Roavina

Country guide

Hungary

A photograph of Hungary
Photograph · Jakub Hałun · CC BY-SA 4.0

Hungary is landlocked inside the Carpathian Basin, drains entirely into the Danube, and is dominated by wide lowland plains with seven neighbours around the rim. Just over 9.5 million people live here, and Budapest pulls hard enough that most itineraries amount to the capital plus one decision. The Danube cuts the city in two and carries on north through the bend towns; the plains run east toward Romania; Lake Balaton lies southwest and does the work a coast would do in a country that has none. Hungarian is one of the few languages in Europe outside the Indo-European family, which is the first thing a visitor notices on a road sign and the last thing they get used to.

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
Hungarian
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+36
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Hungarian forint (HUF)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
112
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type C and F · 230 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
No verified nationwide visitor statement was recorded

Planning a visit

  1. January: seasonal closure recorded
  2. February: seasonal closure recorded
  3. March: seasonal closure recorded
  4. April: seasonal closure recorded
  5. May: seasonal closure recorded
  6. June: seasonal closure recorded
  7. July: seasonal closure recorded
  8. August: seasonal closure recorded
  9. September: seasonal closure recorded — this month
  10. October: seasonal closure recorded
  11. November: seasonal closure recorded
  12. December: seasonal closure recorded

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. St. Stephen's Basilica St. Stephen's Basilica
    02 1 hr 15 min

    St. Stephen's Basilica

    Szent István-bazilika

    St Stephen's Basilica stands on Szent István tér in Lipótváros, the flat nineteenth-century grid of central Pest, and is the largest church in Budapest and the third largest in Hungary.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Budapest
  2. Szechenyi Thermal Bath Szechenyi Thermal Bath
    03 1 hr 30 min

    Szechenyi Thermal Bath

    Széchenyi Gyógyfürdő és Uszoda

    Szechenyi Thermal Bath is a thermal bath complex in Budapest, Hungary. It is one of the largest public thermal bath complexes in Europe. The facility operates from a neo-baroque palace building constructed in the early twentieth century.

    • Must see
    • Family attraction
    • Budapest
  3. Matthias Church Matthias Church
    04 1 hr 15 min

    Matthias Church

    Budavári Nagyboldogasszony-templom

    The Church of Our Lady of Buda Castle, known to almost everyone as Matthias Church, stands on Szentháromság tér at the top of the castle hill in Buda.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Budapest
  4. Danube Promenade Danube Promenade
    05 2 hours

    Danube Promenade

    The Danube Promenade is a riverside walkway along the eastern bank of the Danube River in Budapest, Hungary. It stretches between the Chain Bridge and the Elizabeth Bridge in the city centre.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Budapest
  5. House of Terror Museum House of Terror Museum
    06 1 hr 30 min

    House of Terror Museum

    Terror Háza Múzeum

    The House of Terror Museum is a memorial museum located on Andrássy Avenue in Budapest. It occupies a building that served as headquarters for the Nazi Arrow Cross Party and later the Soviet-aligned ÁVH secret police.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Budapest
  6. Gellért Hill Gellért Hill
    07 2 hours

    Gellért Hill

    Gellért-hegy

    Gellért Hill is a 235-metre dolomite bluff on the Buda bank of the Danube, straddling the 1st and 11th districts and rising about 140 metres above the water directly opposite the Pest embankment.

