Are you a Star Wars fan in Budapest? Had you already ordered your tickets to Budapest, and then discovered that you would miss out on the Star Wars: The Last Jedi premiere at home? What can be done? Is there any place to watch the movie in English?
The cinemas in Budapest are showing Star Wars: The Last Jedi from December 13th. The most famous cinema in Budapest is Cinema City, and they have complexes in several of the biggest shopping malls in Budapest; WestEnd, Allee and Arena Plaza. Normally all movies are dubbed in Hungary (almost), but with Star Wars: The Last Jedi, most cinemas show it in the original language (English), with subtitles (Hungarian) a couple of times a day. You should there have the chance to watch the movie in English if you want to. The bigger problem is the fact that all tickets are bought for the first performances (almost), but there is one exception if you are eager to watch Star Wars: The Last Jedi live in Budapest on the opening night.
Campona, a shopping mall on the Buda side, quite a distance from the city center, has loads of free tickets available for the performance in English at 21.00 tonight. You will have to buy the tickets at the Cinema City website, but if you want to, this is a chance.
The fantastic band Metallica will come to Budapest on April 5th in 2018. They will perform in Budapest Sportarena, and you are of course invited to be there.
If you are a Metallica fan, you have probably noticed that they will go on a big tour in 2018 already. The entire tour starts in Lisbon (Portugal) on February 1st. After Lisbon, the band will visit lots of cities and nations, before they arrive in Budapest and Hungary on April 5th. A few days before, Metallica will perform in Vienna, then they will travel on to Prague, and then arrive in Budapest. If you want to be there at any of these concerts, use the ticket link beneath to grab hold of tickets for the concert you are interested in.
Metallica has been to Budapest lots of times, and hopefully, this will not be the last time.
How to get to the concert venue?
If you come to Budapest for the Metallica concert, then there are several ways to get to the concert venue. Those coming from the airport should use our airport transfer service to get straight to the concert venue.
If you plan on approaching Budapest Sportarena using public transportation, use the metro and travel to Stadionok (red line).
Are you coming with a car? Park your car in Arena Plaza, and walk to the concert venue from there. This shopping mall is a giant one, and it has free parking available.
Nothing can compare to the atmosphere in Budapest before Christmas. The city is illuminated with fantastic lights, and the famous Christmas markets are there to be enjoyed.
In this article, we would love to share some ideas and recommendations to you, that we believe will make your visit to Budapest and the Christmas markets even better. Read through the entire article, and we are sure you will get some good ideas, be inspired and maybe learn some things that might come handy during your stay in the Hungarian capital.
Do not miss out on the delicious chimney cake as you visit the Christmas markets in Budapest!
The ideas in this list are ideal for those coming to Budapest for the Christmas markets, but lots of these recommendations are also valid throughout the year. You should, therefore, read through the list no matter when you come, because you will probably learn something anyhow!
Ten tips to those coming to Budapest for the Christmas markets
1) Do not forget to bring warm clothes
This might sound silly, but it is so important. It can get quite cold in Budapest in November and December. The average temperature in this period is around 0 and 5 Celsius, but if the sun comes forth, it will often feel much warmer. But, the most significant enemy when you come to Budapest isn’t the minus degrees, but the wind. It is much better to stay in Budapest on a sunny day with 0 Celsius than a windy day with +5. Bring warm clothes, and some nice and warm shoes should also come along in your suitcase.
Some ladies might forget about warm clothes on purpose, as that will give them an excuse to do some extra shopping. That is fine for them, but those who want to avoid such extra shopping, bring along warm clothes from home.
2) Dare to taste new things
This is one of the most important advises when you come to the Christmas markets in Budapest. At the markets you will find lots of food stands, and they are great. The food is kind of pricy (be prepared), but what they serve you is delicious and will give you a taste of Hungary. When you see a Hungarian sausage (kolbasz), taste it! If you see other stuff you do not even understand what is, taste it! When you smell cinnamon from the chimney cakes, buy one! This is for sure one of the most exciting things about coming to Budapest before Christmas to visit the Christmas markets.
