Top Fun Things to Do in Budapest

So you are traveling the Hungarian capital and want to know what to do in Budapest. There are many cool and fun things to do in Budapest besides it’s actual tourist sights. Know for its fairy tale architecture and its thermal baths, we collected many other experiences for your next trip. Because we just simply want you to enjoy Budapest as much as we do.
Together with our 5 Star Hostels in Budapest: Maverick City Lodges, Maverick Hostel and Maverick Student Lodge we completed a full list of things to do in one of the most beautiful European’s capitals to have an amazing time. Let’s exploce Top Fun Things to Do in Budapest below.

Top Fun Things to Do in Budapest

Everyone knows about the thermal baths in Budapest

Budapest may actually be the capital of thermal water. There are many baths in town. So choose at least one place and let your body relax in the naturally hot thermal water after you did a couple of round of sauna or steam bath. If that still hasn’t satisfied you (which we doubt) then take a massage too. This site will help you with further information about baths in Budapest.

Caving under the city

For the more adventures visitors we can highly recommend the caving tour under Budapest.There are several large cave systems as ragstone is quite typical rock in this area. You can go underground on the hilly Buda with a guided tour where you will get a suit and a helmet and you will crawl in narrow routes and explore some of the caves.

Kayak the Danube

Di you know you can kayak on the Danube. The tour is not in Budapest city, but in the riverside beach, Római. You will also paddle on the Buda side. You can get to Rómani in 45 minutes by public transport from downtown or you can join a tour.
You can just rent a kayak in Római. Once in Római, look for Béke Csónakház, it is the place where you will be able to rent a kayak or canoe. From Római, you can get up to the tiny Lupa Island within 1 to 1,5 hours. I would recommend to stop there for a short rest and look around as it has a very unique architecture, almost all houses are built in Bauhaus style. After that you can take the down stream back to Római and enjoy the fact that mother nature still exists even in a major capital.

A Rivers Cruise

If you do not want to paddle around the Danube here you have an easier option. A cruise along the Danube river. Enjoy a panoramic sightseeing tour on the Danube River and see the landmarks and monuments on both shores from a different perspective.

Xplore The Buda castle

The Buda Castle is at the top of Castle Hill, and the complex is home to the Buda Castle (formerly Royal Palace), National Gallery, and the Budapest History Museum. The Castle was home to the Hungarian kings was completed back in 1265. The Buda Castle was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987. The best way to explore the castle is on a guided tour, 2 hour Castle tours can be booked online here for $19 with Viator. Several Budapest city tours include visiting the Buda Castle, click here to see all Budapest tours.
The grounds are open 24 hours a day but Buda Castle hours are the same as the museum Tuesday- Sunday 10 am to 6 pm. There are several festivals at the Buda Castle throughout the year: beer festival, wine festival, chocolate festival, palinka festival, etc. Budapest is actually two cities, Buda and Pest which are divided by the Danube River. The two cities are connected by several bridges, the most famous being the Chain Bridge, and each side of Budapest has several tourist attractions, and each is very different. We suggest spending at least 3 days in Budapest. There are a ton of things to do in Budapest, but as an added bonus Budapest is super affordable.

Watch the Changing of The Guards at The hungarian Parliament Building

If you time your visit right, you can watch the changing of the guards at the Parliament. You literally can’t miss the Parliament Building. It’s Hungary’s most recognizable building, and it’s huge. The Hungarian Parliament is the 3rd largest parliament building in the world and the largest building in Hungary. It took 17 years to construct and it was finished in 1902.
There are parliament tours but since tours are limited lines can be long, and it often sells out days in advance, it’s best to book a Budapest Parliament tour in advance online here for $26. Head to the Pest side at night to get a great photo of the Parliament Building lite up at night.