Best time to visit Hungary

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Hungary

Best time of year to visit Hungary

Picturesque Lake Balaton, the Danube cruises, exploring nature in Hortobágy National Park—there are many things to do in Hungary at any time of year. The best time to visit Hungary depends on your travel interests. November and December are excellent for birdwatching and holiday shopping at Budapest Christmas Market, as well as dipping in thermal baths. In February or early March, visitors can see Busójárás, a 500-year-old​ festival with bonfires and scary monsters. Hungary's most popular Sziget music festival is traditionally held in August.

9 THINGS TO DO IN HUNGARY (NOVEMBER 28 - DECEMBER 07)

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

Pálinka

Pálinka

September–May • food

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

Hortobágy Birdwatching

Hortobágy Birdwatching

October–November • nature

Dress warm and prepare your camera for impressive pictures of gorgeous wild birds

Hortobágy National Park

Hortobágy National Park

March–November • nature

Hortobágy is the most traditional Hungarian landscape with its endless plains and archetypal houses

27 THINGS TO DO OUT OF SELECTED DATE RANGE

Busójárás

Busójárás

out of rangeFebruary 8-13, 2024 • event

The 500-year-old​ traditions with bonfires and parades of fearsome monsters unfold on the bank of the Danube making one of the strangest and most unforgettable events in Hungary

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

Tihany Lavender Field & Festival

Tihany Lavender Field & Festival

out of rangemid-June–early July • nature

Blooming lavender and dancing butterflies are a perfect combination for a romantic trip

The Red Bull Air Race

The Red Bull Air Race

overJuly 13–14, 2019 • event

When getting too tired from walking around the city, take a train to Zamárdi on Lake Balaton

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

Húsvéti Locsolkodás (or Wet Monday)

Húsvéti Locsolkodás (or Wet Monday)

out of rangeApril 1, 2024 • event

'I was walking in a green forest, I saw a blue violet, it had started to wilt, may I sprinkle it?' – this is what the men ask the women on this holiday before sprinkling them with water

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

Blooming of the Tisza

Blooming of the Tisza

out of rangeMay–early June • nature

Millions of mayflies emerge from the river, creating a spectacular fog. Don't miss this incredible nature phenomenon, which lasts for three-four days only

Cruising the Danube

Cruising the Danube

out of rangeMarch–October • activity

A romantic way to see the greatest sights of Budapest

Balaton Sound

Balaton Sound

out of rangeJuly 3-6, 2024 • event

Don't miss the chance to see some of the biggest names in electronic music

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

Paprika Harvest

Paprika Harvest

out of rangeSeptember–October • food

Add some spicy "red gold" to your visit in Hungary

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

Országos Kéktúra

Országos Kéktúra

out of rangeAugust–September • activity

Challenge your feet and walk the oldest long distance path in Europe—the National Blue Trail

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

Aggtelek Caves

Aggtelek Caves

out of rangeApril–October • activity

Get acquainted with the underground world of Hungary and see huge stalactites above your head

Michael Jackson Memorial Tree

Michael Jackson Memorial Tree

out of rangeAugust 29 • event

Celebrate Michael Jackson's birthday near his memorial tree

Honey Relishing

Honey Relishing

out of rangeSeptember • food

Hungarian producers offer quite a variety of honey

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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