Hungary's capital on both banks of the Danube: the Parliament, Buda Castle, Fisherman's Bastion, the Széchenyi thermal baths and evening Danube cruises. For history, architecture, spa culture and ruin-bar nightlife; cheaper than most European capitals. No direct flights from Ulaanbaatar — connect via Istanbul, Frankfurt or Beijing. Mongolian citizens need a Schengen visa; Hungary has an embassy in Ulaanbaatar.
🛂 Visa: Visa required · 90 days✈ Flight: 14h☀ Best months: April, May, June, September
#history#thermal baths#architecture#Danube#nightlife#Schengen visa
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: April, May, June, September, October.
Things to see (12)
🧸 for kids
Hungarian Parliament Building
Culture14,000 Ft (non-EU citizens); ages 6–24 7,000 Ft, under 6 freeGuided tours daily (~45 min); changes on sitting days
The neo-Gothic palace on the Danube — one of the largest parliament buildings in Europe. The tour shows the Holy Crown of St Stephen and the gilded main staircase. Tickets sell out, so book ahead on jegymester.hu and bring your passport.
CultureHill free; funicular 4,500 Ft one way, 5,500 Ft return
Travel guide
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goStart the Schengen visa early: Hungary has an embassy in Ulaanbaatar, so you apply at home.+
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Schengen visa: Hungarian Embassy, VFS Global
Mongolian citizens need a Schengen short-stay (C) visa. If Hungary is your main destination, book an appointment with VFS Global, which sits inside the embassy building (BlueMon Center), and go in person to give fingerprints. Fee €90 (ages 6–11 €45, under 6 free) plus a VFS service fee. Apply between 6 months and 15 days before travel; a decision usually takes 15 days.
Tip: Buy the ticket after the visa is issued, or attach a refundable booking.
Medical insurance valid in all Schengen states with cover of at least €30,000 is mandatory. Attach a return ticket, hotel bookings, bank statements and an employment letter. Your passport must have been issued within the last 10 years and be valid for more than 3 months after you leave.
Since 10 April 2026 the EES system records your fingerprints and face at the Schengen border instead of stamping your passport. The first entry may take longer at passport control. ETIAS is for visa-exempt travellers, so it does not apply to Mongolians with a Schengen visa.
🛬Landing and getting to the cityFrom Ferenc Liszt Airport the 100E express bus is the easiest way to the centre.+
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100E Airport Express
Bus 100E runs from Terminal 2 straight to Kálvin tér and Deák Ferenc tér in ~40 minutes, around the clock. It needs a special 2,500 Ft ticket — ordinary tickets are not valid. Tap your bank card on the Pay&GO device at the front door to buy and validate in one go.
Budapest taxi fares are set by the city and identical for every company: 1,300 Ft start, ~520 Ft per km, plus an 800 Ft airport surcharge. Use the official Főtaxi rank at the airport or the Bolt app; don't go with people offering rides outside.
If your phone supports eSIM, buy and install a Europe eSIM from Airalo, Holafly or similar before you leave: it also works while connecting in Istanbul or Frankfurt and needs no passport registration. Pick a plan valid across many European countries.
Tip: Download Budapest in Google Maps and Hungarian in Google Translate for offline use.
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Hungarian prepaid SIM
Telekom, Yettel and One prepaid SIMs are sold in official stores after you show your passport for registration; they cannot be bought online. Yettel has a point in the Terminal 2B arrivals hall. Worth it if you need a Hungarian number or are staying long.
🚇Getting aroundMetro (M1–M4), trams, buses and trolleybuses are all one BKK system. Inspections are frequent — no ticket means a fine.+
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Tickets and travelcards
A single ticket is 500 Ft bought in advance or 700 Ft on the spot. A 24-hour travelcard is 2,750 Ft and a 72-hour one 5,750 Ft — worth it from 5–6 rides a day. Validate paper tickets when you board; the on-the-spot fine is 12,000 Ft.
