The ten coolest family activities in Budapest according to ChatGPT!

Posted on February 2, 2023February 14, 2023 by Budapest Guide

ChatGPT is a machine that answers questions you have. The information and data is based on information gathered by the bot online. Even though it sounds stupid, ChatGPT gives very good answers to many questions. That is why we decided to ask ChatGPT, which are the coolest family activities in Budapest. The answers weren’t bad, even though many suggested programs might be more interesting for adults than kids.

Our question to ChatGPT was simple: Which are the ten coolest activities for families in Budapest?

the coolest family activities in BUdapest according to ChatGP

Above, you can read the answers provided by ChatGPT. Let us take a closer look at them one by one. If you are looking for information about family programs in Budapest, this article will be helpful regardless of whether we agree with ChatGPT.

1. Visit the Hungarian Parliament Building and take a guided tour.

The first suggestion is to visit the Hungarian Parliament and take a guided tour. This is definitely a nice program, but it is boring if the kids are young. If they are teenagers who care more about Instagram and TikTok than architecture, it will be boring as well. But if you are lucky enough to have kids who enjoy beautiful buildings and history, a guided tour of the Hungarian Parliament is a great activity.

2. Explore the Hungarian State Opera House and attend a performance.

If your teenagers didn’t revolt during their trip to the Parliament building, they will surely do so if you take them to the opera. The building is beautiful and it is easy to see that it was built with many similarities to the Parliament building. It is one thing to look at the building, another thing to dress up in nice clothes to listen to people shouting/screaming (at least that is what kids and teenagers think they do) for hours.

It might be worth considering but experience tells us that most kids will find an evening in the opera to be wasted time.

3. Take a scenic Danube River cruise and admire the city skyline.

This was the first of the suggestions that we believe is recommended for families in Budapest. River cruises are available from morning until evening, and children and adults enjoy these trips. Some are available with an audio guide, while other tours are more about looking out the window while eating and drinking. There are no waves on the Danube, so there is no action on such a trip. Still, kids and teenagers will enjoy such a program due to the beautiful scenery and the fact that they can walk around during the program. You can read more about different river cruises in Budapest here.

4. Visit the thermal baths, such as the Gellért Baths or Rudas Baths.

Once again a wonderful suggestion from ChatGPT that we 100% agree with. The thermal baths might sound like a program for pensioners, but that is a false assumption. Everyone loves thermal baths, especially those with outdoor pools available. Even though no slides and action activities are available in the thermal baths, they are still easy to enjoy. In other words, thermal baths are a sure winner among families. Szechenyi is our favorite and can be seen in most photos online.

5. Walk around the historic castle district and visit Buda Castle.

This might be a nice program, at least if you spice it up with ice cream, Goulash soup, cold drinks, the labyrinth under the castle area, and then buy some more snacks here and there. The castle district isn’t very interesting for kids, but if you take your kids to the Fishermen’s Bastion, they will surely enjoy the view. If they want more adrenaline, take them to the top of the Matthias church tower, and they will have one of the best views available in Budapest.

6. See the iconic Chain Bridge and take a stroll along the riverfront.

This is a nice and cheap program that you will finish within a few minutes. It is awesome to walk along the Danube in the evening, but it might be that kids will find it boring. Our best advice is to have a goal somewhere that makes it worth walking. What do we mean?

Why not say there is a chocolate museum next to the Parliament, and the best way to get there is by walking along the Danube until you reach the Parliament? The kids love chocolate, and you will love the view you can see while walking.

Or you can tell your kids there is a pancake house at Batthyany square on the Buda side. To get there, you need to walk across the Chain Bridge and walk to the north until you reach the square. They love pancakes, and you will love the view once again!

