Cheap things to do in Budapest
Lángos, ruin bars and iron shoes: Budapest without spending much.
This is a Budapest for people who want the real city: market halls, cheap canteens, free hilltops and local bars that don't water down the drinks. You'll walk a lot, eat well for next to nothing and end each night somewhere a local would actually go. If your idea of a good trip involves a top bakery's sourdough at street prices and a legendary 1957 canteen, this is yours.
Day 1: Jewish Quarter on foot
A day that moves from bakery pastries and a great cheap baguette through Europe's largest synagogue, ending at a lángos stand and the kind of ruin bar that still belongs to the neighbourhood.
- 9:30 AM
David's Kitchen Brunch and Artisanal Bakery
Start the day with a coffee and fresh-baked pastry at this beloved neighbourhood bakery-café on the doorstep.
Map - 10:30 AM
Klauzál tér
Leafy square at the heart of the Jewish Quarter; sit with the locals and their dogs for ten minutes.
Map - 12:30 PM
Bors Gastro Bar
Tiny counter run by fine-dining chefs, get the daily soup and a gourmet baguette for almost nothing.
Map - 2:00 PM
Dohány Street Synagogue
Europe's largest synagogue, with the Jewish Museum and the silver Tree of Life memorial; closed Saturdays.
Map - 7:30 PM
Retro Lángos Budapest
Lángos fried to order with sour cream, cheese and garlic, plus dozens of other toppings, for very little.
Map - 9:00 PM
Kisüzem
Smaller ruin bar beloved by artists, students and locals, the real scene once Szimpla fills up with tourists.
Map
Day 2: Markets, canteens and Erzsébetváros
Coffee at Gerbeaud, a browse through a neighbourhood market hall, lunch at a legendary canteen, the Liszt Academy's Art Nouveau foyer, then Thai food and the original ruin bar.
- 9:30 AM
Gerbeaud Cukrászda
Splurge on one coffee and a slice of Gerbeaud cake in the gilded 1858 salon on Vörösmarty tér.
Map - 10:15 AM
Hunyadi téri vásárcsarnok
Hunyadi téri local market, browse stalls, pick up cheap snacks and soak in everyday Budapest life.
Map - 12:30 PM
Kádár Étkezde
Legendary 1957 canteen just reopened Sep 2025 after five years, order the sólet or daily stew, dirt cheap.
Map - 2:15 PM
Liszt Ferenc Zeneművészeti Egyetem
Step into the Art Nouveau foyer of the Liszt Academy, all gold mosaic; book an evening concert while there.
Map - 7:30 PM
Rim Thanonh Thai Food
Cheap and cheerful Thai in Erzsébetváros, a reliable local favourite for a filling dinner on a budget.
Map - 9:30 PM
Szimpla Kert
Original ruin bar in derelict Jewish Quarter building with salvaged furniture and courtyard garden, best early evening.
Map
Day 3: Castle Hill and the river
Sourdough on the Buda side, a free walk up to the tiled-roof church with the best Parliament view in the city, then the iron shoes at the water's edge before a wallet-friendly dinner.
- 9:30 AM
SALT Bakery
Sourdough, croissants and big sandwiches from SALT restaurant's bakery; a cheap, good start in Buda.
Map - 10:30 AM
Castle Hill
Free to walk: Matthias Church's tiled roof and the Fishermen's Bastion view across to Parliament.
Map - 12:30 PM
Ildikó Konyhája
Top-rated cheap Hungarian kitchen in Víziváros, hearty local lunch without blowing the budget.
Map - 2:30 PM
Shoes on the Danube Bank
Sixty pairs of iron shoes at the water's edge for the Jews shot into the Danube in 1944-45; free.
Map - 7:30 PM
Dunacorso Étterem
Classic Hungarian dining on the Lipótváros side, reliable and wallet-friendly for dinner.
Map - 9:30 PM
Csendes
Quiet vintage-furnished bar near Astoria, cheap drinks and room to talk away from the party strip.
Map
Where to stay
Wombat's City Hostel Budapest
A well-run hostel at a dollar price point, close enough to the Jewish Quarter to walk Day 1 straight out the door.
Three Corners Avenue Hotel
A cheap hotel a short walk from Klauzál tér and the Erzsébetváros bars, solid value for a traveller who just needs a clean base.
Make Budapest your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Széchenyi Thermal Bath: a few days ahead
- Rudas Thermal Bath: a few days ahead
- Hungarian Parliament Building: a few days ahead
- Dohány Street Synagogue: a few days ahead
- Hungarian State Opera: a few days ahead
- Stand: weeks ahead
Skip these
- Vaci utca restaurants with hosts outside and photo menus are the city's documented overcharging strip.
- Anyone in the street offering to take you to a bar is likely running a consumption scam. Walk away.
- Street hailed taxis and station porters at Keleti run unregulated meter and luggage fee scams.
- New York Cafe has an hour queue and average food at premium prices. Photograph it and eat elsewhere.
The full Budapest travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around