Budapest On a Rainy Day: 12 Things To Do
Budapest on a rainy day can be just as fun as Budapest when the sun is shining. In fact, winter is one of the most magical times to visit this delightful city because it looks so lovely draped in snow and mist. You might expect to experience some rain here during any season, which is how the amazing thermal baths were formed in part. Just because you've encountered a rainy day while you are in this city doesn't mean that there is nothing fun to do to avoid the wet weather.
The first thing that you need to do when you arrive in Budapest, is make sure that your luggage is in safe and secure storage. Head to a Bounce storage facility in Budapest and let us worry about your bags. Having your hands free will make your trip much more enjoyable overall.
Once your bags are taken care of and stored properly, you are ready to start having fun during your stay in Budapest!
Visit a Bath
When you head to the Hungarian capital, you will find that there are a plethora of lovely and unusual thermal spas to enjoy in the area. Rudas, Kiraly, and Veli Bej are some of the oldest baths in the city, and they date back to the Ottoman era. If you want to be entirely out of the rain, you will need to make sure that you select one of the baths that have a cover over the pool. The water is so warm, however, that you might not mind a few sprinkles landing on your head as you soak.
Thermal baths are not something that exists in many parts of the world, and most people are eager to add this to their vacation adventures even when it's hot out. If you have been blessed with a rainy day, this is a great way to stay warm and dry and to have a cultural experience that's hard to get anywhere else.
Buda Castle
This impressive building dates back to the 13th century when kings and queens lived here. This is one of the most stunning buildings in the Hungarian capital, and you can head here to see the art in the Hungarian National Gallery, one of the best museums in Budapest, and enjoy the atmosphere and history of the Castle district. This part of the city offers you access to medieval buildings of all kinds, and you will feel like you have been transported back in time.
While you will be exposed to the rainy day weather as you move from place to place, you will be able to spend a lot of time inside the buildings in this part of the city, learning about the history of the castle and the city. Buda Castle is a must-visit spot during your time in Budapest, and there is no better excuse to head there than a rainy day.
Visit a Board Games Cafe
There are many opportunities in this city to get in out of the weather and enjoy some fun if you love board games. Board game café options are all over Budapest, and you can head here on a rainy day to get a coffee, a snack, and play a board game. The atmosphere of these places is entertaining and relaxing, and you will find that some of them also have a gift shop.
Board games are a really enjoyable pastime, and being able to sit down and pass a peaceful afternoon enjoying one is a really nice thing to do on a rainy day. If you don't feel like slogging through historic sites or dealing with being outdoors at all, you can easily have a fun afternoon on a rainy day in Budapest at one of these locations.
Visiting the Indoor Shooting Range
Maybe museums or the city center are not on your list of things to do while you're in town. If you want a really exciting thing to do on rainy days, head to Budapest Shooting for a really exciting experience. You can choose which kinds of guns you want to shoot in advance, and you will be given training before you are allowed to shoot them on this indoor range.
This is not an experience for everyone, but it can be a really cool thing to do if you want to get out of the rain and have a hair-raising experience at the same time. This range is something entirely unique that is not on offer in most places in Europe. The Budapest Shooting address is Budapest, Nagymező u. 37-39, 1065.
Great Market Hall
This huge shopping location offers locally-made and sourced goods, products, produce, and food. You can enjoy street food, drinks, and much more when you come here to wander around. The Great Market Hall is incredibly European in nature, and it will delight those who do not have access to this kind of shopping in their home country or city. It's also a great excuse to get out of the rain and grab souvenirs and gifts for yourself and your family.
Plan to spend at least a couple of hours here, especially if you're going to eat. You'll find some of the city's best street food here and why not grab a coffee to walk around with to really keep yourself warm? If you need help locating the market, the Great Market Hall address is Budapest, Vámház krt. 1-3, 1093.
Ride the Children's Railway
Head up to Buda Hills to enjoy this really unique rainy weather activity that you can't find anywhere else in the world. The Children's Railway is a rail line that is staffed entirely by children ages 10 to 14, and it runs along the route of a former socialist scout line built by the Pioneers. The engineer is not a child, but all the other staff on the train line are young children, which makes this experience super fun for both kids and adults.
