10 Must-Do Winter Activities in Budapest: Experience the Best of Budapest in Winter!
If you think that Europe is finishing with the most known Capitals cities, you are wrong. Those are the best things to do in Budapest in Winter. The best activity to do in the Hungarian Capital in the coldest months. Budapest is one of the most romantic places in the World.
Winter is a magical time to visit Budapest, Hungary’s capital city. The city’s architecture, thermal baths, and charming Christmas markets are just a few of the things that make Budapest a must-visit destination during the winter season. In this article, we will provide you with an extensive list of things to do in Budapest in winter that will make your trip to the city unforgettable.
Fancy dinner at a posh restaurant with a view from the top of Budapest. Pop in Budapest in Christmas and visit one of the best Christmas Market in Europe. The Hungarian Capital is still one of the most affordable destinations in Europe.
Budapest winter temperatures
Budapest has a broad range of temperatures throughout the winter. The temperature in December ranges from roughly 0°C (32°F) on average to as low as -10°C (14°F) at night. The coldest months are typically January and February, with average highs of -1°C (30°F) and lows of -4°C (25°F).
There are, however, occasionally sporadic days with warmer weather when the temperature may increase to about 5°C (41°F). While visiting Budapest in the winter, be sure to bring warm clothing as well as sturdy shoes for navigating the city’s occasionally ice streets.
Monthly temperature in Budapest in winter
| Month | High/Low Temperature (°C) | Feeling Temperature (°C) | Best for: |
| January | 1/-4 | -2/-9 | Thermal Baths, Ice Skating |
| February | 5/-2 | 3/-6 | City Exploration, River Cruise |
| March | 10/2 | 9/0 | Sightseeing, Street Art Tour |
| April | 16/6 | 17/7 | Outdoor Activities, Day Trips |
BEST THINGS TO DO IN BUDAPEST IN WINTER
Budapest will become soon one of the prettiest locations to visit, worth visiting like Rome or Brussels. it is suitable for any kind of tourism.
If you are a backpacker you will fly to Budapest for cheap. A cosy accommodation will be for less than 20 euro a night or stay in a hostel for 15 euro for a night or less. If you are looking for a relaxing vacation abroad, Budapest has hundreds of Spa and thermal baths ready for you. Looking for hostel etiquette? Check out our guide about hostels in Europe.
How to enjoy the best of the coldest months with a list of top 10 things to do in Budapest in winter. The Hungarian Capital is without any doubt one of my favourite cities of this year. It is a Capital city, and as you know there are so many things to do in Budapest in Winter.
This is just a list of the top 10 things to do in Budapest in Winter. In this post, you will find some of the best Budapest winter pictures, suggestions for your next breakfast in the local coffee houses, eat the famous and typical Chimney cake.
What to do in Budapest in Winter
We have tried to summarise all the best about Budapest. How to visit the Central Market Hall, or go up to the hill and visit the Buda Castle and enjoy the best Budapest winter.
Things to do in Budapest when is cold
Winter is a magical time to visit Budapest, Hungary’s capital city. The city’s architecture, thermal baths, and charming Christmas markets are just a few of the things that make Budapest a must-visit destination during the winter season. In this article, we will provide you with an extensive list of things to do in Budapest in winter that will make your trip to the city unforgettable.
Soak in the Thermal Baths
Budapest is famous for its thermal baths, and they are the perfect place to relax and warm up during the cold winter months. The Széchenyi Thermal Bath is the largest medicinal bath in Europe, with 18 pools of varying temperatures. Other famous baths include the Gellért Thermal Bath and the Rudas Thermal Bath. Check our complete guide to Budapest Spas.
Visit the Christmas Markets
Budapest has some of the most charming Christmas markets in Europe. The markets are filled with handmade crafts, traditional Hungarian food and drink, and live music. The main Christmas markets are in Vörösmarty Square and St. Stephen’s Square.
Explore the City’s Architecture
Budapest’s architecture is stunning year-round, but it takes on a unique charm during winter. The city’s beautiful buildings are covered in snow, making a picturesque backdrop for your winter visit. For us, some of the most impressive buildings include the Hungarian Parliament Building, St. Stephen’s Basilica, and the Fisherman’s Bastion.
Take a Danube River Cruise
A Danube River cruise is a great way to see the city from a different perspective. During the winter in Budapest, the river is calmer, and you can enjoy the city’s landmarks from a peaceful vantage point. Some river cruises also offer dinner and live music for a romantic evening on the Danube.
Try Hungarian Cuisine
Hungarian cuisine is hearty and warming, perfect for the cold winter months. Goulash, a beef stew with paprika and vegetables, is a Hungarian classic and a must-try during your trip. Other popular dishes include chimney cake, a sweet pastry, and langos, a deep-fried dough topped with cheese and sour cream.
Ice Skate at City Park
The Városligeti Műjégpálya ice rink in City Park is a popular winter activity for locals and visitors alike. The ice rink is located next to Vajdahunyad Castle and is open from November to February. You can rent skates at the rink and enjoy the festive atmosphere.
