Questions about hotel location
 

We are about to take a tour including 3 days in Budapest. We are staying at NH Budapest City hotel. We have some free time and would like some ideas on what to do,and of course would like to dine along the Danube and have a great memory of Budapest. I don't actually see a tour of Parliament? I would think this is a must for visiting this beautiful city. I would also like to do the baths? Are they open in June? How would we get there from this location.? Any help would appreciated or ideas on a nice restaurant. Thanks so much. We leave 10 June.

Baths are open the whole year.

For what to see do:

Castle and the heights on the Buda side
Walk the bridge across the river
Take an evening boat ride to see the city lit up
There are several wonderful museums on the Pest size

My favorites there were the big Central market;the House of Terror museum which was fascinating,the House of Hungarian wines by the Buda castlewhich is just across the street from the Hilton hotel(sample over 100 wines for around $10) and the "Statue Park" which is about 15 minutes outside of the city on the city bus. It contains all the old Soviet statues arranged in a park setting and is quite interesting!

Personally, I am not that keen on the Parliament tour. But the area around Parliament is fantastic. It gets better each day as they finish the statues. I prefer the Opera House if I wanted to go inside a building.and stick your head into the Franz Liszt academy which is spectacular.

There are baths all over the city, so it depends which one you want to visit. I suggest you get a 72 hour transportation pass. The public transport can quickly connect you across the entire city.

Given your location, I would stop into the ruin pub, Szimpla Kert. And at least look at the weeping willow tree behind the synagogue. Three days in Budapest is really the minimum to see the main sites of the city. I would arrive with a sketched out plan. Enjoy. The country is pumping tons of money into Budapest. It keeps getting better and better.

I suggest a visit to St. Stephen's Basilica! What a beautiful and colorful interior finish. Of all the cathedrals I've visited in Europe, including St Peter's at the Vatican, this has remained my favorite.

Other suggestions: Hero's Square, Szechenyi Thermal Bath (just up the path from Hero's Square), Chain Bridge, a Danube dinner cruise. I really liked the Hungarian Parliament Tour and to see the crown jewels held by the Americans during the Cold War. The crown has a very interesting history.

I would like to have seen the House of Terror, Museum and Memorial. We just walked past which was a little bizarre but has stuck with me.

These are the standard tourist hot spots but with three days that is what I would see.

Thanks you are the best. I found this site for sightseeing and it seems to include all the sights you mention.

://eng.bigbustours.com/budapest/tour-highlights.html

Are there different Danube dinner cruises to choose from or just one? I see the weather should be in the 70's so that is a great temperature.

The weather today is fantastic... I just went to a little coffee and beer place - only open in the summer as it is all outside. Just beautiful.

The link you included does appear to be the big sites. Of course, Shoes on the Danube (when you go to Parliament). I like the nearby Freedom Square (Szabadsag) where the Ronald Regan statue is (and the US embassy). You cut easily thru this on a nice walk from Parliament to St. Stephens.

In the St.Stephen's neighborhood, i tend to eat at Cafe Kor (hardly undiscovered - hard to get in without reservations).

The most important thing in Budapest is to walk a bridge at night (or ride the 2 tram - written up by National Geographic to be one of the best tram rides in the world). The Danube at night is amazing.

If you go to my profile, you can click on my web site. I write a bit about this area and our prior home, Bratislava.

Again, enjoy.

Oh, and there are lots of dinner cruises, I believe. I am cheap, I just ride the public water ferries that are part of my transportation pass (of course, I don't eat unless I pack a sandwich).

<<Walk the bridge across the river>>

Well, there are four main ones. She probably means the Chain Bridge.

Go to the Terror Museum and the Dohany Utca Synagogue. Hungary is unique: it was on the losing side of both world wars (in WWII, it was a Nazi client state) and chafed the most under the Soviet yoke (it is not slavic, unlike its neighbors). Hungary also suffered the second-highest number of deaths in the Holocaust even though the Holocaust effectively did not reach Hungary until 1944.

Hey Big Russ... Actually, I meant any of them. But my personal favorite is Margit. The views from Liberty, Elisabeth and the Chain are each unique. So yeah, take your pick. (Clearly the Chain Bridge is the one favored by tourists - and it is a nice option).

My husband was born in Hungary. He left when he was 5 so this is his first time back to his birth town. He does speak Hungarian.

Oh Wow how exciting. If you can suggest any neat restaurants along the Danube please share with me. Yes we want to do the Chain Bridge. Julie thanks for your advice. I want him to really enjoy his city from where he came---

I think he will be impressed, Diann24.

A few options on the river... Many people like Spoon, which is a boat. I have never eaten there, I think it is quite overpriced.

We eat at both Trattoria Toscana and Cafe Dionysus. Though they are on the river, like most restaurants, they are not right on the river (the road is between the restaurant and the river).

In the core of the city near the Chain are a bunch of places... All are quite touristy. I am not sure if any of these are good.

I may suggest you eat someplace else, and you have an after dinner drink on the river.

There is a nice cake place on Jaszai Mari ter over looking the river and the Margit bridge. You could eat at Kiskakuuk on Pozsonyi and have a coffee or cake there. It is a nice neighborhood just beyond the tourist crush. Walk out on the Margit bridge after dinner for a fantastic view. The 2 tram ends on Jaszai Mari ter.

Julie, Thanks so much. Now where is all of this in relation to our hotel? Are we located within walking distance to any of these restaurants or sights? I sent the hotel email many months ago but never received an answer in terms of tours from the hotel. Not knowing our way around I felt our time would be better utilized on a tour of the city.

We are planning a trip to Budapest in March 2015. I am following this thread with interest.

tC

Well, I walk a lot.... So I could easily walk to/from these to your hotel. Trattoria Toscana and Dionysus are the closest.

You should get a transport pass as soon as you arrive. The system is easy to use. The city is big and at times you will want to just hop a metro or tram.

Julie, I am also a "walker." I have a dog and we love to walk around. He keeps me moving. You have been so much help and I will find those restaurants you mention. I will print this out and keep it with me.

teacherCanada, I am glad to be of some help to you. Enjoy our trip.

Julie,

we just returned from our tour. Budapest was awesome and DH felt so at home there being fluent in Hungarian. We did St. Stephens and yes it is awesome and such a wonderful area. We did the huge market area, the Opera House was fantastic. We loved the tour. The café across the street was great as well. We saw the "shoes" on the ledge by the Danube and House of Terrors. A sad time for sure for the people. One cannot visit these countries without realizing there terrors at one time. At any rate it they were sad places.

We did the Castle. We were not able to get into the House of Parliament. We walked and walked but that is the best way to see the city. We also went on the huge Ferris Wheel. Great views. It was very hot, 92 one day. It did not slow us down. We went on the Danube boat ride at night went to some park that is an island (Margaret?) Thanks for all your help I just wanted to report back.

We also ate some Hungarian restaurants but to he honest my favorite was a Gyro--they were one of the best I ever had. 600huf made it a great deal.

We then went onto Vienna, and Prague. Prague is a fantastic storybook type of place. It was also wonderful.