Are you planning a trip to Budapest but not sure when’s the best time to visit the Hungarian capital? Although most attractions – most importantly the thermal baths – can be enjoyed all year long, this month-by-month guide will help you compare the weather conditions as well as the main events in Budapest of spring, summer, autumn, or winter vacation, so you can make the decision that suits you most.
Why you should visit Budapest in January?
January is the coldest month of the year, but it doesn’t mean it’s not a good time for a weekend getaway in Budapest. Cold winter days are perfect for relaxation at the thermal baths or entertaining indoor events in Budapest, such as exhibitions, opera, and ballet performances. You will love the City Park Ice Rink at Vajdahunyad Castle if you enjoy skating in a beautiful, historic setting.
Budapest weather in January
Average temperature: -1 ° C / 30 ° F
Highest temperature: 1 ° C / 34 ° F
Lowest temperature: -3 ° C / 27 ° F
Best things to do in Budapest in January
- City Park Ice Rink at Vajdahunyad Castle (open from November to January)
- Winter picnic in Etyek: this event awaits you with a wide selection of Hungarian wines from local and guest wineries, crafts fairs, and homemade delicacies.
- Ballet performances at the stunning Hungarian State Opera House.
- Check out the January exhibitions at the newly restored Museum of Fine Art.
- Mobile Finnish Sauna at the Danube Riverbank, more information at valyo.hu.
Why you should visit Budapest in February?
February is still cold and chilly. To warm up, head into the Palace of Art for classical, world, and jazz music performances and contemporary art exhibitions. You can also warm yourself up with a shot of Pálinka at the Mangalica Festival. For an unforgettable Valentine’s Day weekend in Budapest, book a romantic candle-lit dinner cruise down the River Danube and reserve a fancy hotel room at one of Budapest’s many 4- and 5-star hotels. If you’re lucky, you even get to see Budapest blanketed in snow.
Budapest weather in February
Average temperature: 1 ° C / 34 ° F
Highest temperature: 4 ° C / 39 ° F
Lowest temperature: -2 ° C / 28° F
Best things to do in Budapest in February
- Mangalica (Furry Pig) Festival: the festival awaits with roasted whole pigs and other swine dishes, excellent wines and Pálinka, various live music, kids’ programs, animal shows, and a cooking contest as well.
- Winter Magic Bath Parties at Széchenyi Bath.
- Busójárás at Mohács: a well-known carnival program in the Hungarian countryside where devil-faced masked shepherds scare away the winter cold.
- The Music Academy of Budapest awaits you with various concerts.
- Book your tickets for jazz, classical music, and various art and dance performances here.
Why you should visit Budapest in March?
Spring might arrive soon, but the weather feels a lot like winter. This doesn’t stop Hungarians – who famously love their stomach – from organizing fun festivals in Budapest with a lot of eating and drinking. Try the local fish dishes at the fish festival, or taste traditional Easter foods like ham, lamb, and eggs at the spring fair. If you arrive in Budapest in mid-March, be prepared for March 15 celebrations all around Budapest commemorating the 1848 Hungarian revolution and war for independence.
Budapest weather in March
Average temperature: 6 ° C / 43 ° F
Highest temperature: 10 ° C / 50 ° F
Lowest temperature: 2 ° C / 36° F
Best things to do in Budapest in March
- Spring Fair at Vörösmarty Square: the fair usually starts in mid-March and ends in mid-April, offering a variety of cultural programs, art and crafts workshop, and a wide selection of local food and drinks.
- Budapest Fish Festival: this is a gastronomic event with a lot of fish dishes.
- Orchid Festival and Fair in Vajdahunyad Castle: an event for orchid enthusiasts
- March 15 programs: fairs, free concerts, and cultural programs will be held on the historical national holiday all around Budapest, including Buda Castle.
- Budapest Restaurant Week: a regular spring event usually in March, food lovers can taste Hungarian specialties at a reduced price during Restaurant Week.
Why you should visit Budapest in April?
