How to explore Budapest with kids

Budapest serves up two cities for the price of one, meaning there’s loads for families to see and do.

Pest on the east bank has the lion’s share of the sights, but there’s plenty of family fun to be had in Buda and Óbuda on the west bank too, including breathing in the fresh air of the green Buda Hills.

From watching shark feeding at the city’s aquarium to a ferry trip on the Danube, here are our favorite family-friendly activities to keep the little ones happy in Budapest. 

Is Budapest good for kids?

While Budapest’s architecture and history will keep adults enthralled, with kids in tow, you may need to go beyond the must-sees to keep the entertainment levels dialed up to 10. The good news is that Budapest’s famous thermal waters offer fun for the whole family, and there are plenty of kid-friendly parks, museums and attractions.

Budapest has a very good, reliable and well-connected public transport system, so there’s no need to rent a car or take a taxi, even with little ones. Trams, buses and metro trains can take you absolutely everywhere – you can get from downtown to the top of Budapest in about 20 minutes, fuss-free. The most important thing to note is that the system is still very old-school – tickets need to be purchased and also validated onboard for each ride.

The city transport network is run by BKK, and travel passes valid for one day to one month are usable on all trams, buses, trolleybuses, HÉV suburban trains (within the city limits) and metro lines. Kids will enjoy the trams more than buses or the metro. Note that several boat lines form part of the public transport system and can be used with a travel pass, making for a cheap river cruise.

Where is best in Budapest for kids

Budapest is made up of calmer, quieter Buda on the west bank of the Danube and lively, buzzing Pest on the east bank, with the outlying settlement of Óbuda merging into the northern fringes of Buda. The inner city is fairly compact, however, and there isn’t one specific neighborhood that stands out for families when it comes to picking accommodations.

Many local families live on the Buda side, but staying here will put you further from the big sights and you’ll have…