Ending my three week backpacking trip of Europe in Budapest means we went out with a bang. Budapest might’ve been my favorite place that we visited, but then again after every city I felt that way!

In Budapest, we spent two and a half days three nights, and celebrated my 22nd birthday on our last night.

In this guide, I’m sharing my itinerary for three days of backpacking on a budget in Budapest, filled with the best restaurants, bars, and sites to see!

Itinierary at a Glance:

Day 1:
Travel Day + Drinks by the River

Day 2:
A Hungarian Breakfast
Exploring Old Buda and Buda Castle
Prosecco River Cruise on the Danube River
The Best Dinner of the Whole Trip
The Night Out In Budapest

Day 3:
Brunch at Cookie Beacon
The Afternoon at the Thermal Baths
Last Meal in Europe / My Birthday Dinner

Day 4:
Flying Home

Day 1: Travel Day + Drinks By The River

Our first day in Budapest was a bit shorter since we were traveling from Malta. We arrived in Budapest by plane around 3:30pm, and then took the bus and metro to our AirBnb to settle in.

Being in Hungary, adjusting to the language was probably the most confusing here, along with in Malta, since it’s not a romance language and the words aren’t similar to English, French, or Spanish, which at least one of us in the group speaks a little French or Spanish! Figuring out which bus pass we needed took a little bit of guessing but we ended up figuring it out. We got to our AirBnb by 5pm!

Our AirBnb here was stunning and was the most space we’d had the whole trip! It was an apartment in the Jewish Quarter on the eastern side of the river and was very close to everything we wanted to see.

After settling in, we headed out around 6pm or so to try out the Kiosk, which is a modern restaurant with traditional Hungarian cuisine. Turns out, we needed a reservation to dine in, especially since it was a Friday night, so we put our name on the list and then had drinks just across the lawn at their outdoor terrace bar.

Their outdoor bar on the terrace was actually so cute so I didn’t mind waiting, even though at that point I was already starving! We ordered a pitcher of their Hugo Spritz, which perfectly filled three glasses. I’d heard so many good things about Hugo Spritz so I really wanted to try it! Honestly, it’s so much better than an Aperol Spritz. It’s made with elderflower syrup, Prosecco, sparkling water, and mint, and is very light, refreshing, and has the perfect amount of sweetness.

Once our table was ready, we moved across the lawn to the restaurant. I was so excited to try traditional Hungarian food, so I ordered their goulash even though it was a warm summer night. Their goulash came in a smaller bowl with a side of fresh bread, but it was actually the perfect amount because it was so filling. The goulash was so flavorful, I definitely recommend this dish from the Kiosk!

After dinner, we decided to relax back at the apartment for the first night so we’d have energy to explore then next day and go out to the bars or a club!

Day 2: Exploring Buda and Pest

A Hungarian Breakfast

To start off our first full day in Budapest, we had a traditional Hungarian breakfast at the cutest cafe called Cafe Vian Gozsdu Udvar. We sat outside on their open air terrace and it was a calm atmosphere which we loved.

Here, I ordered their Hungarian Breakfast which came with smoked ham, Mangalitsa sausage, salami, cheeses, and hard boiled eggs. It was a light breakfast but it allowed me to save room for a sweet treat afterwards. I included a picture of my bill so you can gage what a breakfast in Hungary would cost. With my meal, I also ordered a cappuccino, so in total I paid 4,220 HUF, or $11.76.

What was nice about eating in this area was that there was an artisan market in the open corridor as we walked to the restaurant, so afterwards we spent time looking at all of their beautiful jewelry!

For our sweet treat after breakfast, we stumbled upon a chimney cake stand so we decided to try it out! We’d been seeing them everywhere and heard that they are a must try dessert when in Budapest.

Chimney cakes are super soft and fluffy on the inside, and then have a light crust on the outside and are typically dipped in sugar, cinnamon, chocolate, or filled with ice cream!

Walking Through Old Buda and Visiting Buda Castle

After our breakfast, we crossed the Erzsébet Bridge to explore the western side of the Danube River, or Buda.

It’s good to know that Budapest used to be two different cities, Buda and Pest, until 1840 when a bridge was built over the Danube River linking the two cities together!

We first explored Szent Gellért-szobor, or St. Gerard Sagredo Statue, which is the first thing you see as you cross the bridge. We climbed the stairs here to get a closer look at the statue, and then had an amazing view of the city below!

Then, we headed towards Budavári Palota, or Buda Castle, and took the most beautiful scenic route to get there. We were walking through a path in this tree covered area and it was so serene!

Walking up to Buda Castle from behind on the western side, we were greeted with even more amazing views of the city, this time in the western direction. I couldn’t believe how green the city was!

The Buda Castle was also extremely gorgeous. There was even a couple having their wedding photos taken just outside the castle in a vintage car. It was so romantic!

I believe there is a tour you can pay to take of Buda Castle, but we decided to just explore the exterior on our own since we had the Prosecco Boat Tour soon and we wanted to save time.