3) Do not forget about the Danube
Even though you come to Budapest to check out the Christmas markets, you should not forget about the beautiful Danube. The river that flows through Budapest is spectacular, and a walk along the Danube in the evening is fantastic. But, even more enjoyable than a walk along the Danube, is a river cruise on the Danube. There are lots of cruises to choose from, but from our point of perspective, the most enjoyable is a river cruise in the evening combined with dinner. You can read more about river cruises on the Danube right here.
Do not forget about a river cruise on the Danube – By Luciano Mortula / Shutterstock
4) Find an ATM and get some HUF
You can pay with Euro at almost all stands at the different Christmas markets in Budapest, but you are better off paying with the local currency, Hungarian Forint (HUF). The best way to get the local currency is using the different ATMs located all around Budapest. You can also visit an exchange office, but do not use the ones very close to the Christmas market. Look around and compare the exchange rates at 2-3 places, and pick the one with the best rates.
5) Get to know the city in an efficient way
You come to Budapest to visit the Christmas markets, but if you first visit our beautiful city, make sure to discover the rest of it as well. On a cold winter day you do not want to walk around for hours, so why not discover Budapest in a much more efficient way. What are we speaking about? Why not see Budapest on a private guided tour with one of our guides? We pick you up at your hotel and within 2,5-3 hours you have seen all the most famous spots in Budapest, you have walked at the Gellert Hill, seen the Fishermen’s Bastion from close (and taken some pictures there), you have seen the heroes located at the Heroes Square, and you have will have a guide who can answer (hopefully) all the questions you have about Budapest. Once you are finished with the tour you can continue your shopping at one of the Christmas markets. If you a freezing then our guides would love to give you advises on shopping malls where you can continue your shopping inside!
6) Make your reservations as soon as possible
The period before Christmas (the Christmas market period) is a time with lots of tourists coming to town. As a consequence, you will often visit a restaurant only to discover that it is packed. If you don’t care, then it doesn’t matter, but if you have a particular restaurant in Budapest that you want to visit during this period, then hurry up and make your reservation today. The same goes for river cruises and other activities. Other popular activities in this time that should be booked early are wine dinners and brewery visits.
Want to visit a certain restaurant? Book your table today! By Stepanek Photography / Shutterstock
7) Book a hotel near the Christmas markets
If you have come to Budapest to enjoy the Christmas markets, do not book a hotel far away from them. This might be cruel, but do not book a hotel at the Margaret Island (for example). You do not want to spend 30-60 minutes every day just getting from your hotel to the different Christmas markets in the center of Budapest. Book a central hotel in Budapest instead, and spend your time at the Christmas markets instead of spending your time getting to the Christmas markets. Some hotels in Budapest that can be recommended for this purpose are: Mercure City Center, La Prima Fashion Hotel, Eurostars Budapest Center and 7Seasons Apartments.
8) Take care of your valuables
This is an advise we do not really like to give, but we write it down, just to have it on the list. Budapest is a very safe city with few problems. There are some pick-pockets here and there, but they are few, and most people never see them, nor experience them. The best way to stay secure is to use common sense and to protect your valuables.
9) Do not use the taxies waiting next to the Christmas markets
Small problems might destroy a fantastic atmosphere. A cab driver who forces you to pay an unfair fare, a driver who gives you back money in the wrong currency (or the wrong amount of money), or someone treating you in an unfair way, can easily destroy your joy and happiness. For that reason, the taxies standing next to the Christmas markets should be avoided. In fact, most cabs waiting for you on the streets of Budapest should be avoided. If you need a cab, speak to the people in the reception of your hotel, in the restaurant you are at, or use your phone and call a taxi for yourself. You can read more about the problems we have with taxi drivers in Budapest right here.
Another good advice is to let us take care of your airport transfer. You will then have a driver waiting for you in the arrival hall at the airport, and he will take you directly to your hotel for a set price. That is very convenient and will help you get to discover the Christmas markets in Budapest even faster.
10) Make space in your suitcase for what you are going to bring with you home!
Our first advice was to bring warm clothes. That does not mean that you should arrive in Budapest with your suitcase filled up. At the Christmas markets, you will find lots of stuff that you want to buy to bring with you home. You will taste lots of fantastic Hungarian wine, and once you fall in love with the sweet Tokaj wine, you will buy a couple of bottles to bring home. It is essential that you come to Budapest with space in your suitcase because by the time you leave town, it will be full anyway!
