Budapest in 4 days

Matthias Church (Matyas-templom) about 30 minutes

A neo-Gothic parish church on Castle Hill with a colourful diamond-patterned roof, the site of several Hungarian royal coronations, right next to Fisherman's Bastion.

Fisherman's Bastion (Halaszbastya) about 45 minutes · heart of the city

A fairy-tale, neo-Romanesque terrace of white turrets and arcades on Castle Hill, built purely for the view - one of the best panoramas of the Parliament and the Danube in the city.

Buda Castle & Budapest History Museum about 1 hour and 15 minutes

The vast former royal palace complex on Castle Hill, its courtyards and ramparts free to wander, with the Budapest History Museum inside tracing the site back to medieval times.

Hungarian National Gallery (Magyar Nemzeti Galéria) about 2 hours

Hungarian art from medieval altarpieces to the 20th century, housed in the Royal Palace on Castle Hill.

Rudas Baths (Rudas fürdő) about 3 hours

Turkish-era thermal bath under a dome with a rooftop pool overlooking the Danube.

Szechenyi Chain Bridge about 15 minutes

The elegant 19th-century suspension bridge that first physically linked Buda and Pest, guarded by stone lions and lit up at night - the classic Danube postcard shot.

Hungarian Parliament Building about 45 minutes · heart of the city

A vast, riverside neo-Gothic parliament building - one of the largest in the world - with guided interior tours past the Hungarian Crown Jewels, best booked well in advance.

Hungarian National Museum (Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum) about 1 hour and 30 minutes

The country's main history museum in a grand neoclassical palace, telling the story of Hungary from the Carpathian Basin's early peoples to modern times.

Dohany Street Synagogue about 1 hour

The largest synagogue in Europe, a lavish Moorish Revival building from 1859 with a moving Holocaust memorial garden and museum in its complex.

St. Stephen's Basilica about 45 minutes

Budapest's largest church, home to the mummified 'Holy Right Hand' of King Stephen I, with a dome terrace climb (or lift) giving one of the best 360-degree views in the city.

Danube Sightseeing Cruise by Legenda (Legenda dunai sétahajó) about 1 hour and 30 minutes

A one-hour boat trip past Parliament, Buda Castle and the bridges, by day or lit up in the evening.

Museum of Fine Arts (Szépművészeti Múzeum) about 3 hours and 15 minutes

Hungary's great art museum on Heroes' Square, with Old Masters from Spain, Italy and the Netherlands plus Egyptian and classical antiquities.

Heroes' Square (Hosok tere) about 30 minutes

A vast ceremonial square at the top of Andrassy Avenue, anchored by the Millennium Monument's colonnade of statues of Hungary's founding chieftains and kings.

House of Hungarian Music (Magyar Zene Háza) about 1 hour and 45 minutes

A striking modern music museum in City Park with an interactive permanent exhibition and a spherical Sound Dome.

Szechenyi Thermal Bath about 3 hours

The largest and most famous thermal bath in Europe, a bright yellow neo-Baroque palace in City Park with 18 pools including three large outdoor ones - Budapest's essential spa experience.

Margaret Island (Margitsziget) about 2 hours

A 2.5 km car-free island park in the middle of the Danube between Buda and Pest, with a musical fountain, medieval ruins, a small zoo, thermal pools and a running track that locals treat as the city's back garden.

Pál-völgy Cave (Pál-völgyi-barlang) about 1 hour and 30 minutes

Guided one-hour walk through a Buda Hills cave system with narrow passages and stairs.

Children's Railway (Gyermekvasút) about 1 hour and 30 minutes

Narrow-gauge railway through the Buda Hills operated largely by children.