t get to go inside due to time restraints but it’s pretty impressive just from the outside.

 

The Hungarian Parliament Building in Budapest

 

Cake & Hot Wine

 

We stopped to have cake & hot wine in Nonloso Caffe & Bar. You’ll find hot wine everywhere you look. The smell is amazing and very hard to resist.

 

Cake and hot wine in Budapest

 

St Stephen’s Basilica

 

We happened upon St Stephen’s Basilica completely by accident, it wasn’t on my original list. As we came out of the cafe it was right there in front of us! Again we didn’t go inside but if I go back one day I’d would like to.

 

St Stephen's Basilica in Budapest

 

Dohány Street Synagogue aka The Great Synagogue

 

Sticking with Jewish history we headed to the Dohany Street Synagogue.

 

Dohány Street Synagogue in Budapest

 

Fun Fact: It is the largest synagogue in Europe and one of the largest in the world.

 

Holocaust Memorial Centre

 

The holocaust memorial centre is located next door to the Synagogue. I defy anyone to go in there and not cry!

 

Holocaust Memorial Center in Budapest

 

Budapest Holocaust Memorial – The Weeping Willow Tree

 

The Emanuel Tree or Weeping Willow Tree is a memorial to all of the Hungarian Jews who lost their lives during the Holocaust. Each name is inscribed on a leaf.

 

The Weeping Willow Tree in Budapest

 

Central Market Hall

 

After a long day we finally made it to the Central Market Hall although we didn’t spend long in there as it was closing.

 

Central Market Hall in Budapest

 

Fun Fact: Central Market is the largest and oldest indoor market in Budapest 

 

Dinner at Fatal Etterem

 

We had dinner at a lovely traditional Hungarian restaurant called Fatal Etterem. The food was fantastic and I especially enjoyed my starter of garlic soup which came served in a bowl made of bread.

 

Fatal Etterem Budapest

 

Ice Bar Budapest

 

We finished our evening at the Ice Bar, which is not perhaps something that you would expect to do in Budapest but it was a fun experience.

 

The Ice Bar in Budapest

 

So there you have it, our 48 hours in Budapest. Do you think we could of squeezed much more in?

 


728x90 Travel

 

 

19 thoughts on “48 Hours in Budapest”

  1. You really did fit in such a lot – food and sightseeing. Tempted by the hot wine and the soup in a bowl of bread. I still haven’t been to Budapest and am even more keen to visit now.
    #mondayescapes

    1. You should go Trish, it’s such a beautiful city!
      You won’t have any trouble finding the hot wine it seemed to be everywhere, although we did go in January so not sure if it’s still around in the Summer months, I’m guessing it wouldn’t be?

  2. So beautiful – the architecture looks stunning. Budapest has been on my travel list for such a long time – I’m particularly keen to try the thermal baths!

    1. The architecture is amazing, it was one of the main reasons that I chose Budapest.
      We had planned to try the thermal baths but just didn’t have time in the end. Although we really could of done with it after all that walking.
      If you buy a Budapest card you can get into on of the baths for free 🙂

    1. We did want to go to a thermal bath as it was included in our Budapest Card but we just didn’t have the time in the end. I will definitely go to one next time though 🙂

  3. Beautiful photos! I love Budapest, I’ve only been once on New Year’s Eve though, but I had such a great time, I’m hoping to return soon – hopefully when it’s warmer. If you visit again, you need to try the thermal baths, it’s such an incredible experience (especially if you go in the winter)

  4. Packing my Suitcase

    Ohh I love Budapest. How cool that you managed to see so much in 2 days.
    The food is amazing there isn’t it? I love Goulash soup <3

    Thank you for joining #MondayEscapes Gina 😀

  5. The shoes by the river and the weeping willow made me shiver. What beautiful memorials. Thanks so much for sharing this aspect of Budapest. I am so looking forward to visiting there soon armed with your handy guide. Thanks for joining #FarawayFiles Gina

  6. I have been dying to go to Budapest! You have just exacerbated the wishing even more – in the best way! I love the idea of a dinner cruise on the Danube. The architecture is so gorgeous and I adore that beautiful, elegant and graceful willow tree memorial which I had never seen before. Thank you for sharing and joining our new travel community #FarawayFiles! Cheers from Copenhagen, Erin

  7. Budapest is a city I’ve always wanted to visit and I’m amazed how cheap your trip was! What a great deal! You managed to do so much – gorgeous churches, very yummy looking cakes, holocaust memorials and delicious food. I shall save this for when I do visit. Thanks so much for linking up with the first ever #FarawayFiles

  8. You managed to squeeze in a lot to 48 hrs. I’m looking for tips for a possible trips to Budapest, so I’m pinning this for later use. Thank you! #farawayfiles

  9. You sound like me. I always write down everything I want to see and do at the beginning of my trip planning so I can be efficient in my planning. I would like to see the WWII memorials. I study a lot of WWII history so I love to see all the tributes related to it when I travel. #farawayfiles

  10. I love Budapest!!I’m dying to return when the skies are blue and now cold and gloomy! Your pictures are so much more beautiful than mine! #FarawayFiles

I'd love to know what you think...

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.