Free programs and places to visit in Budapest

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Recommendations about Free programs and places to visit in Budapest

Let us recommend you a few events and places where you can go for free before or after participating in some of our free walking tours in Budapest 🙂

  • Free concerts at the Budapest Jazz Club on the Pest side of the river Danube: besides the beloved free jam sessions on the weekends, there are some free events on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays as well at this location. Besides well known artists, the youngsters of the Franz Liszt Music Academy perform, too. It is worth to have a look at their program to be able to enjoy free music next to your meal or drink at the Budapest Jazz Club. Address is: Budapest, Hollán Ernő street 7.
  • Free ice skating rink in Kőbánya (10th district of Budapest on the Pest side): a tiny bit out of the city center, but definitely a local experience! It is open until the 29th of January 2023 between 9am and 8pm. You can easily take bus number 9 from the very city center and you can be at this 650 square meter big open air ice skating rink next to the Szent László Church. Do not worry if you do not have your ice skates with you, it is possible to rent some at the location.
  • Free events in Pótkulcs pub: it is quite a special place on the Pest side of the capital city, you will not even find a sign outside this bar, but you can look for the address of it in Google maps (A little help: Csengery street 65/b). They have free eclectic music events and folk music and dancing programs usually on Tuesdays. Check out their Facebook page (linked above).
  • Free admission to museums on given days of the month in Budapest for people under the age of 26 OR for children under 18 with their 2 adult parents/caretakers: there is one day/every month when the mentioned people can visit these museums for free, let’s see a couple of examples: first Sunday of each month: Natural History Museum and House of Terror (mainly about the communist dictatorship after WW2 in Hungary) ; 3rd Saturday of each month: Hungarian National Museum, Museum of Fine arts, Hungarian National Gallery, Hungarian Folk Museum ; last Saturday of each month: Budapest History Museum (in the Buda Castle District), Aquincum Museum (on the Buda side about the Roman times and ruins in Hungary), Hungarian Technical and Transport Museum.

We, the Free Budapest Walking Tours Team (Triptobudapest.hu Team) hope that we could help you with this post to participate in useful and entertaining programs while staying in our city! See you soon on our free tours in Budapest!

2022 Christmas and New Year’s free tour schedule

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Dear Travelers, in this blog post let us share our holiday Free Budapest Walking Tours Schedule:

 

HOLIDAY FREE TOUR SCHEDULE

  • Free Budapest Walk: Dec.23; 24; 26; 27; 28; 29; 30; 31 at 10:30 and on Dec.23; 29; 30; 31 at 14:30 on the Pest side, Elisabeth square
  • Free Buda Castle Walk: Dec.23; 26; 27; 28; 29; 30; 31 at 14:30 on the Buda side, Batthyány square metro station
  • Free Jewish District Walk: 23, 29; 30; 31 at 14.30 and Dec.26th at 10.30am on the Pest side, Elisabeth square
  • Free Communism Walk: 23; 30 at 14:30 on the Pest side, Elisabeth square
  • Free Evening Walk: 23 at 17:30 on the Pest side, Elisabeth square

See you soon at our meeting points, we wait for you in our blue free tour flags! Booking is not mandatory at all, but if you feel safer, you can find the ‘Book now’ button at each of our Budapest Free Tours subpage!

 

This is what you can do over the Christmas long weekend:

 

ATTRACTIONS

  • National Museum: Closed on Dec.24-25-26
  • House of Terror: Closed on Dec. 24-25-26
  • National Gallery: Closed on Dec.24-25. Open on Dec.26
  • Hospital in the Rock: Closed on Dec.24-25. Open on Dec.26
  • Museum of Fine Arts Closed on Dec.24-25. Open on Dec.26

 

THERMAL BATHS

  • Széchenyi Thermal Baths: Dec.24: 7am-2pm ; Dec.25: 10am-8pm; Dec.26: 9am-8pm
  • Gellért Thermal Baths:Dec.24:  9am-2pm; Dec. 25: 10am-7pm; Dec.26: 9am-8pm
  • Rudas Thermal Baths: Dec.24:  6am-2pm; Dec. 25: 10am-6pm; Dec.26: 8am-8pm
  • Lukács Thermal Baths: Dec.24:  7am-2pm; Dec. 25: 10am-6pm; Dec.26: 8am-7pm

 

CHURCHES, SYNAGOGUE

  • Matthias Church: Closed for visitors on Dec.24 & 25.

