Escape For A Wonderful Day Trip To Budapest From Vienna

If you have limited time to explore Budapest Hungary, don’t panic! We went on a day trip to Budapest from Vienna so only had one day to explore. Budapest has a lot to offer, from unlimited history, breathtaking views, and even thermal baths to relax! 

To make the most of your time one day in Budapest on a day trip from Vienna, here’s my suggested itinerary with some useful tips before you go.

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A Bit About Budapest Hungary

Before visiting Budapest from Vienna, it’s important to understand a bit of history.

Budapest used to be two different districts of Hungary: Buda and Pest. Separated by the Danube, you had the hilly Buda and the flat Pest, now they’re joined together to form Hungary’s capital. 

How To Get To Budapest From Vienna

It’s really easy to go on a day trip to Budapest from Vienna. You have four options for travel between the two cities (and countries): bus, train, renting a car, or going on an organized tour from Vienna to Budapest (like this one on Viator).

We opted for the 2 hour bus ride offered by Flixbus. It was the quickest and cheapest option with the least amount of hassle. Flixbus had more than enough departure times to choose from so we were able to leave Vienna early and Budapest late, to have the fullest experience possible there.

The only downside to taking the bus is that the station isn’t in the city centre (in either city). So after your bus ride to Budapest from Vienna, you’ll still have about a 25 minute ride on public transport (BKK).

From the bus station in Budapest, you can jump straight onto the M3 metro (Népliget station) going towards Lehel Tér M. We got off at Deàk Ferenk tér in the city centre. 

Also, watch out when booking a late bus back to Vienna, the U-Bahn closes at 12:00 AM and the buses switch to a night schedule. We didn’t think this far in advance when we booked the 11:00 PM bus back from Budapest so we had a few minutes of sheer panic when we arrived at 1:00 AM in VIenna. 

Thankfully, it was only one bus from the station to our apartment and we didn’t have to wait too long for it. Nowadays though, you can always just call an Uber.

Hungarian Currency

Budapest is in Hungary, so they use the Hungarian Forint (HUF) instead of Euros. As recommended by our tour guide, it isn’t worth taking out any cash while you’re visiting. You don’t want to be stuck with any HUF at the end of the day, and credit cards or Euros, are accepted almost everywhere.

Just make sure to ask if they accept either card or Euros before you sit down and order at a restaurant.

Budapest Public Transportation (BKK)

Budapest has an incredible public transport system; you’ll barely have to walk anywhere. There’s an underground train, countless bus routes, and streetcars.

But just a heads up, they take enforcing payment very seriously there. Almost every time we travelled, we were asked for our ticket by an undercover patrol officer. 

They also try to catch you off guard; one officer cornered us while the bus was in transit, so there was no escaping him. They can also show up at metro entrances and exits!

Moral of the story, make sure to buy a ticket AND validate it.

The easiest way to not have to worry-free, and maximize flexibility is to buy a day pass. It’s 1650 HUF for the day. You can read this in-depth travel guide to Budapest’s public transport system.

Best Way To Spend One Day In Budapest: Start With A Walking Tour

If you only have one day in Budapest, you want to be as efficient as possible with the time you have. I find the best way to see everything and get some history, recommendations, and fun facts is to go on a walking tour.

There are a few options but we chose for a free walking tour (it’s suggested to give your guide a tip at the end). If you decided to go on the same tour, they offer tours at 10:30 A.M. and 2:30 P.M.

Budapest Sites You Won’t Want To Miss

If you opt for a walking tour, your guide will most likely take you to these places anyway. But just in case, here are the main sites you won’t want to miss while when you have one day in Budapest.

St. Matthias Church & Fishermans Bastion

On Castle Hill, you’ll find the Neo Romanesque St. Matthias Church and Fishermans Bastion. Take a minute to admire the complex architecture of both these structures.

Walk to the edge Fisherman’s Bastion for views of the Danube River and Hungary’s Parliament.

You can walk onto the balconies for free, but if you want a more private viewing, you can pay to go into the higher towers, they might be less crowded. You can also walk down the steps to get away from the crowds but get a similar view.

The Citadelle

Overlooking the city are Budapet’s old fortifications walls, atop Gellért Hill. It has arguably the best view of the city. But with only one day in Budapest, it was a bit out of the way for us, but you might want to try and fit it in. There’s a city bus you can take to the top of the hill, or if it’s nice out, you can hike!

Hungary’s Parliament

You can admire it from the outside, and they offer 45 minute tours if you want to take a look inside.

Széchenyi Chain Bridge

Walk over the Danube across the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, the first permanent bridge built to connect both sides of the city. This bridge is from the 1800s and is considered to be a Hungarian national symbol today (even though it was built by an Englishman and a Scot!). 

Buda Castle + Castle Hill

What was once home to Hungarian royalty is now a museum. It was badly damaged in WWII so it was restored to house national monuments. If you aren’t interested in touring the museum, you can still wander the grounds for free.

Best Place For A Snack in Budapest: Ruszwurm

If you decide to go on the tour, it’ll last about 2 hours, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll be pretty hungry by the end. So I found the perfect place for a snack – the oldest cake shop in Budapest.

Ruszwurm Confectionery is a 200 year old family run cake shop where you can order traditional Hungarian desserts. What more can you ask for?

Budapest Hungary Must Do: Thermal Baths

Don’t forget to pack your bathing suit and flip flops for your day trip to Budapest! Budapest is all about rejuvenating and relaxing in one of their many thermal baths.

One of the most popular baths is Széchenyi. It’s a massive spa, with several outdoor and indoor hot tubs that you can relax in. Its defining yellow walls make it hard to miss.

But unless you LOVE spas, you don’t need to spend the whole day there. They sell different kinds of tickets, so we were able to go for a half-day and that was more than enough time.

We got there around 4 PM, and stayed for about 2 hours until the sun went down.

You also don’t need to worry about dragging a towel with you for the day, you can rent one at the bath. They also offer lockers so you can safely to store all your valuables.

What To Do At Night In Budapest

If you’re able to catch a later bus back to Vienna, stay in Budapest to experience some of the nightlife. For a low key night, head to Elisabeth Square (or Erzsébet Square) to hang out with locals. 

It’s beautiful there at night; you can ride the ferris wheel, dip your feet in the pool, and order some take out for a picnic dinner.

Or if you have some time for some more sightseeing, see Budapest from a different angle and go on an evening cruise along the Danube.

Recap Vienna To Budapest Day Trip

• Buy a day pass for public transport (and Validate it)
• Don’t take out cash
• Pack a bathing suit/ flip flops (no need to bring a towel, you can rent one there)
• Make sure you have a way back from the bus station in Vienna in the middle of the night (if that’s the route you end up taking)

Vienna is a great city hub for easy day trips; you can also check out Salzburg and Hallstatt while you’re there. You should also spend time in Vienna itself, so make sure to read up about the different districts, and what to know before you go!

And as always, comment if you have something to add, and share if you found this helpful! 

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Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API