On my second visit to Budapest in December, I confirmed it deserved its spot in my mind as one of the best cities in Europe. 2. Read my privacy policy and disclaimer here, pre-booking your full-day entrance ticket online here, dining and full-day entrance package deal. The story behind the wine’s name is a fun one. After that visit, Budapest clawed its way firmly to its spot as one of my favorite cities in Europe. 1, Budapest IX District. Afterwards, we went to a Jewish-Hungarian restaurant, where we tried hummus, a “Granny’s Jewish egg” made of chopped goose liver, egg, red onion, and lard (that sound you hear is my heart trying to beat over all that artery-clogging), kőrözött (cottage cheese with paprika and onion), and goose cracklings (OMG DELICIOUS). Walk Across the Chain Bridge The Chain bridge is easily Budapest’s most famous bridge that connects Buda and Pest. Check holiday cruises here. Ballet in three acts. November 4, 2016. Allison is a full-time freelancer and travel blogger, exploring the world solo in pursuit of new and exciting adventures. January Weather: January is typically the coldest month in Budapest. Budapest is an ideal urban destination all year round catering for all weather conditions or any occasions. How long did you go for? Everything went perfectly wtih the Hungarian wines, which are seriously some of the best wines you’ve probably never heard of. What to Expect in Budapest in February. Visiting Rudas baths at night can be a unique thing to do in Budapest in November. Or, do it one better and go on a Market Tour & Cooking Class which will show you an insider look at the Great Market Hall before taking you on a hands-on tour of how to prepare hearty Hungarian cuisine. 1. Truly, if I could afford to end every night of my life with Tokaji and blue cheese, I would. Inside, it’s pure majesty – literally, 40 kilograms of gold majesty (my fellow confused-looking Americans, that’s nearly 90 pounds) accenting the intricately-designed ceiling and sweeping staircases. The hours vary a bit, but here is a rough estimate of the schedule: 9 AM to 1 PM, a 4-hour break, then from 5 PM to 9 PM on weekdays and 10 AM to 2 PM, a 2-hour break, and then from 4 PM to 9 PM on weekends. So it’s possible to cover the city in as few as … If you want to check out the other ruin pubs in Budapest, a fun way is with a ruin pub crawl through the city – you can book the most popular one here. But my favorite part of it all was a side dish: a baked curd cheese noodle dish wrapped in bacon that will forever haunt my dreams until I return to Budapest. Construction started on the Parliament Building in 1885 and was intended to be finished in time for the 1896 1,000 year anniversary, but it would take 6 more years after that – despite employing over 1,000 workers to build it. The legend goes that during a 16th century battle in present-day Eger, the Hungarians beat the Ottomans much to everyone’s surprise after quite a lot of liquid courage, and the teetotalling Ottomans thought that the Hungarians’ wine-stained faces were painted red from bull’s blood. Does a river cruise seem like a summer-only thing? Things to Do in Budapest in January brings you still plenty of events happening in Budapest and interesting things to do after a long month of celebrations. I haven’t personally been to these baths yet, but they are next on my list after seeing gorgeous photos of the views. Budapest’s coffee scene is booming, with a handful of delicious third wave and specialty coffee shops popping up around the city. So if you go in the middle of the day like I stupidly did without researching it first… you will be disappointed! It runs from roughly the last week of November until the end of December, in concordance with the Christmas market in the square. My daughter, the librarian, is also a vegan, so we are hoping that it won’t be an issue in Budapest. The central pool at Veli Bej Bath. Better yet, the Budapest Christmas markets have been named one of the largest and most affordable Christmas markets in Europe. Frankly, Budapest much like any other neighboring city is ideal to visit in say May before the Summer rush up until late September. Shopping centers like Westend, Arena Plaza, Arkad, Mamut, MOM Park and Allee shopping malls are great choices as well. January 02,  03, 08, 09, 10, 13, 17, 2016. While the price of admission is rather high, especially for Budapest which is largely pretty affordable, it goes towards ongoing renovation work and ensuring that this beautiful, resilient historic building can be enjoyed by all in the future. Danube Palace, Zrinyi u. Thank you! You can book your ticket and choose your seating area online here. 2. More information: Check the Dinner Cruise Website for detailed information on dates, menu and prices. We also got our