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Fancy a fantastic weekend away? Budapest is always a great option! If you’re looking for a laid-back 2-day itinerary for Budapest, where you can relax in the baths, try delicious food and do a bit of sightseeing, this itinerary for a weekend in Budapest is for you!
While Budapest recently has gained popularity as a stag party destination, it offers so much more than that and is a perfect place for friends, families and couples. There are so many things to do in Budapest, and it’s impossible to see and do them all just in a weekend.
Hence, in this article, I fully focus on what we did in Budapest on our 2-day trip. It’s not our first time visiting Budapest – I’ve been there once before (and described it as part of our 11-day trip to Central Europe, visiting Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia and Austria by trains and buses), and Pepe has been twice. There are some places that we decided to revisit, even though we have been there before, just because it’s an absolute delight to revisit them!
Before we start with the itinerary, here is an overview of the useful links from the article (I’m often asked to summarise all the links in one place so they are easier to find).
Overview of useful links from this article:
Hotel in Budapest: Marriott or Hotel Rumor
Szechenyi Baths: book online here
Budapest cruises: book here
Buda walking tour: check prices and availability here
Here’s a quick overview of our 2-day itinerary for Budapest:
Day 0: evening flight to Budapest
Day 1 (Saturday): Breakfast at Dobrumba, walking around the Jewish Quarter, Central Market, Szechenyi Baths, Marriott rooftop terrace, dinner at Hilda, night walk & The Szimpla Kert
Day 2 (Sunday): Breakfast at New York Cafe, sightseeing in Buda, Fisherman’s Bastion, walking to Pest, Lunch in Fat Mama, Dessert at cafe Gerbeaud, heading back to the airport
Without further ado, let’s get started!
2-day itinerary for Budapest | Things to do on a weekend in Budapest
Day 0: Taking an evening flight to Budapest
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of waking up at 4 am in the morning to catch the 8am flight. Otherwise, we could have definitely arrived a day later. If you’re on a budget, that might be a good idea because hotels in Budapest are pricey, and that way, you wouldn’t need to pay for two nights. We used to do it all the time, but after we turned 30, or maybe it was the pandemic that changed the way we travel, we stopped taking early morning flights and instead started flying on Friday or even Thursday nights.
We took the latest flight to Budapest from London Stansted and landed around 11pm. It took a while to pass security and find a taxi, so we only arrived at our hotel around 1am.
Where to stay in Budapest?
Budapest is a large city; however, if you’re only staying for two nights, it makes sense to stay in two main areas of the city – the Jewish quarter, where most restaurants are located or near the Danube embankment, between Deak Ferenc Ter and Ferenciek Tere. Some people choose to stay in Buda, near the main landmarks. However, this area doesn’t have anything to do in the evenings, there are hardly any restaurants, and you will spend a lot of time travelling in and out there.
Here are the hotels we would recommend in Budapest:
Luxury & mid-range: Marriott Budapest (that’s where we stayed and loved the views) with the best views of Danube, Parisi Udvar by Hyatt
Affordable: Hotel Rumor, K46 Residence
We didn’t actually do anything on our first night in Budapest, as it was too late, so all activities on Saturday and Sunday during this 2-day trip to Budapest.
Day 1 (Saturday): Discovering Budapest’s Best Landmarks
Morning: Breakfast in Dobrumba + Exploring the Jewish Quarter
We woke up around 9am and decided to start our morning exploring the Jewish Quarter, one of the coolest and most hipster areas of Budapest. There is a lot of funky street art, and also, some of the best breakfast and brunch spots are located there.
We walked all the way to the Jewish Quarter and had a yummy Middle-eastern-style breakfast at the lovely Dobrumba cafe. The street where Dobrumba is located has plenty of different brunch restaurants – if you prefer something else for breakfast, there are so many options!
After breakfast, we walked a little bit around the area, searching for the most beautiful streets.
Midday and afternoon: Central Market and Szechenyi Baths
Central Market
Our next destination was lively Central Market, a buzzing place filled with local goodies and unique finds. We took some time to explore the stalls and found everything, from fresh produce to cool souvenirs. The Central Market in Budapest is a great place to visit if you’re planning to buy some souvenirs or if you want to eat – as it’s definitely one of the best places to try local Hungarian food.
The market has two levels – all the food stalls and restaurants are on the upper level. The market is also very beautiful – it’s definitely one of the most impressive markets in Europe. If you’re not planning to buy or eat anything there, it’s worth visiting just to see the market building itself! The market is closed on Sundays, so if you’re only coming to Budapest for a weekend, you can only visit it on a Saturday!
Szechenyi Baths
Next, it was time to go to the famous Szechenyi Baths, which is definitely one of the best things to do on a weekend in Budapest. For Szechenyi Baths, you need to pre-book tickets in advance. Don’t forget a towel and slippers – you won’t be able to enter without the slippers and buying them there is very expensive. I’m in the process of writing a guide to visiting Szechenyi Baths, and I will link it here once it’s finished!
I also recommend bringing a bathrobe or something to cover up while you’re there, especially if you’re visiting outside in the warm summer months! There are a couple of outdoor pools and lots of indoor pools and saunas, and you can easily spend a couple of hours at Szechenyi Baths.
