Beautiful and extraordinary, there’s a certain charm to Budapest, a delightful city that is sometimes called the “Little Paris of Middle Europe”. When thinking of Hungary, many tourists probably only know of its capital of Budapest. This isn’t surprising with the abundance of great things to do and see. However, Hungary hides a treasure trove of historic baroque towns, gorgeous scenery, and vast wine regions that produce quality wines that are hardly known outside of the country. If you have the time, definitely branch out from Budapest to discover all that the area has to offer.
Here are some of the best day trips to enjoy from Budapest:
1. Danube Bend Day Trip
The Danube Bend is a lovely region to the north of Budapest, its banks dotted with quaint towns offering a slower-paced taste of Hungarian charm. Your first stop will most likely be Szentendre, the gateway to the rest of the Danube Bend and an easy day trip from Budapest. Once a haven for artists, the town still teems with an artistic spirit, with art museums and contemporary art galleries scattered liberally at every turn. Explore the baroque downtown with its winding narrow alleys and Mediterranean-style architecture. Be transported back in time at the Skanzen Hungarian Open Air Museum, a re-created village comprising relocated old houses that showcase Hungarian village life from centuries ago.
Browsing exhibits at museums can sometimes be hungry work, as our brains have to digest a storm of information. Well, you’re sure to get hungrier than usual at the Marzipan Museum, where you can purchase pastries at the confectionery store on the ground floor and browse the creative exhibits (such as a model of the Parliament Building) constructed from marzipan.
Do note that Szentendre can get crowded with tourists from Budapest on weekends and in the summer.
The suburban railway service (HEV) departing from Batthyány Square in Budapest (M2 red metro line) to Szentendre takes 40 minutes. Trains depart at around every 10 to 15 minutes at peak times.
If you want to fit more into your itinerary, move on to the equally scenic towns of Esztergrom and Visegrád.
Skanzen Hungarian Open Air Museum
Address: Sztaravodai ut., Szentendre 2001, Hungary
Price: 2,000 HUF (7.20 USD)
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Sunday 9 am - 5 pm
Contact: +36 (26) 502 537
Website: Skanzen Hungarian Open Air Museum
Szamos Marzipan Museum
Address: Dumtsa Jeno utca 14, Szentendre 2000, Hungary
Price: 500 HUF (1.80 USD)
Opening Hours: 9 am - 7 pm
Contact: +36 (26) 310-545
Website: Szamos Marzipan Museum
Book Tours : From Budapest: Danube Bend Day Trip including Lunch
2. Eger
If you’re looking for a relaxing break from the busy pace of travelling and sightseeing, Eger is an ideal choice to rejuvenate your soul. The town in Northern Hungary is famous for its castle, Turkish thermal baths, and its wines. Explore the historic attractions, soak away your tiredness in the warm medicinal waters that contain a hint of radon, and have a taste of the famous wines in the cellars of the Valley of Beautiful Women.
Just a gentle 20-minute walk from the city brings you to the verdant valley with cellars carved from the hillside, where you can pop in for a tasting session. Don’t leave without trying the most famous wine in Hungary, the Bull’s Blood of Eger (Egri Bikavér). Its name is derived from a 16th-century legend where Hungarian troops were fed local food and wine during a Turkish siege of the city and a rumour spread about the dark red wine. It was said that the local wine was mixed with bulls’ blood to give the 2,000 soldiers strength to win the battle. Who knows? A glass of this potent dry wine could give you an extra boost of energy to see more of Hungary!