choice of soup; I opted for a matzo ball soup because you can take a girl out of New York but you can’t take New York out of the girl, and others went for the bean gulyás (goulash). We have reviews of the best places to see in Budapest. If you like shisha/nargile, there are also water pipes available to rent here for about $13-18 USD for a pipe for as many people as you like. Visit top-rated & must-see attractions. Pre-book tours here. MATTHIAS CHURCH CONCERT – January … 5. In peak season, you must book at least a week in advance, especially if you are looking for an English-language tour. I’m so happy to hear that Budapest is a delight in the winter, you’ll be so happy you did! However, if you prefer indoor thermal baths, I think Gellért’s are the most beautiful. As if that wasn’t enough bling, you’ll also get to see the Crown of St. Stephen, which is constantly kept under watch by two guards who rather dramatically change their swords’ position every 5 minutes. If you have time, find a seat and curl up with a book (I’d recommend bringing your own rather than trying to find one) and while away a few wintry hours here! It opens its doors every Friday and Saturday night to enjoy a quiet spa experience. Gellért Baths. Budapest 1146. I’ve carried this PacSafe backpack to 30+ countries with me, and it’s my #1 travel companion. The Gellért complex has several rooms with heated pools of different temperatures as well as saunas and massage rooms. Click to Pin it! After that, it begins to get really chilly and windy. ... January 14, 2019 at 2:27 PM. From a river tour like this, you see Budapest from a different perspective: the illumined bridges, the Parliament,the Buda Castle and Citadella are simply stunning at night. In the spirit of full disclosure, I made a massive travel blogger fail: I thought it was closed when I went, but it was actually just taking its daily break… whoops. This is the perfect opportunity to go shopping in Budapest and find something unique at a great price. The musicians, members of the Rajko Orchestra, as well as the famous violinist Zsigmond Vidák entertain guests with melodies of classical and traditional Hungarian music as they witness fabulous night views of Budapest at the background. Eternal Arrival is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. Entrance lines can be quite bad at Gellért too – luckily, you can outsmart the rest of the tourists by pre-booking your full-day entrance ticket online here. Sweat it out in the thermal baths. There are two elevators so if stairs are difficult for you (or you’re really lazy, like me) you can take these up, although note that you will still have to climb some stairs so it is not accessible for those with mobility limitations. It’s a traditional Jewish cake composed of layers of walnut, poppy seed, fruit jam (usually plum or apricot), and spiced apples. Luckily, in winter Budapest’s riverboats are enclosed and heated, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere even on the most miserable winter days. I love the outdoor pools as you can really feel the contrast of cold air on your face and the warm water all around you – it’s so relaxing. By all means, go out and have a good time, but know your limits and call it quits before you start acting a fool. The city can trace its history back to Roman times and over the centuries has seen many powers, such as the Mongols and Ottomans, come and go. Ruin pubs (also called ruin bars) are a Budapest institution and I think that it’s an essential part of any visit to the city. Thanks in advance! Hummus Bar is one of my favorite places in Budapest and will definitely have vegan options, but generally, I saw a TON of vegan and vegetarian restaurants as I was walking around and noted it. Money-Saving Tip: If you’re on a budget, don’t worry, a river cruise isn’t out of reach: you can do a simple 1-hour sightseeing cruise with a welcome drink for an extremely affordable price. It plays every 30 minutes (on the hour and half past the hour) after dark, so you’ll have plenty of chances to catch it. Budapest is a compact city, with most of the things to do in Budapest being located pretty near each other. Next, we tried three red wines, which were also delicious and went perfectly with the charcuterie pairings. Hungary, Budget Travel, Eastern Europe Ben Zweber January 23, 2018 Budapest, Things to Do in Budapest, Budapest Hotel, Budget travel, Free Things in Budapest, Free travel, Fisherman's Bastions, Buda Castle, Budapest Guide, What to do in Budapest, Ruin Bars in Budapest, Hungary 6 Comments Tours last 45 minutes, a perfect way to warm up from the cold winter weather and see one of the most beautiful buildings in the world in one fell swoop. It was well worth the hefty price, which was about $10 USD for a cake and