How To Celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve in Budapest—For Every Type of Traveler

Visiting holiday markets is one of the best ways to explore the city of Budapest at Christmas. While you can navigate the markets yourself, taking a guided tour ensures you’ll learn about Hungarian Christmas traditions and discover the best stalls, including those emblematic chimney cake (the official dessert of Hungary) stands.

The biggest of the city’s many festive markets takes place at Vörösmarty Square. Peruse wares such as ornaments and munch on sausages paired with mulled wine at more than 100 stalls. The Christmas market at Szentendre Main Square (Fo Tér) is another prime spot to experience some of the best holiday shopping in Budapest.

While there are plenty of enjoyable activities in Budapest for families to do throughout the year, the Christmas season is a particularly enchanting time for little ones. Ice skating is popular in Budapest with both locals and visitors, so bundle up and take your kids to the Christmas market at St. Stephen’s Basilica (Szent István Bazilika), where there’s a free ice skating rink for children between the ages of 4 and 14.

The City Park Ice Rink is an especially large rink that offers free skating and lessons for kids, teens, and adults, complete with gorgeous views of Vajdahunyad Castle (Vajdahunyadvár).

Budapest swells with music during the Christmas season, with concerts held at magical settings such as the Müpa Budapest and the Liszt Academy. Many churches host organ concerts, including a famous musical event at St. Stephen's Basilica and performances at St. Michael’s Church, where concerts on the city’s oldest working organ are held on most Sundays. If you'd like to take in the city scenery while listening to Hungarian folk music, hop aboard a Danube River cruise that includes a music and dance show.

While the Hungarian capital is beautiful no matter when you visit, twinkling Christmas lights give Budapest an extra layer of sparkle. To see some of the city’s most remarkable displays, take a walk along Andrássy Avenue, which is bedazzled to the max during the Yuletide season.

The bridges and buildings along the Danube River are equally glorious during the holidays, and one of the best places to admire them is on a river cruise. Consider a special New Year’s Eve dinner cruise to soak in all the shimmer of the river with the added bonus of fireworks.

Budapest is the perfect destination for solo travelers, but spending the holidays alone can make even the most independent traveler feel a little down. New Year’s Eve, in particular, is an evening best celebrated with friends, but even if you don’t know anybody, you’ll find plenty of parties around town. Head to one of the city’s famous ruin bars to join in on the New Year's Eve countdown, or sign up for a New Year’s Eve pub crawl for skip-the-line access at some of the city’s best bars.

Soaking away one’s aches and pains in thermal baths is a longstanding tradition in Budapest, and it’s an ideal way to warm up during the coldest months of the year. A holiday season visit to the beautiful Széchenyi Thermal Baths (Széchenyi Gyógyfürdo) is a must for hot springs fans—the hot pools in the outdoor section offer a particularly cozy contrast to the chilly winter air.

For an especially unusual experience, don’t miss the chance to sip brews while you soak in hopped water at the thermal beer spa in the same complex.

While it's easy to fill up on Hungarian Christmas classics such as chimney cake, chestnuts, and stuffed cabbage at local markets, save some room to try out other local delicacies. Taking a traditional food tour or a street food tour is a great way to familiarize yourself with the local culinary offerings, such as strudel and lángos (fried flatbread), while exploring the festive city with a guide. Don’t leave town without tasting Hungarian wine, either, which seems especially warming during the cooler winter holiday months.

Budapest is full of architectural wonders, from the hilltop Buda Castle on the Buda side of the Chain Bridge to the enormous neo-Gothic House of Parliament. The Christmas season is just the right time to check out the city’s architecture decked out for the holidays, too, whether on a history-focused walking tour or by gliding around after dark on an e-scooter. If you prefer something a bit less active, you can always take in the city views from the comfort of a tuk-tuk.

While Budapest offers enough holiday experiences to keep most travelers busy for days on end, the city is also an excellent base for day trips. For a particularly festive jaunt out of town, head to Vienna, where the spirit of Christmas is celebrated to the max. Choose a day trip that includes visits to at least one of the city’s many Christmas Markets and offers stops at major attractions such as Schönbrunn Palace (Schloss Schönbrunn) and St. Stephen's Cathedral.