Visit the Budapest History Museum
Among the many indoor activities, popping into a local museum is one of the most interesting. I mean, everyone would love to stay all day in a Spa, but you must interact with locals and know the culture to make the trip worthwhile. Spending some time at the Budapest History Museum is an excellent way to delve into the city’s fascinating past. You’ll find the museum within the walls of the magnificent Buda Castle, and it offers a broad range of exhibits covering the city’s history, from the Roman era to the present day. If you visit Budapest during winter, you can expect to find the museum hosting unique exhibitions and events that add an extra touch of magic to your experience.
Go on a Street Art Tour
Budapest has a thriving street art scene, and the winter season is a great time to explore it. The city’s murals and graffiti take on a different character when set against the snow-covered cityscape. You can take a guided tour or explore on your own.
See a Ballet or Opera Performance
Budapest is known for its world-class ballet and opera performances. The Hungarian State Opera House is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city, and its performances are not to be missed. In addition, during the winter season, the opera house hosts a variety of festive performances.
Go on a Day Trip from Budapest
If you have extra time in Budapest, you can take several great day trips from the city. The nearby towns of Szentendre and Visegrád are both charming and offer a glimpse into Hungarian village life. The Eger wine region is also a great day trip.
Budapest itinerary in winter
Start your day with the best Breakfast Budapest
In the list of the best things to do in Budapest, there is a nice breakfast in a local confectionery. As you know Budapest is plenty of fancy places where eat.
If you will get the best breakfast with a view of Budapest, you need to go to the Icon Restaurant. As you can understand it’s not just for a fancy breakfast, but you can also have dinner or lunch. The view from the top of the restaurant is amazing. You will see the Hungarian Parliament in front of you. The landscape is awesome in the daylight and at night, where it becomes magic and breathtaking. The crown of the fanciest breakfast in the city, according to locals is at the New York Palace, in the centre of Budapest. The New York Palace is in the Jewish Quarter, the interiors are old style with great attention to detail.
Budapest Thermal Baths – Romantic Budapest
Budapest is becoming one of the best fancies destinations for relaxing vacations and water therapy. The Budapest Thermal Baths are not just to relax and take off the tension from your muscle, but it also becoming a nice destination for those who need Spa treatments.
According to a recent census, it is estimated there are approximately 1000 natural spring water sources in Hungary.
Most of the SPA in Budapest is a century old and are built on a natural spring water source. There are many kinds of baths in all Budapest, with different kinds of treatments.
The most important baths on a natural spring water source are the Turkish bath, Kiraly Bath and Ruda Bath.
Szechenyi baths winter | Things to do in Budapest
The Szechenyi Bath is the most instragrammable Spa in Budapest. Popular are the photos of this incredible complex of outdoor pools and relaxing treatments.
Szechenyi baths winter is the best option if you are heading to Budapest. The facilities are open every day, with special parties at night. Check all the events hosted. (Official website)
The price for the Szechenyi baths starts from 20 euro, you can add a lot of features like the fast track entrance. If you don’t have towels, the swimwear doesn’t worry, you can hire or buy the necessary clothes at the local shop. For more information about the best Spa in Budapest, follow our guide.
Be aware, some pools need the swimming cap, without you will see yourself denied to use that pool, you can buy it at the entrance. Check all the prices on the official website.
Winter parties at the Szechenyi Baths of Budapest
If you are heading to Budapest in December, we will suggest you don’t miss the amazing Budapest parties. There is the best New Year’s Eve Budapest Parties at the Szechenyi Baths on December 30.
There is a party indoor and outdoor. If you don’t feel to be involved in a SPA new year party, take a break for a day and at night go for riverboat parties on the Danube.
Shopping in the city centre
The city shopping centre is amazing, full of well-known brands from all over the World. Like any Capital in the World. Budapest collects the best of the fashion, food and technology in the city shopping centre.
Walking around the main way, looking at the shop windows will be one of the top things to do in Budapest in Winter. The main fashion street, with the best trendy brands is on Deak Ferenc U. Here you will also find on this street coffee shops like Starbucks and the great Hard Rock Cafè.
Budapest is an affordable city, ideal for who is looking to travel on a budget.
Even if Hungary is not jet in the Euro monetary system, some shop accepts Euro. Some restaurants and bar, will allow you to pay with the European currency. But when you are paying in Euro, be away about the exchange rate.
Visit the Fisherman’s Bastion
The Fisherman’s Bastion is the monumental building on the top of the hill of Buda. The south part of the city. It is amazing on the daylight and incredible at night. This place needs to be on the top of your list if you are visiting Budapest in winter.
Fisherman’s Bastion is one of the top Budapest attractions, a breathtaking ticket to heaven. It is a fortification around the city of Buda. The castle was built in the 19th century and served as a lookout tower. The fortress is becoming one of the top photo spots in Budapest.
The panoramic view on the Parliament, especially at night give to this fortress the crown of one of the best instagrammable spot in Europe. Check our list of the best photo locations in Budapest.
Spend the night out and have at the famous Ruin Pubs
Ok, for sure you don’t know what is a ruin pub. Well, we didn’t know as well before head to Budapest. The Ruin Pubs are the local icons of Budapest.
