Best Time to Visit Budapest

Spring and early summer: easy walking weather

March is still cool and grey, but it's Good for a city break. By April it's Excellent, and you can cross the Chain Bridge or climb Castle Hill without sweating. May and June are warm and green, with long evenings for a drink at a ruin bar in the Jewish Quarter. Expect more showers, though. May is the wettest month on 13 rain days, so keep your plans loose and save museums like the Parliament tour for a wet afternoon.

Events add to the mix. The Budapest Spring Festival runs for a couple of weeks in spring, with concerts across the city. In June, the Sziget-style festival crowd starts to gather, and the city feels busier.

July and August: hot, but the river helps

July and August are the hottest months, tied at a high of 29°C. Afternoons can feel heavy, so do what locals do. Spend them in a thermal bath like Széchenyi or Gellért, or cool off on a Danube boat. Evenings are lovely and the terraces fill up.

This is high season, so you'll share the sights with plenty of people. Sziget Festival, a huge music event on Óbuda Island, usually takes place in August. Hotels fill up, so it's not the month for a quiet trip. Also look at 20 August, St Stephen's Day, when there are fireworks over the river.

September and October: the sweet spot

September is our top pick. It's warm enough for the terraces, with 24°C highs and fewer rainy days than summer. The crowds thin out, and the Buda hills are good for walking. Wine fans should head to the Eger or Etyek areas for harvest season, when new wine appears in bars and cellars.

October is cooler, with highs of 17°C, but still Excellent. Autumn colour fills Gellért Hill and City Park, and the thermal baths feel even better with a chill in the air.

November to February: cold, grey and cosy

Winter is the low season, and our ratings are Poor for December to February. Days are short, with only about two hours of sun in the darkest months. Humidity is high, so the cold feels damp. January is the coldest month, with lows of -4°C.

If you don't mind that, it has its charm. Christmas markets on Vörösmarty Square and near St Stephen's Basilica glow from late November, and you can sip mulled wine, then warm up in an outdoor bath while it's freezing. Hotels are quieter outside the holidays, and sights have short queues.