Top 10 fun things to do in Budapest

Budapest, Hungary is one of the favorite European cities of the Live Dream Discover blog. So much so that they have returned four times, and that’s not including the 18 months the writer lived there as a young child. There are many famous sights to see in this historic center but if you have more than a couple of days, which theyhighly advise, you should seek out some of the more fun and unusual things to do in Budapest. 

Go on a Ruin Bar crawl

Ruin Bars started in the early 2,000’s in dilapidated old buildings in the Jewish Quarter. What started as a fun experiment: offering a pop-up bar with cheap drinks, a funky atmosphere, and an eclectic decor of found and vintage pieces are now a huge part of the city’s culture. Visiting a Ruin Bar is a must if you want to sample the unique and vibrant Budapest nightlife.

The first to open, and now the best known, is Szimpla Kert (home of the Sunday market.) This bar consists of both indoor and outdoor space, a dozen unique rooms, rusted iron stairs, peeling paint and crumbling brickwork adorned with makeshift, quirky furniture, artwork, and lighting made out of random items found in flea markets or even dumpsters.

Other Ruin Bars to check out are Fogas Has with its cool courtyard, the massive Instant with more than 20 rooms, and the trendy Anker’t.

Take in an unusual Budapest festival

There are plenty of festivals year-round in Budapest including more traditional themes of food, drink, art, and music. They even host the famous Sziget Festival which brings music lovers from all over the world.

But the city is also known to have some more unusual festivals and events. The Picnic Liberty Bridge is an event where the bridge is closed to all traffic allowing picnics and entertainment. Budapest Urban Games is an annual sports competition within the city with a different unique theme every year. The National Gallop is a one-of-a-kind horse race around Heroes’ Square and the Night of Art Cinemas where several art cinemas show films all night long.

Enjoy the local craft beer scene

Craft beer has become the trend in many parts of the world and Budapest is no exception. There used to be very little reason to visit District IX but it’s quickly becoming the beer hub of the city. In fact, the area boasts “…over 20 bars serving from 99 taps within 1999 meters.” Plus there are dozens more Budapest bars pouring local craft beer all over the city.

Some favorites include: the scenic riverside Jonas Craft Beer House and the cosy Skanzen Club where patrons pour their own beer, the Kandallo Artisanal Pub with 16 rotating taps, First Craft Beer Company which has their own brews on tap plus some guest taps, and Eleszto which was a pioneer in the Budapest craft beer scene.

Try to escape

The first Live Escape Room games started in Asia but Hungary was one of the first to introduce Escape Rooms to Europe. The experience requires players to be “locked” in a room where they need to find clues and solve puzzles in order to escape.

Many of the Escape Rooms in Budapest are housed in basements giving them a spooky, authentic feel. There are dozens of these game rooms to choose from with themes like George Orwell’s “1984”, Harry Potter, an Egyptian burial chamber, Pirate Bay, and Heaven & Hell. We think playing an Escape Room game is one of the most fun things to do in Budapest.