When we travel with our kids, we love to explore the great cities of Europe on foot. It is a wonderful way to experience all that makes a city great. By walking you can smell the food, hear the locals chatting in a sidewalk café, enjoy the architecture and the beautiful green spaces.
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Walking is one of the best things to do in Budapest. It is a very walkable city and we walked everywhere with our kids (aged 2 & 4) during our 5 days there. Our kids were able to walk a good deal of the walks below, but we did put them in their carriers for portions of each outing.
Here are the five family friendly Budapest walks we enjoyed and recommend to you:
Gellert Hill
Read more on our full itinerary in Budapest with kids.
This lush, well treed hill rests on the western shores of the Danube River. There are lots of pathways winding their way up this hill, each of which provide excellent views of Budapest and the Danube below. Gellert Hill is home to several attractions including the massive Citadella, which sits proudly atop the hill and offers some of the best views you will get of the city. There is also a monument to St. Gerald, for whom the hill was named after, as well as the massive Liberty Statue at the very top. There is a pretty park to the SW of the Citadel which is home to a very fun and creative playground.
Danube River Walk
The Danube is one of Europe’s greatest rivers. Lucky for us, there is a pathway which runs along the eastern side of the river, making it an excellent place to go for a family walk. It’s a great place to go for an easy walk and enjoy all of the wonderful sights the city has to offer; to watch the long river boats floating by, to enjoy a treat or simply people watch. Just north of the Chain Bridge is the Shoes on the Danube memorial, which honors the Jews who were shot and killed along the banks of the river during WWII. This chilling memorial is a must-see while in Budapest.
Margaret Island
Margaret Island is located in the northern end of the Danube River. It’s 1.5 miles (2.5 km) long and is green space from tip-to-tip. There are walking and jogging trails all over the island; those along the water provide wonderful city views, while those in the interior are well-treed and will take you through a variety of gardens, including a rose garden and a Japanese Garden. In addition to walking, there’s a musical fountain, a mini-zoo, bike rentals, pony rides and even a famous Budapest public bath to enjoy.
Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tours Budapest
Inner City, Chain Bridge and Castle Hill
This excellent walk takes you to many of the top Budapest attractions. It begins on the Inner City pedestrian-only street called Vaci utca. Pedestrian-only streets are much more pleasant to walk along than busy city streets and they are way more kid friendly. As you’d expect, this street is lined with shops and restaurants. Vaci utca ends at a park which marks the beginning of the landmark Széchenyi Chain Bridge.
The Chain Bridge is a majestic bridge with sidewalks on the outside edge of both sides. You will enjoy the up-close views of the bridge and the surrounding city, while your kids will simply love to run across it. We let our kids out of their carriers here, but we had to be extra careful with our 2-year old as the safety railing wasn’t designed for little guys like him.
Once in Buda, you can continue your walk up the well-treed pathway to the right of the funicular station. The path isn’t too hard, both of our kids made it up no problem. Once at the top, we headed up Disz ter, the main commercial street on Castle Hill. Before long, we arrived at the square which is home to two incredibly beautiful buildings, the Matthias Church (Mátyás Templom) and Fisherman’s Bastion(Halászbástya). Both are worth spending some time visiting.
After visiting the church, we escaped the rapidly growing crowds by walking towards the Buda Castle via a charming pedestrian only street on the west side of Castle Hill called Tóth Árpád stny. This street is lined with trees and offers good views of the city of Buda beyond. We ended our morning walk with the Buda Castle, an enormous building dating back to the 1700’s.
Heroes’ Square and City Park
Heroes’ Square is the largest and most important square in Budapest. The square is home to a series of very impressive statues, honoring the seven chieftains who led the Magyar tribes to Hungary, kings and other important historical figures.
City Park begins where Heroes’ Square ends. This massive park is filled with easy walking trails past lakes, museums, playgrounds, snack stands etc. We didn’t walk too far in the park as our kids just wanted to be kids and play in the grass and the nearby playground. But, rest assured, once you get here, if you want a really fun place to walk with your family, this is it.
Planning Your Trip to Budapest with Kids
How to get from the Budapest Airport to your Hotel
Family Friendly Budapest VRBO vacation home rentals
Family Friendly Budapest Hotels
Family Friendly Budapest Restaurants
Most Popular Budapest Walking Tours
Highest Rated Family Friendly Budapest Attractions
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