3 days in Budapest

Széchenyi Thermal Bath

A large thermal bath in City Park, in a yellow neo-Baroque building with outdoor pools, indoor pools and saunas. A visit is a half day of soaking, with lockers or cabins for changing.

5 h visitOpen 8:00 am–8:00 pm · last entry 7:00 pmAdult ticket HUF 13,200

An early ticket exists for entry before 09:00, and on Fridays the bath stays open until 22:00. Bring a swimsuit, a towel and flip flops.

Buy a ticket on the bath's official ticket site, which sells up to six months ahead. A fast track ticket is sold online only.

Open 07:00 to 20:00 Monday to Thursday, 07:00 to 22:00 on Friday and 08:00 to 20:00 on Saturday and Sunday. Cash desks close one hour before closing, and the pools must be cleared 20 minutes before closing. On peak days such as 18 December 2026 to 6 January 2027 the bath opens at 08:00.

Source: Széchenyi Thermal Bath, checked October 5, 2026

Hungarian Parliament Building

The seat of the National Assembly on the Pest bank of the Danube, built to mark a thousand years of the Hungarian state. A visit is a 45 minute walk through the grand staircase, the Dome Hall and the old upper house chamber.

2 h visit (official site suggests 45 min)Open 8:00 am–6:00 pmAdult ticket HUF 14,000

Take the earliest slot you can and arrive 20 minutes before it for the security check. The riverside facade is best seen from the Danube embankment, which you can walk at any hour.

Book a timed slot on the Parliament's official ticket site and pick a language: guides or audio guides in Hungarian, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. A ticket office exists at the visitor centre, but groups are limited, so do not rely on a walk-up place.

Tours run every day from 08:00 to 18:00 between 1 April and 31 October. From 1 November to 31 March the hours are 08:00 to 16:00. Visits are suspended on days of official events.

Source: Országgyűlés Hivatala (Hungarian Parliament), checked October 5, 2026

Chain Bridge

The first permanent bridge over the Danube in Budapest, opened in 1849, linking Pest with the foot of Castle Hill. Stone lions guard each end, and crossing on foot takes a few minutes.

30 min visitAlways open

Walk it from Pest to Buda in the evening, when the bridge is lit, and take the funicular up from the Buda end.

Source: Budapest Info (official tourist website of Budapest), checked October 5, 2026

Fisherman's Bastion

A terraced lookout with seven towers and white stone arcades, facing the Danube and the Parliament. The lower terraces are free at any hour, and the upper terraces charge during the day.

45 min visitAlways openAdult ticket HUF 1,700

Come before 09:00 or in the evening for a free visit with fewer people. In the afternoon the light falls on the Pest side of the view.

The terraces are open all year. A ticket is needed for the upper terraces from 09:00 to 19:00 between 2 January and 31 May and between 1 October and 23 December, and from 09:00 to 21:00 between 1 June and 30 September. Outside those hours the upper terraces are free. There is also no charge on 15 March, 20 August, 23 October and from 24 to 31 December.

Source: Fisherman's Bastion (Halászbástya), checked October 5, 2026

Matthias Church

The Gothic church of Our Lady on Castle Hill, with a patterned tile roof and painted walls inside. A ticket covers the church, and the tower is a separate timed ticket.

1 h visitOpen 9:00 am–5:00 pmAdult ticket HUF 3,400

Choose a weekday. The church closes at 12:15 on Saturdays and opens at 13:15 on Sundays.

Monday to Friday 09:00 to 17:00, Saturday 09:00 to 12:15 and Sunday 13:15 to 17:00. The church can close for Holy Masses, concerts and state events, so check the website for the day.

Source: Matthias Church (Budavári Nagyboldogasszony-templom), checked October 5, 2026

Buda Castle District

The walled hill above the Danube, with the Royal Palace, Matthias Church and Fisherman's Bastion within a few minutes' walk of each other. The streets are free, and the views over Pest are the main draw.

2 h 30 visitAlways open

Start at the palace end and walk north to Matthias Church, so the Bastion comes last and the visit ends on a viewpoint.

The district is open air and always accessible. The museums and churches inside it keep their own hours.

