Budapest 2026: Four Days of Great Food, Ruin Bars and Little Travel Adventures

Long overdue, but here I finally have taken the time to set up the actual Budapest trip blog…🥹😅

15–18 August 2026 | Budapest, Hungary 🇭🇺✈️

So, Budapest, Hungary it was! Some trips are carefully planned from beginning to end (usually not us 😅). What usually happens is that our trips become a mix of good food 🍽️, long walks 🚶‍♀️, spontaneous stops 📸 and a few little challenges along the way. And our trip to Budapest was definitely a bit of everything!

We set off expecting four days of new experiences, Hungarian food, sightseeing and a little nightlife 🍹. I had mixed feelings before the trip because of the situation surrounding my daughter, but we decided to go ahead and make the most of our time there.

And I’m glad we did, because we ended up having four eventful days, with temperatures reaching 32°C (90°F) ☀️🥵, lots of walking and an impressive ability to find something to eat almost wherever we happened to be… as always! 🤷‍♀️🍽️😁

Day 1: Arrival, Waiting and Disappointing Fish Soup

We landed in Budapest in the morning, and we had our first little challenge almost as soon as we arrived. We were waiting for the taxi that was supposed to pick us up, but it never showed up. Meanwhile, it was hot, and I started sweating as if I had just finished a workout. 🥵

Not exactly the most glamorous start to a city break! 😂

Once we finally got moving, we checked in at the hotel and went out to find something to eat. We chose Fehér Hajó Restaurant, where we ordered fish soup. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to our expectations. You can’t win every time when it comes to restaurants, even in a city known for its great food. Speaking of great food… no, let’s leave that one alone… the food was good.

We still had some time to kill before we could check into the hotel at 3 PM. So, we went for a good walk around the area, wandered around a bit and stopped at a street-food-style place.

Eventually, we checked in, and I was both tired and full. My partner, however, still had room for a beer 🍺. Clearly, not everyone has the same capacity for food and drinks!

In the evening, we made our way to Hugo’s Mexican Bar & Kitchen 🌮🇲🇽. We had some incredibly tasty surf and turf tacos. The restaurant also had colourful, fun decor with Mexican-inspired art and decorations 💀🌺.

After a slightly bumpy start to the day, it was a lovely way to end our first day. 🌙

Day 2: Hungarian Food and a Ruin Bar Crawl We’ll Never Forget

Our second day started with two classics: lángos and goulash served in a bread bowl. Lángos is a deep-fried dough dish often topped with things like cheese and sour cream, and it definitely belongs in the holiday food category. 😋

We also had a little encounter with a waiter who eventually turned into a rather persistent restaurant tout. Eating out isn’t always pleasant when someone goes out of their way to get you to sit at their particular table. 🙄

Later, we visited Pointer Pub. There, we witnessed something I had never seen before: someone sitting next to us could move their two middle toes without moving their big toe or the two outer toes. It reminded me of little caterpillars crawling along. 🐛😂 You learn something new every day, even on holiday!

After a short break at the hotel, we headed to Beer Brothers 🍻. We had nachos, onion rings and lemonade, while my partner sampled different beers.

Later, we visited Anna Café ☕. My partner ordered pancakes with sweet cottage cheese and mixed berries, while I went for a dessert with caramelised popcorn, biscuits and cream. It was delicious!

But the highlight of the evening was the ruin bar crawl. 🍻🎶

The tour had room for twelve people, but only seven showed up, including us. We were also the oldest participants. It could perhaps have been a little awkward, but it turned out to be great fun!

I got my dancing fix 💃, while my partner enjoyed a few drinks 🍺. The ruin bars had a unique atmosphere, with colourful lighting, creative interiors and a mix of people that made the evening interesting. 🌈🎶

We got home late, and the photos from the evening pretty much tell the rest of the story. Some holiday nights don’t need much explaining! 😂📸

Day 3: Sightseeing, the Great Market Hall and a Walk Across the Danube

 

After a late night, it was time to explore more of Budapest.

We started the day at Budapest Baristas, a café just around the corner from our hotel. Afterwards, we met up for a guided walking tour we had booked through GetYourGuide.

