The Sights You Shouldn’t Miss

The neo-Gothic giant on the Pest riverbank is the city’s signature. Inside, you’ll see the grand staircase, the Dome Hall and the Holy Crown of Hungary. Visits are by 45-minute guided tour only. Non-EU adults pay 14,000 HUF (EU citizens 7,000 HUF). Book ahead on the official site, jegymester.hu/parlament, as summer tours sell out and tours can be cancelled when Parliament sits. Bring photo ID.

Tip: The best view is free - from the Buda riverbank or a night cruise.

Cobbled lanes, pastel houses and the former Royal Palace, now home to the Hungarian National Gallery. Ride the 1870 funicular from Clark Ádám tér (about 1,400 HUF up; queues can be long), take bus 16 from Deák Ferenc tér, or use the free escalators at the Várkert Bazar by the river.

Seven fairytale turrets, one for each of the Magyar tribes that founded Hungary, frame the classic view across to Parliament. The lower terraces are always free. The upper turrets cost 1,700 HUF (card only) during the day but are free before 9 a.m. and after 9 p.m. from June to September, or after 7 p.m. the rest of the year. Next door, Matthias Church has a dazzling tiled roof.

Budapest’s first permanent Danube bridge, guarded by stone lions. It reopened in August 2023 after a full renovation and now carries no private cars, which makes it a pleasant walk at any hour. Cross it after dark when it is floodlit.

The city’s largest church, with a dome terrace offering 360-degree views over Pest.

Europe’s largest synagogue, with a moving memorial garden. Dress modestly.

Sixty pairs of iron shoes on the Pest embankment, near Parliament, honouring Jews killed on this spot in 1944 to 1945. Quiet and unforgettable.

A grand boulevard lined with mansions and the Opera House, ending at Heroes’ Square and City Park. Ride the M1 underneath, continental Europe’s oldest metro line (1896).

A tiled-roof food hall at the Pest end of Liberty Bridge. Paprika, salami and produce downstairs; lángos and souvenirs upstairs. Closed Sundays and short hours on Saturdays.

An hour on the river after dark is the single best way to see the Parliament, Castle and bridges lit up at once. See Tours and Cruises.