Having spent a fantastic 3 days in Budapest, I wanted to share with you all our itinerary. This post also includes how our budget went, and how it was to travel to Budapest 5 months pregnant!
Budapest had long been at the top of my bucket list – but I never seemed to make it there! So together we decided 2020 was the year it would happen, travelling to Budapest, Hungary at the start of March.
Our 3 Days in Budapest Itinerary at a glance
Day 1 in Budapest
- Brunch at Horizont
- Terror Museum
- Coffee at Espresso Embassy
- Shoes on the Danube
- Thai Massage
- Ruin Bar
- Dinner at Caravan Market
Day 2 in Budapest
- Breakfast at My Little Melbourne
- Free Walking Tour
- Fishermans Bastion
- Mathias Church
- Gellert Hill
Day 3 in Budapest
- Breakfast
- St Stephen’s Basilica
- Chain Bridge
- Szchenyi Baths
- Dinner at Mazel Tov
Day 1 of 3 Days in Budapest
Brunch at Horizont
All I can say is WOW. Horizont was the perfect start to our long weekend in Budapest! Are you a lover of brunch? Then during your days in Budapest, make time to visit Horizont for a brunch like you’ve never had. The menu may sound simple, but what you receive is so much more than simple.
I ordered the scrambled eggs on toast (poached eggs are off the menu during pregnancy – horrific, I know), and my husband ordered the smashed avocado which came with poached eggs. What we received were practically plates of art. And the flavours were even better than we could ever expect! But that’s not all – the coffee was nothing short of divine.
| Erzsébet krt. 13, 1073 Budapest, Hungary |
Terror Museum
The terror museum is one interesting place! This museum shows what happened during the periods of fascist an communist rule in Hungary, and specifically what happened in Budapest. We visited this museum on our first day in Budapest as it rained all day. It was really good to have done at the start of our trip as we could understand our surroundings better due to what we learnt.
The House of Terror costs: €8.50 and is open Tuesday -> Sunday.
| Andrassy Avenue 60, 1062 Budapest, Hungary |
Coffee at Espresso Embassy
After our visit to the Terror Museum we were exhausted! Lots of info and lots of standing, so we decided since it was still raining, we needed a chill-out. We walked the length of Andrassy Avenue down to Elizabeth Square to find coffee!
Having seen Espresso Embassy on 2 Food Trippers blog, I had added it to my google maps to try whilst in Budapest. Being close to Elizabeth Square, Espresso Embassy is where we headed for our caffeine hit!
The space is minimalist with natural wood furniture and an open, sit with strangers, space. Upon entering you can smell the fresh coffee beans (and see the many awards Espresso Embassy has won for their coffee master-ship). With friendly staff too, this place was a quick hit for us! We were in need of a snack too, so we paired a chocolate chunk cookie with our latte’s. YUM. As Mindy and Dave from 2 Food Trippers note – the cookies are from ChouChou which is a well known bakery found in Budapest. Not too sweet, this cookie was crying for me to come back and eat it over and over again!
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Shoes on the Danube
Close by to Espresso Embassy is the Danube river. Our first sighting of the Danube came right after our coffee pit stop as we walked towards the Shoes of the Danube.
The Shoes of the Danube is one of the more interesting memorials I’ve ever seen. The shoes memorialise the many people of Budapest that were shot and killed by the Arrow Cross militia along the river in WW2.
This monument is not one to take a selfie with. So – please just do not do that! I saw far too many smiling selfies in front of this monument, which is just extremely distasteful and ignorant. Take your smiling selfies in the many other parts of the city.
Thai Massage
Being pregnant, I was tired from all of the steps we’d done. I needed a break, again! On our walk from the Danube back to the Jewish quarter we began noticing there are a lot of Thai massage places in Budapest. We stuck our heads into Somchai Thai Massage and were lucky enough to be fit in right away!
The husband had a back massage, whilst I (pregnant) chose the foot massage. Being pregnant means I cannot have a rigorous massage as there are some (unknown to me) reasons why this is unhealthy potentially for the baby. So – I opted for a lovely food massage to de-stress. I can highly recommend Somchai – a lovely place for a wonderful massage!
