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Best time to visit

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The best time to visit Budapest is December since the city is all about Christmas spirit with its markets, twinkling trams, ice-skating rinks, and Christmas treats. Besides, Széchenyi Thermal Bath will keep you warm during chilly winter days. Being charming all year round, Budapest can be a perfect setting for hiking and wakeboarding in summer. Moreover, March through October is a perfect season for exploring the Danube and city's greatest sights. In August, you can go crazy during the famous Sziget Festival and even have a chance to celebrate Michael Jackson's birthday under the memorial tree.

30 things to do in Budapest

Summer

May–September Weather

Hot and dry season is peak time for tourists to visit the city

City Park Ice Rink

late November–February Activity

Sliding, gliding, skating, and skiing in front of a Neo-Baroque castle

Wakeboarding

May–October Activity

A perfect activity if you're looking for extreme even while travelling

Flea Markets

all year round Activity

Punk fashion, vintage watches, and 18th-century​ cups are waiting for their new owners

Budapest Timewheel or Időkerék

December 31 Event

Time is a flow of glass particles in a Budapest park through the choke of a giant Timewheel

Sziget Festival

August 7-12, 2024 Event

The island of freedom is where almost half-a-million people from around a hundred countries meet

The Fisherman's Bastion

December–February | April–May | September–October Activity

The view from the balconies of the Bastion is incomparable during the winter months

Budapest Autumn Festival (Budapesti Őszi Fesztivál)

October 2–18, 2024 Event

Feel the spirit of Contemporary Art on the streets of ancient Budapest

Mézeskalács or Honey Biscuits

December 24–December 25 | February 14 Food

Sweet honey delicacies for a sweet Hungarian Christmas or St. Valentine's Day

Margitsziget

April–October Activity

A green gem of Budapest in the middle of the mighty Danube

Pálinka

September–May Food

Hungarians say "Pálinka in small amounts is a medicine, in large amounts a remedy"

Flora of Sas-hegy

April–May Nature

Meet the gentle flora of the Ice Age on top of one of the Buda's hills

Budapest Christmas Markets

November–December Event

Open an Advent calendar's window and welcome Christmas with Hungarians

Christmas Bejgli

December 24–December 25 Food

Poppy-seeds and walnuts are baked into specialty pastries for Christmas Eve

Christmas Trams

early December–early January Event

Not only the streets of Budapest are lighted up during the Christmas celebrations but also its streetcars

Kelenföld Power Station Visit

all year round Activity

The collision of Art Deco architecture and abandoned technology under one roof

Michael Jackson Memorial Tree

August 29 Event

Celebrate Michael Jackson's birthday near his memorial tree

Cruising the Danube

March–October Activity

A romantic way to see the greatest sights of Budapest

Mangalica Festival

February 2023 Event

Hungarian pigs are fed only with pasture plants, potatoes, and pumpkins in order to enhance the flavour of their meat

Kürtőskalács or Sekler Cake Festival

May 12–14, 2023 Event

You can't say you have been to Hungary, if you haven't tried this pastry

Széchenyi Thermal Bath—Winter Warm-up

November–March Activity

Chilly winter days are perfect for a swim in an outdoor bath in Budapest

Hiking in Budapest

May–September Activity

Some light hiking within the city limits is a great activity between tasting Hungarian cuisine

Ruin Pubs

all year round Activity

Most ruins across the world are about age, but ruins in Budapest are about pubs

Unicum Bar

August 7-12, 2024 Event

Try the iconic Hungarian spirit at the iconic Hungarian music festival

Easter Food

March 31, 2024 Food

Sweet bread with salty ham and spicy dressing can be very extravagant for many, but not for Hungarians

Festival of Folk Arts

August 17-20, 2024 Event

Challenge yourself in blacksmithing, woodcarving, or feltmaking!

Hungarian F1 Grand Prix

August 1-3, 2025 Event

Hungaroring, a tough and spectacular narrow circuit near Budapest, is loved by drivers and viewers

Easter (Húsvét)

March 31, 2024 Event

The feast of Húsvét in Hungary is a cultural celebration involving folk arts and traditional foods

Halloween

late October Event

Get lost in scary medieval labyrinths or get loose on a Danube cruise

New Year's Eve

December 31 Event

Usher in the new year in Budapest—choose from a variety of NYE parties for any taste

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