The best things to do in Budapest in 2026

What is it? Surrounded by the greenery of City Park, the Széchenyi Baths are an ornate oasis of relaxation in thermal waters. Pools piping hot, dauntingly cold and mercifully temperate await inside and out, complemented by steam and dry saunas, ice machines, relaxation areas, a lane pool, a whirlpool and a bar/restaurant with an expansive terrace. There’s enough to keep you healthily entertained all day – the hefty price of admission means you’ll want to get your money’s worth in any case. 

Why we love it Practically all European capitals have galleries, museums and Michelin-starred restaurants – sitting outside in the Széchenyi Baths as the city sizzles or snowflakes flutter is a uniquely Budapest experience.

🤫 Time Out tip: On Saturday nights, the Széchenyi transforms into Sparty, a mass pool party with DJs and light shows.

What is it? The short climb by funicular from Clark Ádám tér takes you to the former royal palace atop Castle Hill, now housing the National Gallery, the Budapest History Museum and the Széchényi Library. Its green-coloured cupola, an addition during the lengthy post-war rebuild in the 60s, forms an integral part of Buda’s stunning cityscape.

Why we love it A quick zip up Castle Hill by funicular is pretty much top of everyone’s bucket list their first time here – particularly if they’re a fan of Monet or Cezanne, on view at the National Gallery near the funicular terminal. Visitors may also access the panoramic terrace for outstanding views from the cupola.

🤫 Time Out tip: Check Buda Castle’s events schedule before you go: throughout the year it hosts a wine festival, a sausage festival and more. 

Address: Szent György tér 2, 1014 Budapest

Opening hours: Museums Daily 10am-6pm. Outdoor areas & courtyards open 24 hours

Expect to pay: National Gallery (including Dome) Ft 5,400 (€13.50). Budapest History Museum Ft 3,800 (€9.50). Outdoor areas & courtyards free

What is it? This is Budapest’s original ruin bar, the one that set the tone for so many others to follow, adorning a vast, dilapidated building, its open courtyard and labyrinth of rooms, with eclectic furniture, edgy artwork and fairy lights. A regular agenda of DJs and live acts is programmed, and it tends to be the spot for foreign partygoers. 

Why we love it It’s still an essential Budapest experience (but perhaps not for Hungarians trying to avoid tourists). If you've never visited the city, the Szimpla will blow your mind – just be prepared to pay a little more for your drinks. 

🤫 Time Out tip: Treat your hangover to a gentle Sunday morning at the Szimpla market, in which artisanal producers set up around the main courtyard amid bearable live jazz.

Address: Kazinczy utca 14, 1075 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 3pm-4am, Sat noon-4am, Sun 9am-4am

Expect to pay: While admission is generally free, you'll be paying around Ft 2,000 (€5) a beer – cheap compared to London, pricy for Budapest

What is it? This former Ukrainian stone-carrying cargo ship has been transformed into one of Budapest’s most popular nightspots for live music, DJ parties and general after-hours fun. It has a restaurant, too, and a gallery with occasional exhibitions, but its varied concert agenda is the main draw, establishing the A38 as a mainstay of the city’s music scene for a good 20 years.

Why we love it For a night out during your stay here, this is the best bet, whatever happens to be scheduled that particular evening. Even if a Bulgarian black metal band isn’t to your liking, you can always enjoy a drink on the top deck and watch the Danube go by. The A38 is also close to the all-night tram 6 route on Petőfi Bridge above, meaning you needn’t mess around with taxis afterwards.

🤫 Time Out tip: In summer, look out for DJ parties starting late afternoon on Saturdays on the stern of the ship

Address: Petőfi híd, Buda side, 1117 Budapest

Opening hours: Ticket office Daily 8am-10pm or until the end of the last event. Bistro Mon-Fri 10am-10pm, Sat 10am-4pm, closed Sun

Expect to pay: Concerts (foreign acts) Ft 8,500 (€21) advance/ Ft 10,000 (€25) on the door. Hungarian acts Ft 4,000 (€10)/Ft 4,500 (€11.25). DJ parties Ft 2,000 (€5)/Ft 3,000 (€7.50)

Read more about Budapest’s best nightlife spots

What is it? Budapest’s most elegant coffeehouse of the 1890s, no idle boast, has regained its status after being converted into a five-star hotel in the early 2000s. Now overseen by the high-end Thai group Anantara, the New York has got back its sheen, serving 24-carat gold cappuccino beneath crystal chandeliers, amid marble and mirrors. All of this comes at a price, of course, and having to factor in pavement queueing time for a table to become free.

