Budapest is an amazing city with so much to do (read more here), but don’t forget to give yourself some time outside the city. You can hop on the train or jump in a car and be somewhere else in as little as an hour. From day trips to one or 2 night getaways, I’m sharing 6 easy trips to take from Budapest.

Esztergom • Visegrád
Lake Balaton • Bratislava
Vienna • Zagreb

ESZTERGOM

There are a lot of direct trains from Budapest each day, and the trip takes about an hour. You can expect to spend about half a day here before you head back to Budapest.

THINGS TO DO

Esztergom Basilica
The largest church + tallest building in Hungary. Climb to the top of the dome for an absolutely amazing view of Hungary, Slovakia, and the Danube River.

Maria Valeria Bridge
Walk across this bridge that connects Hungary and Slovakia.

Explore
Spend some time wandering around the town before heading back to Budapest.

VISEGRÁD

Another easy day trip from Budapest with some spectacular views of the Danube Bend. Take the train from Budapest to Nagymaros-Visegrád, then take the ferry across the river to Visegrád.

THINGS TO DO

Visegrád Castle
The hike up to the castle is pretty steep, but we went during the fall, and the changing leaves were beautiful. You can take the bus if you don’t want to walk.

Views of the Danube Bend.

Bobsled + Luge Track
Near the castle there are 2 tracks you can ride. It’s inexpensive, fun, and something a little different.

LAKE BALATON

Lake Balaton is the largest lake in Central Europe. There are plenty of towns to visit around the lake that make for an easy 1 or 2 day trip from Budapest. My friend Kyla and I took the train from Budapest to Balatonfüred and decided to stay the night, to escape the city and enjoy the quiet lakeside town.

THINGS TO DO

• Take a boat ride on the lake
• Take the tram ride through the town
• Feed the swans and ducks

Esztergom, Visegrád, and Lake Balaton are all easy trips within Hungary, but there are also a few neighboring countries that make a perfect day trip. . .or even weekend trip. I’ve already done separate blog posts on these that you can check out below!