I have been to Europe several times in the past few years—my first trip ever to the continent was a study abroad experience in Spain. Then, later, I took a trip with my close friend to multiple European countries: the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and day trips to the Czech Republic and Austria. In most recent years, I have taken trips to London, Paris, Spain (again but more of Andalusia) and Portugal. As cliched as it sounds, Europe intrigues me! Eastern Europe has always been on my mind, so when I saw a flight sale from Houston (where I am currently based) to multiple European cities, I knew it was time!
I decided to fly into Budapest and return from Vienna, so I knew I would have the chance of exploring at least 2 cities. I later added a short 1-day overnight trip to Bratislava, which is in between these two major cities. I spent 3 days in Budapest and I felt like that was enough time for me to explore the city and check off a lot of the “must do’s.”
Whenever I travel solo, I usually like to start with a free walking tour of the city. These help me learn more about the city’s history and keep places in mind that I would go back to later on during my trip.
1. Walking tour: I found the “Budapest Free Walking Tour by Locals” on freetour.com. It’s free to reserve the tour—you just sign up and show up! The concept of a “free” walking tour is that you decide how much you want to tip the guide at the end. Most people tip around $10-15. The tours are usually 2.5 hours. I learned a lot about the Austro-Hungarian empire and the effects of Nazi Germany and later the Soviet occupation in the late 20th century. Our guide was super knowledgeable and had grew up in Budapest, so she knew what she was talking about! I even made a new friend while on the walking tour and we ended up exploring the city together later on 🙂
2. Stroll by the Danube river: After the walking tour, we walked by the Danube River. The river divides the region of Pest (east side) from Buda (west side). The river has a humbling installation by its banks called “The shoes of the Danube.” These are brass shoes nailed onto the concrete part of the river banks, signifying the mass murder of Hungarian Jews that were rounded up by the Nazis in the 1940s, were required to take off their shoes and forced to commit suicide by jumping into the freezing Danube River.
3. Buda castle and hill: From the Danube river, you can cross one of the nine bridges found in the city via a pedestrian path. The one we crossed was called the “Chain Bridge.” Castle Hill is known for its beautiful architecture such as museums, the intricate St. Matthias church and Fisherman’s bastion. Fisherman’s bastion is free to visit if you stay on the lower level and you can get a great view of the city and the Danube River from here.
4. St. Matthias Church: I paid to enter this church, which is a really popular tourist attraction and located right next to Fisherman’s bastion. I only had 30 minutes to see the church, because closing time was near, but it was enough time to admire the architecture. The church is classified as a Gothic one but it has colored tile roofs on its exterior that sets it apart from other churches. The church is named after King Matthias Corvinus the Fair, who converted the church in its Gothic style in the 15th century.
Cost to enter: HUF 2,500 ($6.80)
5. Danube River cruise: My walking tour guide helped me reserve a spot on one of these since she had the connection! The cruise company was called “Leyenda Cruises, but there are tons of cruise companies along the river. It’s a 90-minute cruise along the river and you get to see the city lit up. The best part is seeing the infamous parliament building in its golden hues! This cruise came with a guided audio tour and one alcoholic beverage was included (I chose Hungarian red wwine!). It is an amazing way to end your first night in Budapest.
6. Board game night: The new friend I made on my walking tour invited me to a board game night at a game cafe in Budapest and I decided to give it a shot! It was a fun way to meet travelers and Hungarian locals. The best way to do this is to download the Meetup app and find events in the city you’re traveling to. I highly recommend it if you want to meet other travelers and locals.
7. Ruin Bars- Szimpla Kert- One thing that Budapest is known for is its plethora of ruin bars. These are older, abandoned buildings, stores, etc in the old Jewish quarter that was left in ruins after WWII. In the early 2000s, there was a movement to convert these abandoned buildings into something new—eccentric and quirky bars that served as places to socialize. Szimpla Kert is one of the most famous ones. We sampled some Hungarian wine here (Tokaji) while taking in the vibrant atmosphere.
NEXT: Read about my day 2&3 in Budapest here: Solo Adventures: Budapest Days 2 & 3
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