Things to do in Budapest while your partner recovers

Your job on the trip

• Be there for the clinic appointments and the first night after the procedure.
• Carry the bags. After most surgery, lifting is off the list for weeks.
• Keep fluids, medicines from the clinic and the clinic's phone number to hand.
• Know where the nearest pharmacy is. Pharmacies (gyógyszertár or patika) are easy to find in every district, and some central ones stay open all night.
• Emergency number: 112 for all emergencies.

Short outings to share

Seated, short and close to the clinic districts. Most fit the early recovery days. Check each day's rules in the patient's guide.

• Daytime Danube sightseeing cruise

  A 70-minute cruise past the Parliament, the Castle and the bridges, with a drink and audio guide.

  Seated, shaded or covered, about 1.5 hours

  See times and prices

• Evening Danube cruise

  The lit-up Parliament from the water, about 50 minutes, seated.

  Seated, indoors, about 1 hour

  See times and prices

• Hungarian Parliament tour

  A guided hour through the staircases, the dome hall and the Holy Crown. Arrive early for the security check.

  Gentle walking, indoors, about 1.5 hours

  See times and prices

• Buda Castle and Fisherman's Bastion

  Take the funicular up, then stroll the castle district and the viewpoints.

  A few hours on foot with breaks, some open-air walking, about 3 hours

  Open in Maps

• Széchenyi or Gellért thermal baths

  Hot outdoor and indoor pools, saunas and steam rooms.

  Gentle walking, some open-air walking, about 3 hours

  Open in Maps

• Coffee and cake at the New York Café

  The most lavish café interior in Europe. Sit, look up and eat something soft.

  Seated, indoors, about 1 hour

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• Hungarian State Opera tour

  A short guided tour of the restored opera house, often with a mini performance.

  Gentle walking, indoors, about 1 hour

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• House of Terror

  A powerful museum of Hungary's 20th century, indoors with a lift.

  Gentle walking, indoors, about 2 hours

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Things to do on your own

Your patient has to skip these on most days, so they are ideal while they rest.

• Ruin bars of the Jewish Quarter

  Bars in derelict courtyards, packed and loud at night.

  Gentle walking, indoors, about 3 hours

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• Great Market Hall

  A huge covered market of paprika, salami and pastries. Busy at lunchtime.

  Gentle walking, indoors, about 1.5 hours

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• Danube cruise with goulash and lángos

  A 90-minute paddle-steamer cruise with live music and Hungarian food.

  Seated, shaded or covered, about 1.5 hours

  See times and prices

• Budapest food walking tour

  Four local eateries and three drinks in District VII.

  A few hours on foot with breaks, some open-air walking, about 2.5 hours

  See times and prices

• Gellért Hill climb

  A steep climb to the Liberty Statue for the best view of the city.

  Strenuous, mostly in full sun, about 2 hours

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Where to eat

• Goulash soup. Gulyásleves is a soup, not a stew: beef, paprika and soft potatoes. Let it cool after dental work.
• Főzelék at a canteen. Thick vegetable stews such as pea or squash, served in simple lunch places.
• Palacsinta. Thin Hungarian pancakes with jam, sweet cheese or chocolate.
• Cakes at a classic café. Dobos, Esterházy and Rigó Jancsi cakes at Gerbeaud, Ruszwurm or the New York Café.
• Chicken paprikash with nokedli. Chicken in a creamy paprika sauce with soft egg dumplings.
• Lángos. Deep-fried flatbread with sour cream and cheese. Crisp and chewy.
• Chimney cake. Kürtőskalács, a sugary, crunchy spiral of dough from street stalls.
• Wine bar in District V. Tokaji and Egri reds by the glass.

Recovery guides for Budapest

• Dental implants

  Budapest

  7 days, day by day. The first 72 hours bring swelling and some bruising.

  Open the guide