Budapest in September

Budapest in September (5 days Itinerary)

Day 1 - Buda Castle Hill visit, St. Stephens Basilica, Central Market Hall

Day 2 - Day trip to Szentendre or Etyek-Buda (winery region)

Day 3 - Hungarian National Museum, Fisherman’s Bastion, Danube Promenade walk

Day 4 - Margaret Island, Heroes Square, Memento Park

Day 5 - Széchenyi Thermal Baths, Citadella, City Park, Opera House

https://www.kapitalinn.com/

https://www.goldenstarsapartments.com/

https://www.airdna.co/top/hu/budapest

http://visitbudapest.travel/wine-regions/etyek-buda-wine-region/

http://visitbudapest.travel/activities/budapest-tours/taste-hungary/

We booked an apartment in the the desirable Andrassy Ut. area. Highly recommended on this Forum. Close enough to walk to major attractions, restaurants & market. Tram close by as well. If interested you can check for availability: [email protected].

There are a lot of good short term rentals in Budapest. Everyone has their preferences, but if you stay among Andrassy from the lower end up to about the Oktogon and 2 blocks below Andrassy to one block above Andrassy, then I think that's the sweet spot.

Take a cooking class.
Taste of Hungary “Sweet Walk”. Visits bakeries and coffee shops to learn about and taste Budapest’s fabulous deserts. Budapest was always playing second fiddle to Vienna and trying to keep up. In the deserts business they were very successful!

Just got home from Budapest.......what a city! The thermal baths were a delight....so glad we did them. Do get a locker to change in and pay for a massage.....it was so worth it and you get a room to relax in while you wait for your massage room to be set up. It was wonderful. We also went to the Citadella but waited until nighttime to get a really wonderful picture......taxi up there for a minimal fee. Eat at Trattoria Toscana.......right there on the Danube......a delicious meal.

So, Jane, you liked it? Excellent!

Love this place. The waiter just took a lost tourist dow the street to show him the building his Airbnb was in.

Just added Trattoria Toscana to our list! Köszönom!

YES James......what a city! We were charmed by Budapest, people were wonderful and gracious and it was everything I hoped it would be.....so easy to get around...we walked everywhere and when we did it seemed we always ended up back where we needed to be without even knowing it. I especially fell in love with the merchants and their kindness to us as we ate, shopped, toured.....even found some lovely old Herend at Anna Antikvitas, a shop right behind the Parliament in the antiques area. Never dreamed I would find so many things I loved there....and they were so patient and kind with me.......brought some fabulous treasures home! Sweet memories!!!

Five days is definitely a good amount of time to explore the city and the surrounding areas! Below I'll sketch out a 5 day itinerary, but none of the days should be in any specific order. Feel free to rearrange based on weather, etc.

Day 1: Parliament, Shoe Memorial, Chain Bridge, Buda Castle, Fisherman's Bastion, and St. Mathias Cathedral.

• I'd recommend starting your morning off by visiting Parliament. Get tickets right away or in advance because they do sell out. Then walk alone the Danube to the Chain Bridge and visit the holocaust shoe memorial on the way.
• Buda Castle you can also either walk up via the royal gardens (there's an escalator that takes you up part of the way) or through fisherman's bastion or take public transportation or the funicular. I'd recommend going up through the gardens if you're able. You get great views of the city from the castle and there are a lot of look outs on either side.
• After exploring Buda Castle make your way over to Fisherman's Bastion and St. Mathias Cathedral. Stop for some lunch or at a cafe on your way over or browse some of the shops!

Day 2: Citadella/Gellert Hill, Market Hall, Dohany Street Synagogue, and the Jewish District.

• I recommend going up Gellert Hill/Citadella in the morning because it can get quite warm. You can either walk up or take public transportation or taxi. If you're able the walk is really nice and has a lot of good vantage points.
• Make your way down and across the Liberty Bridge to the Great Market Hall. Explore the food stalls and head upstairs for traditional Hungarian souvenirs and street food (try the Langos!).
• Walk or take the tram to Dohany Street Synagogue and then spend the rest of your day exploring and wandering the Jewish district. Check out Szimpla Kert during the day and maybe stop for dinner at Mazel Tov to end your day.

Day 3: St. Istvan's Basilica, Opera House, Andrassy Avenue, Heroes Square, and City Park.

• Start your day off at St. Istvan's Basilica (you get a great view of the city if you walk all the way up). Walk up Andrassy and then take a tour of the Opera House (some tours come with a mini concert!). Either walk the rest of the way or take the M1 to Heroes Square. Then explore city park and either walk back down Andrassy or take the M1.

Day 4: Day trip!

• Szendentre: Great little artist town to wander around, shop, eat, and explore! If you're feeling mighty adventurous make your way to Obuda (explore the cute square) and find your way to Berguson Bike Rental. The bike rental is super cheap and the ride is about 36km round trip. Just make sure to check the website to have have cash for their fully refundable deposit.
• Eger: Another great little town with a lot to explore. Walk up to the old fortress, get a glimpse of the minaret, walk the square, etc. Eger is also in a wine region so there's a bunch of wineries in the area you could tour on the way.
• Esztergom: Hungary's old capitol. The city sits along the Danube and is a great day trip.

Day 5: Bath day! And Margaret Island.

• There's tons to do on Margaret Island. Rent a vehicle/bike and tool around the island. Visit the ruins, climb the water tower, see the musical fountain, explore the gardens, etc.
• There's tons of baths so I will keep it brief and you can choose, which fits you best. My personal favorite is Kiraly, which is near Margaret Island. It's got a very traditional Turkish feel and is small and not very touristy. Definitely a local place. Szechenyi is the biggest and most popular with a massive combination of indoor and outdoor baths, but can be very busy and touristy. Gellert is in a nice hotel and has a great selection of indoor baths, a wave pool, outdoor pools, and a Swedish sauna. Rudas has a modern bath complex with a rooftop pool and traditional Turkish baths (watch what day you go because they have male/female only days).

Hope this has helped you!

Jane, sorry I missed your last post till this thread got resurrected. I'm glad you liked the people. It's what has been bringing me back for 15 years now. I'm as much at home and have as many friends there as I am and do in my home town. Special place.

Any suggestions for a day tour to go wine tasting?

https://tastehungary.com/

Have Fun!!

OH, and I did this a couple of years ago. Really, really had a good time. https://etyekipiknik.hu/en/ If it works with your schedule and you need transportation, let me know. https://etyekipiknik.hu/en/