Where to stay

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Budapest includes the Buda Castle Quarter and the Banks of the Danube, which are by far the most romantic and iconic places to stay to experience the old Buda. To be able to walk to the hilltop Buda Castle and Matthias Church from your accommodations, stay in Tabán or Krisztinaváros, which are neighborhoods in District 1. You'll also be close to the Citadella and Liberty Statue on Gellért Hill. Alternatively, by staying in the northern riverside Buda neighborhoods of District II, such as Országút and Rózsadomb, you can take the metro or light rail to stations within walking distance of the Castle District. For the best sunset views of the castle, book a room in one of the major international chain hotels by the Danube River in the Budapest City Centre in Pest and simply walk across the romantic Elisabeth Bridge or take the metro to Buda.

Fanning out from the east bank, the lively Budapest City Centre in District V has a wealth of historic architecture, along with comfortable hotels in classy heritage buildings, surrounded by restaurants, shops and museums. The most popular hotels are in Inner City Budapest, home to the historic Palace District, as well as nearby Erzsébetváros, and Józsefváros. See more of the 19th-century Andrássy Avenue (Budavár Andrassy or Andrássy útm), also a protected UNESCO heritage site, by booking accommodations in Terézváros in District VI. The hotels in Ferencváros and Tisztviselötelep to the south put history lovers closer to the Holocaust Memorial Center and Hungarian Natural History Museum (Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum). These neighborhoods are also great places to stay for quick access to the narrated mini-cruises and ferries along the Danube River.

Pest's central Andrássy Avenue (Budavár Andrassy), which runs from the Oktogon metro station in the city center to its sprawling City Park (Városliget), is one of Budapest's most iconic and historic shopping boulevards lined with luxurious boutique fashion and gift shops. If staying in this area, make your experience of Budavár Andrassy last by dining out in the boulevard's classic Hungarian restaurants and bistros, before strolling back to your hotel. Budavár Andrassy is part of the Terézváros neighborhood in District VI, which also has hotels next to the modern WestEnd City Center shopping mall. The Inner City of Budapest is also great for some retail therapy and mingling with locals. Book a hotel in one of the hotels in the popular Lipótváros neighborhood of District V for a quieter experience, while still having access to all the great shops, bars and cafés of the Budapest City Centre.

On the Pest side of the city, art lovers can't go wrong with booking a hotel near Andrássy Avenue (Budavár Andrassy) for frequent visits to the Hungarian State Opera House, the old Ballet School, the Hungarian University of Fine Arts and the Ferenc Hopp Museum of East Asian Arts. Lovers of classical music will want to see the Zoltán Kodály Memorial Museum and Archives, also on Budavár Andrassy, in the former workshop of this celebrated Hungarian composer. Book a hotel on the City Park (Városliget) end of the Budavár Andrassy to visit the park's Museum of Fine Arts (Szépművészeti Múzeum) and Vajdahunyad Castle by the lake. To be able to stroll to the Hungarian National Museum, find a central hotel in the historic Palace District of Pest. Or, to be near the National Theatre (Nemzeti Színház), book a hotel in Ferencváros or Tisztviselötelep just to the south.