Budapest is real-life fantasy city with streets, parks and monuments that look as though they have sprung out of a fairy-tale book, firing the imagination of visitors young and old. It’s an easy city to visit with children, particularly the Pest area, which is very flat, and finding your way is straightforward thanks to the Danube and Andrássy Avenue (vínculo a URL correspondiente?). Children will love walking from one side of the city to the other and crossing the enormous Danube River.
Budapest also has a decent number of public parks and activities that are especially aimed at children. For example, many of the city’s main museums run workshops and special tours for younger visitors.
And don’t forget that Budapest is a spa city with several thermal baths (vínculo a URL correspondiente?); many have enormous indoor and outdoor pools that are perfect for enjoying as a family.
Activities suitable for children in Budapest
Here are a few great ideas that will guarantee your trip to Budapest with children is a fun and educational experience and that everyone enjoys the great leisure attractions this beautiful city has to offer.
Minipolisz (Király utca. 8-10 1. e)
This centre is designed to be a small, to-scale city where little ones (3- to 12-year-olds) can learn about and play at doing typical jobs: shop assistant, police officer, journalist, firefighter and even rock star! They can share the space with other children, and even their own family.
Palace of Wonders (Centro Comercial Buda EG)
This centre is aimed at over-10s and it gives them the chance to discover the world of science and technology through experiments, audio-visual displays, interactive screens and other attractions. It covers more than 5,000 m2 and has three themed exhibition areas that change depending on the season so that every visit is different from the last and new things can be learned.
Micro Wonder Museum (Király u. 28, Szentendre)
The big draw of this museum is that the works on display here can only be seen through a microscope! The paintings are created by artist Mykola Syadristy, who takes around a year to make each one using a difficult and painstaking miniaturist technique, giving each artwork incredible details. The museum is in the beautiful town of Szentendre, half an hour from Budapest by train.
Museum of Illusions (Zsilinszky út 3)
This museum has a constant sense of play between the works on display and the people who admire them. Here, nothing is what it seems… Every painting, video, photograph and hologram hides optical tricks that put visitors’ visual skills to the test. Your visit becomes a fun, curious and creative challenge!
Light Art Museum Budapest (Hold utca 13)
This museum in the Central Market pays tribute to light and sees it as a further artistic medium. You can enjoy seeing everything from historic illuminated publicity signs to recent works that feature laser lights and LED and black light creations. Children will love the experience of seeing so many colours and shapes.
Museum of Sweets and Selfies (Paulay Ede ut. 43)
This is probably the most Instagrammable museum in the world. In fact, that was the aim of its creators: to have the museum star in selfies published on the social network. To achieve their goal, they’ve created a wild fantasy world of eye-catching colours, featuring rainbow-coloured backgrounds, ice creams and other kinds of desserts and sweets.
Tips and recommendations
Budapest is a fairly easy place to walk around and has many pedestrianised zones and green spaces. However, it remains a city and that means there is a lot of traffic driving along the main thoroughfares. Please bear this in mind and keep an eye out for your children’s safety at all times.
For long journeys, the city has an excellent public transport network (bus, tram and metro). And the local train service means you can reach many nearby towns both quickly and inexpensively. Public transport is strongly recommended when travelling as a family, rather than using a private vehicle. There are also plenty of taxis and prices are very reasonable.
In terms of temperatures in Budapest, the city has a continental climate. That means it’s very cold (icy, in fact) in winter, warm in summer and fairly damp throughout the year. None of these factors will stop you enjoying the city, regardless of the season you choose to visit. Just be prepared for inclement weather and wrap up warm if you decide to visit in winter.
When you visit Budapest, don’t miss a trip to one of its beautiful thermal baths. If you’re travelling with children, choose a smaller spa and avoid the massive pools so that you can ensure they are safe and keep them under control at all times.
In terms of food, Hungarian food might be rather heavy for younger visitors. If that’s the case, don’t worry, Budapest is a very tourist-orientated city and it’s easy to find restaurants that serve international food. There are plenty of Italian restaurants and pizzerias, for example, and also quality fast-food restaurants.
Where to stay in Budapest
The Hotel Barceló Budapest is definitely one of the best family accommodation options in the city because it’s in the heart of the historic centre and you can reach most of the tourist attractions on foot.
It has 179 modern rooms and suites that are designed to ensure guests are as comfortable as possible. Some are located on the top floor terrace of the building and have unbeatable views over Budapest. The hotel’s à la carte restaurant serves a wide variety of Hungarian and international dishes so there is something for everyone to enjoy.