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Budapest New Year: 2-Day Itinerary

31 December + 1 January: New Year’s Eve, then a farewell at Advent Bazilika. Pick one of two paces: relaxed or balanced–packed.

Plan with your own dates

Enter your arrival and departure; the route adapts to your flights and that day’s markets and opening hours.

Relaxed pace — Christmas markets, a thermal bath and café breaks

Markets, a thermal bath and atmosphere: 1–2 main stops a day is plenty; the rest is for long meals, café breaks and an afternoon rest.

Day 1 · Thursday 31 December10:00–00:30

New Year’s Eve: the Széchenyi Bath and Midnight on the Danube

One main stop: the steaming outdoor pool at the Széchenyi Bath in the morning. Lunch by City Park and a long rest. Somewhere warm after dinner, then midnight on the Danube Promenade with the floodlit Castle and the fireworks.

  1. 10:00

    Late Breakfast 60 min

    No rush: a long breakfast in a café, or a Hungarian lángos or omelette.

  2. 11:00

    Metro · 20 min

    The M1 to Széchenyi fürdő.

  3. 11:20

    Széchenyi Thermal Bath 150 min

    A 38 °C outdoor pool in the courtyard of a yellow neo-Baroque palace: in winter, chess players in the steam. Bring a swimsuit, flip-flops and a towel (all for hire).

    Estimated hours · Last year’s hours (8 am–6 pm); 2026 not out yet.

    Ticket needed: book at least 1 day ahead

    Some places close on holidays; check your ticket date against the opening days.

  4. 13:50

    Walk · 5 min

  5. 13:55

    Lunch, City Park 75 min

    Goulash soup, chicken paprikash (paprikás csirke) or lángos; book ahead in the holiday weeks.

  6. 15:10

    Metro · 20 min

    The M1 back to the centre and your hotel.

  7. 15:30

    Rest at the Hotel 205 min

    Rest at the hotel and recharge for the evening.

  8. 18:55

    Walk · 10 min

  9. 19:05

    Aperitif: Wine or Ruin Bar 45 min

    A glass of Hungarian wine or pálinka before dinner. Options: Szimpla Kert, a wine bar.

  10. 19:50

    Walk · 10 min

  11. 20:00

    New Year’s Eve Dinner 150 min

    In the centre, within walking distance of Szent István Square. Most restaurants serve a set menu (a 15% service charge is usually added) and fill up early: book in October or November. Lentils after midnight are said to bring luck.

  12. 22:30

    Somewhere Warm Until Midnight 35 min

    Stay on at the restaurant after dinner or move to a nearby café or bar. Rather than waiting long in the cold, head to your midnight spot in the last hour.

  13. 23:05

    Walk · 10 min

    Walk to the Danube Promenade; streets in the centre may be closed to traffic.

  14. 23:15

    Midnight: the Danube Promenade 50 min Our pick

    On the Pest bank, with the floodlit Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion across the river. Budapest has no official city fireworks; the sky fills with private ones, best seen over the water (allowed 8 pm–2 am, banned on some central squares and in parks). The Chain Bridge itself gets crushed, so stay on the promenade. Arrive around 11:15 pm and keep your bag in front of you.

    Other options

    Szent István Square: The Advent Bazilika market is open until 3 am on New Year’s Eve: count down with mulled wine and the crowd in front of the Basilica.

    Gellért Hill: The best free view of the whole city’s fireworks, but the path is steep, dark and can be icy on the way down. Go early, with a torch and good shoes.

    New Year’s Eve cruise on the Danube: Midnight on the river; some cruises include dinner on board, so no restaurant needed. Find tickets

    Some places close on holidays; check your ticket date against the opening days.

  15. 00:05

    Walk · 25 min

    Back to your hotel on foot or by metro. Last New Year’s Eve the M1–M4 metro and trams 4 and 6 ran all night; the 2026 arrangements will be on the BKK website in mid-December. Taxi waits are long, so book through an app in advance.

Open the route on the map

Day 2 · Friday 1 January11:00–15:35

New Year’s Day: Advent Bazilika and the Basilica

A late breakfast; at midday a farewell at the Advent Bazilika market (until 6 pm today, its last day) and the Basilica, which opens at 1 pm. The panorama terrace is optional.

Optional stops: The Basilica Panorama Terrace. Add them if you have the energy, skip them if you’re tired; the day still works.

  1. 11:00

    Late Breakfast 75 min

    No rush: the first breakfast of the year. Shops are closed today and most cafés open towards midday.

  2. 12:15

    Walk · 15 min

  3. 12:30

    Advent Bazilika Christmas Market 60 min

    The market’s last day (until 6 pm on 1 January): a last chimney cake and mulled wine. Free entry.