We paid €15 for a 30 minute massage each.
| 1053 Magyar utca 1. Budapest, Hungary |
Ruin Bar
It wouldn’t be a visit to Budapest without heading to one of their ultra-famous ruin bars! As we were staying at an airbnb within the Jewish Quarter, we were perfectly positioned nearby to the many ruin bars. So post-massage, we were feeling like checking one out. We chose the most famous of all – Szimpla. This bar was szimply awesome (see what I did there?!)!
After entering, it felt like it was a never-ending maze of bars with different themes, all merging into one mega bar. It turns out, these bars are built in former apartment buildings which were derelict. One thing is for sure – whilst massive, Szimpla still manages to feel cosy and intimate, all while being the most popular and busy bar in Budapest! That’s why it is a must visit location.
| Kazinczy u. 14, 1075 Budapest, Hungary |
Dinner at Caravan Market
When the hunger pangs hit you inside Szimpla, you can order food from one of their bars. Or, you can head across the street to the outdoor street food market called Karavan!
I work for a food hall in Amsterdam (Market 33!) so I love to check out indoor and outdoor food markets when I travel. Karavan had about 10 different food stands as well as numerous bars, which make it a great spot to head for a cheap but delicious meal.
We tried the famous Hungarian Langos, and Hungarian goulash – when in Hungary, right?!
Unfortunately, our trip coincided with the stage in my pregnancy when smell and taste aversions came flooding back. So I tried both of these items and did not like them. It could have been the unfamiliar flavours, it could have been the powerful flavours. Or maybe had I not been having aversions, I still could have not liked them. I’ll possibly never know!
I ended up getting some fries to eat for dinner since I could not stomach the Hungarian yummies. I recommend getting the Langos though – it’s one of the most popular things to eat in Budapest! The traditional Langos is a pancakey fried dough which is topped with sour cream and grated cheese. Simple and quite possibly delicious. I’ll let YOU be the judge!!
| Kazinczy u. 18, 1075 Budapest, Hungary |
Day 2 of 3 Days in Budapest
Breakfast – My Little Melbourne
On day 2 in Budapest, the sun was shining! We headed for a quick walking breakfast, as we also had a walking tour at 10am to make it to! Close to Elizabeth Square is My Little Melbourne – the cafe which started the coffee scene in Budapest. You can thank them for starting the trend of quality cafes in this city! As I’m from Melbourne, I had to visit this cafe.
I had a Melbourne cappuccino – which is the same as a normal cappuccino except with chocolate dust on top of the foam. This is just how it is served in Australia and I was happy to have a little piece of home! We also ordered croissants and some choc chip banana bread to get us through the walking tour.
The coffee was excellent and so were the pastries!
| Madách Imre út 3, 1075 Budapest, Hungary|
Free Walking Tour
What’s not to love about a walking tour?! We always take a walking tour in any new city we visit. It’s always a fantastic way to get acquainted with a) a local, b) the lay of the land, c) find out historic information which makes a place what it is today, d) find out insider information from a local e) have a good laugh f) burn calories!
The Budapest Free Tour was no different. We had a lovely, informative and humerus Hungarian tour guide show us all of the highlights of Budapest and we found out some great tips along the way!
The Free Walking Tour begins every day at Elizabeth Square, by the Eye.
Fishermans Bastion
Finishing our free walking tour at Fisherman’s Bastion was the perfect place to end as it has the ultimate viewpoint over Budapest. I could have stayed for hours looking out at the view and wandering the walls of the bastion.
Mathias Church
Mathias Church is one of the most interesting and beautiful churches. This unique church, with a gorgeous colourful roof was built back in the 11th century and is found right behind the Fisherman’s Bastion.
It costs a little over 5 to enter the church.
Gellert Hill
Our last mission for our 2nd day in Budapest was to see the Cave Church. It’s found in the side of the Gellert Hill. Unfortunately, when we arrived the church was closed due to a special group of worshippers being inside – and unfortunately would not open again until the day after we left Budapest. So – this one remains on the bucket list!
As the church was closed, we decided to hike up Gellert Hill for the views and to get some more exercise – 20,000 steps from the walking tour just wasn’t enough!
