RunCity

Budapest on foot: a self-guided walking route

This route takes you past 12 of Budapest's best-known sights, including Széchenyi Thermal Bath, Heroes' Square, Millennium Monument, Dohány Street Synagogue and more. It is about 11.5 km on foot, roughly 3.5 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Follow the list on your own, or play it as a free GPS checkpoint game with RunCity and race the clock on the Budapest leaderboard.

  • 12Stops
  • about 11.5 kmDistance
  • 3.5 hoursWalking
  • about 93 minRunning
Play Budapest in RunCity

Free during launch. Runs in your phone's browser; the app is in English, German and Hungarian.

Budapest
Photo: Visions of Domino · CC BY 2.0

This route starts at the Széchenyi Bath in City Park and crosses Pest to the Danube, then climbs to the Castle District in Buda. Heroes' Square and the Millennium Monument are next to the bath; from there the route heads into the old Jewish quarter for the Szimpla Kert ruin bar, the bonus stop, and the twin onion domes of the Dohány Street Synagogue. St Stephen's Basilica is a short walk on, and the stone lions of the Chain Bridge guard the Pest end of the river crossing.

The Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial and the Parliament on Kossuth Square close the Pest side. Across the river, the white towers of Fisherman's Bastion, the tiled roof of Matthias Church and the bronze Turul bird crown Castle Hill, and the route ends back on the Pest side at the Great Market Hall. The funicular or bus 16 saves the climb to the castle, and the market hall is closed on Sundays.

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Download the route as GPX (for Komoot, Strava or a watch)

The stops

A suggested order. In the game you can visit them in any order.

  1. Széchenyi Thermal Bath

    Széchenyi Thermal Bath

    The yellow baroque spa building in City Park.

    Photo: Marc Ryckaert (MJJR) · CC BY 3.0

  2. Heroes' Square, Millennium Monument

    Heroes' Square, Millennium Monument Photo

    The Millennium Monument column.

    Photo: Godot13 · Attribution

  3. Szimpla Kert ruin bar

    Szimpla Kert ruin bar Bonus

    The first ruin bar, in an old house of courtyards and odd furniture.

    Photo: JoshuaCrawford · CC BY-SA 4.0

  4. Dohány Street Synagogue

    Dohány Street Synagogue Photo

    The twin onion-domed towers.

    Photo: The original uploader was OsvátA at Hungarian Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 3.0

  5. St Stephen's Basilica

    St Stephen's Basilica Photo

    The basilica front with both bell towers.

    Photo: Marc Ryckaert (MJJR) · CC BY 3.0

  6. Chain Bridge lions (Pest side)

    Chain Bridge lions (Pest side) Photo

    One of the stone lions at the bridgehead.

    Photo: Wilfredor · CC0

  7. Shoes on the Danube Bank

    Shoes on the Danube Bank Photo

    The iron shoes along the embankment.

    Photo: Nikodem Nijaki · CC BY-SA 3.0

  8. Hungarian Parliament Building

    Hungarian Parliament Building Photo

    The central dome seen from Kossuth Square.

    Photo: Kilyann Le Hen · CC BY 4.0

  9. Fisherman's Bastion

    Fisherman's Bastion

    The white lookout towers and terraces above the Danube.

    Photo: Brian Adamson · CC BY 2.0

  10. Matthias Church

    Matthias Church Photo

    The colourful Zsolnay-tiled roof.

    Photo: Thaler Tamas · CC BY-SA 4.0

  11. Turul bird, Buda Castle

    Turul bird, Buda Castle Photo

    The bronze Turul bird with spread wings.

    Photo: Varius · CC BY-SA 3.0

  12. Great Market Hall

    Great Market Hall

    The big covered market with its tiled roof by Liberty Bridge.

    Photo: Thaler Tamas · CC BY-SA 4.0

Play Budapest in RunCity

Leaderboard

    Questions

    Can you see Budapest on foot in one day?

    Yes. The 12 stops on this route add up to about 11.5 km, roughly 3.5 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Some stops are far apart, so you may want public transport for a leg.

    Is this self-guided walking tour free?

    Yes. The route and map on this page are free, and the RunCity game for Budapest is free during launch.

    How does the RunCity game work in Budapest?

    Open Budapest in RunCity, walk to a stop and tap Validate: your phone's GPS confirms you are there. Some stops also ask for a photo. Timed runs go on the Budapest leaderboard.

    Where does the route start?

    This page suggests starting at Széchenyi Thermal Bath and finishing at Great Market Hall. In the game you can take the stops in any order.

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