  4. 13:30

    St Stephen’s Basilica 40 min

    The city’s largest church: the gilded dome and the Holy Right Hand relic. No visits during Mass; entry is free, with a donation expected.

    Estimated hours · Last year’s times; 2026 Christmas hours due in December.

  5. 14:10

    The Basilica Panorama Terrace 30 min Optional

    The terrace around the dome, 65 metres up: the Parliament, the Castle and the Danube in one view. Lift or 364 steps; tickets at the box office.

    Estimated hours · Last year’s times; 2026 Christmas hours due in December.

  6. 14:40

    Walk · 10 min

  7. 14:50

    Café Break 45 min

    Hot chocolate or coffee and a slice of Dobos or Esterházy cake; warm up and rest.

Open the route on the map

Balanced–packed pace — Budapest’s landmarks and Christmas markets

Explore the city and see the markets: nearby stops come in one flow (the Parliament and the Basilica; the Chain Bridge, the Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion; the Jewish Quarter and Széchenyi). You can skip anything marked “Optional” and the day still works.

Day 1 · Thursday 31 December10:00–00:30

New Year’s Eve: Buda Castle, Vörösmarty and Midnight on the Danube

Across the Chain Bridge to the Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion in the morning (the upper towers are free today); a walk along Váci utca, coffee at the Gerbeaud and the Vörösmarty Square Christmas market in the afternoon. Somewhere warm after dinner, then midnight on the Danube Promenade with the floodlit Castle and the fireworks. The Castle District lanes and Váci utca are optional.

Running late? Skip these first: The Castle District Lanes, Váci utca. The rest of the day still works.

  1. 10:00

    Walk · 15 min

    To Széchenyi István tér, at the Pest end of the Chain Bridge.

  2. 10:15

    The Chain Bridge 20 min

    The first bridge linking Buda and Pest, opened in 1849 and recently restored; walking across gives the best view.

  3. 10:35

    Walk · 15 min

    From Clark Ádám tér up the steps to the Castle (a 15-minute climb; there’s also the funicular).

  4. 10:50

    Buda Castle and the Royal Palace 40 min

    The Royal Palace courtyards, the Lion Courtyard and the terrace over the Danube, with Pest and the Parliament below.

  5. 11:30

    Walk · 10 min

  6. 11:40

    Fisherman’s Bastion and Matthias Church 40 min

    The fairy-tale turrets look out over the Parliament, next to Matthias Church and its colourful tiled roof. The lower terraces are always free; the upper towers are ticketed 9 am–7 pm, and free from 24 to 31 December and on 1 January.

  7. 12:20

    The Castle District Lanes 25 min Optional

    Baroque houses along Úri and Táncsics streets and the Ruszwurm patisserie (1827).

  8. 12:45

    Walk · 5 min

  9. 12:50

    Lunch, the Castle District 60 min

    Goulash soup, chicken paprikash (paprikás csirke) or lángos; book ahead in the holiday weeks.

  10. 13:50

    Bus · 20 min

    Bus 16 back to Pest (Deák Ferenc tér), or walk down and over the Chain Bridge.

  11. 14:10

    Váci utca 45 min Optional

    Most shops close between 2 and 4 pm today: shop windows, lights and the last shops still open.

  12. 14:55

    Walk · 5 min

  13. 15:00

    Coffee House Break 45 min

    Budapest’s grand coffee houses: coffee and Dobos cake. Options: Gerbeaud, Central Kávéház. The queue at the New York Café can be long.

  14. 15:45

    Free Time: Rest or Stroll 105 min Optional

    Drop by the hotel to rest, or take a stroll nearby: shop windows and Christmas lights.

  15. 17:30

    Walk · 10 min

  16. 17:40

    Vörösmarty Square Christmas Market 60 min

    Budapest’s oldest Christmas market: craft stalls in front of the Gerbeaud café, lángos and chimney cake. Free entry.

  17. 18:40

    Walk · 10 min

  18. 18:50

    Aperitif: Wine or Ruin Bar 60 min

    A glass of Hungarian wine or pálinka before dinner. Options: Szimpla Kert, a wine bar.

  19. 19:50

    Walk · 10 min

  20. 20:00

    New Year’s Eve Dinner 150 min

    In the centre, within walking distance of Szent István Square. Most restaurants serve a set menu (a 15% service charge is usually added) and fill up early: book in October or November. Lentils after midnight are said to bring luck.

  21. 22:30

    Somewhere Warm Until Midnight 35 min

    Stay on at the restaurant after dinner or move to a nearby café or bar. Rather than waiting long in the cold, head to your midnight spot in the last hour.

  22. 23:05

    Walk · 10 min

    Walk to the Danube Promenade; streets in the centre may be closed to traffic.