7. Visit the Hungarian National Museum and learn about Hungarian history and culture.

ChatGPT knows a lot, but it doesn’t understand the mentality of kids on holiday. Who travels to Budapest to learn more about Hungarian history and culture? You might have such a noble intention, but you can forget that your 12-year-old son or your 7-year-old kid yearns to learn about the history of Hungary. A tour guide with experience can spice up stories to make them more interesting for kids, but they will still be bored after five minutes. If you plan to visit this museum, you should leave your kids at home or find an incredible guide capable of keeping their attention for at least 10 minutes.

8. Take a trip to the famous Hungarian Zoo and Botanical Garden.

After a horrible stay in the National Museum, it is finally time to have some fun again. The zoo is a fantastic place for the entire family. Even if the kids don’t like to read all the posters with information, they will still have fun taking photos and looking at the lions, elephants, and gorillas. The zoo covers a big area, meaning you can spend hours walking around. When needed, you can take a break and eat some snacks. You should also remember that the zoo is in a fantastic area known as the City Park. This is probably the best area in Budapest for kids. Besides the zoo, you can visit the permanent circus, swim in the Szechenyi bath, and play ball and have fun in a gigantic park area.

9. Visit the largest indoor market in Budapest, the Great Market Hall.

This is another piece of advice that we support. It might not be extremely interesting, but this can become a big hit if you make some preparations. Tell your family that you are about to see who is the bravest in the family. Then you enter the Great Market Hall and buy all sorts of Hungarian products on the ground floor. Let them taste Hungarian sausage, greaves (tepertö), goose liver, jams, cheeses, and much more. You can also find many souvenirs on the market hall’s first floor. All in all, this is an interesting experience, and with some improvements and bravery from you, it can become even better.

10. Have fun at one of the many playgrounds and parks, such as City Park or Margaret Island Park.

We mentioned the City Park earlier, and this is very true. Families love the City Park and they love Margaret Island. Both areas are about running around, having fun, and discovering areas, and family-friendly activities are available in both locations. At Margaret Island, you have an outdoor water complex open during the summer. Here you have a big wave pool, slides, and many cool activities. There is a free mini-zoo at the island, you can borrow family bikes, and you can lie down in the grass and take a nap.

Those were the suggestions from ChatGPT concerning family-friendly programs in Budapest. If you have read everything so far, you have probably gotten some ideas already. But which activities would we have added to the list initially if we had written it?

Some other activities worth considering for families coming to Budapest.

We have already mentioned the City Park, an area you should visit. Don’t just go to the thermal bath and the zoo, but visit the Circus. When you have had fun in the circus, find the giant playground at the other end of the city park. Here kids can play for hours while you drink coffee and enjoy the nice weather! Some might feel the temptation to visit the Museum of Ethnography, but you should probably forget that immediately. But you could walk to the Museum of Ethnography and climb up to the top of the building. It will give you a beautiful view, an activity both adults and children enjoy

You can walk up and down both sides of the museum.

Shopping is another great activity in Budapest. There are many shopping malls in the city and several have cool activities waiting for you inside (besides shopping). There is a mall named Campona where you have a big LEGO creation center and a Tropicarium (aquarium). Other malls have bowling yards and fantastic cinemas. Finding locations where you can have a go-kart competition is also possible. Doesn’t that sound like a lot of fun?

Would you like some more ideas? Why don’t you visit the Szemlo cave or the Palvolgyi cave? The entire family can enjoy these fantastic caves with dripstones. These caves are a bit outside the main city center, so if you want an easier solution, visit the labyrinth beneath the castle instead.

Do not forget that food is important. Why don’t you visit some restaurants that the children will enjoy? Sir Lancelot is a medieval restaurant where food is served on giant plates. During the evening, there are sword battles and other programs taking place. Your kids will for sure love it. Would they be happy to drink some popular drinks and meals from the Harry Potter books/movies? The restaurant named The Magic, not far from the opera in Budapest, will be a giant success! Would your kids like to eat and drink a lot, without limits and without fearing that they spend too much money? Take them to Trofea Grill, where they can eat and drink without limits for a set price!