Unlimited Prosecco River Cruise

The Prosecco River Cruise in Budapest should absolutely be on everyone’s bucket list! This tour is an hour and 15 minutes and includes unlimited Prosecco. And when I say unlimited, I mean unlimited. When boarding the boat, everyone is handed a glass of Prosecco, and the second I sat down the server had brought my friends and I a second glass before we barely even touched the first!

The tour brings you south down the Danube River past the Parliament and gives you little history bits throughout. This activity is perfect for a group of friends, or even if you just met new people at your hostel!

We booked our tickets the night before, so this is definitely not something you need to book weeks in advance. Though since we got our tickets from Get Your Guide, I’m sure they would be a bit cheaper the earlier you book.

The Best Dinner on the Whole Trip

After the Prosecco Boat Tour, we took some time to rest at the AirBnb before heading out for dinner. We decided on Tati, which is a farm to table restaurant with traditional Hungarian dishes!

I was very undecided on what to order here, and at the last minute I decided to try their Chicken Paprikash even though I had no clue what to expect. This meal took me by surprise and I honestly think it was the best meal I had on our whole backpacking trip!

Chicken Paprikash is a comforting dish made with buttered dumplings with a seared chicken fillet, and the most delicious sauce with paprika. I dream of the day where I can go back and have this meal again.

The Night Out In Budapest

After dinner, we went to a popular bar for travelers called Nomád Travelers’ Bar. This bar was super fun because you can spin their wheel and whatever country it lands on, they will give you a shot of that country’s national liqueur! Here we met two other travelers and decided to go to our next spot with them as well.

We spent the rest of the night at Instant, which is a night club with six different dance floors. It was also really cool because in the center the roof was opened so once the sun came up we could see the sunrise!

If you’re looking for a good club in Budapest, definitely check out Instant.

Day 3: The Thermal Baths + My Birthday

Brunch in Budapest

The morning after clubbing, we went to Cookie Beacon for breakfast and it was the perfect meal to cure my hangover. We had about 3 or 4 hours of sleep, so we really needed a pick me up meal.

I had their chicken and waffles, and it was exactly what I needed! It was so tasty. For dessert, we tried one of their cookies because that’s what they’re really famous for.

Their cookies reminded me of the cookies from Dirty Dough in Phoenix, Arizona! They were super thick and warm right out of the oven. I think these ones might have been cooked slightly too long because they were more cake-y than gouey on the inside, but they were still very tasty.

The Hungarian Thermal Baths

One of the most famous things to do in Budapest is going to their thermal baths! The concept of thermal baths is not relatively new, as it dates back to the Roman Empire, but these baths in Budapest were constructed between 1860 and the early 1900’s by a Hungarian architect utilizing Hungary’s source of natural springs flowing through the country.

There are so many different baths to choose from, but we decided to go to the Szechenyi Baths, which I believe is one of the most popular locations.

Tip: We bought the tickets that included a cabine for each of us, which I definitely recommend doing so then you have a place to change and store your things. Otherwise, you have to go downstairs to change and I’m not sure if there is an area to lock your things!

This was the perfect activity for after a night out because we could just relax in the baths and enjoy each other’s company.

I’m not going to lie, at first it felt weird being in what is basically a giant pool with strangers, but after settling in, the atmosphere was really unique, and we even met a group of Italian’s and talked with them for a while!

We went to the thermal baths in early June, but it happened to be a colder summer day. However, since the baths are naturally heated, it ended up being a great day for it!

Last Meal in Europe / My Birthday Dinner

To end the trip, we celebrated all of our travels and my birthday with dinner at Akademia Italia Budapest. It had been a few days since we had Italian food so we were having withdrawals!

This restaurant is so cute on the inside. You can watch the chefs prepare your meal inside the kitchen which is disguised as a box of spaghetti!

To start off our meal, we ordered their bruschetta, and then for my main meal I had their tortelloni with ricotta, spinach, parmigiano, and prosciutto di Parma. Everything was amazing! And of course I had an Hugo Spritz because they’re my new favorite drink.

Since it was my birthday, the server let me choose one of their desserts, and they brought it out and had the whole restaurant sing to me! It was actually the cutest thing and made my day. Everyone in the restaurant joined in and were singing along and whistling!

After dinner, we strolled through the streets of Budapest to soak up our last moments together on our trip. Since we were celebrating graduating college, we weren’t sure when the next time we’d see each other would be, so it was very bitter sweet.

Flying Home

The next morning, Emma was the first one to leave as she had the earliest flight. She took an Uber to the airport while Rohini and I slept a little bit longer. Our flights were around noon and 1pm, so we took the bus to the airport after stopping for a little breakfast along the way.

I tried a chocolate roll, kind of like a cinnamon roll! It was actually the perfect little breakfast and wasn’t too sweet.

We all caught our flights back home without any issues, and made it back to our respectives places. This trip will be one of the best memories and I’m so happy I could share it with both of them!

Recap

I hope you enjoyed reading about our graduation backpacking trip throughout Europe! These guides are perfect if you are planning a solo or group backpacking trip on a budget, and are in search of inspiration for the best things to do and restaurants to try.

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