In April, the city awakens from its winter slumber and fully blossoms with spring festivals in Budapest, craft fairs, blooming parks, and many outdoor activities. Days get warmer and longer. You get to enjoy long walks in the inner-city, the boating lake, and the Budapest Zoo at the City Park. April is also a great time to experience Hungarian folk traditions like painting eggs and weaving baskets at Easter.
Budapest weather in April
Average temperature: 11 ° C / 51 ° F
Highest temperature: 15 ° C / 59 ° F
Lowest temperature: 6 ° C / 43 ° F
Best things to do in Budapest in April
- Spring Fair at Vörösmarty Square: the fair usually starts in mid-March and ends in mid-April, offering a variety of cultural programs, art and crafts workshop, and a wide selection of local food and drinks.
- Easter fair at Vajdahunyad Castle offers many hands-on workshops for kids in Hungary to make traditional Hungarian Easter crafts, paint eggs and weave baskets.
- Budapest Spring Festival: one of central Europe’s bigger cultural events with more than 100 programs, including classical music concerts, jazz, and world music concerts, theatre, ballet, opera, and dance performances.
- The boating late in the City Park opens. More information at mujegpalya.hu
- International Book Festival: a 4-day literature and book fair with a well-known foreign writer as a guest of hono.
- Budapest Art Week: guided tours and special exhibitions are organized at various museums and art galleries.
- Spring picnic in Etyek: this event near Budapest awaits you with a wide selection of Hungarian wines from local and guest wineries, a crafts fair, and homemade delicacies.
Why you should visit Budapest in May?
In May, the weather is perfect. Not too hot, but not too cold either. Days are mostly sunny, although be prepared for occasional spring showers. At this time of the year, many food festivals are organized in Budapest, yet the tourist crowd is still surprisingly low. Head out to Margaret Island and enjoy the magical musical fountain or the small zoo, take a Chair Lift in the Buda Hills to the Elizabeth look-out tower, or visit Szentendre, the little jewelry box at the Danube river bank full of art galleries, restaurants, and museums.
Budapest weather in May
Average temperature: 16 ° C / 61 ° F
Highest temperature: 23 ° C / 73 ° F
Lowest temperature: 14 ° C / 57 ° F
Best things to do in Budapest in May
- Download the free Meerpackr app for the best self-guided walks around the city.
- Spring & Easter Fair at Vörösmarty Square: the fair usually starts in mid-March and ends in mid-April, offering a variety of cultural programs, art and crafts workshop, and a wide selection of local food and drinks.
- Rosalia Festival at City Park: this cultural and gastronomical event is a celebration of the upcoming summer with a glass of rosé or sprinkled wine while various concerts and dance performances can be viewed on stage.
- Gourmet Festival at Millenáris Park: the festival exhibits the country’s best restaurants, confectionaries, and wineries, introducing the best of local as well as international gastronomy.
- Budapest100: a weekend of open houses when various programs are organized with the aim to cherish the city’s historic buildings and bring locals, residents, and generations closer to each other.
Why you should visit Budapest in June?
In June, summer finally arrives. Many cafes and restaurants open their outdoor terraces, so you can enjoy local delicacies, and have a glass of wine while watching the locals walk by. It’s probably one of the best months to visit Budapest and see all the sightseeing highlights, as it’s not overly hot and the city is not yet overpacked with tourists. Do long walking tours during the day, and if you’re still not exhausted by night, go on a signature Budapest Ruin Bar-hop in Kazinczy Street, the city’s hottest party district.
Budapest weather in June
Average temperature: 19 ° C / 66 ° F
Highest temperature: 24 ° C / 75 ° F
Lowest temperature: 18 ° C / 64 ° F
Best things to do in Budapest in June
- Red Bull Air Race: an international series of Air Races organized in many cities worldwide, among them Budapest.
- Summer picnic in Etyek: This little mesmerizing town awaits you next to Budapest with a wide selection of Hungarian wines from local and guest wineries, a crafts fair, and homemade delicacies.
