BUDAPEST
Back in March, my friends and I took a girls trip to Eastern Europe. One of my all time favorite places was Budapest: capital of Hungary and one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.
We spent two days exploring and eating in this wonderful city! Separated by the Danube River, Budapest is a beautiful city comprised of two towns. “Buda” is on the west side of the river where the majority of residents live. “Pest” is located on the east side of the river where you can find the majority of the famous sights.
WHAT TO DO AND SEE:
SZECHENYI THERMAL BATH
We took a taxi here and spent a couple hours in the bath! There is a whirlpool at one end where it gets a little dodgy. Also, no alcohol is allowed in the bath.
GELLERT HILL HIKE
Gellert hill is about a 30 to 45 minute hike on the “buda” side of Budapest. Once you get to the top of the hill, the panoramic views of the city are incredible!
WHERE TO EAT:
HACHAPURI - TRADITIONAL GEORGIAN RESTAURANT
I CANNOT express enough just how WONDERFUL this meal was! If you’re going to Budapest anytime soon, then do yourself a favor and get dinner here. We got the traditional Georgian feast for 4 people and it was more food than we could eat. Not pictured was the amazing chicken (Chkmeruli), dumplings (Khinkali), and dessert that was also included in the meal. I want to go back tomorrow just to eat here again (especially the “cheese pizza” (aka Khachapuri)!
We ordered the traditional four-course Georgian dinner for four people. It was out-standing!!
KARAVAN BUDAPEST
This was a yummy grouping of parked food trucks. Some of the vendors took CC, but most took cash. There is an ATM nearby just in case you need to take some cash out. I got the burger and then we had an interesting experience with the bartenders while getting beer. It was a great spot for a quick bite.
FASIRT KITCHEN
Traditional Hungarian meatballs - need I say more? Click the link above for a super thorough overview of this yummy restaurant!
WHERE TO STAY
MOMENTS BUDAPEST
Moments Budapest is a centrally located hotel on the “pest” side. It is close to the majority of the famous sights as well as amazing restaurants!
Overall, Budapest was my favorite city out of the four that we visited while in Eastern Europe. We were only there for a short two days so I would love to go back. The city is so affordable and beautiful, not to mention all the yummy food! Definitely a place that you should add to your travel bucket list!
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:
LANGUAGE: Hungarian, although most everyone we met spoke English.
CURRENCY: Hungarian Forint. While most places accepted bank cards or credit cards, we did withdraw some cash from an ATM once we arrived.
GRATUITY: Tipping is not as customary as it is in the states. Plan on leaving ~30Ft to 50Ft per drink at the bar and between 10-12% while dining at restaurants.
GETTING AROUND: Budapest is a very walk-able city. We did a free walking tour around the city to see the historic sights. Instead of Uber, Bolt is the way to call a taxi or request a ride. We also used the Metro for some destinations that were further away. Other than that, everything is very centrally located so make sure that your hotel is located in the city center!
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