The best thing to see in Budapest. Places to visit along the Danube

If you want to know the best things to see in Budapest, here we tell you everything you need to enjoy the capital of Hungary and get to know every corner on both sides of the Danube River.
There is much to visit in Budapest, although it is not a very big city and can be visited in a few days. In every corner of Budapest you will find beautiful monuments and places of interest. Here is our list of the top places to go if you are going to visit Budapest.
If you want to have more information you can read our travel diary through Central Europe, where we visited Budapest. To know how to guide you about the best things to visit in Budapest, you can see our itineraries:
The main places to see in Budapest
1. Budapest Parliament
The Parliament of Budapest is the most famous monument in the city and the best building to see in Budapest. It is located on the banks of the Danube River and it is sure to be the first place in Budapest that comes to mind when talking about the city.
Outside is impressive. But the interior is also one of the best things to visit in Budapest. You can take a guided tour and admire the Crown of San Esteban, it is the main staircase and one of its chambers. The building is symmetrical and has 2 cameras but only one is used.
The gigantic size of the Parliament for a country as small as Hungary is explained by the historical importance of the Austro-Hungarian Empire when it was built.
2. Buddha Castle
Buda is one of the neighborhoods of the city. Yes, the other is Pest. In the first we have another of the great monuments of the city, the Castle of Buda, located at the top of the column of the same name.
Buda Castle was built in the 14th century but was rebuilt in the neoclassical style after World War II left it quite damaged. But still, it is a spectacular place where we can find the Budapest History Museum or the Hungarian National Gallery.
You can ride the funicular that takes you from the foot of the hill and have the best views of Budapest from above, with the Chain Bridge in the foreground.
3. Chain Bridge
The Chain Bridge is one of the bridges in Budapest, the most monumental of all and one of the most famous constructions in Budapest.
The Chain Bridge is the oldest bridge in the city. It was built to link Buda and Pest, which were cut off during the winter frosts, making it impossible to cross it by boat. Unfortunately it was also destroyed in World War II and the one we can see today is not the original.
Seeing the illuminated bridge from the top of the Buda District is one of the best things to do in Budapest.
4. St. Stephen’s Basilica
And those views of the Chain Bridge also include those of St. Stephen’s Basilica, located very close, being the main religious building in Budapest and Hungary.
St. Stephen ‘s Basilica is considered the Cathedral of Budapest and is so large that up to 8,500 people can fit inside. From it we can highlight its beautiful façade flanked by 2 high towers and its dome. It is also possible to climb one of the towers to have great views of Budapest.
Inside is the right arm of Saint Stephen, who was the first King of Hungary in the 10th century. You can also enjoy an interesting concert.
5. Andrassy Avenue
A World Heritage street? Yes, and it is in Budapest. Andrassy Avenue is a long street that crosses the Pest District and in which stately buildings, mansions and Renaissance palaces follow one another that will always make your gaze go upwards.
In the first part of Andrassy Avenue we find buildings such as the Opera, one of the main places to see in Budapest, or the Drechsler Palace. You can also see that some palaces are unfortunately abandoned, but retain an enviable aesthetic.
At the end of the street are most of the embassies and the Plaza de los Héroes. Strolling down Andrassy Avenue is one of the best things to do in Budapest.
6. Budapest Opera
As we have said, it is located on Andrassy Avenue and is one of the main points of interest in the city. Its visit is essential and in it you will discover all its ins and outs and curious stories about it.
The visit to the Budapest Opera is guided. But if you want to discover the Opera in all its splendor and discover what its magnificent acoustics are like, you can also buy a ticket for one of its shows.
The experience of visiting the Budapest Opera House will surely never be forgotten. This Renaissance building will leave you speechless.
7. Heroes Square and City Park
Andrassy Avenue ends in a beautiful square that pays homage to the 7 tribes that founded Hungary.
In the center of Heroes’ Square is the Millennium Monument, built in memory of the heroes who gave their lives for the Hungarian people surrounding a large column on which the Archangel Gabriel stands.
On both sides of the Plaza de los Héroes there are two neoclassical buildings that house the Museum of Fine Arts and the Palace of Art.
There is also the City Park, the main green area of Budapest, where you can relax and even enjoy a castle, the Vajdahunyad.
8. Budapest Spas
There are several spas to visit in Budapest. Going to one of them is a very important tradition among Hungarians and has also become popular among visitors to the city.
The most important of all is the Szechenyi Spa, located inside the City Park, but it is not the only one that you can visit, also highlighting the Gellert Spa, which is possibly the most famous of all.
We recommend that you buy tickets in advance to avoid queues:
Of the rest of the Spas in Budapest, we must not forget the Rudas Spa.
9. Matthias Church
Returning to the Buda District, we must pay a visit to the Matthias Church, the most famous religious building in Budapest, although the largest is St. Stephen’s Basilica.
It is located in one of the highest points of the city and is famous for having been the coronation place of the Kings of Hungary. Its exterior is very curious with its high towers and inside we can find the tombs of Bella III and his wife as well as an exhibition of the Crown Jewels.
The Matthias Church is an essential visit and forms a very special ensemble with the Fishermen’s Bastion.
10. Fisherman’s Bastion
No, you cannot leave the city without visiting the Fisherman’s Bastion, another essential thing to see in Budapest. And besides, it is the best place to have a great view of the Parliament.
The Fishermen’s Bastion is a neo-Romanesque and neo-Gothic style terrace with 7 towers representing the 7 tribes that founded Hungary. We recommend visiting the viewpoint also at night to see the city illuminated.
It must be said that you have to pay an entrance fee to access a part of the Fisherman’s Bastion, but there is another part that is free and that has practically the same views.
11. Vörösmarty Ter and Vaci Utca
Walking around Budapest and getting lost in this city is quite an adventure and you will find something picturesque in every corner. Váci Utca Street is one of those corners where you can get lost. It is a pedestrian street where you can find the best shops in the city and also interesting restaurants.
It is not a very long street but we recommend visiting every corner that goes from the beautiful Vörösmarty Ter square to the picturesque Central Market, where you can also taste Hungarian cuisine in a very special way.
In this square there is also one of the historic cafes to visit in Budapest, the Gerbeaud Patisserie, the most famous in Hungary, although a bit expensive.
12. Jewish Synagogue
Budapest also has a Jewish quarter, since its ghetto was established during World War II. This neighborhood, which was also a concentration camp, revolved around the city’s Jewish Synagogue, a huge building that is the second largest synagogue in the world, second only to that of Jerusalem.
Next to the Synagogue we can find the Jewish Museum, which tells the story of Judaism in Hungary and which was inaugurated in 1932, and the Temple of Heroes, from 1931 and which remembers the Jews killed in World War I.
Also next to the Synagogue is the Budapest Jewish Cemetery. You can take an interesting tour of the Jewish Quarter where they will tell you all its secrets.
13. Labyrinth of the Buda Castle
One of the most curious and fun visits you can do in Budapest is the Labyrinth of the Buda Castle, located very close to the Matthias Church and whose interior you will not be able to miss once you know what attraction it is.
The Labyrinth of the Buda Castle is a set of underground galleries caused by the action of the thermal waters of Budapest throughout history, having different uses throughout the centuries, from prison to bunker in World War II.
Today you can make a very fun visit discovering its corners, bumping into wax figures and even in a very special way with everything turned off and guiding you with the lights of oil lamps.
You can find more information about what to see in Budapest on the Hungary tourism page.