A typical first trip here runs about $550 to $750 per person for 7 days at a mid-range style, before flights. Get your own number from the Budget Calculator.
- Goulash (gulyás), hearty beef and paprika stew, the national dish
- Lángos, deep-fried flatbread topped with sour cream and cheese
- Chimney cake (kürtőskalács), sweet spiral pastry cooked over coals
- Tokaji wine, world-famous dessert wine from northeast Hungary
- Pálinka, traditional fruit brandy taken very seriously
- Budapest Wine Festival (September), tastings in Buda Castle
- Sziget Festival (August), one of Europe's largest music festivals
- St. Stephen's Day (August 20), fireworks over the Danube
- Busójárás (Mohács, February), UNESCO carnival with scary masks
- Christmas markets on Vörösmarty Square are among Europe's best
Hungarian (Magyar) is one of Europe's most unique languages, unrelated to most others. English is common in Budapest, less so in the countryside.
Locals appreciate any attempt to say "Köszönöm" (thank you).
- Don't clink beer glasses, a superstition tied to historical defeat
- Hungarians are warm hosts; accept offers of pálinka graciously
- Tipping 10–15% is expected in restaurants
- Thermal baths are a Budapest institution, follow bathing etiquette
Latest for Hungary
Updates for Hungary will appear here as they are published. Every update cites official sources, so you can plan on it.