The tour was interesting, although I was left with a few thoughts about the guide’s political perspectives and how the history was presented. It’s always interesting to hear other people’s interpretations, but that doesn’t mean you necessarily have to agree with everything you hear.

At one point, I had to return to the hotel for a little break. That’s city breaks for you! You can have all the plans in the world, but sometimes your body has its own agenda. 😂

Afterwards, we stopped by the Great Market Hall, where we got to see more of the city’s food offerings and local atmosphere. We also had goulash at Old Street Café. With temperatures around 30°C (86°F), it might not have been the most obvious day to choose a hot soup, but a holiday is a holiday! 🥵😂

We took our time walking over to the Buda side via the Green Bridge, then returned to the Pest side across Elisabeth Bridge. The views of the Danube and the city made the walk well worth the effort.

Budapest is a city that really invites you to explore on foot. You’ll find historic buildings, monuments, cafés and little details that are easy to miss if you’re rushing from one attraction to the next.

Later in the day, we discovered Simple Bar 🍹. What a cool place! 🤩 It was almost a shame we hadn’t found it on Saturday, because this was definitely somewhere I would have happily spent more time.

We had dinner at Casa The Italian Restaurant before ending the evening with another visit to Beer Brothers 🍻.

And of course, we also had to see the Danube at night 🌙. Budapest is beautiful after dark, and the illuminated buildings along the river give the city a completely different atmosphere from the daytime.

It was one of those moments when you just want to stop, take a few photos and enjoy the view for a while. Photos were taken, naturally! 📸🤳😂

Day 4: Lángos, a Cat Museum and Sausages Before Heading Home

Suddenly, it was already departure day. 😭🧳

After checking out of the hotel, we started the day with lángos. It was a fitting way to end our stay in Hungary, especially since we had already tried it earlier in the trip.

After eating, we crossed a bridge and took photos with a statue that I still don’t quite know the meaning of. Perhaps I should have looked it up, but sometimes it’s perfectly fine to take the photo and move on. Historical research can wait for another day!

We found a slightly hidden café on the way towards Elisabeth Bridge, where we had beer and a latte. I also took quite a few photos along the way. 📸

One of our stops that day was a cat museum 🐈. As usual, I didn’t need much persuading to take photos of things I found interesting. Clearly, neither my camera nor I had received the memo that the holiday was almost over.

As we started heading towards the area where the airport bus departed, we found yet another place to eat 🍽️. This time, we went for sausages, and they were delicious!

Eventually, it was time to head to the airport. Naturally, we managed to find something to eat one last time there, while my phone battery slowly crept towards zero percent. 🔋😱

A dramatic ending? Perhaps not. But a dead phone is genuinely inconvenient when you’ve spent your entire holiday documenting everything from food and bridges to unusual toe movements.

My Thoughts After Four Days in Budapest ❤️🇭🇺

Budapest gave us a holiday full of contrasts. We had a few food experiences that didn’t quite hit the mark, but we also enjoyed several fantastic meals. We walked a lot, explored different neighbourhoods, visited bars and experienced the city both during the day and after dark. 🌞🌙

What I particularly liked was the mix of history, architecture, food and nightlife. There was always something new to discover, whether we were wandering through the streets, visiting the market hall or stumbling upon a little café we hadn’t planned to visit. ☕📸

We didn’t manage to do absolutely everything we had planned, but I suppose that’s part of the charm of travelling. Plans change, your feet need a break, and sometimes the best experience is a place you happen to discover along the way.

And then there are all the little stories you bring home with you. The delicious tacos, the disappointing fish soup, the ruin bars, the mysterious statue and the never-ending search for food. 😂

Would I visit Budapest again? Absolutely! It’s a city I’d love to explore more. Four days gave us plenty of lovely memories ❤️, but there’s still so much left to discover.

Thank you for this time, Budapest! 🇭🇺❤️✈️

Have you been to Budapest? Feel free to share your best tips for restaurants, sights and hidden gems in the comments. I’d love to hear your suggestions for our next visit! 💬😊