Why we love it Because this was the most gilded of Budapest’s literary cafés in the golden era, where film directors found their starlets in the early days of Hungarian cinema – Mihály Kertész, later Michael Curtiz of Casablanca fame, was a regular. It also links to one of the city’s most enduring urban myths, dating back to the 1890s, when playwright Ferenc Molnár threatened to throw the key in the Danube so that the place wouldn’t close. 

Time Out tip: Sculptor Mihály Kolodko riffed on the New York Café's most revered myth when he created a little statuette near the main entrance, depicting a diver fishing out the key from the Danube.

Address: Erzsébet körút 9-11, 1073 Budapest

Opening hours: Daily 7am-midnight

Expect to pay: 24-carat-gold New York cappuccino Ft 5,200 (€13)

What is it? Effortlessly gliding up to Budapest’s highest point atop János Hill at 527 metres in 12 panoramic minutes, the Zugliget Chairlift is an accessible, affordable and thrilling attraction in operation all year round.

Why we love it Passengers sit in two-person gondolas as the Hungarian capital spreads out before them, romantic on summer evenings, off the scale on snowy winter mornings. Special starlit rides are also laid on in high season, the stuff that proposals are made of. And, with under-15s charged a couple of euros or so for a return ticket, it can be a family affair.

🤫 Time Out tip: You may have reached the top of János Hill but higher still is the Elizabeth Lookout, a calf-crunching hike further up, offering wonderful views from a tower built in 1911.

Address: Zugligeti út 97, 1121 Budapest

Opening hours: Daily from 10am, summer to 7pm, winter to 3.30pm, spring to 5pm-6pm

Expect to pay: Return Ft 3,500 (€8.75). 3-14s Ft 1,000 (€2.50)

What is it? Numerous firewalls around Pest, particularly in District VII, have been decorated with murals, some related to Hungarian history or culture. These echo many aspects of the country’s past, its inventions and creativity such as Rubik’s Cube, its role in World War II and heroism in the 1956 Uprising. Recent achievements, such as the development of a coronavirus vaccine by award-winning scientist Katalin Karikó, also feature.

Why we love it For an alternative sightseeing tour, with special walks available, Budapest’s murals offer the visitor an insight into areas of Hungary’s heritage they might not have known about, and take them to streets they may not have walked down otherwise.

Time Out tip: The huge representation of the famous football match between Hungary and England in 1953 at Wembley, overlooking a car park in Rumbach Sebestyén utca.

Address: Various locations, most notably along and around Rumbach Sebestyén utca, 1075 Budapest

What is it? The Danube defines and delineates Budapest into its twin components, Buda and Pest. Wide and graceful, the river is linked by a string of beautiful bridges, and traversed by cruise ships, barges, fire-red speedboats and waterborne lines on the city’s transport network.

Why we love it Relaxing by day, romantic after dark when the bridges light up like pearl necklaces, the Danube plays to your inner Strauss, for hour-long sightseeing tours, all-day cruises and more. 

🤫 Time Out tip: Celebrating something special? Why not indulge in a floating starlit dinner à deux. 

Address: Main ferry terminal Vigadó tér, 1051 Budapest. Buda dock Batthyány tér, 1011 Budapest

Opening hours: Summer Daily noon-5pm. Night cruises 6.30pm-10pm

Expect to pay: Day Ft 4,500 (€11.25). Night Ft 6,000 (€15)

What is it? The house at Andrássy út 60 once inspired fear as the headquarters of the Communist Secret Police, who tortured and killed their victims within these very walls. Since 2002, this elegant villa has housed a poignant museum honouring those who were never seen again after being dragged here.

Why we love it The museum spans four floors and contains a curious collection that blends installations with interactive screens so you can listen to first-hand accounts from survivors. These also includes those who did the torturing, happy to describe tearing up farewell letters with little sense of remorse.

Time Out tip: Look out for temporary exhibitions, best illustrated by the one showcasing the life and work of Margit Slachta, Hungary's first female MP.

Address: Andrássy út 60, 1062 Budapest

Opening hours: Tue-Sun 10am-6pm. Closed Mon

Expect to pay: Ft 4,000 (€10)

What is it? The biggest music festival in the region and most important event in Budapest's cultural calendar, Sziget takes over an island close to town for a whole week, showcasing live music, theatre and other art forms on dozens of stages.

Why we love it Once you cross the threshold, either over the footbridge from the HÉV suburban rail stop of Filatorigát or from the boat dock on the other side of the island, you enter another dimension, skipping from stage to bar to stage until the sun rises. 

Time Out tip: The best way up here is by boat, setting off from the Pest side of Margaret Bridge and taking 25 minutes to glide up the Danube to the festival site. There's even a bar on board.

Address: Óbudai-sziget, 1033 Budapest

Dates for 2026: August 11-15

Expect to pay: Five-day festival pass €309, 21&Under €249, both available here

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