Budapest, Hungary

City highlights

A full day across Buda and Pest — Parliament, the castle district, and the Jewish Quarter.

🇭🇺 HungaryThursday, September 10, 2026

Tonight's hotel

Sep 9–11, 2026 · 2 nights

Courtyard by Marriott Budapest City Center

Confirmation: #92771810

8:30 am — Quick breakfast near the hotel or at the Time Out Market
9:15 am — St. Stephen's Basilica
10:15 am — Hungarian Parliament (exterior, or a timed interior tour)
11:30 am — Shoes on the Danube memorial and a river walk
12:15 pm — Cross the Chain Bridge toward the Buda Castle District
1:00–3:00 pm — Castle Hill, Matthias Church, Fisherman's Bastion
3:00–3:30 pm — Taxi or Bolt to the House of Terror
3:30–5:15 pm — House of Terror Museum
5:30–6:30 pm — Hotel reset, coffee, a break
7:00 pm — Dinner
8:30–10:00 pm — Jewish Quarter and Szimpla Kert (ruin bar)
Optional — the Széchenyi Thermal Bath, Budapest's classic thermal-bath experience; a day ticket with a locker runs about 13,200–15,800 HUF.

Parliament — book ahead for the interior tour (about 45 minutes; non-EEA adult ticket about 14,000 HUF).
Matthias Church and the Fisherman's Bastion upper terrace — optional; usually fine to handle day-of.
House of Terror — buy at the museum; there are no online tickets. About a 6-minute walk from the hotel.

The Hungarian Parliament Building (completed 1902) is the largest building in Hungary, with 691 rooms; it holds the Hungarian Crown Jewels.
The Fisherman's Bastion is a fairy-tale neo-Romanesque terrace; its seven towers represent the seven Magyar chieftains.
The Chain Bridge (1849) was the first permanent bridge across the Danube in the city.
'Shoes on the Danube' — 60 pairs of iron shoes — memorializes Jews shot into the river by the Arrow Cross in 1944–45.
The House of Terror occupies the former secret-police headquarters on Andrássy Avenue and covers the Nazi and Communist eras.

Reservation: Borkonyha Winekitchen — a Michelin-starred restaurant focused on modern Hungarian cooking and wine. For a party of more than 5, booking requires an email to borkonyha@borkonyha.hu with a credit card on file.
Other ideas: Gettó Gulyás (casual Hungarian), Retek Bisztró, Rosenstein, Menza, Café Kör, Stand25 Bisztró, Stand (fine dining), New York Café, Central Market Hall.

2 items

🇭🇺 Hungary

Weather: Daytime high 72–76°F · evening / night low 54–57°F.
Note 1: Currency: the Hungarian forint (HUF / Ft) — not the euro for daily purchases. Some tourist spots take euros, but at poor rates.
Note 2: Do not exchange a large amount beforehand. Plan on roughly 30,000–50,000 HUF (about $85–$140).