Midnight mass in Hungarian on Dec.24 ; Dec.26: 1pm-5pm open for visitors

  • St. Stephen’s Basilica: Dec.24: 9am-5.45pm; Midnight mass in Hungarian

Dec.25: English mass at 4pm; Dec.26: 9am-4pm

  • Dohany Grand Synagogue: Closed on Dec.24-25; Open on Dec.26: 10am-6pm

 

CHRISTMAS MARKETS

Open with shorter opening hours on Dec.24-25th. See more details about Christmas markets in our previous post.

WISHING YOU ALL HAPPY HOLIDAYS,

THE FREE BUDAPEST WALKING TOURS TEAM

 

photo courtesy: peter rajkai

Christmas Market time in Budapest 2022

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It is that time of the year again! The Christmas Markets in Budapest this year opened their gates on the 18th of November.

After taking one of our paid or free walking tours in Budapest, it is a good idea to have a nice hot cup of mulled wine or try some of the Hungarian dishes like Lángos (Hungarian deep fried “pizza” with sour cream, cheese and other toppings), Töltött káposzta (stuffed cabbage) or Kürtőskalács (Chimney cake) at one of these locations!

The two biggest Christmas Markets in Budapest city center in 2022

  • Vörösmarty square Christmas Market: on the Pest side of the river, open until the 28th of December 2022, from Mon to Thu and Sun 11:00-21:00 & Fri, Sat 11:00-22:00.
  • Saint Stephen’s Basilica Christmas Market /Advent Bazilika: on the Pest side of the river, open until the 1st of January 2023, from Mon to Thu and Sun 11:00-21:00 & Fri, Sat 11:00-23:00.

Two smaller, but more local and intimate Christmas Markets in Budapest

  • Advent in Óbuda (Old Buda): on the Buda side of the river Danube, open until the 23rd of December 2022, from Mon to Thu 14:00-21:00, Fri 14:00-22:00, Sat and Sun 10:00-22:00.
  • Winter Buzz on Hunyadi tér: only 1 day, on Saturday the 3rd of December 2022 from 10:00 till 18:00.

Some other Christmassy delights for your eyes and souls in Budapest 🙂

Budapest will again be decorating some of its trams in festive lights and décor. Take a ride on the Christmas tram (you can use your regular public transport single ticket or pass) from the 25th of November on, until at least the 23rd  of December this year. Our favorite routes are: tram Nr. 2 along the Pest side embankment of the river Danube and trams Nr. 47, 48, 49 across the green Liberty Bridge.

See you soon on our Free tours in Budapest and stay tuned, we are running our tours around the Christmas and New Year’s holidays as well.

 

Current Schedule of our Free Tours in Budapest

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Dear Travelers,

Let the Free Budapest Walking Tours Team / Triptobudapest.hu Team show you the current schedule of our free tours in the Hungarian capital city, Budapest.

  • FREE BUDAPEST TOUR (of the Pest side of the river Danube): every day at 10:30 AM & Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun at 2:30 PM, Meeting point Elisabeth square in front of the Ferris wheel
  • FREE BUDA CASTLE TOUR (of the Buda side): every day at 2:30 PM, Meeting point: Battyhány square metro station
  • FREE JEWISH QUARTER TOUR (Pest side of the river): Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun at 2:30 PM & Mon 10:30 AM, Meeting point Elisabeth square in front of the Ferris wheel
  • FREE COMMUNISM TOUR (Pest side): Fri, Sat at 2:30 PM & Mon 10:30 AM, Meeting point Elisabeth square in front of the Ferris wheel
  • FREE EVENING TOUR (of the Pest side of the river Danube): Fri, Sat at 5:30 PM, Meeting point Elisabeth square in front of the Ferris wheel

Please feel free to join us with or without a reservation! HERE you can find a quick guide on how to book our free tours and you can see our daily free walking tour schedule in a chart as well.

You can find us with our blue uniforms / blue free tour flag at the meeting points in any kind of weather conditions.

If you feel cold after some of our walking tours, it is a great idea to go to one of Budapest’s fabulous bathhouses where you can relax in the hot water 🙂 You can find the collecting page of thermal bathhouses HERE, and you can also ask you free tour guide for recommendations.

See you soon!

23rd of October – National Holiday

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Dear Travelers!

Let us inform you that the 23rd of October is annually a national and bank holiday in Hungary and Budapest.