Tram 2 runs along the Pest bank of the Danube past the Parliament — a cheap 'sightseeing tour'. The M1 metro (1896) is the oldest on the European continent and runs under Andrássy út to Heroes' Square. Trams 4 and 6 run the Grand Boulevard but are crowded, so mind your pockets.
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Budapest Card
The Budapest Card bundles unlimited public transport with free entry to many museums and discounts on baths and cruises: 24 hours 17,990 Ft, 72 hours 29,990 Ft. Worth checking if you will see many museums; for transport alone a travelcard is cheaper. Not valid on the 100E bus.
Hungary's currency is the forint (HUF, Ft) — not the euro. Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere. Some places take euros but at a poor rate. Withdraw cash from bank ATMs (OTP, K&H); tourist ATMs such as Euronet charge high fees.
Tip: If an ATM or card terminal offers to charge you in tögrög or dollars (DCC), decline and choose forints.
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Tourist tax
Budapest's tourist tax is 4% of the net room price (under-18s are exempt). If it is not included in your booking, the hotel charges it separately.
Hungarian VAT is 27% — the highest in the EU. Non-EU visitors who spend more than ~74,000 Ft in one shop on one day can ask for a Tax Free form, get it stamped by customs at the airport where they leave the EU, and collect the refund.
🍜FoodHungarian food is meaty and full of paprika — close to Mongolian tastes.+
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What to eat
Goulash soup (beef and paprika), chicken paprikash, pörkölt (meat stew), lángos (fried dough with sour cream and cheese), kürtőskalács (sweet chimney cake roasted over embers) and Dobos cake. Children usually love lángos and palacsinta (thin pancakes).
Tip: Check whether a service charge (szervízdíj) is already on the bill — if it is, there is no need to tip again.
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Markets and groceries
The Great Market Hall has paprika, salami, Tokaji wine and souvenirs. Buy cheap groceries at Spar, Lidl, Aldi and Tesco. Many shops close on Sundays — stock up the day before.
From mid-November to late December, Christmas markets fill Vörösmarty tér and the square in front of the Basilica: mulled wine, chimney cakes and handicrafts, with a light show on the Basilica. Crowds are big, so mind your pockets.
Don't sit down in bars or restaurants whose menus show no prices, and turn down strangers who invite you for a drink — it usually ends with a huge bill. Don't hail taxis on the street; order Bolt or Főtaxi. Keep your bag in front on trams 4 and 6, the metro and Váci utca. Ask exchange offices about rates and fees first.
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Hospitals and the Mongolian Embassy
The private FirstMed clinic speaks English and caters to visitors. A pharmacy is a 'Gyógyszertár' or 'Patika'; a duty pharmacy is open at night. If you lose your passport, report it to the police and contact the Embassy of Mongolia in Budapest.
Swimwear is required in the baths and most pools need a swim cap. Shower before getting in and wear flip-flops. Don't sit too long in the hottest water; pregnant women and small children usually stay out of the medicinal pools. No photos in the changing rooms.
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Everyday contact
Say 'Jó napot' (good day) entering a shop or restaurant and 'Köszönöm' for thank you. Hungarians can seem reserved at first but are polite. An old custom says not to clink beer glasses — clinking wine is fine.
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In public
Always validate your ticket and stay polite with inspectors. In restaurants say the total including the tip (usually 10%) when you pay rather than leaving it on the table. Cover shoulders and knees in churches and at memorials.
📱Useful apps+
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Transport
BudapestGO — routes, live times and tickets. The signal can drop underground in the metro, so activate tickets above ground. Bolt — taxis at the regulated fare. Google Maps works well in the city.
Google Translate's camera mode translates Hungarian menus on the spot — Hungarian is nothing like English. Budapest Info is the official tourist site for events and the Budapest Card. Buy Parliament tickets on jegymester.hu.