11) Do you have any good advice to share with people coming to Budapest for the Christmas markets?
We would love to hear your advises! Do you have a question related to the Christmas markets? Ask your question in the comment field beneath!
The dates for the annual Christmas market by the St. Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest are official. This Christmas market will be arranged for the sixth time in 2017.
The Christmas market at Vörösmarty square will open already on November 10th, but those who want to go shopping at the Christmas market in front of the St. Stephen’s Basilica will have to wait two more weeks.
From November 24th until January 1st the Christmas market at the beautiful square will stay open, and there will be several programs available daily at the market.
Would you like to visit a brewery while in Budapest? Does it sound good with some fresh beer, made on the spot? Here is the information you need.
Budapest is not known especially well for its beer production. When people travel to the Czech Republic, they all go to taste their local beer. When they come to Hungary and Budapest, most people rather think about Tokaj wines and maybe the Hungarian palinka. But, what’s up with Hungarian beer production?
Beer production in Hungary
Hungary might not be famous for its beer, but that doesn’t mean that the local beer is bad. It might be just as much a question of marketing. After all, the locals not only know how to produce beer, they are also terribly good at drinking it. As a result, you should do your uttermost to taste as much local beer as possible when you come to Budapest. But, where can you taste local beer? Which are the best places to do so? Are there any breweries you can visit?
The most famous breweries in Hungary
Dreher – They produce Dreher Classic, Arany Aszok and Kobanyai.
Borsodi – They produce all the different Borsodi beers.
Soproni – They produce the different Soproni beers and some smaller brands.
The Dreher, Arany Aszok, Soproni and Borsodi are the four most typical beers you will meet in a grocery store in Hungary. Heineken has a brewery in Hungary where they produce Heineken, Steffl, Amstel, Zlaty Bazant and some more beers under license (though these are not original Hungarian beers).
Visiting a brewery in Budapest
To visit a brewery can be a nice Budapest activity on any day of the year. It is a popular activity for stag parties, hen parties, but also for companies and friends who want to taste the local brew. The biggest and most famous brewery within the borders of Budapest is known as Dreher Sörgyár.
Visit the Dreher Sörgyár
The Dreher brewery is the only big brewery in Budapest that it is possible to visit. The trip lasts for about 1,5-2 hours. During the tour you get to learn more about the beer production, visit the beautiful Brew House, walk the Dreher museum, and taste two glasses of beer. The price for this program is 2500 HUF per person from September 1st, 2017. For a trip to be arranged a minimum of 15 participants are required. You can read more about the program, and register for a tour at the following site. The site is by default in Hungarian, but there is a little button where you can press English just where the article starts.
The address of the Dreher brewery is 1106 Budapest, Jászberényi út 7-11.
Travel to the Fóti brewery
Just 20km outside Budapest you can find the city of Fót. Here they have a long tradition of brewing beer, and at the Fóti brewery, they produce ale, dark ale, and lager beer. They also have specialties such as ginger-beer, and if you go there, you can also taste the unfiltered beer. The place is open Monday to Friday from 8.00 to 16.30. You can find the website of the brewery right here.
The address of the brewery is 2151 Fót, Fáy sétány 34.
Visit a micro-brewery
While it can feel kind of complicated to visit the Dreher brewery, it is much easier to visit a smaller brewery. In our Budapest Guide, we have a cooperation with a place name Kaltenberg, one of the few places that got a license to brew beer during Communism in Hungary. They still brew beer in their restaurant, and we offer programs here where you taste four beers brewed on the spot, combined with Hungarian fruit spirits and food. This can be done daily between 12.00 and 22.00, from Monday till Saturday. The only requirement is that there are four participants or more coming with your group. You can read more about our brewery visit in Budapest right here.
The micro-brewery you visit is located not from the Museum of Applied Arts, one block away from the restaurant street Raday utca, and a ten-minute walk from the Grand Market Hall (located in the shopping street Vaci utca).
Visit a ruin-pub
You can taste a nice mixture of famous Hungarian beers and beer from smaller breweries in the different ruin-pubs in Budapest. The most famous pubs are Szimpla Kert, Fogashaz, Instant, and Kuplung. The most famous of these are Szimpla Kert, a place worth visiting no matter if you like beer or not. It is kind of an attraction on the “must-see-in-Budapest” list. These ruin-pubs are all located within the seventh district of Budapest. That makes them easy to visit, and you can without much effort visit 2-3 of them within a few hours if you want to check out several of them.
