Budapest, Hungary: Central Europe's Best Kept Secret for Budget Travelers

Budapest is Central Europe’s best kept secret. Located in northern Hungary (not to be confused with BEING hungry), Budapest is home to some of the most interesting historical locations, food, and spa culture that Europe has to offer. As formerly two cities – Buda & Pest – Budapest is the jewel of Hungary and continues to be a popular destination for bachelor/bachelorette parties due to it’s cheap cost of living and vibrant night life. If it isn’t on your top destinations for 2019, you should definitely add it now!

In this guide, you’ll get an overview about:

Accommodation
Downloadable Google Map with
- Things to see
- Places to eat at
- Nightlife recommendations
Costs
Instagrammable places

Accommodation

When it comes to accommodation, I always prefer boutique hotels to the chains because there’s so much more culture associated with them. This time, we decided to go for an apartment outside of the main tourist area to enjoy a well-deserved break from our usual hustle and bustle.

We stayed at:

Hi5 Luxury Apartments (££)

Boutique, affordable luxury in the city center
On the ‘Buda’ side
Walking distance from everything
Full-apartment amenities
Great for young professionals and couples

Additional hotels that I can recommend are:

The New York Palace (£££)

Boutique, Luxury
On the ‘Buda’ side
Eat at the incredible New York Cafe for breakfast
Incredible Spa
Great for culture-seeking travelers looking for upscale accommodation

Bohem Art Hotel (££)

Boutique, trendy, & upscale
On the ‘Buda’ side
Walking distance from city center & nightlife hubs
Great for trendy, alternative groups

Pest-Buda Hotel (£)

Boutique
On the ‘Pest’ side
Charming yet affordable
Great for shoe-string budgets

Google Maps Tour (Free Download!)

Costs

Fortunately, Budapest is still incredibly affordable so anyone on any budget can enjoy a long-weekend in the city. For a decent trip – not luxury, but definitely not bunking it in a shady hostel – I would be prepared to spend about £100 per day on a combination of accommodation, food, and activities. If you’re a big party animal, I would tack on an additional £40 per epic night out. Budapest is truly so so affordable in comparison to most major European cities.

For example, The Telegraph estimates the following for a boozie night out:

I can confirm that Budapest is incredibly affordable and quite frankly MUCH better value for money than Paris, London or any of the major tier 1 cities across Europe. Don’t be afraid to try lesser known destinations in 2019! Otherwise you’re just missing out.

Instagrammable Places

Budapest is so naturally gorgeous – with its wide open streets and beautiful old architecture – that the whole city will light up your feed. My favorite photoshoot destinations are already tagged in my Google Maps download above, but I wanted to highlight my two favorite.