Tourist Information
You’re mistaken if you think that a Budapest program, a sightseeing tour, can only be interesing for tourists. But for us who live, work and rush here all day we also have to stop for a while and realize all the excitement and all the beauty that our capital and its surrounding area have for us. We’ve selected some of these personal experiences, and we offer you some to make your stay even more unforgettable.
Baths:
Budapest is quite rightly nicknamed the “City of Spas,” thanks to its 118 natural thermal springs. We have amazing destinations where you can enjoy the warmth and the healing power of thermal water. The best place to clear your mind, to relax and to enjoy Budapest is Rudas Bath (http://www.rudasfurdo.hu/). The entrance price is 8.600 HUF on weekdays and 12.200 HUF on the weekends. It is a spa where you can enjoy Hungarian thermal water, have the opportunity to swim, relax in the sauna or in the steam cabin. There is also a panoramic pool, from where you can enjoy the view of the city. It’s wonderful, romantic and highly recommended. It is best if you arrive around 17 p.m., so you can watch the sunset above the river Danube from the hot panoramic thermal pool. Rudas is 15 minutes walk away or 5 – 10 minutes bus ride from Astoria M station. From Astoria you have to take bus n7/ n8E / n108E and get off at Döbrentei tér.
What I can also suggest besides Rudas Bath are Széchenyi and Gellért Bath. Széchenyi Bath (http://www.szechenyifurdo.hu/) is situated in the heart of Városliget, Heroes Square and Vajdahunyad Castle. The entrance ticket is 9.400 HUF on weekdays and 10.900 HUF on weekends. The easiest way to get there is to take Metro line n1 (M1) to the direction of Mexikói út and get off at Széchenyi Fürdő M station. Gellért Bath (https://www.gellertfurdo.hu/) is also a nice choice if you want to relax a littlebit. Its entrance fee is 9.400 HUF on weekdays and 10.900 HUF on weekends. You can get there by tram n49. The journey takes about 6-8 minutes.
Our favourite place to clear our body and mind is Rudas Bath and that is the most amazing Bath ever we think.
During summer, trying out outdoor pools is also a very nice way to spend your time in Budapest. In DagályBath (https://mnsk.hu/dagaly_termalfurdo_strandfurdo_es_uszoda) you can enjoy thermal water in outdoor pools. You can get there from Ferenciek Tere (it is just 4 minutes walk away from the Loft) by Metro line M3 to the direction of Újpest-Központ and get off at Forgách utca station.
Another amazing option is Palatinus Bath (http://www.palatinusstrand.hu/), it is situated on Margaret-Island. Palatinus water park is the largest open-air swimming complex in Budapest. The entrance ticket costs 2900.- HUF on weekdays and 3400.- HUF on weekends.
Running in the city:
If you are a sport enthusiast and you would enjoy doing some excercise during your stay we recommend Margaret-Island. The island houses various sports establishments, like the Palatinus water park (the largest open-air swimming complex in Budapest), the Alfréd Hajós sports pool (where the European LC Championships 1958, 2006 and 2010 took place), a tennis stadium and an athletics centre. The island has a rubber-coated running track measuring 5.35 kilometers (3.33 miles), and is popular among both locals and tourists. There are several outdoor gyms as well. It is a fascinating destination if you want to have an acive holiday. Vársoliget is also an amaizing option if you want to jog in a fascinating and green environment.
Bicycle use:
We don’t recommend renting a bike for several days as everything is approachable within walking distance or by public transportation in a few minutes from The Stoned Loft. Keeping bicycles in the courtyard of the buliding is against our policy and strictly prohibited. But if you really want to go for a bicycle ride in Budapest, we can recommend going on guided bicycle tours around Budapest.
City Park Ice Rink/ Boating Lake:
Budapest’s City Park Ice Rink is by far the most famous skating destination in the region, if not Europe. Nestled directly in front of Vajdahunyad Castle on the edge of City Park, skaters flock to the rink each winter between late November and mid February.
