Budapest: Everything to See and Do

Ah, Budapest. One of the best cities I have ever visited.

Budapest radiated cool, modern vibes. Its the kind of place you go back to for long weekends and trips away with your friends. I visited Budapest in January which I really enjoyed. I had never travelled in the winter months before and felt it was a nice balance to experience all the sights without masses of tourists.

Price Breakdowns

£153.93 for a return flight from Edinburgh to Budapest

£258.47 for 4 night stay at Up Hotel Budapest

Food and drinks were reasonably priced when I visited.

Transport

The transport I thought was one of the best in all the places I had visited. There are so many different modes of transport that are accessible for tourists.

The 100E bus takes you from Budapest airport to the city centre.

You can download the app BudapestGo to bulk buy tickets. I purchased the 72 hour travel card from the app. However, the app is not completely necessary as there are ticket machines at every bus, tram and metro stop which are easy to use.

Accommodation

I stay 4 night in UP Hotel Budapest. This was about a 20 minute walk from the centre.

UP Hotel had a deal on Booking.com when I was looking for accommodation. For a top floor 'Mini Smart room with Terrace' it was a very good price when compared to other hotels closer to the centre. The staff were super friendly and it had a very warm, comfortable bar/restaurant area. I would highly recommend UP Hotel!

Itinerary

I spent a total of 3 and a half days in Budapest. I felt this was a good amount of time to spend there in the winter season as a solo traveller.

Here is everything I did:

Szechenyi Thermal Baths

The famous thermal baths. This was on my bucket list for the longest time. This is a must-do activity when visiting Budapest whether is is Szechenyi or other local baths.

You need to bring swimsuit, towel and sandals to walk between pools.

If you are booking your ticket through Tiqets, be aware that you cannot enter the baths until after 9am. Don't do what I did and turn up at 8am and go back and forth with the receptionist for a whole hour. I recommend getting up early and purchasing the tickets there, there is about 4 double sided ticket screens where you can pay by card.

In the beginning, I felt slightly self conscious being solo, but after a while I realised, no one cared and there were plenty of other people there alone enjoying the experience.

Night City Highlights Cruise

This was a highlight of the trip for me. This cruise is 1 hour long and leaves dock multiple times a day. I booked my ticket through GetYourGuide for £9.56. I chose to do the 6pm slot as in January by this time it was dark and all the sights were illuminated.

You pass by, Margaret Bridge, Buda Castle, Castle-bazaar, Gellert Hill, Budapest university of Technology and Economics, Corvinus University of Budapest, Vigado Concert Hall, Hungarian Academy of Science and lastly, The Hungarian Parliament Building.

This was a great activity to do and I felt content doing this solo. I also met some girls on the boat and starting chatting with them.

St Stephen's Basilica

St Stephen's Basilica was nothing but beautiful. The Basilica was named after the first king of Hungary. As beautiful and impressive as it was inside, I don't really agree in paying to go into churches... Did I pay? Yes, but just as a general point I don't believe in paying to enter and being expected to leave donations also. I paid 2300 HUF to enter just the church. There was additional charges if you wanted to go onto the terrace.

St Stephan's Basilica also sat on a very nice square surrounded by restaurants and cafes. However, I encountered a man looking for money to donate to some organisation. When I said I wasn't interested after a couple of minutes speaking to him, he didn't take the rejection well. I saw him do this to other tourists as well. He had a fall out with a young male about going into the Basilica instead on donating to his money collection. Just to be cautious always in heavy tourist areas, especially solo.

Cipok a Duna-Parton

Translated to 'Shoes on the Danube Bank' is a memorial piece for the Jews who were executed on the river bank during the Second World War. The memorial was erected in 2005, the point of shoes is because shoes were valuable and could be sold to make money for the Hungarian army. So, the Jewish people were told to take them off before being killed and falling into the river.

This was a power place to visit and everyone was respectful when visiting. I really like seeing memorial art pieces like these as someone who studied politics in university. Would highly recommend visiting. There are walking group tours available that provide tons of information.

Fisherman's Bastion

Fisherman's Bastion is located on the West side of the river in Buda. Here you can take in the exceptional view of Pest and the river. The Bastion was completed in 1902 and sits under Buda castle. The setting is straight out of a fairytale. Amazing place to take photos.

Buda Castle

I didn't end up going into Buda Castle as I didn't think I would have the time to really take it all in. If I go back to Budapest this is definitely on my list to go back and see inside. You are able to walk around the castle as this leads onto the terraces and Fisherman's Bastion. There are various museums within Buda castle and surrounding areas but the top two that looked the most interesting was the cave tour and the Budapest History Museum. Entry to the history museum was 3800 HUF = £8.15. I really enjoyed spending time in Buda as it was not as modern and rebuilt as Pest. It had a very nice charm with cobbled streets and preserved buildings.

The Funiculars

The funiculars were a fun activity to experience. It cost me 1000HUF for one way. So, obviously I took the funicular up the hill and not down. The funicular started just over the bridge and ended at the top of the hill leading you to the castle.

House of Terror

House of Terror was on my list of things to see in Budapest. Unfortunately, they were doing maintenance the week I was there so did not get to make the visit. This was a big shame as it was around the corner from UP Hotel too!

IKONO

This place to me is just a waste of money. I know they have multiple locations across Europe, but unless you just want to take pictures in differently decorated rooms, it is not worth it.

My Experience Solo

Budapest is a great city to solo travel or travel to with friends. I also got the vibe it was very popular for those in relationships. Budapest radiated cool, young and trendy to me, so this would be an ideal location for a girls weekend away for something different. I never felt awkward or nervous being alone in Budapest. All the activities I did and the tourist spots I went to, I noticed many other female solo travellers which gave me reassurance. There were many cool bars and restaurants all around the city. I am not a huge drinker and as a solo traveller I don't always feel confident enough to go to bars alone. Meals, coffee and day drinks, absolutely solo but still need to hack going for a night drink by myself. I felt very safe in Budapest also as a female solo traveller. I want to preface that my intention for this trip wasn't necessarily to be social and make friends, that's why I chose not to stay in a hostel, which there are many to choose from in Budapest that looked like a lot of fun. I wanted to go on a solo trip and I felt this is what I achieved. I would highly recommend Budapest!

Thank you for reading my insight into solo travelling Budapest!

I would love to know any suggestions, things you liked and disliked and your opinions on Budapest. Comment them below or share your thoughts with my over on instagram!