Eger Thermal Bath
Address: Eger, Petőfi Sándor tér 2, 3300 Hungary
Price: 2,200 HUF (7.91 USD)
Opening Hours: 9 am - 7 pm
Contact: +36 36 510 558
Website: Eger Thermal Bath
Eger Wine Country Day Trip from Budapest Including Lunch
Departure Address: Your centrally located Budapest hotel
Price: From 295 USD
Departure Time: 8 - 9 am
Duration: Around 10 hours
3. Kecskemet
About 1 hour and 20 minutes of driving on the freeway from Budapest will bring you to the town of Kecskemet, located in the heart of the Great Plains. This sunny region is captivating with its expansive grasslands, horse-riding culture, and the sparkling Lake Tisza, where a variety of water sports can be enjoyed. Kecskemet is a colourful town known for its Art Nouveau architecture. One of the best examples of the style is the Cifrapalota (Ornamental Palace) with multi-coloured tiles adorning its facade.
Cifrapalota (Ornamental Palace)
Address: Kecskemét, Rákóczi út 1, 6000 Hungary
Opening Hours: 10 am - 5 pm
Contact: +36 76 480 776
Website: Cifrapalota, Ornamental Palace
4. Hollókő
The village of Hollókő is a UNESCO World Heritage listed town, whose name translates to Raven-stone. The village has preserved the traditional architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries and affords visitors a glimpse into rural Hungarian life and traditions of the past. The town is at its most bustling during Easter when you can see the townspeople donning traditional Hungarian Easter costumes and practicing Easter traditions, like men throwing buckets of water at women after reading them Easter poems. This tradition is called ‘dousing’ and is somehow supposed to make the women ‘good wives’! Besides the old village, check out the Castle of Hollókő, seated on the Cserhát Hills.
Tip from tour guide
A museum post office offering traditional and modern postal services recently opened in Hollókő. The environment is worthy of the World Heritage site, offering a glimpse into the 157-year history of Magyar Posta (Hungarian Post).
The new building has the atmosphere of a small 19th-century post office, with museum measuring instruments, a post office warehouse from a hundred years ago, a rest garden, a telephone exchange and postal scenes from the radio cabaret, which can be heard on the telephone set.
Barnabás Balczó, President and CEO of Magyar Posta, stressed at the opening ceremony that Hollókő is not an open-air museum, but a living settlement, and they want the museum post office to be a living service center, offering traditional and modern services to both locals and visitors in a way that is in keeping with the World Heritage environment.
Budapest Tour Guide
Tiberiu Condulescu
My name is Tiberiu(s), just like captain James Tiberius Kirk from Star Trek, or Tibi for short, and I am an IT Service Manager who found his passion in tour guiding over 5 years ago. Similarly to Captain Kirk, I will be your captain should you choose me as your guide.Every tour is a new experience for both of us, that’s why my aim is to make it both memorable and fun. I want to make memories fo... Read more
Tours by Tiberiu
Budapest Tour Guide
Ildiko Varga
I have been a certified guide for more than two decades now. I love my work, love to show my beloved city and country to my guests! I am interested of course in travelling, architecture, arts, cooking and reading.
Tours by Ildiko
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5. Hévíz
Hévíz is a spa town 2 hours away by car from Budapest, and it draws visitors year round to Lake Hévíz. Lake Hévíz is the second-largest thermal lake in the world, and biologically the biggest active natural lake. The healing waters of the lake are perfect for a dip year round. Temperatures are up to 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in the summer, and the water temperature is never below 22 degrees Celsius (71.6 degrees Fahrenheit), even on the coldest of winter days. In use as a spa since the Roman ages, Hévíz Spa provides you with a relaxing and carefree getaway in the warm arms of the sulfurous lake or through the soft touch of your masseuse’s hands.
Hévíz Spa
Address: Hévíz, Dr. Schulhof Vilmos sétány 1, 8380 Hungary
Price: From 2,400 HUF (8.64 USD)
Opening Hours: 9 am - 6.30 pm
Contact: +36 83 501 70
Website: Hévíz Spa
6. Vác
Contributed by Tour Guide, Tiberiu Condulescu
Source: Tiberiu Condulescu
Called the Gateway to the Danube bend, Vác is situated on the left bank of the Danube River, about 40 minutes away by car from Budapest. With a charming baroque main square, it is home to Hungary’s only triumphal arch, a triangle-shaped main square, and world-renowned mummies discovered in the mid-90s (Memento Mori exhibition).
