Budapest is a city that’s been on my travel list for a while, and what better time to go than near Christmas? I’m excited to share with you my quick guide to spending 36 hours in Budapest, exploring the Christmas markets.
It just so happened that the football team I support (Chelsea FC) were playing a match in Budapest in mid-December. This was the perfect reason to make a trip out of it, and explore what Budapest has to offer around Christmas time. The football match was on a Thursday, so we were in Budapest for just 36 hours – from Thursday to Saturday.
How to Get There
Our flights were with Wizz Air, and we flew from London Luton (LTN) into Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport (BUD). The flight time was roughly 2 and a half hours. We departed London at 8:20am and landed around 11:45am (local time), then departed Budapest at 12:30pm, landing back in London at 2:10pm (again, local time). This gave us most of the day to ourselves on the Thursday, and allowed us to get back in good time on the Saturday.
We didn’t pre-book our transfers, so instead we got a taxi from outside the airport to our hotel. The drive took approximately 30 minutes, as we stayed near the city centre. It may work out a bit cheaper if you pre-book your taxi, but this time, we chose to get one from outside the airport. You could also travel by bus or train – depending on where you’re staying, and your budget!
Where to Stay
We stayed at the Leonardo Hotel for two nights, which was great. It was within walking distance of the city centre, plus it was a lovely hotel. The flights and hotel were booked as a package deal through Expedia, as it worked out the cheapest. It cost £165 each in total – not bad! We also paid for breakfast each morning; an optional extra.
The room was comfortable and clean, and ideal for what we needed. The location was great, as we could walk to most places. It wasn’t too near the hustle and bustle, but also not too far away.
Address: Leonardo Hotel, 30-34 Tompa Street, 1094 Budapest, Hungary
Getting Around
The best (and easiest) way to get around Budapest is on foot, which allows you to take in the sights and atmosphere the city has to offer. Budapest also has a great public transport network. There’s the subway (metro), buses, and trams. There’s even boat tours that run along the Danube River. We actually did this, even though it was during one of the coldest months, December!
You can also download the free SmartCity app. This gives you public transport information, route planners, and public transport timetables. I didn’t know about this app until after I got home, but I thought I’d include it, as I’m sure it’d be very useful!
Day One
Groupama Arena – Football Match
We travelled straight to our hotel after landing, to check-in, drop off our bags, and freshen up. After collecting our match tickets from a nearby hotel, we had a few hours to spare before MOL Vidi FC v Chelsea FC. The game kicked-off at 6:55pm local time.
Before having dinner (in a restaurant opposite the hotel), we had a walk around the area near our hotel, to get an idea of where everything was. As it’s a 30 minute walk from the hotel to the Groupama Arena, we left shortly after dinner. This gave us plenty of time to get there and settle inside the stadium before kick-off.
Our first evening was spent watching the match, which was the ultimate reason we travelled to Budapest at this particular time. I would love to go back (preferably in the warmer months) to explore more of what Budapest has to offer. This trip was about going to watch Chelsea FC, and seeing as much of Budapest (and its Christmas markets) in as little time as possible.
The match finished 2-2, and I have to say I was relieved when the final whistle blew, as it was so uncomfortably cold. At this point, I just wanted to go back in the warmth! After the match finished, we walked back to the hotel and had a fairly early night. We knew we had a busy day of sightseeing the following day…
Day Two
Danube River and Liberty Bridge
Our first and only full day in Budapest started with breakfast at the hotel, followed by a walk to the city centre. We walked along the Danube River and past the Liberty Bridge, which was beautiful!
Budapest Eye
We accidentally stumbled across Budapest Eye, and I’m glad we did. It’s basically a giant Ferris wheel that’s slightly similar (but less fancy) to The London Eye. It’s on Erzsébet Square, and we decided to buy tickets to experience Budapest from above. The tickets cost (approximately) 2,700 HUF (£7.50) for adults, 1,500 HUF (£4) for children, and 2,400 HUF (£6.50) for concessions – students and seniors.
It rotates 3 times (although it took us around 4 times, so this might vary), stopping at various points to let people on/off. It takes around 8-10 minutes in total, but if you only have 36 hours in Budapest like we did, I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to do it. Depending on your budget, this might be a little bit expensive for what it is, but you do get a great view over Budapest (weather permitting).
Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour
With this being our only full day in Budapest, we opted for the Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour, which also included a boat trip. This allowed us to get around the city in the most practical way, in such a short space of time. The different stops on the bus tour were at significant locations around the city. It stopped at most of the places we wanted to visit, allowing us time to explore each stop at our own pace, before getting back on and heading to the next location. There are different bus routes you can choose from as well – we went for the red route!
Our first stop was at St. Stephen’s Basilica, where they also had various Christmas market stalls. We didn’t have time to actually go inside St. Stephen’s Basilica, but the exterior is stunning! I can only imagine how beautiful it looks inside.
The next stop we got off at was Heroes’ Square. The square itself is huge, with a towering monument that’s definitely worth seeing for a sense of Hungarian history.
Vajdahunyad Castle
We then got off the bus at Vajdahunyad Castle for the first real taste of Budapest Christmas markets. It was so cold outside, the best way to experience the festive stalls was with a cup of hot chocolate in hand. We spent an hour or so here, before heading back on the bus to the city centre. We then arrived at the meeting point for the last boat tour of the evening, at 6:30pm.
Hop-On Hop-Off Boat Tour
The boat tour departs from Március 15 Square, dock no. 10 (under Elisabeth Bridge). The time it departs varies throughout the year, so it’s best to check this before you travel. The best place to look is on the official website. The boat tour takes one hour, and it’s definitely worth doing to see the views of Budapest from the Danube River.
As we went in December, it was freezing cold outside, but there was heating on board the boat – thankfully! The only problem was that the windows had so much condensation, it was annoying when trying to take photos (and actually see properly!) To be honest, I was just grateful to be sitting in the warmth for an hour!
Vörösmarty Square
After the boat tour, we walked to Vörösmarty Square, for the biggest and best Christmas market in Budapest! The whole atmosphere in the square was festive. There were Christmas decorations and lights all around, and live festive music to get you in the mood for shopping from the stalls, and ultimately, Christmas itself.
There were stalls with food, mulled wine, and handcrafted items – we bought a beautiful bauble for our Christmas tree. It was wonderful to experience the Christmas tradition in another city and culture. After visiting the Salzburg Christmas markets last year, it was fortunate the football match fell at the perfect time to take a trip to Budapest, at the most festive time of year.
We went for dinner at an Italian restaurant near Vörösmarty Square – Il Pastaio. I had the most delicious pizza and tiramisu. I’d highly recommend dining here if you get the chance!
When we left the restaurant, there was snow on the ground outside. It’d been snowing whilst we were eating! It kept snowing until we left the following morning, which made everything feel even more Christmassy. After dinner, we got a taxi back to our hotel and had a drink in the bar. We then went to bed before an early morning flight the next day…
Day Three
I had a really lovely time in Budapest, and I’d love to visit again one day. I’d especially love to visit in the summer months, when it’s a bit warmer! Even though we only had 36 hours in Budapest, it was the ideal way to get in the festive spirit.
If you’re looking to explore Christmas markets in Europe, I’d definitely recommend Budapest. Another fantastic place to visit for its Christmas markets is Salzburg, and you can read all about my trip to Austria in this post!
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How would you spend 36 hours in Budapest?
love thiss!
Thank you so much!