Do you have any further questions, comments, or suggestions? Use the comment field below!

Three amazing upcoming art-exhibitions in Budapest!

Posted on February 19, 2020February 19, 2020 by Budapest Guide

Budapest is known to be the home of Palinka, juicy sausages, tasty salami, the Chimney Cake, fantastic Christmas markets, beautiful ladies… and awesome art-exhibitions! If the latter is something that interests you, check out these three hot upcoming exhibitions in Budapest!

If you take a look at our list presenting what’s happening in Budapest, you will see that we have just added three exhibitions to the list. They are all to be held in the Museum of Fine Arts, the beautiful museum at your lefthand side as you stand at the Heroes square looking at the statues in front of you (with the City-park in the background).

But, what are those three amazing exhibitions that we just referred to?

First, from April 2020 until July 2020, there will be an exhibition about Pharaoh Amenhotep II. His grave was excavated in the Valley of Kings outside Luxor in Egypt in the end of the 19th century, and here you can see a room looking exactly like his grave chamber. There will also be several other interesting artifacts, reliefs, and objects on display.

More information about the Amenhotep II exhibition can be found here.

From June 2020 until September 2020, an exhibition will be held presenting drawings and works by Albrecht Dürer and several of his contemporaries. Of the three mentioned exhibitions, this is the “least interesting” in our eyes, but if you like German art and want to know more about this period, this is still a treat.

Learn more about the Dürer exhibition here.

Museum of Fine Arts Heroes Square — The Museum of Fine Arts at the Heroes Square

The highlight of the year will most likely be the exhibition title From Cezanne to Malevich in the Museum of Fine Arts. Last time the museum hosted a Cezanne exhibition, more than 200,000 visited the event. Can they get even more visitors this time? The exhibition will show more than 50 original Cezanne works, and also bring in paintings and objects from famous museums and institutions such as Albertina in Vienna, The Metropolitan in New York, Musee d’Orsay in Paris, the National Gallery in London, and lots of other places. The exhibition will open in October 2020 and be open until February 2021.

Find out more about the Cezanne exhibition here.

Are you getting excited already? We hope you will enjoy your stay in Budapest! Do not forget that you can read more about other events, festivals and concerts in Budapest here in our Budapest Guide.

You can also find information about river cruises on the Danube, wine tasting programs, a brewery dinner, private guided tours, airport transfers and lots of other programs!

Budapest Wine Festival 2020

Posted on January 14, 2020February 25, 2020 by Budapest Guide

When will the famous Budapest Wine Festival be arranged in 2020? We have received the question several times already, and here is the answer!

*Picture from the wine festival in 2018 – Zsolt Szigetvary*

The annual Wine Festival arranged in the courtyard of the Royal Palace on the castle hill might be the most popular of all festivals in Budapest every year (if we do not include the Sziget festival). Here you can taste thousands of different wines made by large and small wineries in Hungary, and it is a fantastic place to learn more about the Hungarian wine culture. Would you like to check it out in 2019?

Budapest Wine Festival 2020 dates

September 10-13, 2020

Would you like to know more about the annual wine festival? Want to know more about entrance fees etc? Read our full article about the Budapest Wine Festival right here.

If you want to enjoy a nice wine dinner in Budapest instead, read more about our different wine tasting and wine dinner programs here.

Opening today – The Budapest Wine festival

Posted on September 5, 2019September 4, 2019 by Budapest Guide

The wine festival arranged at the Castle hill in Budapest is one of the biggest festivals in Hungary every year. It cannot be compared with Sziget festival (a festival that brings almost 500,000 people to the Hajogyari island), but it is still a giant event for wine lovers from within the country and coming in from abroad.

There are many people who plan their visit to Budapest based on the dates of the wine festival. In 2019, the wine festival is arranged between September 5th and September 8th, and in this period, visitors to the festival area can taste more than 5000 different sorts of wine. Here you can enjoy the famous Bikaver (Bull’s blood) from different winemakers in the Eger region (or maybe from the Szekszard region), you can enjoy lots of exclusive sweet wines from Tokaj, and there is something from everyone.