Source: Budapest Info (official tourist website of Budapest), checked October 5, 2026

St. Stephen's Basilica

A neo-classical basilica in Pest with a dome you can climb to a panoramic terrace. The church hall, the treasury and the terrace have separate opening times.

1 h 30 visitOpen 1:00 pm–6:00 pm · last entry 5:15 pm

Go up to the terrace in the late afternoon for the roofs of Pest and the river, and keep the church hall for before it closes.

Church hall: Monday to Saturday 09:00 to 18:00 and Sunday 13:00 to 18:00, with ticket sales ending at 17:15 (12:30 to 17:15 on Sunday). Panoramic terrace and treasury: every day 09:00 to 19:00, with the last ticket at 18:30. Masses are held daily, and weddings on weekends can limit access to the church hall.

Source: Szent István Bazilika, checked October 5, 2026

Vajdahunyad Castle

A group of buildings in City Park that copy Hungarian architecture from different periods, beside a lake used for boating in summer and skating in winter. The grounds are free to walk.

45 min visitAlways open

Pair it with Heroes' Square and the Széchenyi bath, because all three sit within a few minutes of each other.

Source: Budapest Info (official tourist website of Budapest), checked October 5, 2026

Heroes' Square

A monumental square at the end of Andrássy Avenue, with a 36 metre column topped by the Archangel Gabriel and colonnades of Hungarian rulers. It is open at all hours and free.

40 min visitAlways open

The monuments are lit in the evening, so the square is worth a look after dark as well.

Source: Budapest Info (official tourist website of Budapest), checked October 5, 2026

Great Market Hall

The big covered market on Fővám tér, with vegetable, meat and paprika stalls on the ground floor and food counters and craft stalls upstairs. Entry is free.

1 h 30 visitOpen 10:00 am–4:00 pm

Go on a weekday morning when every stall is open. Saturday trading ends at 16:00.

Monday to Friday 06:00 to 18:00, Saturday 06:00 to 16:00 and Sunday 10:00 to 16:00. The market is closed on public holidays.

Source: Budapest Vásárcsarnokai (Piaconline), checked October 5, 2026

Dohány Street Synagogue

The largest synagogue in Europe, a Moorish Revival building in the Jewish Quarter, with a Jewish museum, a memorial garden and the Heroes' Temple in the same complex. It is closed on Saturdays.

1 h 30 visitOpen 10:00 am–4:00 pm · last entry 3:00 pm

Come on a Sunday to Thursday morning. Friday closes early and Saturday is closed.

Tickets bought on the official online shop give faster entry, and a ticket is valid for 2 days. Expect a security check, and cover shoulders and knees, because sleeveless tops, short skirts and shorts are refused.

Autumn hours from 1 to 31 October 2026: Sunday to Thursday 10:00 to 18:00 and Friday 10:00 to 16:00, closed on Saturdays. From 2 November the winter hours are Sunday to Thursday 10:00 to 16:00 and Friday 10:00 to 14:00. The ticket office and last entry close one hour before closing. Hours change with the season and on Jewish holidays.

Source: Jewish Tour Hungary (MAZSIHISZ), checked October 5, 2026

Hungarian National Museum

The country's main history museum, in a neoclassical building on Múzeum körút. The permanent exhibitions follow Hungarian history and archaeology, and the collection includes the Seuso Treasure and the Coronation Mantle.

1 h 40 visitOpen 10:00 am–6:00 pm · last entry 5:00 pmAdult ticket HUF 3,500

This is a good indoor stop for a wet afternoon. It is closed on Mondays, so plan it for another day.

Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00, closed on Mondays. The ticket office closes at 17:00 and the exhibitions begin to close from 17:30. Holiday hours are posted separately on the museum site.

Source: Hungarian National Museum, checked October 5, 2026

Gellért Hill and the Citadella

A steep hill on the Buda bank with the Citadella fortress on top, the Liberty Statue and a wide view of the Danube bridges and Pest. The park paths are free and open at all hours.

2 h visitAlways open

Climb in the late afternoon and stay for sunset. The paths are steep, so wear shoes with grip, and bring water.

Source: Budapest Info (official tourist website of Budapest), checked October 5, 2026