The train leaves at variable times each week, so you will need to check the train schedule before planning to ride. The line runs along 11 km with various stops and terminates at Hűvösvölgy.
Visit An Escape Room
Escape rooms are very popular in Budapest on a rainy day and you can pick from all kinds of different themes for your escape room adventure. Many of them are spooky or scary and might feature a storyline about escape from an asylum or an institution or maybe a haunted house. Escape rooms are a fun way to challenge your reasoning skills under pressure and can be a great way to spend a rainy day with a large group.
If you head to these locations without a bunch of people in your travel group, you can be paired with other couples or singles that are waiting to try their luck. This can make the escape rooms experience even more challenging and memorable since you will have to learn about your new partners and solve the mystery at the same time.
Ruin Bars
Ruin Bars are one of the things that Budapest is most known for, and these drinking spots are housed inside the crumbling remnants of prewar buildings around the city. There is something delightfully unique about heading to an old building and sitting down for a drink amidst what is left of the historic site. This kind of bar is a bit of a cultural phenomenon here, and it speaks to the history of Budapest as well as the culture of the city.
This is a great way to have a drinking experience that you cannot enjoy anywhere else in Europe, and you will remember your time drinking a pint at a Ruin Bar for years to come. You can also get food at most of these pubs and some offer live entertainment.
Hungarian Jewish Museum
Dedicated to the Jewish experience in Hungary, this museum is beautiful and offers you access to a slice of Budapest's history that you will not experience in many other places. The entire collection that exists here today was saved from being looted or destroyed during WWII by being hidden in the cellar. The 1,500 artifacts on display in the art galleries here date back many generations and are especially precious due to their survival.
Come here to be moved and inspired and to learn more about the thriving cultural heritage of the Jewish people in this part of the world.
Cook for Yourself at Budapest Makery
Have you ever wanted to learn to cook local dishes and cuisine when you are visiting a new location? When you have been confronted with bad weather, you need to head to the Budapest Makery and experience a DIY cooking class that is a ton of fun. Enjoy Hungarian wines and have fun with your family and friends as you cook classic Hungarian cuisine with a little guidance from the staff.
Make sure to book a table in advance of your trip if you can, and try to time it around the potential rainy days during your stay. Unfortunately, this location rarely has room for people to walk in off the street.
Visit the Tropicarium and Oceanarium
This location is like an exotic indoor zoo, and you can see everything from a Shark Zoo to alligators, monkeys, and more. There are sometimes temporary exhibitions that are going on to help you to learn more about the animals that make this place their home. The tiger is one of the highlights of the exhibits, but many people love the arched aquarium tunnel that allows you to walk through the exhibit and see fish and sharks swimming over your head.
The area of the zoo is also a mall, so you can combine your experience with the animals and some shopping. This is a really fun place in Hungary's capital, and you will love that it is a short walk to everything fun in this area as well as being warm and dry.
Visit the Pinball Museum
There are 140 machines here that you can use and have fun with when you visit this delightful museum location. Some younger people in your party might never have played games like this, and the noise of bells and special points being scored is exciting and fun as soon as you start playing. There are even machines on display that date back to the 1880s. This is a great place to get immersed in movie and pop culture as well, and there are movie posters and art lining the walls.
If you want to have fun playing games when you visit Budapest, this is a great location for you to make time to experience. This is the perfect excuse for those who miss pinball machines to have their fill of this fun pastime while avoiding the rain.
Conclusion
If you are worried about possible rainy weather during your time in Budapest, you should feel assured now that you will have a great time in beautiful Budapest even if the weather is not perfect. Budapest offers you access to all kinds of cultural and epicurean experiences that you can enjoy when the rain has come to visit, and you will find that experiences like the pinball museum or a board game cafe can be just as fun as seeing the historic sites or going on outdoor adventures. There is no shortage of things to do when the weather is not perfect in this city, and this guide covers only a small portion of all the fun things you can do in Budapest when it is rainy. You will come to love Budapest during your time in the city and wish you never had to leave!
