Budapest was never supposed to be the highlight of our April 2024 journey. It was the final stop before flying home: a convenient return routing, a manageable connection from Santorini, and a city my sister had praised after visiting for work. Two nights seemed reasonable.
They weren't.
Between the architecture, a private tuk-tuk tour, an extraordinary hotel upgrade and an evening along the Danube, Budapest became one of our favourite European cities. What surprised me most was how quickly it made two nights feel inadequate.
Why it was on our itinerary
The wider journey had started with an Aeroplan redemption that took us to Istanbul on Turkish Airlines. Santorini was a destination we had wanted to experience for years, so it became the next priority. Budapest entered the picture because I found a good flight home from there.
We considered squeezing Athens into the trip, but doing so would have meant cutting time from Santorini or Budapest. We chose not to. In hindsight, I am glad we protected Budapest's two nights—even if I wish we had found room for more.
My sister's recommendation gave me confidence it would be worth visiting. It didn't prepare me for how much we would like it.
A city whose architecture does half the convincing
I was taken with Budapest's architecture almost immediately, especially on the Pest side. It is the sort of place where walking down an ordinary street can turn into an architectural detour. The Hungarian Parliament building was a highlight, but so were the grand façades that made us keep looking up.
What I underestimated was the sheer scale of Budapest. Buda and Pest are divided by the Danube, and each side deserves attention of its own. Two nights might be enough for an introduction. They were nowhere near enough for the sort of exploring I enjoy.
The city is beautiful in photographs, but the size, atmosphere and contrasts between its neighbourhoods make much more sense when you are actually there.
Dream Lux TravelsThe private tour I would book again
On our second day, April 10, we took the Budapest Romantic Private Tuk Tuk Tour with Budapest TukTuk. I already enjoy tuk-tuk tours: they help us get a feel for a city without committing every hour to moving between attractions. In Budapest, that benefit was especially valuable.
The tour covered enough ground to show us just how much we had underestimated. It gave us a broader sense of both sides of the city and made the landmarks feel connected rather than like separate pins on a map. We came away wanting to explore many of those places more slowly.
It is one of the experiences I would actively recommend, particularly to someone with limited time. Not because it replaces walking around Budapest—it doesn't—but because it helped us decide what deserved more of our attention.
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Dream Lux TravelsAn evening beside the Danube
The memory that comes back most easily isn't a ticketed attraction. It is walking beside the Danube as sunset gave way to night, watching the city light up around us.
Across the water, Buda Castle glowed above the river. The Chain Bridge became part of the scene, and the illuminated buildings made the whole waterfront feel almost theatrical. We didn't need to do anything especially elaborate. Being there was enough.
For me, that is one of Budapest's strongest arguments for spending the night rather than treating it as a rushed stop: seeing it after dark was as memorable as any of our planned activities.
Dream Lux TravelsMatild Palace was an experience of its own
We stayed at Matild Palace in Pest, and it turned out to be far more than somewhere to sleep between sightseeing stops.
We had booked a Deluxe King Room but received a One Bedroom King Suite as Marriott Bonvoy Platinum members. The upgrade was substantial. Between the room, the view, the beautiful building and a very good breakfast, the hotel became one of the things I remember most fondly about Budapest.
I wouldn't suggest that an upgrade like ours should be expected or guaranteed. But in our case, it made an already memorable stay even better. Matild Palace deserves its own fuller hotel story; for this visit, it is enough to say that I would gladly stay there again.
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Dream Lux TravelsA few honest notes on the food
We also sampled lángos and chimney cake, with rather different reactions.
Lángos was a favourite for my travelling companion, who found something familiar in the flavours compared with Indian food. The creamy topping wasn't for me, so I wasn't nearly as enthusiastic. Chimney cake was enjoyable, although we found it exceptionally sweet and heavy.
Neither experience needs to become a definitive verdict on Budapest's food scene. They were simply part of our two days, and another reminder that we don't always come away from the same trip loving exactly the same things.
Dream Lux TravelsHow we made it happen
Budapest fitted into a longer Istanbul–Santorini–Budapest itinerary. We flew home with KLM via Amsterdam, using Flying Blue miles for the return journey.
At Matild Palace, we used 63,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for one night and paid €389.13 for the other. Our Marriott Bonvoy Platinum status was part of the stay and we received the suite upgrade described above.
These are our historical April 2024 bookings, not an indication of today's award prices or cash rates. For us, the value was never only the redemption figure: it was staying somewhere we genuinely wanted to experience while leaving room for something like the private tuk-tuk tour.
What I would do differently
I would give Budapest more time. That is the first change, and it isn't a close decision.
With another visit, I would plan more deliberately around both Buda and Pest—and possibly stay on each side—rather than assume I could appreciate everything from a single base. The tuk-tuk tour was a brilliant introduction, but it also made clear how much we had only sampled.
I would make time for another evening on the Danube, too. That part of the trip needs no improvement.
Ghent may still edge Budapest out as my personal favourite European city, but only just. My travelling companion would put Budapest first. We agree on the important part: we're going back, and next time we're staying longer.