Lots of people are also wondering which one is better, Szechenyi Baths or Gellert Baths and since we’ve only been to Szechenyi, it’s hard for us to say, but we’ve read some articles before visiting, and it seems like Szechenyi Baths are a little bit more impressive, so we decided to go there.
However, if there is no availability at Szechenyi Baths, you can totally go to Gellert Baths, and I’m sure you will enjoy it a lot! Check the availability of Szechenyi Baths here & book tickets online.
Evening: Rooftop terrace, dinner at Hilda & the Ruin Bar
We were in Budapest in early spring, so it was getting dark pretty early. We had to rush back to the hotel to change and be able to watch the beautiful sunset from the rooftop bar of our hotel, Marriott. I definitely recommend this bar for stunning views of the city, especially during sunset. Alternatively, you can take a sunset cruise if you’re visiting in summer.
For dinner, we booked a restaurant called Hilda. We found it mentioned in a couple of guides to the best restaurants in Budapest, and we were lucky to get a same-day booking. Usually, you need to pre-book at least a couple of days in advance, as Hilda gets very busy. The restaurant definitely didn’t disappoint – the food was traditional Hungarian but with a twist. Everything was delicious, and we will definitely come back there when we travel to Budapest again.
Budapest gets very busy at night! After dinner, we went for a walk to see the city’s illuminated landmarks and explore the nightlife and couldn’t miss the famous Ruin Bar, Szimpla Kert. Szimpla Kert is a space that consists of multiple bars. You don’t need a booking, but there is always a queue outside, however, it can move pretty fast.
Day 2 of the weekend in Budapest (Sunday): New York Cafe and Buda and Pest Adventure
Morning: Breakfast at New York Cafe & sightseeing in Buda
New York Cafe
First thing in the morning, we went to the famous New York Cafe, a place we’d heard a lot about.Usually, the wait is quite long – if you come there around 11am, you can stay up to 2 hours in the queue. To avoid that, we decided to wake up early and be there just after 9 am. We were very lucky as we didn’t have to wait and were seated when we arrived.
Inside, we were amazed by New York Cafe’s fancy decorations, beautiful chandeliers, and live music. New York Cafe claims to be the most beautiful restaurant in the world, and this claim is probably true. The food, on the other hand, is very average, and the portions are tiny, but most people come there just for a coffee and to enjoy the atmosphere.
Sightseeing in Buda
Feeling full of energy after breakfast, we took the public transport with trams and buses going through busy streets. We crossed the Danube River and reached a pretty area called Buda, where the impressive Buda Castle stood tall on a hill. Buda used to be a separate city from Pest, and it used to be a much richer and fancier city as well. Most of the landmarks of Budapest are actually located in Buda. If you want to learn more about the history of Budapest, I recommend taking this walking small group tour around Buda & Buda Castle. It’s very affordable and only lasts 2-3 hours. You can check the prices and availability here.
My favourite building in Buda is definitely the Fisherman’s Bastion, where you can snap fantastic photos of the city and the Danube. Moreover, the building itself is very unusual and stunning!
Another must-visit landmark is Matthias Church (Mátyás Templom), located next to Buda Castle. This iconic church is known for its colourful roof tiles and Gothic architecture. It has a rich history and is closely tied to Hungary’s kings and queens.
Afternoon: walking back to Pest & lunch at Fat Mama. Late afternoon cake at Cafe Gerbeaud
After spending a couple of hours in Buda, it was time for us to go back to Pest. We decided to walk there as it wasn’t too far – just under 50 minutes of walking, or just under an hour if you decide to take a few photos on the way.
For lunch, we went to a place called Fat Mama, which is a large & simple restaurant with tasty Hungarian and international food. We ordered two goulash soups, and even though the portions looked pretty small, one soup was more than enough food for lunch. Goulash is a very hearty and also pretty fat dish!
After lunch, we went on a small walk to see how the area where Szimpla Kerr is located looks during the day. We were pretty surprised to see the area buzzing during the day as well – all the restaurants were full, and there was even a small Sunday market selling souvenirs, jewellery and arts and crafts.
Cafe Gerbeaud
Before it was time for us to go to the airport to grab a flight back to London, we had a bit of time to go to the last spot we wanted to visit, the iconic historic Cafe Gerbeaud, famous for its cakes. Cafe Gerbeaud has been around since 1858. It has a rich history and looks very fancy inside, with beautiful decorations and chandeliers. The café is known for its delicious homemade pastries like the Dobos cake and flaky strudels, made using traditional recipes. We tried two cakes, and needless to say, they were absolutely delicious!
Summary of our 2-day itinerary for Budapest: best things to do on a weekend in Budapest
I hope you enjoyed this laid-back itinerary for Budapest! If you’re not a first-timer and you’ve been to Budapest before, this itinerary is perfect for discovering new places and enjoying Budapest at your own pace. If you haven’t been to Budapest before, but don’t feel like waking up at 7am every day and prefer a more laid-back and comfortable way of travelling and exploring, you will enjoy this itinerary! There is a bit of everything – delicious food, sightseeing, shopping and, of course, the famous Szechenyi Baths.
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