If you fear the quality of Hungarian wine (something you shouldn’t), there are also some international wines available in the festival area, just to make it even more interesting and nicer.

From the Budapest Wine Festival in 2017 — Source: Facebook

The wine festival isn’t free

It would have been nice if the wine festival was free, but it isn’t. Renting the castle area for sure costs a lot, and there are lots of expenses coming together with such a festival. That is why you have to pay a daily entrance fee, or you can buy a pass for the entire festival. If you are a wine lover and want to take a deep dive into the Hungarian wine industry, the festival pass is for sure the best option. But, those who just want to have fun a day and taste a lot of wine, a one-day pass should be more than enough.

Do not forget, there are lots of other wine programs available in Budapest as well throughout the entire year. We can help with wine tasting programs, wine excursions, wine dinners, and other wine-related programs. Look around at hungarybudapestguide.com for inspiration and information!

Enjoy the wine festival!

Christmas market by St. Stephens Basilica 2018

Posted on October 17, 2018October 15, 2018 by Budapest Guide

We have known the dates for the Christmas market at Vörösmarty square for a long time, but just recently, the dates for the Christmas market in front for the St. Stephen’s Basilica was published as well.

The Christmas market in front of the St. Stephen’s Basilica is getting better and better for every year. In 2017, it didn’t only make the square fantastic, but also Zrinyi utca (the street connecting the Danube and the Chain Bridge with the St. Stephen’s Basilica). It is a fantastic market and every afternoon from 16.30 there will be light shows at the church building every 30 minutes.

The Christmas market will open on November 24th (some places it says November 23rd) and it will remain open until January 1st, 2019. The market is open from 10.00 (or 11.00) until 22.00 in the evening, except for December 24th, on which it will close at 14.00.

christmas market by st stephens basilica — The Christmas market by the St. Stephens Basilica – Source

At the Christmas market, you can find an ice skating rink, a big Christmas tree, and lots of small tree houses where you can buy souvenirs, presents, and lots of hot drinks and traditional food. The ice skating rink is free to use for kids under 14 years, but you need to rent the skates you will actually use on the ice.

This year the Christmas market calls itself an eco-fair. All exhibitors will have to use environmental-friendly packaging, resulting in less garbage and better for the environment.

If you want to read more about the different Christmas markets in Budapest, check this site.

Would you like to enjoy a wine dinner in Budapest during this period, or maybe a river cruise at the Danube River? Make sure to arrange your booking as soon as possible, because it gets crowded and fully booked quite regularly in December!

What is the Grand Market Hall in Budapest like?

Posted on September 30, 2018December 8, 2022 by Budapest Guide

Budapest is a city with fantastic buildings, and an amazing panorama as you walk along the Danube. But, one of the most fantastic places to walk around is in the Grand Market Hall, at least if you have a kitchen you can use afterward to prepare some royal meals.

The Market Hall is a melting pot in Budapest. Here you can see old ladies with their trolleys, buying whatever they need for the day. Next to them, you will meet a group of 30 Japanese tourists taking photos, while a local chef heads towards his favorite seller for some fresh meat for the daily menus in the restaurant. Here you can find all sorts of people, at all ages, from all around the world.

Last week I had the chance to walk around in the Grand Market Hall in Budapest. It is located in the city center of Budapest, at the very end of the shopping street named Vaci utca. The market hall opens at 6.00 in the morning, to make sure that those eager to prepare lunch before eating their breakfast, can get fresh meat and vegetables before sunrise. But, what can you actually find inside the Grand Market Hall? Join me on this little culinary walk in the Grand Market Hall of Budapest.