First opened in 1870, this ice rink one of the oldest and largest in Europe. It’s filled up with water during the summer months and serves as a boating lake for tourists looking to pedal around while basking in the sun. Just a stone’s throw from Heroes’ Square and Széchenyi Baths, the City Park Ice Rink is the perfect way to end a day of sightseeing. If you do not have skates, don’t worry, there is skate renting opportunity inside the Ice Rink. Admission fee: 1,000.- HUF ($3.50) for children, students and pensioners, 1,500.- HUF ($5.25) for adults and 3,500.- HUF ($12.30) for families (two adults and one child.) Opening hours: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. (https://www.mujegpalya.hu/hu)
Zoo:
Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden is the oldest zoo park in Hungary and one of the oldest in the world. The area is a nature reserve, and has some valuable art nouveau buildings. More than 1,000 species are living there. There are several exhibitions within the zoo. This is an amazing choice if you love animals and you want to spend a day or an afternoon in a green environment with the most rare and beautiful creatures of the world. The ticket for adults cost 3300.- HUF and for kids 2.200 HUF. (https://zoobudapest.com/en#). You can get there by taking trolley bus 72 from Astoria in the direction of Zugló vasútállomás and take off at Állatkert station.
Zugliget Chairlift/ Zugligeti Libegő:
If you want to enjoy the view of Budapest from above, visiting Zugliget Chairlift is an amaizing opportunity. The Chairlift was built in 1970. The cable-railway connects Zugliget and János Hill in the 12th district of Budapest. The line of the Chairlift is 1040 m long; the level difference is 262 m between the 2 stations. The journey time is 15 minutes in both directions. It is a very pleasant journey from where you can enjoy the view of Budapest and the green environment of the Hills of Buda as well. When you arrive to János Hill, there you have the opportunity to climb to The Elizabeth Lookout (Hungarian: Erzsébet-kilátó), which is a historic lookout tower on János-hegy above Budapest. At 527 metres, János-hegy is the highest point in Budapest. The lookout named after Queen Elizabeth, who visited the mountain in 1882.
Chairlift tickets are available at the valley or hill station Buffet of the Zugliget Chairlift. (https://www.bkv.hu/en/zugliget_chairlift_/)
You can get to Zugliget Chairlift by taking Metro line M2 to the direction of Déli Pályaudvar. You have to get off at Széll Kálmán Tér and change to bus 22A, tot he direction of Budakeszi, Dózsa György tér. From bus 22A you have to take off at Kuruclesi út. From that the Chairlift is 900 meters- 10 minutes walk away.
River Danube Cruise:
The scheduled cruise and hydrofoil ferry service in the Danube Bend will resume in spring 2020. Until that there are no cruises and the ticket offices are also closed until spring 2020.
The River Danube stretches through the heart of Europe from Germany to the Black Sea, Budapest being one of the prime locations. Extremely popular in both the summer and winter months, tourists from all over the world take to the river to catch a sight of landmarks like the Parliament Building, Buda Castle, Liberty Statue and Margaret Island, which can all be seen from the river.
If you’re staying in Budapest for just a few days, the best way to experience the city is to take one of the River Danube winter cruises which last a few hours and stretch from one end of Budapest to the other.
Day or night cruises are available and vary in price depending on what package you choose. The most expensive include a three-course lunch or dinner with drinks, while the cheaper options consist of a comprehensive sightseeing tour.
Ticket prices start at around 3,800 HUF ($13.50)
Restaurants and cofee shops:
In Budapest you can find several good and high quality restaurants. For food we would recommend Rézkakas Bisztró (https://www.rezkakasbistro.hu/), which is situated in the 5th District of Budapest in Sas utca (street) 3 or Aszú Étterem (www.aszuetterem.hu) which is also situated in Sas utca 4. Those restaurants are a short walking distance from our Loft and also very close to one of Budapest’s most famous sights: St. Stephen’s Basilica. In those restaurants you can taste Hungary and eat traditional Hungarian dishes. Make sure that you reserve a table in those restaurants because they are quite popular so without reservation you might not get a table. Those are a little bit pricey but the food is very delish and traditional Hungarian.
Another great dinner or lunch option is Bestia Restaurant (www.bestia.hu), situated on Szent István tér 9-11. It is a fancy restaurant with amazing and tasty dishes. It is also called the place of quality steaks, huge selection of craft local beers and live music programs, right next to the gorgeous Basilica.
Hungary is also famous for its Italian community and Italian restaurants. Ristorante Millenium da Pippo (http://www.millenniumdapippo.hu/), Trattoria Pomo D’Oro (https://pomodorobudapest.com/) or Porcellino Ristorante (http://www.porcellino.hu/ ) are very high quality restaurants with exceptional food and service. We highly recommend those! Fecske presszó (www.fecskepresszo.com) is a very great and attractive restaurant – coffee house. The food is very good quality at a reasonable price. We highly recommend it. Fecske is amazing during spring or summertime when there is also an option to eat outside the restaurant, in a green environment. It is very easy to reach, it is within 4-5 minutes walk away.