Are you ready to visit a brewery in Budapest?
We hope this article has helped you out, and maybe you know more about what to do during your stay in Budapest right now. If you have further questions, comments or ideas, just use the comment field beneath.
Would you like to get to the Danube Arena in Budapest for the FINA World Championship in 2017? Coming from the city center or from the airport? This is how!
The FINA World Championship will be arranged in Budapest between July 14th and July 30th in 2017. In this period the brand new venue named Danube Arena (Duna Arena) will be used for the swimming and diving competitions, but it is not clear for everybody how to actually get to the arena. We are here to help!
How can I travel to the Danube Arena?
Get to the Danube Arena (Duna Arena) with public transportation
If you want to get to the venue using public transportation, then you can use either metro, bus or tram. The best of these methods are the bus, because that will take you all the way to the venue itself, and you do not need to walk especially much. Here are the summary of the three methods:
With bus 15 or 115
With these buses you can travel from the city center of Budapest directly to the Danube Arena. The buses stop at Astoria and Deak Ferenc square (both have metro stations). You can use the normal public transportation tickets on these buses, and be aware of the fact that you need to have bought your tickets before getting on the bus.
Using the metro
You can travel with the blue metro line to the stop named Forgach utca. From there you need to start walking in the direction of the Danube, and within less than 10 minutes you will be by the Danube Arena, ready to cheer for your favorite contestants.
Travel by tram
Tram line number 1 in Budapest is a sightseeing trip in itself. If you jump on this tram line, you need to get of at Nepfurdo utca (just before/after the Arpad bridge). From there you just walk along the Danube to the arena, and you will be there in less than 10 minutes.
Get to the Danube Arena directly from the airport
If you arrive with airplane, and needs to get directly to the arena, then the best way is to prebook a taxi. We can help you out with private airport transfers, and our drivers will take you directly to the venue if that is requested by you. You can read more about out airport transfers right here.
If you rather use public transportation, then you can take the new bus 100E from the airport directly to Deak Ferenc square, and change to bus 15 or 115 right away. You can also travel with bus 200E from the airport to Kobanya Kispest. There you change for the blue metro line, and you travel all the way to Forgach utca, and walk the rest of the distance from there.
Questions or comments?
Have you got an answer to your question? Do you still have questions left? Use the comment field beneath, and we will do our best to help you out!
On November 25th it is time for a fantastic concert in the Budapest Sportarena. Andrea Bocelli will enchant the audience in the arena with his beautiful voice.
Andrea Bocelli is an Italian singer. He was born in 1958, and in the first twelve years of his life he could actually see in part. But, due to a football accident he had at the age of 12 he completely lost his sight, and he has been blind since then. Even though he cannot see, he can sing in an amazing way. That is why he is touring the world large parts of the year and in 2017 he is also on a big tour visiting larger and smaller cities all across the world, for example New York, Marbella, Monte Carlo, Bratislava, Prague, Paris, Chicago, Washington, Vienna and lots of other cities.
If you would like to be there at the Andrea Bocelli concert in Budapest on November 25th, then you can buy your tickets using the link beneath. It is quite interesting that Andrea Bocelli actually was in Budapest not long ago, and then he had a free concert in the St. Stephens Basilica. The amount of people who wanted to be on the inside was of course much bigger than the amount of people that actually got to be there, but still, Andrea Bocelli has a special spot in the heart of the people of Budapest.
Do not forget that on November 25th the annual Christmas markets in Budapest will most likely have opened. The main market at the Vorosmarty square has for sure opened, while the Christmas market in front of the St. Stephens Basilica will probably open that weekend, or latest the following weekend. You can find more information about the Christmas markets in Budapest here in our Budapest Guide.
For more information about other sights and attractions in the Hungarian capital, just look around and use the links in the menu.
Are you looking forward to visiting Budapest? Are you planning for sunshine and beautiful weather? Do not forget about the UV rays and sun-lotion!