    • Must see
    • Viewpoint
    • Budapest
  7. Museum of Fine Arts Museum of Fine Arts
    08 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of Fine Arts

    Szépművészeti múzeum

    The Museum of Fine Arts is a major art museum in Budapest, Hungary. It stands on Heroes' Square in the city, forming part of a significant cultural ensemble with the Palace of Art and Millennium Monument.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Budapest
  8. Hungarian National Museum Hungarian National Museum
    09 1 hr 30 min

    Hungarian National Museum

    Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum

    The Hungarian National Museum stands as a major institution in Budapest, dedicated to the history, archaeology and art of Hungary. Founded in 1802, it occupies a neoclassical building designed by Mihály Pollack that opened in 1847.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Budapest
  9. Hospital in the Rock Hospital in the Rock
    10 1 hr 30 min

    Hospital in the Rock

    Sziklakórház Atombunker Múzeum

    Hospital in the Rock is a former emergency hospital and nuclear bunker located beneath Buda Castle in Budapest. The facility was built into the natural cave system under Castle Hill during the 1930s and expanded during the Cold War era.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Budapest
  10. Rudas Thermal Bath and Swimming Pool Rudas Thermal Bath and Swimming Pool
    11 1 hr 30 min

    Rudas Thermal Bath and Swimming Pool

    Rudas Gyógyfürdő és Uszoda

    Rudas Thermal Bath and Swimming Pool is a working Budapest bath complex whose centrepiece is a 16th-century Ottoman bath. The operator describes an octagonal thermal pool beneath a 10-metre dome carried by eight pillars.

    • Must see
    • Family attraction
    • Budapest
  11. Budapest History Museum Budapest History Museum
    12 1 hr 30 min

    Budapest History Museum

    Budapesti Történeti Múzeum

    The Budapest History Museum is a municipal museum dedicated to the history of Hungary's capital city.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Budapest
  12. Liberty Bridge Liberty Bridge
    13 2 hours

    Liberty Bridge

    Liberty Bridge spans the Danube River in Budapest, connecting Buda and Pest. The green-painted structure features Art Nouveau design elements and distinctive turul bird statues at its masts.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Budapest
  13. Margaret Bridge Margaret Bridge
    14 2 hours

    Margaret Bridge

    Margaret Bridge is a historic road bridge in Budapest, Hungary, connecting Buda and Pest across the River Danube. It is the second northernmost bridge in the city centre and provides access to Margaret Island via a junction at its midpoint.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Budapest
  14. Kiraly Thermal Bath Kiraly Thermal Bath
    15 1 hr 30 min

    Kiraly Thermal Bath

    Király fürdő

    Kiraly Thermal Bath is a historic Budapest bath associated with the city’s Ottoman period and traditional thermal-water culture. Its defining architectural feature is an Ottoman-style pool hall with a central dome and octagonal layout.

    • Must see
    • Family attraction
    • Budapest
  15. Palatinus Strand Baths Palatinus Strand Baths
    16 1 hr 30 min

    Palatinus Strand Baths

    Palatinus strandfürdő

    Palatinus Strand Baths is a large open-air bathing complex on Margaret Island in the Danube, Budapest. It belongs to the city’s strong bathing culture while offering a distinctly green island setting away from dense central streets.

    • Must see
    • Family attraction
    • Budapest
  16. Vaci Street Vaci Street
    17 2 hours

    Vaci Street

    Vaci Street is a famous pedestrian shopping street in central Budapest, running from Vorosmarty Square south toward the Great Market Hall area. It is a useful route for seeing the commercial heart of Pest while moving between major city-centre sights.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Budapest
  17. Fashion Street Fashion Street
    18 2 hours

    Fashion Street

    Fashion Street is a pedestrian shopping street in central Budapest, located in the Fifth District near Deák Ferenc Square. The street runs between Deák Ferenc Square and Váci Street, forming part of the city's retail core.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Budapest
  18. Andrassy Avenue Andrassy Avenue
    19 2 hours

    Andrassy Avenue

    Andrassy Avenue is a prominent boulevard in central Budapest, Hungary. The avenue stretches from Deak Ferenc Square to Heroes' Square and forms part of the Budapest World Heritage Site.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Budapest
  19. Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center
    20 1 hr 30 min

    Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center

    Robert Capa Kortárs Fotográfiai Központ

    The Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center is a photography museum and exhibition space in Budapest. It is named after Robert Capa, the renowned Hungarian-born war photographer.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Budapest
  20. Holocaust Memorial Center Holocaust Memorial Center
    21 1 hr 30 min