Danube Promenade:
The pedestrianised waterside walkway between Chain Bridge and Elizabeth Bridge is called Danube Promenade (Duna-korzó). Today these five-star lodgings: the InterContinental, the Marriott and the Sofitel, define the skyline. Their upscale restaurants and bars offer superb views of the Danube, its bridges and Buda beyond. Alongside runs tram 2, whose passengers enjoy one of the finest slices of cityscape. The Duna-korzó is also the perfect vantage point to take in the firework displays of August 20th and New Year’s Eve as colours explode across the Danube.
On the Duna Korzó there are several very high quality but
excellent restaurants like Dunacorso Restaurant (https://www.dunacorso.hu/hu/index.php). There the restaurants can be a bit pricey but the view to Buda Castle, Fisherman’s Bastion, Gellért Hill and the view of the River Danube makes it a really special and unforgettable experience.
Nearby places to visit outside Budapest:
Szentendre: is a riverside town in Pest County, Hungary, between the capital city Budapest and Pilis-Visegrád Mountains. The town is known for its museums, galleries and artists. Due to its historic architecture and easy rail and river access, it has become a popular destination for tourists staying in Budapest. There are many facilities, including souvenir shops and restaurants. During Christmas time the town is fully- decorated and is in a Christmas spirit. You can taste Mulled wine, Christmas strudel, and traditional Hungarian dishes. Szentendre is very popular in all seasons. If you are staying in Budapest for more than a week it is definately worth taking a look. You can get to Szentendre by Suburban Railway Line / HÉV in Hungarian number H5 from Batthyány tér (it is the third M2 metro stop from Astoria M.) You will have to get off at Szentendre station. The journey takes about 45 minutes.
Vác:
Vác is located 35 kilometres (22 miles) north of Budapest on the eastern bank of the Danube river. The town is seated at the foot of the Naszály Mountain in the foothills of the Carpathians.
Vác is a cozy town as well as a popular summer resort for citizens of Budapest. The most beutiful sight is the Cathedral, built 1761–1777, was modelled after St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Vác is a good place to visit in every season but mainly during spring or summertime. Our family goes on bicycle tours to Vác usually 3-4 times during summer. There are bulit bicycle roads to the dirction to Göd (from the South of Vác) or to Verőce (to the North of Vác). In the town and on the promenade there are several bike rentals, so you can rent a bike if you wish. The Danube is very clean and hot there during summertime, which makes swimming in the river possible. Watching the sunset from the promenade is one of the most romantic programmes you can make there.
The town is also famous for its episcopal palace houses. The city is also known for its 18th-century arch of triumph and for its beautiful baroque city center. The journey to Vác takes an hour approximately. From Astoria you have to take Bus 9 to Nyugati Pályaudvar M. From Nyugati you have the opportunity to take bus S70 to Vác, or to go by train. From April-September here is also an option to travel to Vác by boat. From Vigadó tér there are direct boats to Vác. The journey takes 40 minutes. It is also a nice idea to travel there by boat and go back by train if you wish?.
Római Part (Roman Beach):
Római Part is a popular coastline situated on the Buda side of the River Danube. If you want to get to know a special Budapest-style place on the Danube where you can eat roasted haddock and garlic-sour cream lángos in a retro atmosphere, it is definately a must-have program on a warm summer evening for you.
The area is well connected to public transport. It can be easily reached by H5 suburban railway (HÉV), via the stop Rómaifürdő from Battyhány tér. There are also several parking lots for cars available. The BKV ferry boat stops at boat station Rómaifürdő on a regular basis (lines D11 and D12). Furthermore, the riverside promenade is part of the EuroVelo 6 international bicycle route, lying in a section that connects Budapest with the northbound village of Szentendre, so if you want to have a real sporty adventure do not miss that out.
For those who like water sports, running or jogging and like to ride bikes, it is worth visiting here too. Kayaks and canoes can be rented for a day or even just for a few hours from the boat houses on the Romai part.
This is a magical place where you can go away a bit from the downtown and spend time in a retro atmosphere on the wonderful Danube coast, while becoming a really relaxed vacationer within a few minutes.