Budapest travel guide

Budapest Tourism | Budapest Guide

You're Going to Love Budapest

With 1,74 million inhabitants, Budapest is the most populous city in Hungary. It is the most popular tourist destination in the country. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything Budapest has to offer.

Article

Activities & attractions in Budapest

Where to Eat in Budapest

District V - Belváros-Lipótváros is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Budapest. These include popular favourites such as Babel Budapest (Piarista köz 2), Mercatino Ristorante Enoteca (17 Apáczai Csere János u.) and Hugo’s Mexican Bar and Kitchen (26 Molnár u.). If you’re looking for affordable options, Déryné (Krisztina tér 3) and Tokio Budapest (7-8 Széchenyi István tér) are great picks. For delicious green meals, BESTIA Restaurant (9 - 11 Szent István tér) and Párisi Passage Restaurant (Párizsi Udvar Petőfi Sándor utca 2-4) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Budapest.

When to visit Budapest

Budapest in February
Estimated flight+hotel price
£176
2 travellers
Flight to Budapest
3 nights at hotel
Budapest in February
Estimated flight+hotel price
£176
2 travellers
Flight to Budapest
3 nights at hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Budapest in July, when the average temperature is 20 °C, and the highest can go up to 26 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as -3 °C, with an average temperature of 0 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in May, when precipitation is around 70 mm. In contrast, February is usually the driest month of the year in Budapest, with an average rainfall of 30 mm.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Budapest

Plane

When flying to Budapest, you’ll arrive at Budapest Airport (BUD), which is located 17 km from the city centre. The shortest flight to Budapest from the United Kingdom departs from London and takes around 2h 30m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Budapest, followed by ÖBB. The train journey from Budapest to Vienna takes 2h 24m and costs around £8 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Linz, expect to pay about £30 for a 4h 02m trip. Located 4 km from the city centre, Budapest Kelenföld vasútállomás is the busiest station in Budapest. Another popular train station is Budapest Keleti, located 2.2 km from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Budapest is to pick up a car hire from Debrecen, which is about 194 km from Budapest. You’ll find branches of Autonom and Sixt, among others, in Debrecen.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Budapest, including FlixBus, STUDENT AGENCY and Regiojet. From Vienna, the bus ride to Budapest takes 274 km and will cost you around £21. From Graz, the ticket costs about £32 for a journey of 420 km. The most popular bus station is Budapest Népliget, located 4 km from the city centre of Budapest. Budapest Mexikói út is also a commonly used station, and is 4 km from the city centre.

Plane

When flying to Budapest, you’ll arrive at Budapest Airport (BUD), which is located 17 km from the city centre. The shortest flight to Budapest from the United Kingdom departs from London and takes around 2h 30m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Budapest, followed by ÖBB. The train journey from Budapest to Vienna takes 2h 24m and costs around £8 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Linz, expect to pay about £30 for a 4h 02m trip. Located 4 km from the city centre, Budapest Kelenföld vasútállomás is the busiest station in Budapest. Another popular train station is Budapest Keleti, located 2.2 km from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Budapest is to pick up a car hire from Debrecen, which is about 194 km from Budapest. You’ll find branches of Autonom and Sixt, among others, in Debrecen.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Budapest, including FlixBus, STUDENT AGENCY and Regiojet. From Vienna, the bus ride to Budapest takes 274 km and will cost you around £21. From Graz, the ticket costs about £32 for a journey of 420 km. The most popular bus station is Budapest Népliget, located 4 km from the city centre of Budapest. Budapest Mexikói út is also a commonly used station, and is 4 km from the city centre.

Airports near Budapest

Airlines serving Budapest

Lufthansa
Good (7,015 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,335 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,582 reviews)
British Airways
Good (6,775 reviews)
Delta
Excellent (8,333 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (3,871 reviews)
Iberia
Good (2,636 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,846 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,462 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (780 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,301 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,673 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (8,707 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (342 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,281 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,323 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,085 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,855 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (1,310 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,182 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Budapest

From 5-star hotels such as the Dorothea Hotel, Budapest, Autograph Collection to great affordable options like the Hotel Millennium, Budapest offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around £43 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to £113 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Maverick Central Market and Balance Green Door 7. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Budapest, with prices from £13 to £431 per night. District VII - Erzsébetváros is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Budapest are about 41% cheaper than a hotel room in the city.

District V - Belváros-Lipótváros - In Budapest’s most popular neighbourhood to stay, recommended hotels include Aria Hotel Budapest by Library Hotel Collection, Danubius Hotel Erzsébet City Center and Four Seasons Gresham Palace.

District VII - Erzsébetváros - Here you’ll find travellers’ favourites such as Corinthia Budapest, Bo33 Hotel Family & Suites and Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel. The average nightly price for a double room in District VII - Erzsébetváros is £9.

District II - Hotel Rose City, Petneházy Aparthotel and Grand Jules - Boat Hotel have some of the best reviews among hotels in this area. A 3-star room in District II will cost you about £26 per night.

District V - Belváros-Lipótváros - In Budapest’s most popular neighbourhood to stay, recommended hotels include Aria Hotel Budapest by Library Hotel Collection, Danubius Hotel Erzsébet City Center and Four Seasons Gresham Palace.
District VII - Erzsébetváros - Here you’ll find travellers’ favourites such as Corinthia Budapest, Bo33 Hotel Family & Suites and Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel. The average nightly price for a double room in District VII - Erzsébetváros is £9.
District II - Hotel Rose City, Petneházy Aparthotel and Grand Jules - Boat Hotel have some of the best reviews among hotels in this area. A 3-star room in District II will cost you about £26 per night.
Most popular hotel in Budapest by neighbourhood

Where to stay in popular areas of Budapest

Most booked hotels in Budapest

Radisson Blu Beke Hotel, Budapest
4 stars
Excellent (8.9, Excellent reviews)
£86+
Budapest Airport Hotel Stáció Wellness & Konferencia
4 stars
Excellent (8.9, Excellent reviews)
£76+
Hilton Budapest
5 stars
Excellent (8.8, Excellent reviews)
£123+
Holiday Inn Budapest - Budaörs
4 stars
Excellent (8.8, Excellent reviews)
£68+
Intercontinental Budapest
5 stars
Excellent (8.7, Excellent reviews)
£121+
Danubius Hotel Arena
4 stars
Excellent (8.5, Excellent reviews)
£50+

Hiring a car in Budapest

Hiring a car in Budapest costs £15 per day, on average, or £46 if you want to hire it for 3 days.

It’s generally cheaper to hire your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 48% cheaper than airport locations in Budapest.

Expect to pay £1.31 per litre in Budapest (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between £15.69 and £20.92. The most frequently booked car type in Budapest is Compact (Volkswagen Polo or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy car hire (Class Economy SUV or similar) is, on average, 83% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Hiring a car in Budapest costs £15 per day, on average, or £46 if you want to hire it for 3 days.

It’s generally cheaper to hire your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 48% cheaper than airport locations in Budapest.

Expect to pay £1.31 per litre in Budapest (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between £15.69 and £20.92. The most frequently booked car type in Budapest is Compact (Volkswagen Polo or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy car hire (Class Economy SUV or similar) is, on average, 83% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Budapest Travel Guide - View the KAYAK Budapest city guide for the best Budapest travel tips. To help you organise your Budapest trip ideas, this Budapest visitors guide provides travel information and trip tips about how to get there, where to stay, what to do, where to eat and more.