A walk in the Grand Market Hall in Budapest

The first thing that hits you as you enter the building (and look at it from the outside), is that it reminds you of a railway station. Lots of persons actually believe it is a railway station, but end up deeply surprised after actually entering the building. The Grand Market Hall was only one out of five market halls that were built in the capital of Hungary at the end of the 19th century, but this is the most famous and popular of them all.

The Grand Market Hall has a basement in which you can find a grocery store, a meat store, and some small places where you can buy fish. The locals, however, spend most of their time on the ground floor, while tourists (especially women) walk around on the first floor.

The Ground Floor

At the ground floor, you can find fruits, vegetables, and meat. One of the first things you will see (depending on where you enter), might be lots of Hungarian paprika. At the picture beneath you can see the Hungarian paprika in all sorts of shapes.

You will often notice that Hungarian food has a red color. It might be a soup, a sauce, or a stew, but the red color normally comes from using the Hungarian paprika. In the market hall, you can buy it as a powder (ideal for use in soups, stews, and sauces). But, you might also buy the real paprika, but that is often used as a decoration, and not so much for actual cooking. One of the coolest things to bring home from the Grand Market Hall is a glass with paprika-stew, named Erös Pista (Strong Stephen). Add a teaspoon of this to your food, and it will give a strong Hungarian taste to your food.

If you want to have a nice lunch, then you shouldn’t forget about the dessert. But, no need to worry. You can find lots of dessert solutions in the market hall. At the picture above you can see some of the most traditional Hungarian cakes, including the round biscuit covered in chocolate, with jam in the middle, the so-called Ischler.

Would you rather eat some hand-made chocolate for dessert? There are lots of chocolate with all sorts of spices and extras in the Market Hall.

All sorts of meat

If you are a meat-lover, then you will find all sorts of interesting meat in the market hall. You can, of course, find traditional meat like chicken wings, chicken breast, minced meat, steaks, and so on. But, you will also find more interesting pieces like the ones you can see on the image beneath. There you can see larynx from a pig, cow interiors like lounges, hearts, kidneys, spleen, and other delicious stuff. Besides these, you can also find testicles, tongues, ears, and other culinary exotic objects, so get ready for cooking!

Would you rather buy some Hungarian sausage, salami, or maybe some liver paste? You can buy such objects as you walk around inside the Market Hall. It might not be as exotic as the meat portrayed above, but it is easier to prepare, and maybe also digest for some of those with a faint heart and scared of eating interior parts of animals.

Not only meat, luckily!

Hopefully, the vegetarian readers of this blog still read the article, because now comes the part they might prefer. Hungary is a nation of agriculture, meaning that there are fresh vegetables and fruits available throughout the year, at very nice prices.

Maybe you want to enjoy a fruit salad before continuing your walk? You can easily buy such a salad in the market hall, and you can also find places, where you can buy fresh, pressed orange juice and grapefruit juice if that sounds good.

Would you like to drink raw juice? There are lots of vegetables ideal for juicing in the market hall. But, you can, of course, buy some beetroot and create a creamy soup with it instead? Or maybe buy a cabbage to create the traditional Hungarian stuffed cabbage?

There is a lot of fruits available in the market hall, and they are sold at great prices. During harvest season, this is one of the cheapest places in Budapest to buy watermelon, grapes, strawberries, raspberries, peach, apricot, pears, apples, plums, and other juicy fruits. You might not bring with you several kilos of fruits as you leave Budapest, but you should absolutely eat some kilos of fruits while in Budapest! You can also buy dried fruits in the market hall, making it even easier to digest fruits while walking the streets of Budapest throughout the day.

Would you rather buy some fresh seeds, peas? Everything is possible in the market hall!

We have just been walking around the ground floor of the market hall in Budapest, but there is much more to see (also on this level). But, maybe you have gotten tired and want to take a break and grab something to eat? Let us visit the second floor to see what it has to offer!

The second floor

The most popular place to eat in the Market Hall is in the Fakanal restaurant on the second floor. Here you can eat in a very traditional environment (typical red/white tablecloth), and you are served all sorts of traditional dishes. If you want to taste Hungarian fruit-spirits (Palinka), that is possible as well in this restaurant.

