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48 Hours in Budapest Hungary, Two Day Itinerary

Sherianne Higgins·
Hungary
·3 mins read
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Budapest Hungary Two Day Itinerary for First-Timers

Budapest Hungary is a city divided by the Danube River and connected by the famous Chain Bridge. It is difficult to determine how to best use your 48 hours in Budapest Hungary, there are so many great things to see and do. This 2-day itinerary is jam-packed with must-see sites and top attractions, including, Chain Bridge, Parliament Building, Fisherman’s Bastion, Buda Castle, Szechenyi Thermal Bath, Ruin Bar, and more. Looking for more options? Check these additional things to do in Budapest and where the best place to stay in Budapest is to supplement this itinerary. Have more time? Add a day trip from Budapest. It is possible to travel the world with limited PTO, here’s how to visit Budapest in two days. Enjoy your time out of the office!

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Fisherman's Bastion Budapest Hungary, two day itinerary things to do 48 hours
Fisherman’s Bastion

Day One: Buda

9 am Grab your morning coffee and make your way up to Fisherman’s Bastion. Walk up the observation deck for views of Chain Bridge. Visit Matthias Church and photograph the tile roof.

12 pm Stop for lunch in a cafe and browse the shops on castle hill.

2 pm Walk the labyrinth under the city and see the Masked Ball of the Black Count.

3:30 pm Walk around the grounds of Buda Castle, and watch the hourly Changing of the Guards. Browse the Castle Garden Bazaar or visit the Budapest History Museum. Take the funicular down the hill and photograph the Chain Bridge.

6 pm Have dinner and make your way to the Hungarian Dance Performance at 8pm.

Parliament Building Budapest Hungary, two day itinerary things to do 48 hours
Parliament Building

Day Two: Pest

9 am Grab a coffee and take a walk along the Danube Promenade past the Holocaust Memorial Shoes and your way to tour the Parliament Building.

10 am Enjoy a treat at Gelato Rosa and take a selfie with the masterpiece. Tour St. Stephen’s Basilica and walk the dome for city views.

12 pm Have lunch at the New York Palace cafe or in the Paris Courtyard. Shop for souvenirs on Váci Street. Stop in Szimpla Kert Ruin Bar and photograph the creativity.

2 pm Make your way to Szechenyi Thermal Bath and spend a few hours relaxing. Check out Vajdahunyad Castle and Heroes Square before leaving the area.

Szechenyi Thermal Bath Budapest Hungary, two day itinerary things to do 48 hours
Szechenyi Thermal Bath

6 pm Eat goulash soup or paprika chicken for dinner. After dinner, watch the Margaret Island Musical Fountain.

9 pm Spend the night exploring the city’s ruin bars.

Be sure to check the Budapest Hungary Tourism Board website for upcoming festivals, special events, and what’s happening during your stay.

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19 Responses

  1. This city certainly deserves more attention than it gets: on account of its exceptional architectural heritage, and simply a wealth of history memorialized here. And we haven’t even touched on its vibrant nightlife, rich coffee and wine culture, or its culinary excellence – traditional cooking ingredients here are also misunderstood, they too go way beyond pig fat, goose liver, cream, and paprika – where variations on the flavorful native recipes and a modern take on lighter foreign cuisines add up to a restaurant scene that is among Europe’s least disappointing, an obscure fact that is slowly gaining recognition. But even if this great city had none of these, one would have to acknowledge it for its unique energy, spirit of place, and ability to inspire in its own right, and not just as an obligatory stop on the boat cruise down the Danube.

    Budapest combines contrasting notions and idiosyncrasies well. It is posh, monumental, and almost Londonesque but vast stretches of its inner city fabric devastatingly neglected and unfathomably dilapidated. It is quaint but grand and busy, highly cultured but casual to a fault. Its old world charm weighs down on you with the full weight of melancholy and defeatism of a permanently lost empire – and within the Empire, the Kingdom of Hungary lost more territory and political gravitas than any other land – yet it is resourceful and full of young energy. The city is unmistakably Christian, Catholic – having hosted from time to time the Holy Roman Emperor’s court – but also far from marginal to the history of prosperous, enlightened, and, for a period, highly assimilated European Jewry. Anchored 1,100 years deep in Central European history, Budapest is thoroughly integrated and inseparable from the Continent’s core, though this did not stop it from at times acting like Europe’s rebellious, anti-establishment teenager. It is spectacularly Greco-Roman in its outward appearance but has thoroughly Ottoman plumbing of at least half a dozen public baths and many more interior courtyards dutifully encircled with tiered balcony galleries – that is, if you care to look inside, past its grand Neoclassical doorways.

  2. Among all the things to do in Budapest, the one that has always intrigued me is the labyrinth below the city. I am so glad that you could manage that in your 48 hours of the city. Somehow, Buda part of the city has always been more interesting to me. I guess it is possibly the oldest too – isn’t it:?

    1. Had to google that. Cliff notes version is… originally the entire area was a settlement named Obuda. After some wars and conquering, the area separated into cities. More war and destruction. Buda ended up being the capital of Hungary and Pest declined. All three cities unified in 1873.

  3. Great post!! Amazing places for sure!! Hungary has some really great activities to do for sure. 48hrs don’t seem enough to explore everything but thanks to this list you can actually experience all the gems Hungary has to offer.

    1. Yes, the United States doesn’t give Americans much vacation time. 48-72 hours is about all we can spend in a city when overseas. We have to make choices, sometimes they are hard choices!

  4. I visited Budapest this year and I totally loved it. The vibes of the city are amazing. This was like reliving my trip. I have to blog about it too. Chain’s bridge and the Parliament looks beautiful in the night. The thermal baths are great and pub crawling was fun.

  5. Well written guide. I love thermal pools. I visited hot springs all over the world, and pools in Budapest are on my list, too. The parliament building is one of the best in Europe for its architecture and would love to see it and take a photos, especially night pictures.
    So I will use your detailed guide when I plan my visit.

  6. Perfect timing! We’re going to Budapest next year and I’m starting to plan what to do and see. I’ll have to check out your other posts of all the things to do too. Loved how you gave time references, it gives a good idea of how long something takes. Although, I might have to stop by Gelato Rosa twice. 🙂

  7. I have to admit, I dont even know what the Masked Ball of the Black Count is all about and I even went to the city (but that was in 2007) and had to google it. How did I miss that! But in Pest, the Thermal baths have got to be top of anyone’s list. They are some of the best in Europe. 🙂

  8. Despite being only 1.5 hours from Budapest, I still haven’t made it to this fabulous city! The parliament building is one of the best in the world for its architecture, so I think I’d head here first. And while the baths are quite touristy, I’d still like to visit and try them out.

  9. We had 3 days in Budapest and we certainly missed a lot from your list. We are definitely sad we missed the thermal baths. And Gelato Rosa will be on our list for sure for a return visit. The Margaret Island Musical Fountain is a great way to finish the day. Definitely need to go back.

  10. I like how you gave a detailed hour-by-hour itinerary of how to see the best of Buda and Pest. I didn’t get a chance to dine at the New York palace coffee and it seemed like I truly missed out on this. I think I went during summer and it was a tad bit too crowded, I’ll probably need to use your post as a guide when I go there next time! Thanks for sharing!

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