Budapest in 2 days

Morning

• Hungarian Parliament1h30

  Start at the Hungarian Parliament with a pre-booked early English tour of the interior and the crown jewels. Arrive 15 minutes ahead at the visitor center to clear security.

  TipThe interior is guided-tour only and the English-language slots book out days ahead in season, so buy online well before you arrive rather than gambling on the ticket window. Choose an early slot, and shoot the exterior from the Batthyany ter embankment on the Buda side for the full riverfront facade.

• Shoes on the Danube Memorial45 min

  Walk south along the Pest embankment to the Shoes on the Danube memorial, a quiet ten-minute stop, then continue to the Chain Bridge along the promenade.

  TipThe sixty iron shoes on the embankment memorialize Jews shot into the river in 1944, and it takes only ten quiet minutes but should not be rushed. It sits on the Pest promenade between the Chain Bridge and Parliament, so fold it into that riverside walk rather than making a special trip.

Afternoon

• St Stephen's Basilica1h15

  Cut inland to St Stephen's Basilica, see the nave, then take the lift and short climb to the dome terrace for the wide Pest panorama.

  TipEntry to the nave asks only for a suggested donation, but the panoramic dome terrace charges a small fee and is worth it, reached by a lift plus a short stair climb. Go up in the last hour before closing for softer light over the Pest rooftops and fewer people at the top.

• Dohany Street Synagogue1h30

  Continue to the Dohany Street Synagogue for a timed visit of the largest synagogue in Europe and its memorial garden. Book the slot online the night before to avoid the midday sellout.

  TipThis is the largest synagogue in Europe and entry includes the memorial garden and museum, but tickets are timed and sell out midday in season, so book an early online slot. It closes on Saturdays for Shabbat and on Jewish holidays, so check the date, and dress with covered shoulders.

Evening

• Szimpla Kert (Ruin Bar)1h

  Wander into the Jewish Quarter and see Szimpla Kert before 8pm while you can still take in the junk-art courtyards, then bar-hop the surrounding streets.

  TipThe original ruin bar is best seen before 8pm when you can actually take in the junk-art courtyards without the late-night crush and cover charge. On Sunday mornings it turns into a farmers market with a very different, calm atmosphere, which is the local's way to visit.

• 1h30

  Dinner in Erzsebetvaros away from the tourist strips: the side streets around Kazinczy utca do modern Hungarian and street food where a full meal with a drink stays well under 6000 HUF.

Morning

• Fishermans Bastion1h

  Cross the Chain Bridge and climb to Fishermans Bastion before 9am, when the upper towers are free and the Parliament view across the river is yours alone.

  TipThe lower terraces are free and the small upper towers charge a fee only during the day, so arrive before 9am and you walk the upper level for free with the Parliament view to yourself. This is the postcard panorama of Budapest; sunrise and late evening are the two windows without crowds.

• Matthias Church1h15

  Step next door into Matthias Church for the painted interior with your ticket, then browse the quiet lanes of the castle district before the tour groups arrive.

  TipThe colored-tile roof is the draw and you can admire it for free from outside, but the interior with its painted walls needs a ticket, so buy online to skip the small queue. It sits right beside Fishermans Bastion, so pair the two and do them at opening before the tour groups arrive.

Afternoon

• Buda Castle2h

  Walk the free courtyards, terraces and ramparts of Buda Castle for the long river views, entering the National Gallery only if you want the art. Lunch at a cafe up on the hill.

  TipThe courtyards, ramparts and terraces are free and open all day, so you only pay if you enter the National Gallery or History Museum inside. Skip the funicular queue from the Chain Bridge and instead walk up the Varkert Bazar garden stairs or take bus 16, both faster and cheaper.

• Gellert Hill & Citadella Viewpoint1h30

  Descend and climb Gellert Hill to the Citadella viewpoint for the widest panorama over both banks and the Liberty Statue. Carry water; the path is fully sun-exposed.

  TipThe climb from the Buda end of Elisabeth Bridge takes about 25 minutes and rewards you with the widest panorama over both banks and the Liberty Statue. Go in the morning for backlight-free photos of Pest, carry water in summer since the path is fully sun-exposed, and the viewpoint itself is free.

Evening

• Szechenyi Chain Bridge45 min

  Come back down to the river and cross the Chain Bridge at dusk when the lions and the whole span light up and the castle glows behind you.

  TipWalk it at dusk when the lions and the whole span light up and the castle glows behind it; the Pest end near Roosevelt ter gives the best photo back toward Buda. It is free and open around the clock, so cross it late when the daytime foot traffic has cleared.

• 1h30

  Finish with dinner back in Belvaros on a side street off Vaci utca, not on it, where a Hungarian classic like goulash or paprika chicken with a glass of local wine keeps the bill honest.