Best time to visit / Budapest
When is it cheapest to visit Budapest?
See how room prices move month by month, and know the cheapest window and the peak season to avoid before you book.
Cheapest Jan, Feb, Nov
A regional seasonality estimate; see the notes below for this city and its specifics.
Budapest is cheapest to visit in January, February, and November.
Peak season is May, June, July, and August, when rooms cost the most.
Budapest seasons and room prices
Budapest's sharpest price spikes come with the Hungarian Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend in late July and the Sziget Festival on Obuda Island in mid August, when rates can reach several times the usual level. The St. Stephen's Day fireworks on 20 August, the Christmas markets on Vorosmarty Square and in front of St. Stephen's Basilica from mid November to the end of the year, and New Year's Eve are also expensive. May through September is high season overall, and weekend visitors from across Europe make Friday and Saturday nights clearly dearer than weekdays. The cheapest stretch is mid January through March once the markets close, which is cold but the best time of year for the thermal baths.
Budapest local costs and payment
Hungary uses the forint, not the euro. Cards and contactless work in hotels, restaurants and most shops, and some tourist businesses accept euros, but at a poor rate, so pay in forint. For cash, use a bank ATM and avoid the independent machines found around tourist streets, and always decline any offer to charge you in your home currency. Budapest's tourism tax is set by each district, either as a percentage of the room rate or as a flat amount per person per night. Some booking sites leave it out of the online total and the hotel collects it on site, so check before you compare, and choose forint as the card currency at checkout.
Take Budapest further into a stay plan
Once you have picked a cheap time to go, work out which base gives you the shortest travel.
When to visit Budapest: common questions
When is it cheapest?
Budapest is cheapest in the low season, January, February, and November.
When is peak season?
May, June, July, and August is peak season, when room prices are highest.
Which months should I avoid?
To spend the least, avoid the peak months of May, June, July, and August, when prices climb.