On a warm summer day in Budapest you can enjoy delicious ice cream, warm temperatures and shops with air-condition. But, you should still be careful as you walk around in the city center of Budapest. Not because of criminality (which is very low), but because of strong UV rays that are unhealthy for your body, your eyes and your skin.
It is a common fact that spending time out in the sun between 11.00 and 15.00 should be avoided, at least without sun lotion, but even with sun-lotion (as much as possible). Those are the strongest hours with the most dangerous UV rays, and in this period they might get as strong as 8 (the scale goes from 1 to 10).
Would you like to see how strong the UV rays are in Budapest at the moment?
If you would like to check the UV rays in Budapest right now, take a look right here: https://www.idokep.hu/uv
A UV map of Hungary on June 22nd at 13.30. – This is what it might look like if you visit the site referred to above.
If you click the link above you will get to a Hungarian site. It is however quite easy to understand anyway. You will of course practice some geography as well, because it shows a map of Hungary with Budapest almost in the middle (a bit to the north). The map uses color codes, but in addition you see numbers around (like “6.0” and then you can see other things written like “15 perc” next to the numbers. The first number shows the strength of the UV rays (on a scale between 1 and 10) and where it says “15 Perc (or something else)” the recommended time in the sun is written (perc means minutes in Hungarian). Those numbers are of course extreme, but at least you can get a feeling about the strength of the UV rays, and it should also warn you or give you relief.
Be careful, and if you look for a refreshing program during the warm summer days in Budapest, then maybe a brewery visit or a winetasting in a wine restaurant might be something for you?
The most popular weekend of the year in Budapest is the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend. In the end of July the best Formula 1 racers in the world come to Budapest to compete at Hungaroring, so also in 2017.
The main race during the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2017 will be arranged on July 30th. There will be qualification races on July 28th and July 29th, but the big final will be held on July 30th. If you want to be there, then you can buy tickets for the event from Viagogo.
It is worth noticing, that you should book your Budapest hotel as soon as possible, because prices go up and rooms are sold out quickly after the announcement of the dates for the Hungarian Grand Prix. You will for sure find rooms in hotels close up to the event as well, but if you want to find the hotel room of your dream stay in Budapest, then you better hurry up!
Hungarian Formula 1
In 2016 Lewis Hamilton won the race in Budapest (for the fifth time), but can he do so again in 2017? He is currently the most winning driver at Hungaroring (with five victories), one more than Michael Schumacher. Last year he not only won the race in Budapest, he also won the Grand Prix in total. Are you coming to Budapest to cheer for Lewis Hamilton or some other driver?
What else to do in Budapest?
There are lots of other programs available in Budapest, but you better hurry up if you want to enjoy a river cruise, a brewery visit, a wine tasting or maybe a private guided tour in Budapest during the event. You can read about such activities here in our Budapest Guide, so look around and contact us as soon as possible if we can help you out in any way!
Between August 28th and September 3rd the Judo World Championships will be arranged in the Papp Laszlo Budapest Sportarena in Budapest.
2017 is going to be a great year for sports-enthusiasts in Budapest. Not only will the Hungarian capital arrange the FINA World Championships (swimming), but the city will also arrange the Judo World Championships. Even though the latter event might not bring as many people to town as the first event, arranging a world championships still is a giant thing to do.
The Hungarian mascot and some Hungarian stars.
For a long time it was unknown which arena would be used for the event (and Wikipedia still doesn’t know it), but it has recently been published that the championship will be arranged in Papp Laszlo Budapest Sportarena. This is the most popular venue in Budapest for concerts and large indoor sports events. It is located near the city center, so if you find the Elisabeth Bridge (the white bridge), and just follow the main road on the Pest side and walk away from the bridge, you will in the end find yourself to be next to the venue. It is however much easier to just jump on the metro and travel to the metro stop named “Stadionok” on the red metro line.
The mascot for the tournament is the Judo playing Hungarian retriever (vizsla).
What to do in Budapest besides this?
There are lots of activities worth trying while in Budapest. A river cruise on the Danube can always be recommended, and the same is true about popular programs such as wine tastings and our private guided tours. You can read more about these and lots of other programs in the Hungarian capital here in our Budapest Guide.
Have you got any questions or comments related to the Judo World Championships in Budapest? Use the comment field beneath!
