Budapest, Buda Best

From Vienna, we took a quick 2.5-hour bus ride to Budapest on the bus line Regiojet which was surprisingly comfortable and efficient for such a cheap price!

We stayed in a super cute Airbnb (https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/19855194?source_impression_id=p3_1566791755_SVL8j%2FP5ZIRDynn) “The Nest” which was cozy and conveniently located on the Pest side, walking distance from all major sites. I would recommend staying on the Pest side because of its more lively atmosphere, full of restaurants, bars/clubs, and sightseeing opportunities.

As soon as we arrived that first night, we headed straight to the famous Szimpla Kert Ruin Bar which has many different bars within it and good music. Ruin bars originated in the 2000s when a run-down building was saved from demolition by a group of entrepreneurs looking to open up a bar, and you can now find them all over the city. Beer is super cheap and I would suggest going for a typical Hungarian draft.

The next day, we explored the city on foot with our first stop being the Parliament Building. It really is a must-see/can’t-miss sight on the bank of the Danube.

Not far below that are the Shoes on the Danube memorial, a moving tribute to the victims of the Holocaust.

Also close to Parliament and the Széchenyi Chain Bridge (connecting Buda and Pest) are 2 super fun bars, Pontoon and Raqpart. They’re a 2-minute walk from each other, are right on the riverbank with a great view of Buda Castle, and Pontoon has great live music every night. We would often end up here while walking around the Chain Bridge area (even during a typhoon).

Another must-see spot in Budapest is Central Market Hall, full of Hungarian food and souvenirs. This is where we ate lángos (fried dough traditionally topped with garlic butter, sour cream and shredded cheese). We opted to add fresh mozzarella cheese to ours and it was both extremely filling and delicious!

On the walk back from Central Market Hall (the best thing is that you can walk pretty much everywhere), we stumbled upon an ice bar where we paid for an experience that included a winter-themed shot, a warm poncho to wear while inside the ice room, and fun photo ops. It’s smaller than other ice bars so you probably won’t be in there for long but definitely a fun thing to do if you happen to be near there.

Later that day, we headed to the famous Széchenyi Thermal Bath which is probably the most popular and touristy of the thermal baths. We paid an admission fee that gave us access to the15 indoor and 3 outdoor pools as well as locker use to store clothes and belongings. I recommend going during sunset for sick golden hour pics. There’s no need to purchase tickets in advance.

For dinner we went to Mazel Tov and I am not exaggerating when I tell you this was some of the best Israeli food I’ve ever had (up there with Shaya/Saba for my Tulane peeps you know how serious this is).

The next morning for a quick breakfast we went to D18 (a cute coffee shop with breakfast options). If you’re studying abroad this seemed like a great place to do work or some reading.

I think Coco would kill me if I didn’t include our stop at the Ronald Reagan statue, which was sculpted to honor him for his role in helping to end communism in Hungary.

We then ventured across the Chain Bridge to the Buda Castle where you can take the funicular to the top and back for a super cheap rate. The view from the top of the Danube and the opposite side of Pest is amazing (even just from the funicular) and we even got to see a changing of the guards.

If you, like us, are craving Italian food no matter what country you’re in you must go to Bottega di Brontolo where you can have delicious gnocchi, cacio e pepe (made right in front of you), and (of course) wine. It’s a bit pricier than the other places we ate at in Budapest but worth it and affordable if you’re being pretty reasonable in the rest of your budget.

Our final stop before grabbing our bags from the Airbnb was Gozsdu Udvar, a street with a bunch of bars and restaurants with outdoor seating. You can basically just bar hop up and down the street and choose from a variety of restaurants once you’re hungry. I went for Jamie Oliver’s Pizzeria while Coco went to the pasta bar next door where you can choose from a variety of pastas and sauces.

After dinner, it was time to head to the bus station for our overnight bus to Prague (which was an experience to say the least but more about that in my next post).

Overall, I would definitely love to go back to Budapest as there’s so many cool things to do and a great mix of sightseeing, nightlife, and relaxation. It is certainly one of the funkiest cities I’ve ever been to and I now realize why people can think of no other description but "grungy but in the best way” when I ask them their thoughts about Budapest.