- Budapest Summer Festival: the 3-month festival offering a wide selection of cultural programs begins in June.
- Judafest Festival in Kazinczy Street: a family-friendly festival that is mostly aimed at kids but also cherishes Jewish traditions, meals, and culture.
- Czech Beer Festival at the rooftop terrace of WestEnd shopping mall. This festival features Bohemian Beers.
Why you should visit Budapest in July?
July is one of the hottest months in Hungary, so it’s a great time to soak and sunbathe at the city’s many thermal baths and pools. This month, the best events in Budapest will be outside. Summer festivals and outdoor evening performances like concerts are organized at Margaret Island and in the City Park. To escape the heat, head into museums, market halls, shopping malls, and the city’s many beautiful churches. It’s also a great time to enjoy Budapest’s nightlife and many outdoor venues or to take a ride around town on a beer bike.
Budapest weather in July
Average temperature: 21 ° C / 70 ° F
Highest temperature: 26 ° C / 79 ° F
Lowest temperature: 16 ° C / 61 ° F
Best things to do in Budapest in July
- Liberty Bridge Festival: Budapest’s Szabadság Híd (Liberty bridge) is closed to traffic and turns into a colorful festival during the weekends of July
- Budapest Summer Festival: the 3-month festival offering a wide selection of cultural programs begins in June.
- Concerts, opera, dance, and theatre performances at the Open-Air Stage of Margaret Island and at the Open-Air Stage of Városmajor.
- Vajdahunyadvár Summer Music Festival: the fairy-tale like Vajdahunyad Castle at the City Park provides a romantic backdrop for various classical music concerts.
Why you should visit Budapest in August?
Along with July, August is the hottest month of the year and also the busiest. Two major events take place this month in Budapest, the Formula 1 Grand Prix and Sziget Festival, both attracting large crowds. August also awaits with many other festivals, awesome outdoor venues, terrace diners, and parties until dawn at Budapest’s many ruin pubs. August 20th is one of the most important national holidays in Hungary, celebrating the Foundation of the Hungarian State. Festivities are held all over the country, and the day ends with fireworks. The fireworks in Budapest over the Danube are a particularly beautiful and popular event.
Budapest weather in August
Average temperature: 26 ° C / 79 ° F
Highest temperature: 28 ° C / 83 ° F
Lowest temperature: 18 ° C / 64 ° F
Best things to do in Budapest in August
- Sziget Festival: one of Europe’s biggest and best music festivals hosts over 1000 shows across 60 stages.
- Hungarian Formula One Grand-Prix: to book your tickets in advance, click here.
- Festival of Folk Arts at Buda Castle: this festival awoke the spirits of old-time fairs with many handcrafted goods.
- Buda Castle Beer Festival: The programs of this festival include many concerts and shows of all sorts, great local foods, and amazing beers from Hungary and elsewhere in the world.
- Festivities on August 20th include food fairs and huge fireworks over the Danube.
Why you should visit Budapest in September?
By September, children have gone back to school, and youngsters arriving for the music festivals have probably left. So, there is room to stretch out and fully enjoy events in Budapest. The weather is still amazing, as September often comes with an Indian Summer when the weather feels surprisingly warm. It’s a good time to go on a river cruise down the Danube or a guided city tour. In addition, it’s harvest time. Many wine festivals in Budapest are organized this month, while restaurants are full of fresh ingredients.
Budapest weather in September
Average temperature: 17 ° C / 63 ° F
Highest temperature: 22 ° C / 72 ° F
Lowest temperature: 12 ° C / 54 ° F
Best things to do in Budapest in September
- Budapest Wine Festival: a great opportunity to taste the award-winning Hungarian wines and the local gastronomy and enjoy concerts and colorful cultural programs at the Buda Castle.
- Book Fair at Trinity Square in Buda Castle: this event is more than just a book market. It’s also a traditional Hungarian-themed festival with concerts, children’s programs, gastro events, and much more.
- Sweet Days Chocolate Festival at the Basilica: this festival is all about pralines, cakes, chocolate, and sweets.