As I mentioned earlier, the second floor is where most tourists spend their time in the market hall. Do you need to buy some souvenirs that you should bring home to your kids or some other family member? This is the floor in which that can be done.

Does a typical Russian doll (a matryoshka doll) sound interesting? You can find them with all sorts of motives, making it a possible funny gift to bring with you home. Maybe you want to buy a chess board instead? There are handmade chess-tables waiting for you on the second floor, as well as keyholders and other small objects.

But, what is it that most ladies prefer to buy in the Grand Market Hall? The number one answer in Budapest is table clothes. These are (mostly) hand-made, and they are either clean white or made with typical Hungarian colors. These are very popular, and a gift many bring home to their elder family members.

The only problem is that most people fear to use them, as they are afraid to spill on them. For that reason, lots of people have 3-4 similar table clothes in their cupboard at home already, but still, they manage to buy at least one more during a visit the to Market Hall in Budapest.

I hope you have enjoyed this culinary walk in the Grand Market Hall of Budapest. It is an amazing place everyone should visit, and if you have a kitchen available during your stay in Budapest, it is even better!

Have you been to the market hall in Budapest? Did you enjoy it? I would love to hear your thoughts and comments!

The Károlyi garden in the heart of Budapest

Posted on September 12, 2018 by Budapest Guide

Few tourists have ever seen or visited the Károlyi garden, but if you want a breath of fresh air and a green lounge in the midst of your shopping time in Budapest, this is a garden worth visiting.

The Károlyi garden is located close to Váci utca, the shopping street in Budapest, but still hidden away. It is found in somewhere in the middle between famous spots such as Ferenciek tére, Astoria, and Kalvin tér. The park is one of the oldest parks of its kind in Hungary, and it has a rich and a long history.

The beautiful Karolyi garden in the heart of Budapest.

It had its “prime-time” in the 19th century when it had lots of exotic flowers, its own tennis court, and other nice elements. The Károlyi family (the owners of the park) planned on selling the park at the start of the 20th century. However, it ended up in the hands of the state. Unfortunately, the park was heavily damaged during the Second World War, but after the war, it was quite quickly restored. But, during the 1970’s the park was closed down for almost ten years due to the construction of metro line three (the blue line). As a result, most flowers and green areas in the park died, and this had to be fixed over again as the construction work was finished.

Today it is a beautiful park. It doesn’t have the exotic flowers anymore, but it is still a peaceful lung in the heart of Budapest. There are two playgrounds in the park, there is a fountain, and there are several places where you can sit down to relax and gain new strength before discovering more hidden parts of Budapest.

The park is located next to the Karolyi palace, a beautiful building finished in 1830. Inside the palace, you can find the Petöfi Literature Museum, and you can also find the Karolyi restaurant, the location for one of our popular wine dinners in Budapest.

A fantastic wine-dinner in Budapest

Posted on September 5, 2018September 12, 2018 by Budapest Guide

We have just extended our list of wine tasting opportunities in Budapest with a magnificent wine dinner. It is a three-course dinner that is served together with three fantastic wines in the Károlyi restaurant, in the heart of Budapest.

The first thing that comes to your mind as you enjoy this wine dinner, is the incredible location of the restaurant. It is in the heart of Budapest, but it is still very quiet and in a very peaceful environment. From early spring till late autumn it is a perfect place to enjoy an outdoor wine dinner, as you sit in a quiet garden, next to a green park.

Want to enjoy this wine dinner yourself? Visit our wine tasting page and send us a reservation request today!

While enjoying the wine dinner outdoors, we could still hear the pianist playing the piano nicely on the inside. But, what did we actually eat at this wine dinner?

On a nice evening it is delightful to enjoy the wine dinner outdoors.

