Best time to visit Budapest

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Budapest

Best time of year to visit Budapest

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.

9 THINGS TO DO IN BUDAPEST (DECEMBER 05 - DECEMBER 14)

Budapest Christmas Markets

Budapest Christmas Markets

November–December • event

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

Kelenföld Power Station Visit

Kelenföld Power Station Visit

all year round • activity

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

Széchenyi Thermal Bath—Winter Warm-up

Széchenyi Thermal Bath—Winter Warm-up

November–March • activity

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

Ruin Pubs

Ruin Pubs

all year round • activity

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

Flea Markets

Flea Markets

all year round • activity

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

City Park Ice Rink

City Park Ice Rink

late November–February • activity

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

Christmas Trams

Christmas Trams

early December–early January  • event

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

Winter Wonderland at the Fisherman's Bastion

Winter Wonderland at the Fisherman's Bastion

December–February • activity

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

Pálinka

Pálinka

September–May • food

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

20 THINGS TO DO OUT OF SELECTED DATE RANGE

Sziget Festival

Sziget Festival

out of rangeAugust 7-12, 2024 • event

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

Mangalica Festival

Mangalica Festival

on holdFebruary 2023 • event

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

Festival of Folk Arts

Festival of Folk Arts

out of rangeAugust 18–20, 2023 • event

Challenge yourself in blacksmithing, woodcarving, or feltmaking!

Easter (Húsvét)

Easter (Húsvét)

out of rangeMarch 31, 2024 • event

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

Budapest Autumn Festival (Budapesti Őszi Fesztivál)

Budapest Autumn Festival (Budapesti Őszi Fesztivál)

out of rangeOctober 2–18, 2023 • event

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

Cruising the Danube

Cruising the Danube

out of rangeMarch–October • activity

A romantic way to see the greatest sights of Budapest

Christmas Bejgli

Christmas Bejgli

out of rangeDecember 24–December 25 • food

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

Budapest Timewheel or Időkerék

Budapest Timewheel or Időkerék

out of rangeDecember 31 • event

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

Hungarian F1 Grand Prix

Hungarian F1 Grand Prix

out of rangeJuly 21, 2024 • event

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

Flora of Sas-hegy

Flora of Sas-hegy

out of rangeApril–May • nature

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

Kürtőskalács or Sekler Cake Festival

Kürtőskalács or Sekler Cake Festival

out of rangeMay 12–14, 2023 • event

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

Mézeskalács or Honey Biscuits

Mézeskalács or Honey Biscuits

out of rangeDecember 24–December 25 | February 14 • food

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

New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve

out of rangeDecember 31 • event

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

Margitsziget

Margitsziget

out of rangeApril–October • activity

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

Hiking in Budapest

Hiking in Budapest

out of rangeMay–September • activity

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

Halloween

Halloween

out of rangelate October  • event

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

Wakeboarding

Wakeboarding

out of rangeMay–October • activity

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

Unicum Bar

Unicum Bar

out of rangeAugust 7-12, 2024 • event

Try the iconic Hungarian spirit at the iconic Hungarian music festival

Michael Jackson Memorial Tree

Michael Jackson Memorial Tree

out of rangeAugust 29 • event

Celebrate Michael Jackson's birthday near his memorial tree

Easter Food

Easter Food

out of rangeApril 9, 2023 • food

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

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