- Autumn picnic in Etyek: this event near Budapest awaits you with a wide selection of Hungarian wines from local and guest wineries, a crafts fair, and homemade delicacies.
- Budapest National Gallop at Heroes’ Square is a spectacular event in the city Centre. The Gallop race is accompanied by a food fair and cultural shows.
- Újbuda Jazz Festival: a popular series of events including concerts and jazz-themed photo exhibitions for jazz lovers at the A38 ship.
Why you should visit Budapest in October?
In October, leaves are falling, and days get considerably colder and shorter. If you’re lucky, however, the weather is still nice, and you get to experience some sunny days, while your trip may be much more budget-friendly than in July or August. Try the warm waters of Budapest’s thermal baths on a cooler day. Some of the best programs this month are the Pálinka and Sausage Festival at the Buda Castle and the Chimney Cake festival.
Budapest weather in October
Average temperature: 12° C / 53 ° F
Lowest temperature: 7° C / 45 ° F
Highest temperature: 16° C / 61 ° F
Best things to do in Budapest in October
- Chimney Cake Festival: this weekend festival awaits you with various concerts and cultural programs, a children’s park, a big collective chimney cake making, and a do-it-yourself stall.
- CAFé Budapest Contemporary Arts Festival is a series of events offering more than 200 art-related programs on 45 different locations, including exhibitions, concerts, theatre, and various dance performances.
- Hungarian Pálinka and Sausage Festival: this is one of the fun events in Budapest in the fall season when the days are getting cooler but the mood is heightened by Pálinka shots.
- Check out the October exhibitions at the newly restored Museum of Fine Art here: www.mfab.hu.
Why you should visit Budapest in November?
November is quite chilly, yet it can still be possible to sit on the terraces of cafes and restaurants wrapped in a soft blanket on the nicer days. If you schedule your Budapest visit at the beginning of November, you can enjoy better weather, but you will miss out on the Christmas markets opening in mid-November. November is also a time to enjoy indoor programs like ballet, opera and musical concerts. It’s also the wettest month of the year so don’t forget to bring a raincoat or umbrella.
Budapest weather in November
Average temperature: 5 ° C / 40 ° F
Highest temperature: 7 ° C / 45 ° F
Lowest temperature: 2 ° C / 36 ° F
Best things to do in Budapest in November
- Christmas markets open in mid-November at Vörösmary tér and towards the end of November at the Basilica.
- Classical music concerts at Matthias Church: this is one of the top programs for the October-November-December months in Budapest.
- Christmas markets at Vörösmarty Square and at the Basilica awaken the spirit of Christmas with mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, and various handcrafted goods.
- Organ concerts at the Basilica.
Why you should visit Budapest in December?
Budapest is the perfect location to enjoy the Christmas fever as the city is full of traditional Christmas markets. Enjoy a glass of mulled wine and a bag of roasted chestnuts, and check out the many handcrafted goods sold by local craftsmen. Some of the trams in the city are lit up in Christmas fashion, and Christmas River cruises are organized down the Danube. Christmas and New Year’s Eve concerts are organized all over the city.
Budapest weather in December
Average temperature: 1 ° C / 34 ° F
Highest temperature: 3 ° C / 37 ° F
Lowest temperature: -1 ° C / 30 ° F
Best things to do in Budapest in December
- Check out the Christmas Trams: selected streetcars are lit up in a special Christmas fashion.
- Budapest Christmas markets at Vörösmarty Square and at the Basilica awaken the spirit of Christmas with mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, and various handcrafted goods.
- Ice Rinks in front of the Basilica, in the City Park, and at Bálna Budapest
- Budapest Christmas concerts: Concerts are organized at various places around the city.
- Ride on the Santa Claus Train: Santa Claus drives the Hungarian Children’s Railway at the beginning of December.
- Joulupukki, the original Finnish Santa Claus, visits Hungary every year. Children can meet him at the Christmas Fair at Vörösmary Square on the 6th of December.
