Best time to visit Hungary

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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 26 - DECEMBER 05)

Kelenföld Power Station Visit

all year round • activity

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

Ruin Pubs

all year round • activity

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

Széchenyi Thermal Bath—Winter Warm-up

November–March • activity

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

Flea Markets

all year round • activity

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

Budapest Christmas Markets

early November–early January • event

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

City Park Ice Rink

late November–February • activity

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

Pálinka

September–May • food

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

Hortobágy Birdwatching

October–November • nature

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

Hortobágy National Park

March–November • nature

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

26 THINGS TO DO OUT OF SELECTED DATE RANGE

Busójárás

February 11–16, 2021 • 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

early/mid-August 2021 • event

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

Húsvéti Locsolkodás or Wet Monday

April 5, 2021 • 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

The Red Bull Air Race

July 13–14, 2019 • event

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

CAFe Budapest Contemporary Arts Festival

October 9–25, 2020 • event

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

Cruising the Danube

March–October • activity

A romantic way to see the greatest sights of Budapest

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

Christmas Bejgli

December 24–December 25 • food

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

Blooming of the Tisza

May–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