Napping and Pizza
Due to the levels of activity for day 2, after our hike we chose to head back to our Airbnb to have a short rest before heading somewhere nice for dinner!
This plan was short-lived, as we both fell asleep for the remainder of the afternoon and woke up around 9pm. My husband popped down the street for takeaway pizza which he brought back to our airbnb for a “night-in”. Yes – I guess this is what happens when you are pregnant and trying to do way too much!
I don’t regret the nap or staying in. It’s what my body needed, and clearly even my non-pregnant husband must have needed it too!
Day 3 of 3 Days in Budapest
Breakfast – London Coffee Society
After 14 hours of sleep, we emerged from our Airbnb looking fresh and feeling fresh – and ready to eat! First stop for our last day in Budapest was naturally another brunch. Located within the jewish quarter, London Coffee Society was exactly what we needed.
This tiny cafe can seat approximately 14 people. So make sure you can snag a table before heading to the counter to place your order! We each ordered smashed avocado and eggs, coffees, and an acai bowl to share. I felt the need for vitamins after day 2’s endeavours.
| Dohány u. 27, 1074 Budapest, Hungary |
St Stephen’s Basilica
During day 2 of our 3 days in Budapest, we found out that within St Stephen’s Basilica was something rather special – which we had to see. What is that something special, you ask? It’s the hand of St Stephen, of course! Stephen was canonised in the 11th century, and when his body was exhumed, supposedly his arm was in perfect condition (to the rest of his body which was most likely just skeletal remains). So, his hand was chopped off his body to be preserved (aka mummified).
Seeing the hand
After many ‘owners’ of this hand, in 1945 Stephen’s hand was brought back to Hungary and now resides in an ornate gold box. However, you can’t just see it. There’s a money-making catch. You must put a 200 forint coin into a slot nearby where the relic is. The hand will then be lit up for approximately 1 minute.
We noticed that no one had lit up the hand whilst we were visiting and wondered how long it would be we would have to wait. Then, we also noticed many other people meandering around the area of the hand, looking uninterested. We realised, everyone was nonchalantly waiting for some other sucker to be the one to pay for everyone to see the hand. So since 200 forint is equivalent to about 50 euro cents – we decided to be the kings of the day and pay!
As soon as we put our coin in the slot – hoards of people came from nowhere to photograph the hand! No one thanked us, all too eager to get the perfect photo of the rotting hand. Go figure. We enjoyed seeing it – as it’s probably one of the most bizarre things I’ve seen, besides the holding of Jesus’ blood in Bruges.
Views over Budapest
After seeing the hand, it was time for another fantastic view! For €3, we took an elevator to the dome of St Stephen’s Basilica – which ended up being my favourite thing we did in Budapest! Bucket List this activity now!
| Szent István tér 1, 1051 Budapest, Hungary |
Szchenyi Baths
When in Budapest, if there’s one thing you need to do – it’s go to the baths. There are many to choose from – but we decided to go to the most famous of all – Szechenyi (said: Ze-chain-ee). Szechenyi Spa Baths in Budapest is one of the best and largest spa baths in Europe with its 15 indoor baths and 3 grand outdoor pools.
It’s not a cheap activity. In fact, we spent bucket loads of money to relax in the baths! I kind of felt mortified, considering how cheap the rest of Budapest had been. It really felt like a bit of a rip off!
You pay for everything. Pay for entry, pay for flip flops, pay for a towel, pay for a bath robe, etc. However, it is absolutely gorgeous when seeing the blue outdoor pools and the stunning ocher yellow walls of the building.
This place was a selfie-frenzy. And the place to be seen. 50% of people were trying to relax, the other 50% were trying to show how relaxed they were LIVE on Instagram, or pick up a sexy member of the opposite sex. So, if you can get past the fools being fools – it’s a really nice way to spend an afternoon.
