Budapest is the capital of Hungary. The city has just been named on Conde Nest Traveler’s list of “The 24 Best Places to go in 2024”. The city is a combination of two cities. In the past, Buda was a separate city from Pest which is divided by the Danube River. Buda is the historic part of the city where the Castle Hill area is located. The Buda Castle is located in Castle Hill. Pest is the more contemporary part of the city which reminds you of Paris. The city has a lot to offer travelers. We will explore the things to do and where to stay in Budapest.

The first thing you should do on your arrival to Budapest is to sign up for a free walking tour with GuruWalk (GuruWalk.com). Walking tours are the best and GuruWalk offers some of the best walking tours which are free, just tip the tour guide. These tours give you the lay of the land and a historical and cultural perspective of the city. And Budapest has a rich history. Most of the city was destroyed during World War Two. The city’s architecture consists of some Hungarian architecture that survived the war and the post-war Soviet architecture. The best place to stay in Budapest is on the Pest side in the downtown area within the city center. Staying in the city center you are within walking distance from the Danube River, the Parliament Building, the Great Market Hall, and the bridges to cross over to the Buda side to Castle Hill. Also, the Pest side is the entertainment side of the city where you will find many restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. Hotel prices in the city center range from small boutique hotels starting at less than $100 a night to high-end hotels ranging over $300 a night.

There are many things to do in Budapest. Budapest sits on top of several natural thermal springs. Very high on the list of things to do is to visit one of the hot thermal bath spas in the city. The most popular and biggest of the thermal bath spas is the Szechenyi Baths and Pool. You can buy tickets online from sites like Tripadvisor but I would recommend you buy your ticket once you get there. You will save money on your ticket but may have to wait in line. Szechenyi is in City Park. The park is beautiful and if you have time explore within the park.

Another must-do in Budapest is to visit the Castle Hill District. The historic Buda Castle is in Castle Hill. The castle is beautiful from afar, but it isn’t worth paying to go inside because most of it hasn’t been restored. The windows are not even glass but plastic. They are currently working on restoring the area around the castle. While in Castle Hill visit Fisherman’s Bastion which has some of the best views of Budapest. Also in Castle Hill is the very beautiful Matthias Church.

And before you leave Budapest make sure you do a night cruise on the Danube River. The views of the lighted Parliament Building and Buda Castle are spectacular. And if you have time take the tram over to the Buda side and walk around to the many cafes you will find.

Food in Budapest is reasonable. In a nice restaurant you will pay less than $30 for a meal and if you grab some of the street food you will pay around $3. Popular Hungarian dishes are goulash soup, chicken stew with steak fries, and street food called Hungarian fried dough. For sweets, Chimney cakes are very popular which is a dough wrapped with sugar and they are served with coffee for breakfast like a doughnut or stuffed with ice cream as a dessert. The popular alcoholic drink is palinka, which comes in different flavors and very strong. And beer is hugely popular throughout Budapest.

Three to four days is adequate amount of time you will need to explore the city of Budapest. And I’m sure you will enjoy every minute of this beautiful and historic Eastern European city.