7. Tata
Contributed by Tour Guide, Tiberiu Condulescu
Source: Tiberiu Condulescu
For those looking to enjoy a quick day trip from Budapest, Tata offers a great option. It’s even possible to explore the town on a half-day trip, as it’s less than 50 minutes away from Budapest. Featuring a beautiful castle on the shores of its Old Lake and magnificent surrounding scenery, this picturesque town certainly deserves a spot on your bucket list.
8. Budakeszi
Contributed by Tour Guide, Tiberiu Condulescu
Source: Tiberiu Condulescu
If you are looking for a family-friendly escape from Budapest, Budakeszi is the place to go. Roughly a 30-minute drive away from Budapest, this town has a scenic hillside zoo in a lush forested setting. The zoo also comes with a dino park with lots of dinosaur figurines to click pictures with. Your kids will simply love being here!
9. Bory Castle
Contributed by Tour Guide, Tiberiu Condulescu
Bory Castle is located on the outskirts of Szekesfehervar, about an hour’s drive away from Budapest. It’s a monument dedicated to love and the arts. Sculptor Bory Jeno spent 40 summers building it for his wife in the first half of the 20th century. It’s sometimes referred to as the Hungarian Taj Mahal.
10. Ócsa
Contributed by Tour Guide, Tiberiu Condulescu
Source: Tiberiu Condulescu
Ocsa is a small village located in Pest County, roughly 30 minutes away from Budapest by highway. One of the oldest Romanesque churches from the early 13th century can be found here, surrounded by typical countryside houses.
11. Cegléd
Contributed by Tour Guide, Tiberiu Condulescu
Cegléd is a small but culturally rich town, only an hour’s drive from Budapest. It features four places of worship that are worth checking out. The town is best known for Louis (Lajos) Kossuth, our George Washington, who gave the famous speech here encouraging Hungarians to rise against Austrians in 1848.
12. Medveotthon Veresegyház (Bear Farm of Veresgyhaza)
Contributed by Tour Guide, Tiberiu Condulescu
Source: Tiberiu Condulescu
Whether you are a fan of Bubu, Yogi, Balu, or Winnie the Pooh, Bear Farm of Veresgyhaza, only about 45 minutes away from Budapest by car, has them all. Established as a bear sanctuary, it later opened for the public and adopted a few other animals such as wolves, raccoons, reindeer, and lions. It’s definitely an excellent place to spend your time if you are with kids.
13. Bokodi Floating Village
Contributed by Tour Guide, Ildiko Varga
Just over an hour’s drive from Budapest, this Hungarian stilt village is built in a lake. The little houses are mostly used by locals in the summer months, but they also cater to year-round anglers who take advantage of one weird fact about the lake—despite the frigid Hungarian winters, it rarely freezes over.
The 12-month liquidity is due to the power plant that dominates its skyline. The water is continuously circulated—cool water into the plant, warm water out—so it keeps the surface from fully freezing. If you’re looking for fish in the wintertime, not having to cut through ice is a plus. And since the houses sit directly over the water, your catch is never more than a front porch away.
14. Zsámbék
Contributed by Tour Guide, Ildiko Varga
Zsámbék is only about a 30- to 45-minute drive from Budapest. While here, take the time to see the Premontre monastery church of Zsámbék, a ruin of a Romanesque church built in the 13th century. It was the private church of a single family, the gens Smaragd (the family of Aynard), and might have been the last of such churches in Hungary. The church was a three-nave basilica; the cloister was attached to one of the sides. In the 17th century, the church became the property of the Zichy family, which used a chapel in the monastery for services instead. On June 28, 1736, the church collapsed as a result of an earthquake and since then has been deserted.
Get out and get Hungary
Fall in love with Budapest, and then fall a little deeper with the rest of Hungary. Beyond the capital, resplendent worlds and quaint towns await. Discover more of this interesting country with some varied day trips from Budapest.
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