On this day bigger grocery shops, shopping malls, clothes shops will be closed. You can find some smaller, non-stop supermarkets open, so do not worry about your grocery shopping! 🙂

Also, museums and bathhouses will be open this Sunday and our Free Budapest Walking Tours also run as usual!

You can join our free Communism tour, to learn more in details about this national holiday, but shortly here is a little info about it for you:

In 1945, at the end of World War 2 Hungary was liberated by the Soviet Red army and after the liberation they set up a totalitarian, Stalinist communist dictatorship in our country. The 1950s and 1960s were quite hard in Hungary and in 1956 a revolution broke out in Budapest against the Soviets and against the Hungarian communist regime. The revolution lasted for about 2 weeks, the Soviets then invaded Hungary and we lost the uprising. However, it was the first big uprising in the Eastern European communist block since the end of World War 2, so even though Hungary lost, it is considered to be and important point in history. October the 23rd is the memorial day of this 1956 revolution.

There will be commemorations all over the city center on this day, Sunday.

Enjoy your time in our beloved Budapest and see you soon on our free tours!

 

Programs for first half of October 2022

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Program recommendations from the Free Budapest Walking Tours Team

Let us list a few things for you – besides our free tours – to do in Budapest in October 2022! 🙂

  • World Press Photo Exhibition in the National Museum: one of the most awaited exhibitions of the year, the World Press Photo, which attracts huge interest every autumn, opened again in Budapest. The Budapest public can view the exhibition at the Hungarian National Museum, on the Múzeum boulevard, between the 23rd September and the 30th October.
  • World music week in Óbuda, Kobuci garden: from the 4th of October until the 8th. As part of the IV. Óbuda World Music Week, one of the world’s most original, traditional Gypsy music bands, Parno Graszt, will play on the 7th of October 7. In addition to this 9-member orchestra known for its dynamic performances, another great band, Babra guarantees an unforgettable concert experience representing South Slavic folk music.
  • Art Market Budapest in Bálna: Between the 6th and the 9th of October, the Art Market Budapest awaits you with a larger selection than ever before, around 120 exhibitors from 30 countries and thousands of works by more than 500 artists on the four floors of the Bálna Budapest building, covering a total of around 8,000 square meters.
  • Restaurant Week: the Restaurant Week brought to life by DiningCity is being organized this year for the 22nd time, and it keeps the taste buds excited. Between the 6th and the 16th of October around 100 top domestic restaurants offer their three-course menus at friendly prices. Table reservations can only be made online from the 21st of September.
  • October Biergarten in Gellért Hotel: The Serfőző (Beermaker) team will be on the terrace of the Gellért Hotel for 4 days, between the 6th and 9th of October and they will pour you light lagers into liter pints, the barmaids will walk around in Bavarian dresses, and the snacks that go well with beer will be also made by the Serfőző exhibitors.

We, the triptobudapest.hu team, wish you a fun October in our city!

In Focus Budapest Thermal Baths – Lukács Bath

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Dear Travelers,

let us, the triptobudapest.hu – Free Budapest Walking Tours Team recommend you some of Budapest’s nicest bathhouses… This time in this blog article we introduce you the Lukács Spa. It is a great option to relax after a free tour with us in the Hungarian capital! 😉

Hungary was occupied by the Ottoman Turks for roughly 150 years in the 15 and 16 hundreds (after Christ). An indisputable benefit of their occupation was the bath culture. Most bathhouses are on the Buda side of the river Danube while Széchenyi Thermal Baths can be found in Pest. Each bathhouse has its own character and atmosphere.

3 hours should be enough time for you to get the most from your visit. Our personal favorite called Lukács Thermal Baths https://en.lukacsfurdo.hu/ is located a few hundred meters north from Margaret Bridge on Buda side.

Sunbathing on the terrace with a spectacular view on the Buda hills is priceless. There are both a wet and a dry steam chamber and 6 indoor pools – each has varying temperature of medical water. The hottest is 40 degrees Celsius. Outdoor pools are open all year long, too. The swimming pool is where the famous Hungarian composer called Zoltan Kodaly used to swim (Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. He is well known internationally as the creator of the Kodály method of music education), the leisure pools are where famous Hungarian writers and poets had their small talks. The medical water of the thermal baths is not recommended under the age of 14. Wearing a swimming cap is obligatory in the swimming pools.

