Whether you're planning a short trip or week-long vacation, you certainly cannot miss doing the following things while in Hungary:
Attend a festival
One of the best times to travel to Hungary is, indeed, during the summer months. Not only the weather is great but there are also lots of cool events you can attend such as the famous Budapest Summer Festival.
The Budapest Summer Festival is held annually at the open-air stages of Margaret Island and Varosmajor between the moths of June and September. The festival is no doubt, one of the best festivals in Hungary because it features both arts and music events such as musicals, ballet, orchestra performances and fun activities for both young and old.
Other events worth visiting while in Hungary are St. Stephen's Day (Aug 20), Buda Castle Beer Festival (Aug 29 – Sep 2), Septemberfest (Sep 7-9), and JazzForum Budapest (Sep 7-10).
Book a sightseeing cruise along the Danube River
One of the most enjoyable things you can do for fun in Hungary is taking a sightseeing boat tour or dinner cruise on the river Danube.
Sightseeing boat tours in the day are a fantastic way to see Budapest’s most famous landmarks such as the House of Parliament, Castle Hill, Citadel fortress and the Liberation Monument. Having said this, it’s best to book an evening sightseeing boat tour to see the Budapest beautifully lit up at night.
Climb to Buda Castle on the old funicular
Touring Buda Castle is certainly one of the must do things in Budapest and one of the coolest ways to reach the castle is on the Castle Hill funicular. The funicular is super cheap ($4 round-trip) and offers amazing panoramic views of Budapest. You can catch the funicular from Adam Clark Square and Chain Bridge.
Once in the castle, you’ll be able to get even more fantastic views of the Danube from the ramparts of the castle. By the way, be sure to allocate a good half day for the Buda Castle attraction. There are lots to see in and around the castle such as the fountains, statues, beautiful courtyards, underground labyrinths and, of course, the Hungarian National Gallery and Budapest History Museum.
Take a boat ride along Lake Balaton
A visit to Hungary would not be complete without sailing the stunning Lake Balaton – one of the largest freshwater lakes in Europe. The best way, of course, to explore the lake is by boat such as yacht, which you can hire in Fonyod for around $300. Alternatively, you can hire a smaller boat or catch the ferry ride between Szantod and Tihany (~costs $12) to visit the crypt of King Andras I.
Sure enough, Lake Balaton isn’t just popular for sailing but also for its beaches and nightlife. During the summer months, you can do lots of partying in the city lake of Siofok, which boasts dozens of great clubs such as Disco Palace and Flort Dance Club.
If you’re traveling in mid-July, you’ll also be able to attend the famous Balaton Sound music festival, which draws some top DJ’s every year!
Wine tasting tour of Hungary’s countryside
Exploring the wine regions is without a doubt, one of the 6 things to do when visiting Hungary. Two of the best wine regions in Hungary are Badacsony and Villany and the best way to explore them is, of course, is on a guided tour. The best guided tour you can join is the popular “hop-on-and hop-off “ Badacsony Regional Bus tour, which costs around $12.
Saying this, if you prefer not to venture off too far from Budapest you can always visit the Faust Wine Cellar in Andrew Hess Square. If you’re planning to hire a car or bikes in Pecs you can easily enjoy your own personal wine tour by visiting the wine cellars in Villany, Palkonya and Villanykovesd (around 40 mins drive south of Pecs).
Another great place where you can enjoy an inexpensive and unique wine tasting experience is at the famous “Valley of Beautiful Women in Eger” (Szepasszonyvolgy), which is renowned for its wine cave cellars. Best of all, you’ll be able to buy bottled wine there for just a couple of bucks! You can easily get to Eger from Miskolc (~30 mins drive) and Budapest (~90 mins drive).
By the way, if you do plan to cycle to the wineries, you should bare in mind that drink and driving laws do also apply to cyclists in Hungary.
Enjoy a thermal bath experience
You cannot leave Hungary without experiencing the famous Szechenyi thermal bath in Budapest. This thermal bath is famous for its natural baths heated by hot springs and, of course, the popular eucalyptus steam rooms. Szechenyi Baths are definitely a great experience but if you're visiting during the busy season (winter), it's a good idea to by tickets in advance online or from your hotel to avoid queuing up. (day tickets costs less than $20).
The cave baths in Miskolctapolca are another popular bath experience in Hungary worth visiting because the thermal bath location inside stunning natural caves.
The Miskolc Tapolca cave baths are open all year-round and boast a maze of spa areas such as the hot tub area with jets and bubbles, mini-rapids, and the hydrotherapy room with cascading waterfalls.
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