3 Days City Tour in Budapest
This 3 days city tour covers most of the popular attractions in Budapest. Budapest is the capital of Hungary and it used to be separate towns of Buda, Óbuda, and Pest. Buda and Óbuda is on the west side of Danube River and Pest is on the east side of Danube River.
Summary of this itinerary:
A. Day 1 – Buda & Margaret Island
B. Day 2 & 3 – Pest
About Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe and it is a part of the Schengen Area where one can travel freely across borders without any passport.
The currency of Hungary is Hungarian forint (HUF).
Day 1 – Buda & Magaret Island
Start your Budapest trip by visiting the Buda Castle Hill, an elevated area with amazing panoramic view of the Budapest city. The Buda Castle Hill contains multiple attractions such as Buda Castle, Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion. To reach the top of the Buda Castle Hill, you can either take the funicular service or travel by foot.
After walking the Castle Hill area, it might be the best to take a rest and enjoy the boat tour on the Danube River.
Take a walk across the Szechenyi Chain Bridge and enjoy the spectacular views on the different side of Bridge. Margaret Island is a tranquil getaway between Buda and Pest that you might want to visit thereafter. If you are adventurous, there are bicycles rental option in the island where you can rent a bike and do a bike tour around the island.
Remember to visit Szechenyi Chain Bridge at night too as the night light are amazing.
Day 2 – Pest
It is essential to visit the Hungarian Parliament Building, a notable landmark in Hungary. The Gothic Revival and Renaissance Revival architecture of the building is amazingly gorgeous and it looks beautiful in every angle.
Try to get a ticket to do a guided tour inside the Parliament Building as you will get to see and marvel at the Hungarian Crown Jewels, the beautiful main staircase and the Great Dome Hall
The St Stephen’s Basilica is as tall as the Hungarian Parliament Building and it is also the most important church building in Hungary. The Basilica is named after the first King of Hungary as it contains the 1,000-year-old mummified holy right fist of the king. Thereafter, visit the Heroes’ Square where the Seven chieftains of the Magyars and other important Hungarian national leaders are featured as statues.
Near the Heroes’ Square, Vajdahunyad Castle is a small but fun castle in the Budapest City Park. Around the castle compound, there are several attractions such as Jaki Chapel and Mezogazdasagi Muzeum.
After a long day, it is time to soak in the Szechenyi Thermal Bath. The Szechenyi Thermal Bath is the largest medicinal bath in Europe and it consists of multiple outdoor and indoor pools.
Bring your own towels when visiting the thermal bath to save on rental fees and time as the queue at the towel rental station might be quite long.
Day 3 – Pest
Start your day with a visit to the Hungarian State Opera tour. The tour include a professional opera singer showcasing his/her euphonious voice. The pleasing sounds echoing in the Opera House is exactly what you need to start your day.
To understand more about Budapest past, it is best to visit the House of Terror. The museum contains material on the nation’s past relationships to Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union and there is even a section of Berlin Wall in front of the House of Terror.
Ending Remarks
A 3 days city tour is sufficient to cover the major attractions of Budapest. However, it is best to extend by one or two days to take it slow and slowly enjoy the attractions. In addition, there are other attractions in Hungary that is worth exploring: Hortobagyi National Park, Kiraly Thermal Bath, Castle of Eger and Gellert Hill Cave. Otherwise, you might want to visit the Balkan Peninsula which is positioned at the south of Hungary.