  23. 23:15

    Midnight: the Danube Promenade 50 min Our pick

    On the Pest bank, with the floodlit Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion across the river. Budapest has no official city fireworks; the sky fills with private ones, best seen over the water (allowed 8 pm–2 am, banned on some central squares and in parks). The Chain Bridge itself gets crushed, so stay on the promenade. Arrive around 11:15 pm and keep your bag in front of you.

    Other options

    Szent István Square: The Advent Bazilika market is open until 3 am on New Year’s Eve: count down with mulled wine and the crowd in front of the Basilica.

    Gellért Hill: The best free view of the whole city’s fireworks, but the path is steep, dark and can be icy on the way down. Go early, with a torch and good shoes.

    New Year’s Eve cruise on the Danube: Midnight on the river; some cruises include dinner on board, so no restaurant needed. Find tickets

    Some places close on holidays; check your ticket date against the opening days.

  24. 00:05

    Walk · 25 min

    Back to your hotel on foot or by metro. Last New Year’s Eve the M1–M4 metro and trams 4 and 6 ran all night; the 2026 arrangements will be on the BKK website in mid-December. Taxi waits are long, so book through an app in advance.

Open the route on the map

Day 2 · Friday 1 January10:30–15:10

New Year’s Day: the Parliament, the Danube and Advent Bazilika

A late breakfast; the Parliament from Kossuth Square and the Shoes on the Danube Bank at midday; in the afternoon a farewell at the Advent Bazilika market (until 6 pm today, its last day) and a coffee house.

  1. 10:30

    Late Breakfast 75 min

    No rush: the first breakfast of the year. Shops are closed today and most cafés open towards midday.

  2. 11:45

    Walk · 15 min

  3. 12:00

    The Parliament and Kossuth Square 25 min

    The neo-Gothic front, the Christmas tree and the guard; the façade is floodlit in the evening.

  4. 12:25

    Walk · 5 min

  5. 12:30

    The Shoes on the Danube Bank 15 min

    Sixty pairs of iron shoes remembering the Jews shot on the riverbank in 1944–45. A short, quiet stop.

  6. 12:45

    Walk · 15 min

    From Kossuth tér to Szent István Square.

  7. 13:00

    Advent Bazilika Christmas Market 60 min

    The market’s last day (until 6 pm on 1 January): a last chimney cake and mulled wine. Free entry.

  8. 14:00

    Walk · 10 min

  9. 14:10

    Coffee House Break 60 min

    Budapest’s grand coffee houses: coffee and Dobos cake. Options: Gerbeaud, Central Kávéház. The queue at the New York Café can be long.

Open the route on the map

Tips

  • The Advent Bazilika market runs 13 November – 1 January and the Vörösmarty market 13 November – 31 December (2026, official). On 24 December Vörösmarty closes at 2 pm and the Basilica market at 3 pm; on New Year’s Eve both stay open until 3 am.

  • On 24 December most shops close at noon or 2 pm; they’re closed on 25–26 December and 1 January. On 31 December they close between 2 and 4 pm (2025 arrangement).

  • On 24 December buses and trams stop at 3–4 pm and the metro at 6 pm; after that only night buses run. On New Year’s Eve the metro and trams 4 and 6 run all night (2025 arrangement; the 2026 notice comes out in mid-December).

  • There are no official city fireworks at New Year; the sky fills with private ones. The best places to watch are the Danube bank and Gellért Hill; the Chain Bridge itself gets crushed.

  • Buy Széchenyi Bath tickets online and bring a swimsuit, flip-flops and a towel. The Gellért Bath is closed for renovation. Széchenyi tickets

  • The Parliament can only be visited on a guided tour, and December days sell out ahead. The Dohány Synagogue is closed on Saturdays. Parliament tours

  • On the evening of 24 December most restaurants are closed; book Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve dinner in October or November. Restaurants usually add a 12–15% service charge.

  • The currency is the forint (HUF). Cards are widely accepted; avoid street exchange booths, and when asked "euro or forint", choose forint.

Times are for Thursday 31 December – Friday 1 January. Some are official for 2026, some are last year’s; check before you go. The guide’s table shows which is which: New Year’s Eve in Budapest

Frequently asked questions

Is 2 days enough for Budapest New Year?

Two days add a late-starting farewell day to New Year’s Eve.

Which museums and landmarks can you visit inside on a 2-day New Year trip to Budapest?

Relaxed: Széchenyi Thermal Bath. Balanced–packed: no ticketed museums; markets, streets and churches.

How far ahead should I book tickets?

Széchenyi Thermal Bath at least 1 day ahead. Queues are long in the holiday week.

I’m going on different dates; how does the route change?

Enter Budapest and your arrival and departure in the planner on the home page. For any date from 13 November – 1 January it builds the route around that day’s markets and opening hours: New Year’s Eve on 31 December, Christmas Eve on 24 December, and closed markets are dropped.