    Holocaust Memorial Center

    Holokauszt Emlékközpont

    The Holocaust Memorial Center in Budapest is a museum and memorial devoted to the Holocaust in Hungary. It occupies a former synagogue in the Pava Street area and combines historical education with remembrance.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Budapest
  21. Aquincum Museum Aquincum Museum
    22 1 hr 30 min

    Aquincum Museum

    Aquincumi Múzeum

    Aquincum Museum preserves the remains of the ancient Roman city of Aquincum in northern Budapest's Obuda district. The site presents both an indoor archaeological museum and an outdoor ruin area.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Budapest
  22. Museum of Ethnography Museum of Ethnography
    23 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of Ethnography

    Néprajzi Múzeum

    The Museum of Ethnography in Budapest is a national museum dedicated to Hungarian and international ethnographic collections. It is housed in a prominent building near Kossuth Square in the Hungarian capital.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Budapest
  23. Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden
    24 1 hr 30 min

    Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden

    Fővárosi Állat- és Növénykert

    Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden is a combined zoological and botanical institution in Budapest, Hungary. It holds significance as one of the oldest zoos in the world, with origins dating to the nineteenth century.

    • Must see
    • Family attraction
    • Budapest
  24. Pinball Museum Pinball Museum
    25 1 hr 30 min

    Pinball Museum

    Flippermúzeum

    Flippermúzeum is a museum in Budapest dedicated to pinball machines. It preserves and displays a collection of vintage and modern pinball tables for public engagement.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Budapest
  25. Children's Railway Children's Railway
    26 2 hours

    Children's Railway

    The Children's Railway is a narrow-gauge railway in the Buda Hills of Budapest, Hungary. It is notable for being operated primarily by children under adult supervision, a tradition dating to its origins in the socialist era.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Budapest
  26. Kopaszi Dam Kopaszi Dam
    27 2 hours

    Kopaszi Dam

    Kopaszi Dam is a riverside park and recreational area located in Budapest, situated along the Danube in the southern part of the city.

    • High
    • Activity
    • Budapest
  27. Gozsdu Courtyard Gozsdu Courtyard
    28 2 hours

    Gozsdu Courtyard

    Gozsdu Courtyard is a historic passage complex in Budapest's inner Erzsébetváros district, forming a covered walkway between Király Street and Dob Street through a series of interconnected courtyards.

    • High
    • Activity
    • Budapest
  28. Szimpla Szimpla
    29 2 hours

    Szimpla

    Szimpla Kert

    Szimpla Kert is Budapest’s original ruin pub, set in a converted factory building in District VII’s Jewish Quarter.

    • High
    • Nightlife venue
    • Budapest

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to Hungary be?

Five to seven days gives Budapest four days and leaves room for Eger, Pécs, Lake Balaton or the Danube Bend. Choose one extension; repeated returns to the capital can consume the time an overnight would preserve.

What entry documents are needed for Hungary?

Hungary’s consular information service carries the current entry and visa rules. Check the passport-specific requirement and the complete Schengen itinerary rather than assuming another member state’s answer applies unchanged.

What is the best way to travel around Hungary?

Budapest Airport is the principal international gateway. Intercity trains and coaches radiate from the capital, while Budapest uses its own metro, tram, bus and suburban-rail fare system.

When is a practical time to visit Hungary?

April through June and September through October are practical for Budapest and regional sightseeing. Lake Balaton’s summer season and winter operating patterns create different transport and opening considerations.

What money and payment basics apply in Hungary?

Hungarian forints (HUF) are the recorded currency even though some businesses may display other currencies. Fees and acceptance are Not recorded; verify the HUF total and avoid accepting an unclear conversion.

What practical safety details should I save for Hungary?

Call 112 in a Hungarian emergency. Electricity is 230 V through Type C and F sockets; national tap-water guidance is Not recorded in the cited material.