The first course – Goose liver brulée

The first course gave the entire experience a flying start. This was goose liver like never before. It was served on a tasty sweet bread, with caramelized brown sugar on the top. All of us enjoying the meat would gladly have stopped the experience right here, just to eat this alone over and over again. It was served together with a very nice dry white wine from the vulcanic Badacsony region.

starter wine dinner — What a start with this goose liver brulée – You just have to try it!

The second course – Veal goulash in a potato pancake

After the fantastic starter, we were ready for some heavier food. We were served a traditional Hungarian course, the Veal goulash, but with an uncommon side dish, a potato pancake. It was a tasty experience and served together with a red wine from the Szekszárd region, made by Vida Péter (the most famous winemaker in the region), this was a perfect main course for our wine dinner.

veal goulash with pancake — Veal goulash inside a potato pancake – eat it all, and you will for sure not leave the restaurant hungry!

The third course – Lime cake with fruits

The final of the wine dinner was a lime cake with fruits. It was an absolutely worthy finish of the meal, especially as it was accompanied by one of the most traditional sweet white wines from Tokaj, a Tokaji Szamorodni. The cake itself wasn’t very sweet (it didn’t contain any sugar, not gluten), but it was a perfect combination together with the sweet Tokaj wine.

The lime cake was a perfect dessert combination together with the sweet Tokaj wine.

As we finished up our meal, we so much enjoyed our evening, that we sat outside in the fresh air for some more hours just chatting and enjoying the atmosphere. We had enjoyed all three courses, but we all agreed, that the starter was the most surprising (very positively speaking) course to all of us.

The wines accompanying the courses just made the experience even better.

wine dinner in budapest — If you like wine and good food, this wine dinner is for you!

Doesn’t this sound like a great way to spend an evening in Budapest? Would you like to try the wine dinner yourself? Read more about our wine tasting experiences in Budapest and send a reservation request at our wine tasting page.

If you have got a question, or want to share your thoughts, please use the comment field beneath.

How to watch the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Budapest?

Posted on May 25, 2018June 6, 2018 by Budapest Guide

I would love to watch the FIFA World Cup in Budapest, and wonder how and where it can be done?

It is very easy to watch the FIFA World Cup in Budapest. There are lots of sports-pubs all around town that will show the matches, and during such large events, restaurants also install large TV-screens on which visitors can watch the matches. But, if you want to be sure, check out with your restaurants, or plan to visit a sports-pub instead.

You can also watch the different matches on a TV in your hotel room. The TV channel M4 in Hungary will broadcast all the matches live (for free), so turn on your TV and look for M4!

Some recommended sports-pubs in Budapest

Champs: Dohany Utca 20
John Bull Pub: Apáczai Csere János u. 17
Becketts: Liszt Ferenc tér 11.

Public screening of the FIFA World Cup in Budapest

Would you like to watch the FIFA World Cup together with hundreds, and maybe thousands of others? The best place to watch the FIFA World Cup in Budapest is at the Szabadsag square (Liberty Square), located between the Hungarian Parliament and the St. Stephen’s Basilica. Here you will find two large screens, and it is an amazing place to watch the matches. Besides that, you will normally find a large screen next to the Allee mall, but we haven’t got it confirmed yet if it will be so in 2018 as well.

Watch the World Cup online

If you want to watch the FIFA World Cup online on your tablet, telephone or computer, visit mediaklikk.hu, click ELO in the right corner (upper) and press M4. You can then see the free live stream of all the matches.

But, if you miss the English speaking commentators, you can also watch the FIFA World Cup on BBC/ITV online, or maybe on German TV, Swiss TV, or Dutch TV online. It might be a bit more complicated, but you can read more on how to stream the FIFA World Cup online here.

Enjoy watching the FIFA World Cup in Budapest!

Ten advises if you come to Budapest for the Christmas markets!

Posted on October 4, 2017December 8, 2022 by Budapest Guide

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.

Christmas market in Budapest recommendations — 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.

book your Budapest table — 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!