They are really proud of this kind of bars, even if the history of how those are been built is not the best.
The ruin pubs are occupied buildings, those have the main character to be a really artistic and recycling place.
Well, explaining better, those pubs have been built with old sofas and chairs, furniture in disuse and renowned.
Some of the Ruin pubs don’t have stylistic sense, it has made with furniture of different places.
What is a Ruin Pubs in Budapest?
First of all, you will be catapulted in a different word, sometimes garden, sometimes a grandmother living room. The Ruin Pubs are also the cheapest solution for your travel. Take a local craft beer, that will cost you even less than a euro.
Some Ruin Pubs has inside a local market, where you can find a farmer selling their own products for a ridiculous price. Visit a Ruin Pub will also contribute to saving the environment, reducing the impact.
Budapest Hannukah | Festivities and culture in Budapest
Budapest Hannukkah is one the best winter event in the Hungarian Capital. It is a celebration of the Jewish community, really large in Budapest.
The Jewish quarter in Budapest is special during this period, which has no set date and could come anytime between November and December.
The Hannukkah is organized in the Districts 6 and 7 of Budapest.
There are a lot of tours around the Jewish Quarter in Budapest, some are free and really worth to do. The Jewish community remember very well the Holocaust period, they lose hundreds of thousands during the black period of Europe.
The memory is still vivid and strong in the mind of the people and on the walls of the Jewish Quarter.
Eight days of celebration during the Hannukkah will be lighting up Budapest with concerts, theatre performances and live show, which is the best way to welcome travellers.
Hungarian Wine Tasting
We will bet not many people know Hungary is a really good producer of tasty wine. It is true, the wine tasting tours is an upcoming market for Hungary because not everyone knows they are an excellent producer of wine.
All around Budapest is full of the grape tree. In the river city, are growing the places offering a wine tasting and a tour of the wine cellars. You will also find a lot of day tours outside of Budapest, showing you where are growing the grape tree and can take you to an amazing experience discovering the Hungarian wine.
Stroll around the city centre looking for the dozen of wine bars, taking the best of your time in Budapest in the winter months.
Skating in the City Park of Budapest in winter
One of the best experiences in winter in Budapest is to go skating in the city park. The most known ice-rink in Budapest is at City Park, it is also one of the biggest. Skating in the City Park needs to be on the top of your list of things to do in Budapest at Christmas.
The City Park ice skating rink is popular because in 2012 was the pitch of the European Speed Skating Championship. So be ready to go fast, it is the place chosen from the best of Budapest.
The City Park is not the only in the city, more artificial skating park are in both the part of the Hungarian Capital.
In Buda, you will find an ice rink at the Christmas Market of St. Stephen’s Basilica. On the opposite side of the river, in Pest, there is the Obuda Christmas Market, in the homonym district.
Christmas Markets – December in Budapest
The best period of the year for visit Budapest is without any doubt Christmas. The Hungarian Capital is plenty of Christmas Market, selling all kind of locals products, from handmade goods to craft beers and wine.
One of the top things to try at a Christmas Market in Budapest is absolutely the mulled wine and the roasted chestnuts. Those are the typical Christmas products. As we said before there are a lot of Christmas Markets from November to January. It has become one of the biggest concentration of Christmas markets in Europe.
The Verosmarty Square Christmas Market, in the Buda part, is one of the oldest in the city. The market is close to the local Hard Rock Cafè and has won many winter travel top list in Europe. The newest city Christmas market is also in the Buda part. Down of the St. Stephen’s Cathedral, in the homonyms square.
So as you can read, visit a Christmas Market is one of the best things to do in Budapest in December.
Why not visit all of them, there is a lot of the Budapest Christmas market tour, with also a focus on the local wine for a perfect tour of the city in the Xmas period.
What to pack for Budapest in winter
- Warm jacket/coat
- Hat and gloves
- Scarf
- Thermal underwear
- Sweaters and long-sleeved shirts
- Winter boots
- Thick socks
- Umbrella or waterproof jacket
- Hand and feet warmers (optional)
- Swimsuit (for visiting thermal baths)
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The thermal baths sound like a great reward after a day of sightseeing. The pub crawl sounds like a lot of fun.
I know. The best thing to do, Bath in the afternoon and then the pub crawl in the evening. So you can enjoy an amazing night but relaxed.
The Szechny baths look wonderful! About how much time would recommend spending at one of the baths?
Well, once you pay the entrance you can stay as much as you want. Me, for example, I would stay all day!!
But I would say about 3 – 4 hours. I think it is the best solution so later you can enjoy the best of Budapest.
That’s a lot of fun activities! I’ve always wanted to visit Budapest ever since we booked tickets for visitors there during my stint with SQ (Singapore Airlines). Lovely place!
Great post guys! Budapest is very close to my hometown so I’m there quite often and I’m glad that you enjoyed your stay! 🙂
I would love to visit Budapest. So many interesting sights to see. Am curious to know how expensive it is compared to the rest of Europe.
Budapest is not really expensive. We have been out for a dinner, two of us, starter, two main courses and drink, everything £25 both of us. It’s not expensive at all.