Ask your free tour guides about more bathhouses in Budapest and about what to bring and what not to bring to the thermal baths with you!

Let us also remind you that our free walking tours in Budapest still run as normal after the summer season is coming to an end. See the DAILY TOUR SCHEDULE HERE!

Programs for the end of August 2022

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The triptobudapest.hu Free Budapest Walking Tours Team hopes that you had a great summer full of adventures, travelling and nice free tours! 🙂 Let us recommend you a few more things to do in Budapest for the end of the last summer month, August!

  • Fireworks on 27th of August: the 20th of August was a national holiday in Hungary, it is the day of Saint Stephen (the first king of Hungary crowned in 1000 AD) and the state foundation. Every year we have huge fireworks next to the river Danube in the city center of Budapest. This year, last Saturday the fireworks were postponed because of a possible storm. They are going to do it this Saturday, on the 27th, starting at 9 pm. Go down to the riverbank anywhere between the Petőfi bridge and the Margit bridge and enjoy! Expect a lot of people!
  • Inner city Beer festival 30th of August-4th of September: The country’s best breweries join forces and take over Szabadság Square for the umpteenth time, supplemented by an excellent international offer. The Downtown Beer Festival, which is organized every year to promote the rich domestic beer culture, opens its imaginary doors on August 30 with more than 250 types of beer, including craft specialties, and awaits the beer and gastronomy-loving public until September 4. As usual, cold beer is only the beginning: the atmosphere of perfect summer evenings is created with a variety of street food and entertainment programs.
  • Sólet festival 28th of August: This time, the Budai Parkszínpad will host the almost traditional Sólet Festival, which will be held for the seventh time. On the last Sunday of August, the 28th, we can once again immerse ourselves in the emblematic Jewish food, thanks to the variously prepared sólet (or cholent in English) dishes. In addition to the delicious food,the festival atmosphere will be there too, there will be children’s activities, puppet shows, cultural programs and concerts, and in the early afternoon the tunes of the Hot Jazz Band accompany the gastronomic experience.

See you soon on our free walking tours in Budapest that run rain, hail or shine! See our Daily tour schedule here!

Garden bars in Budapest

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Dear Travelers, let the triptobudapest.hu Free Walking Tours Team recommend you a few garden bars off the beaten path, in the Hungarian capital with nice shades to cool down in the summer heat.

  • ‎ Pàntlika (1146 Budapest, Hermina út 47.) Located in the City Park of the Pest side of the city, they have Hungarian gulyàs soup, burgers and much more.
  • VakVarjù Csònakhaz (1203 Budapest, Vízisport utca 12–18.) Also located on the Pest side, right next to the river Danube with nice, calm views of the water. They rebuilt and refurbished and old boat rental building to make a nice restaurant and bar.
  • Bereg Embassy Bar and Cafe (1015 Budapest, Batthyány utca 49/B) This one is on the Buda side of the city, they offer you craft beers, burgers, lecsó (Hungarian ratatouille) and grilled food.

Enjoy and see you soon on our free Budapest walking tours! 🙂

The new “mini airport” of the city center

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In the beginning of July 2022 a new “mini airport” opened in the city center of Budapest! 🙂 Let us, the Free Budapest Walking Tours Team tell you a few useful info about it!

It is called Universal Airport HUB. You can find it on Kálvin square, the same place from where you can take the bus number 100E, which takes you directly to the “real” international airport of the Hungarian capital, the Liszt Ferenc Airport. You can find many important airport services in the new “mini airport’ in the city center, let’s see them:

  • You can print your boarding pass, and check-in is also available for some flights
  • There is a luggage storage
  • If your boarding pass is ready, you can print your luggage tag and then it is easier at the real airport to drop your baggage off at the self-service baggage drop-off without standing in line (this is available only for the customers of Wizzair, Air France-KLM, Norwegian and Aegean airlines at the moment)
  • In the near future there will be more services: they will have luggage wrapping and you will be able to check the weight and size of your baggage as well

With the above services, Budapest Airport tries to simplify and speed up airport processes as much as possible, and to provide a much more comfortable travel experience, by which they mean the entire process, even from the moment you first look at the application.

When you are already on the actual journey, you can check in, shop or have a coffee at Kálvin square, and if you have any questions, the staff is always present and will help you with everything, but there will also be informative videos continuously.

Have a nice trip dear Travelers and see you soon on our free tours in Budapest that run in any kind of weather conditions! 🙂