coffee. It’s the same price as buying at Széchenyi, but it saves you time. Signs will then direct you to the library. The saunas are especially enjoyable in the winter, but be sure to drink plenty of water and skip the beer or wine being sold on premises if you are making use of the sauna, as you can easily get quite dehydrated! Budapest Christmas markets have a big reputation amongst visitors as they have an unbeatable vibe. Health Clubs in Budapest Arab Baths in Budapest Hammams & Turkish Baths in Budapest Yoga & Pilates in Budapest. Now, it welcomes tourists throughout the year. Art Galleries in Budapest Art Museums in Budapest Children's Museums in Budapest Military Museums in Budapest Science Museums in Budapest Observatories & Planetariums in Budapest. I don’t know what it is, but as soon as winter hits, I find myself shunning beer and drinking wine all winter long – white, red, sparkling, it doesn’t matter, I’m into it. Where: Meeting Point. No matter which you choose, all the baths use naturally geothermic water chock full of minerals like calcium, magnesium, chloride, sulfate, and fluoride, which are all purported to have magical, anti-aging, skin-refreshing benefits. I forgot to bring flip flops (I mean, in my defense, who packs for Central Europe in winter thinks to bring flip flops?) The top 15 things to do in Budapest for couples, from a romantic Danube River dinner cruise to wine tasting in the hidden caves beneath Buda Castle. I am visiting in December and we would love very much to visit the beautiful library included above. and handicrafts on sale. See 225 Experiences. Want to save this post for later? For specific things to do in Budapest in January, check out our list below: Christmas Markets generally close January 1, so if you’re in Budapest at the start of the month, you can catch the tail end of them. Book your tickets online for the top things to do in Budapest, Hungary on Tripadvisor: See 1,401,644 traveller reviews and photos of Budapest tourist attractions. All Rights Reserved. It all started as an experiment of sorts, when some locals took over an abandoned building complex in the area and furnished it with random antiques and junk, selling cheap drinks to a crowd of young forward-thinking people: this would be Szimpla Kert, the first and most famous ruin pub. Here is a post with lots of vegan restaurant tips: https://www.thenomadicvegan.com/vegan-budapest-hungary-restaurant-guide/, For vegan fare, try Napfenyes etterem and Slow Foodiez. Halászbástya. If you’re planning a winter trip to Central Europe, here are my favorite things to do in Budapest in winter. Where: All Budapest’s Shopping Malls, Department Stores, Boutiques. 25 Best Things To Do In Budapest (Hungary) 1. Comic opera in three acts, in Italian with Hungarian and English surtitles  January 23, 27, 29, 31,  2016. There are two popular, classic options: New York Café and Central Café. The Budapest Palace of Arts offers an amazing variety of cultural events all year round. 3. I nearly needed to be wheeled out of the restaurant afterwards. It can be a bit confusing to find the beautiful part of the library so first find the information desk (you may need to be redirected to someone who speaks English). Two of my favorites are both in the Jewish District: Atlantisz Book Island, which has plenty of new books and a gorgeous layout, and Massolit Books & Cafe, which has a smaller selection of English-language books but also a cute café (and super Instagrammable doors). Keep in mind that as concerts only happen on Sundays, they often sell out a week or two in advance – so book early! What can I say, this already-gorgeous city is absolutely perfect when dusted with snow! When I visited Budapest in December, I went on a dinner walk with Taste Hungary, and it was easily my favorite thing I did on my entire Budapest winter trip. There are several ice skating rinks in Budapest but certainly the recently fully renovated City Park Ice Rink is the best of all. There are other thermal baths as well which are a bit more off the beaten path, such as the Rudas Baths which have a gorgeous outdoor bath overlooking the Danube and one of Budapest’s eight bridges – swoon! Money Saving Tip: If you book online, you’ll be asked if you need a cabin – I would say no, unless you have an issue with changing in front of people of the same gender. Even better, there is no added charge to take a Christmas tram – it’s just 350 HUF or 450 HUF if bought from the driver (about 1.25-1.50 USD), making it one of the cheapest things to do in Budapest in winter! This was one of the best written travel articles I’ve ever read! A true icon of Budapest, if you don’t see the Hungarian Parliament building on your trip, then you are truly missing out. Things to Do in Budapest in January brings you still