Explore Budapest with kids – a 2-day adventure

Budapest, the enchanting capital of Hungary, offers a delightful blend of history, culture, and family-friendly attractions. But who said that you have to drag your kids around the centre showing them the architectural masterpieces? Make it fun for kids this time and spend your Budapest trip different than usual. So who is ready for Budapest with kids?

Spend a morning with animals

Start your day at Tropicarium, a captivating oceanarium located in the Campona shopping mall. You can get here by public transport, the bus stop: Budateteny vasutallomas or Lepcsos utca. Kids were delighted. They enjoyed observing sharks, alligators, colorful fish, and exotic reptiles. The biggest attraction was the 12-meter visual tunnel under the shark aquarium, where you’ll feel like you’re swimming alongside these majestic creatures. Don’t miss the sand tiger and brown reef sharks—they’re truly mesmerizing! We spent there the whole morning, then we had some food in the shopping centre. The details are following:

• Address: Nagytétényi út 37, Budapest, 1223
• Opening Hours: Daily from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
• Prices:
  • Adults (18-65 years): 4,500 HUF/person
  • Children and seniors (4-18 years, 65+): 3,500 HUF/person
  • Kids under 4: FREE (when arriving with family)
  • Group discounts available for at least 15 visitors in the same age class
  • Family ticket (2 adults + 2 children): 14,800 HUF (additional children: 2,900 HUF/person)

Indulge in Chimney Cake for a dessert

We couldn’t have leave Budapest withoiut trying Hungary’s beloved sweet street food, chimney cake (kürtőskalács)! Imagine a golden-brown, sugar-coated dough wrapped around a cylindrical baking spit, baked over glowing charcoal. The scent alone will draw you in. Choose from coatings like cinnamon, vanilla, cacao, or walnut. For an extra treat, ask foe nutella inside! Delicious. We had the one at the Castle Hill, then followed to the most beautiful Fisherman’s Bastion.

Watch Sunset at Fisherman’s Bastion

Head to Fisherman’s Bastion, a fairytale-like monument with seven high-pitched stone towers representing the seven chieftains who founded Hungary. The Neo-Romanesque lookout terraces offer breathtaking views of Budapest. Capture the sunset over the Danube River and the iconic Parliament building—it’s pure magic! Even kids enjoyed it. The two of them felt like princesses looking over Danube river from the stone windows.

• Address: Szentharomsag ter 5, Budapest, 1014
• Opening Hours: Daily from 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM
• Admission: Free (additional fee to enter the towers)

Spend morning in the LEGO Store

Visit the LEGO Store at WestEnd shopping mall. Let your kids’ imaginations run wild as they explore colorful bricks, minifigures, and themed sets. Whether they’re into Star Wars, superheroes, or cityscapes, this store has it all! The unique feature of this specific shop is that you can design your own mini Lego figure. You can dress, decorate and simply make an original souvenir out of it!

• Address: Váci út 1-3, Budapest, 1062
• Opening Hours: Daily from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM

Splash at the Aquapark in the afternoon

Escape the city center and head to an aquapark for some water-filled fun! While there are several options, consider AquaWorld Budapest. It’s a bit outside the city, and it’s better to use the car to get there, but it’s way more family friendly that the baths dotted around the city center. Here, kids can enjoy thrilling slides, wave pools, and small kids pool.

If you have more time

Just in case you plan a longer trip, don’t worry – there’re plenty of other attractions for kids. Unfortunately, we had just two days and in addition were visiting during winter, so the days were not long long enough to see everything. Here are some other places your kids may like:

• Hűvösvölgy, Children’s Railway – train operated with a help of kids, which run all year (including public holidays), with the exception of Mondays from the beginning of September to the end of April. The journey between terminals takes approximately 40-50 minutes. Like any other railway, it has ticket offices, diesel locomotives, signals, switches and a timetable. The line stretches among the Buda hills from Széchenyihegy to Hűvösvölgy, crossing the Cogwheel Railway and serving Normafa as well as the highest point of Budapest: Jánoshegy.
• Apathy Rock Lookout – for sporty kids, who really needs that long hike. As an addition you get the nice view.
• Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden – which kid doesn’t like zoo? The Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden is one of the oldest in the world with its almost 150 years of history. It’s divided to several sections like: Savanna, America, Tropicana, Madagascar or Japanese Garden. It’s easily reachable by public transportation. It’s located in the city park, close to the Vajdahunyad Castle or Széchenyi baths.
• City Park Ice Rink – also located in the same city park is a super attraction during winter, for those who love skating. The ice rink is huge, so even when it gets crowdy, you can still enjoy.
• Playgrounds: Gellérthegyi playground with slides or Cerka-firka Playground – every kid needs some “free time” on the playground. Those two located on the Gellert hegy hill can transfer your kid to his own imaginary world. Write the name of the playground to the google maps and get directions easily.

Stay a night

Whether it’s just one night or two, Budapest is worth staying a night. You can find budget accomodation in the city center or spacious studios here. Select between family friendly hotels or the more luxurious one. Why not? One of them is Bagatelle Gardenhouse, if you like to cook on your own, choose apartments. The full list of hotels in Budapest is here.

And remember keep your cool and don’t let anybody ruin your trip! Make this Budapest adventure unforgettable! 🌟