Budapest, pronounced Budapescht, consists of two cities, hilly Buda in the west, and flat Pest in the south. The city structure is similar to Prague .

Day 1

Start your day with a walking tour. While there are many specific ones like focusing on Jewish quarters etc. I chose the generic one which covers the history and the culture of the city. After the tour, spend time checking out the castle before heading down to the Hospital in the rock . It was a hospital built during the cold war to survive a nuclear attack. The guided tour at this place is subpar though.

A guided tour is taking place at a Cold War-era bunker designed to survive a nuclear attack.
Hospital in the Rock
Hospital in the Rock

Check out the Mansfeld Peter Memorial and Zero kilometer Stone while going down from the castle.

A rocky path descends through the Zero Kilometre Stone tourist spot, offering scenic views of a surrounding cityscape, highlighting historic architecture with lush greenery in the backdrop.
Historic architecture is highlighted within a cityscape, surrounded by lush greenery and seen alongside instructions for a bus trip to the Citadella.

And then before crossing over to the Pest side, take a bus to Citadella for a few more views of the city.

A scenic view from Citadella showing a panoramic cityscape under a cloudy sky, with architectural landmarks visible in the distance.

Day 2

Start the day with St. Stephen’s Basilica . There is a hand of Stephen, the first king of Hungary, inside. It is illegal to construct a building taller than this in Budapest. The Hungary Parliament building is precisely the same height.

St. Stephen’s Basilica
St. Stephen’s Basilica

Next, head to Shoes on the Danube Bank , which are placed by Hungarians in the memory of the Holocaust victims.

View of the Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial, dedicated to Holocaust victims in Budapest, Hungary. There are metal shoe sculptures lined along the riverbank.

Later at night, check out Szimpla Kert and Red Ruin , the two famous ruin bars among many others.

A bar scene with eclectic decor and dim lighting, featuring patrons socializing in a lively atmosphere
A scenic view of Budapest with historical architecture

Note that Budapest is famous for the thermal baths as well. I felt that they are glorified hot water pools with high prices and decided to skip them.