plenty of events happening in Budapest and interesting things to do after a long month of celebrations. If you have limited time, I recommend spending an evening unwinding at the baths, and saving your daylight hours for exploring the others sights of Budapest. The Christmas market in this square also has a small ice rink for children, delicious food and drink options (don’t miss the mulled wine – a great way to warm up in winter!) It doesn’t look like much at first glance – just an ordinary city library. Starting with the festive Budapest New Year’s Day Cruises on Jan 1, each day in January... Tours in January in Budapest. The building was inspired by London’s Houses of Parliament, but I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a person who doesn’t find the Hungarian Parliament to be even more beautiful. How to get there: The best way to get to the Budapest opera house is taking the Yellow Metro Line 1 and getting off at Opera station. Its Ervin Szabo library. It was built during the 16th century and still preserves the unique architecture, its Ottoman interior and Turkish character. Hidden in a dull-looking modern library, this gorgeous 19th-century aristocrat’s mansion has been converted into a stunning library for all to enjoy. However, the markets in Vörösmarty Ter and in front of St. Stephen’s are far from the only Christmas markets in Budapest. The castle’s look is particularly distinctive as it contains copies of several buildings from different eras of Hungary’s rule – the most notable of which was copied from the Hunyad Castle, one of the most beautiful castles in Romania (remember, Transylvania was once part of the Hungarian kingdom!). There are a lot of things to do in Budapest, but a lot of those things are outside. With gorgeous Art Nouveau architecture and stunning blue-tiled interiors that are unlike any other building I’ve seen before, Gellért is a wonderful place to while away a blustery Budapest winter day. There are plenty of things to do in Budapest in winter. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in December. The ordinary lockers are secure, and the cabin is basically just a small closet that gives you privacy to change in – it’s not somewhere you can lounge or relax in. There are several cozy places where you can rifle through shelves full of books (many with plenty of English-language options), which is one of my favorite things to do in winter, in Budapest or elsewhere. On the right side you will find the Zugligeti Libegő station (Next to Zugligeti campsite where there is a yellow tram car that works as a campsite shop). Opening hours in December: Mondays through Fridays from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm. Have a fantastic evening the first night of 2016, first attending to a great concert at the Danube Palace with the Budapest’s Symphony Orchestra and then cruising along the Danube, surrounded by the magnificent atmosphere of Budapest and enjoying a great traditional Hungarian. I first fell in love with Budapest when I stayed there for two weeks last July, making the most of the long summer days despite the intense heat. You actually may recognize this from Prague markets, where it’s called trdelník and is decidedly not traditional! In January, Budapest’s shopping malls, department stores, boutiques and all kind of shops launch the winter shopping sale offering great bargains that go up to 70% off. There, you can pay a small fee – I think it was about 600 HUF, around $2 USD, cash only – for a small slip of paper which will grant you admission to the library on the 4th floor. Things to do in Budapest on 1 January. I didn’t drink enough water while there and ended up with a nasty headache… so learn from my foolishness and do as I say, not as I do. Unlike other Christmas markets I’ve seen in Europe, there’s a real focus on traditional crafts and folk art made by local artisans, rather than the mass-produced kitschy junk you’ll find in many other markets (sorry Prague Christmas markets – I’m looking at you). Nov 20, 2019 - Budapest is just as lovely in December, January, February or March. I’m going for 3 days. Andrassy út 22, If you are in Budapest in January do not miss the opportunity to enjoy the stunning productions at the Beautiful Opera House of Budapest. For the most special way to experience the Danube, book a beautiful dinner cruise – accompanied by live music! Parliament Building. Don’t be disappointed – tours often book well in advance, especially the English tours! Answer 1 of 5: We are heading to Hungary for a week in early January 2013. How to get there: The easiest way to get to Zugligeti Libegő station is to take bus number 291 at Nyugati Station, get off at the last stop and walk up about 200 mt. 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