The 100E bus from Deák Ferenc tér or Kálvin tér takes ~40 minutes and costs 2,500 Ft. Allow time for the EES exit check and the customs stamp for your Tax Free refund, and be at the airport 3 hours before your flight.
Leave the Schengen area no later than the date on your visa — EES records your exit day automatically, and an overstay will hurt your next application. Pack paprika, Tokaji wine and foie gras in checked luggage; liquids are limited in hand luggage.
AI answer: double-check anything beyond our researched facts with an official source.
Hill 24 hours; museums have their own hours
The royal palace, the National Gallery and an old town of cobbled lanes. Ride the 1870 funicular up from Clark Ádám Square — children love it — or take bus 16 for less. The palace terraces look over the whole of Pest and the Danube.
CityUpper terrace 1,700 Ft (daytime); church ~3,400 FtUpper terrace paid 9:00–19:00, free at other times; church usually Mon–Sat 9:00–17:00, Sunday afternoons
Fairy-tale white turrets and Matthias Church with its coloured tiled roof. The most famous view of the Parliament across the Danube — at dawn or in the evening it is quieter and the terraces are free.
Relax13,200 Ft (Mon–Thu), 14,800 Ft (Fri–Sun); before 9:00 10,500 FtMon–Thu 7:00–20:00, Fri 7:00–22:00, Sat–Sun 8:00–20:00
One of Europe's largest spa complexes: 18 pools in a yellow neo-baroque palace, with 38°C outdoor water you can sit in even in the snow. Bring a swim cap, flip-flops and a towel. Gellért Baths are closed for renovation until 2028.
CultureChurch 2,600 Ft; dome terrace + treasury 5,000 FtDaily; visits restricted during services
Budapest's largest church with a 96 m dome — exactly as tall as the Parliament. Take the lift and stairs to the dome terrace for a 360° view; inside is the right hand of St Stephen, Hungary's first king.
CityEvening cruise from ~6,300 Ft; bridge freeDaily, several evening departures (seasonal)
A one-hour boat trip as the Parliament, Buda Castle and the bridges light up after dark — Budapest's most memorable sight. Boats leave from the Vigadó tér pier. The 1849 Chain Bridge finished its renovation in 2023 and is open to pedestrians.
FoodFree entryMon–Fri 6:00–18:00, Sat 6:00–16:00 (check Sunday hours)
A huge 1897 iron-and-glass market: paprika, salami and Tokaji wine downstairs, lángos (fried dough), goulash and handicraft souvenirs upstairs. The best place for food gifts; compare prices.
The square with statues of the seven Magyar chieftains, and behind it a big park: a lake (an ice rink in winter), the fairy-tale Vajdahunyad Castle and playgrounds. Walk along Andrássy út and you pass the House of Terror museum (closed Mondays).
KidsAdult 5,900 Ft, ages 2–18 4,200 Ft; family tickets from 9,100 FtDaily from 9:00; closing time varies by season (earlier in winter)
Founded in 1866, with Art Nouveau elephant and camel houses: elephants, hippos, apes and a tropical house. It sits in City Park next to Széchenyi Bath, so combine them in one day.
FoodFree entryDaily from noon until late; farmers' market on Sunday mornings
A 'ruin bar' in an abandoned building in the old Jewish Quarter, furnished with junk and curiosities — the symbol of Budapest nightlife. On Sunday mornings it hosts a local farmers' market, which is fine with children too.
NaturePark and terraces free; 'Bastion of Liberty' exhibition ~4,900 FtPark daily; exhibition by timed ticket
A 235 m hill by the Danube with the Liberty Statue and the widest panorama in the city. The renewed Citadella reopened on 28 March 2026 as a park you can enter from three sides. A 20–30 minute climb from the riverbank.
A small artists' town on the Danube: colourful houses, cobbled lanes, a marzipan museum and Serbian churches. About 40 minutes on the H5 HÉV suburban train from Batthyány tér; buy an extra ticket for the section beyond the city limit. In summer Lake Balaton also makes a day trip.