For us it was especially nice because we had pushed ourselves too hard on this city trip! I was exhausted from all of the walking, and my belly was hurting due to it growing bigger and bigger. A few hours at the end of our trip relaxing in the spa baths were very welcome!
| Állatkerti krt. 9-11, 1146 Budapest, Hungary |
Dinner Mazel Tov
Our last stop of the trip was dinner at highly regarded and very hip restaurant Mazel Tov. The fusion Israeli cuisine was both flavourful and light. But what we loved most was the atmosphere and the live musicians! We couldn’t think of a better place to have had our last meal in Budapest!
| Akacfa Utca 47 1073 Budapest, Hungary |
Doing A City Trip While 5 Months Pregnant
Travelling during pregnancy was not something I was worried about. I love to travel! However, being 5 months pregnant, I knew this trip was going to be a little slower than some of our past weekends away. And it was. Passing the 5000 steps mark is always tiring during my pregnancy, so doing even more than that (hello walking tour!) pushed me to exhaustion!
On our 2nd day in Budapest, we didn’t go out for dinner. In fact, we went back to our airbnb for a quick nap before going to dinner. That nap was 3 hours long. I had pushed myself too hard for my body and I payed for that in cheap take away pizza for dinner – instead of the hearty Hungarian meal I had hoped for!
Our 3rd day in Budapest was much more my ‘new-style’ pace – spending the afternoon lazing away in the heated baths. We did about an hour of walking during the first half of the day, which felt like too much. So heading to the baths was a very welcome change of pace!
Preferred Pregnant Travel
Having the opportunity again, as much as I LOVED Budapest, I would have perhaps chosen a different trip to take at this stage of pregnancy. I like to think that nothing can stop me, but yes, a baby growing in my belly can slow me. During pregnancy I am learning more and more to listen to my body and not push myself because growing a little baby is hard work!
I recommend Budapest as a city trip – what a great city for a long weekend! But perhaps if you too are pregnant, either go for an extra day to make your trip slower, or go somewhere that allows you to relax – which is what a pregnant body needs!
Getting to Budapest
Netherlands to Budapest
We live in Amsterdam, so you’d think we flew from Amsterdam Schiphol airport. Well, you’d be wrong! We purchased our flights too late to score good prices on KLM from Amsterdam, so our other option was flying from Eindhoven.
Eindhoven airport is just over an hours drive from Amsterdam and houses low-cost carriers Ryanair and Wizz Air. We chose to fly with this airport to help us save on our budget (as we had other trips coming up we wanted to make sure we could afford!) <-Then Corona Virus happened. So – we could have just splurged on those KLM flights from Amsterdam.
When travelling in Europe, try to check airports near enough and easy enough to travel to as an alternative to your main airport! Maybe you will find that you can travel for 1/3 of the price!
Even with paying for parking at Eindhoven airport, we managed to save over 100 euros combined on our travel.
Budapest Airport to Budapest Centre
From Budapest Airport, the cheapest and easiest way to get into the centre of Budapest is to take the bus. Bus line 100 leaves from outside of the arrivals terminal every 15-20 minutes and costs just 2.50 euros. The ride is 30 minutes exactly. You can also take this bus back to the airport! We flew on a very early morning flight so we were on the 4:30am bus from Elizabeth Square. The bus was completely full leaving Elizabeth Square, however we had 2 stops to pick people up within the city before continuing to the airport.
Highly recommend taking the bus from Elizabeth Square back to the airport if you want a seat!
Where to stay during your 3 days in Budapest
We stayed in the Jewish quarter in the Pest side of Budapest. It was definitely the perfect location to get everywhere in the city! Extremely well connected via public transport, and a stone’s throw from many of the major landmarks, as well as the best cafes, bars and restaurants in Budapest, too!
See where else we have planned to travel this year!
Keen to head to Budapest? Let me help you!
Make sure you get the cheapest flights via Skyscanner!
Need accommodation? Get your place booked on Airbnb! Or more of a hotel person? Search Booking.com!
Let me know if you are heading to Budapest and if you have any questions for me!
Feel free to share your adventure with me via social media – too!
And above all – have fun!
Don’t forget to Pin for later!
Australian expat, married to a Dutch guy, living in Amsterdam. Previously lived in London for 3 years, too! Lover of travel, coffee, brunch, beaches, fresh flowers, and family. Now a new mum, navigating life with a baby!
One thought on “3 Days In Budapest Itinerary”
Great information again, I want to go there