Weekending in Budapest, Vienna & Salzburg
- Josi Hicks
- Jul 9, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 24, 2025
Looking to knock out three iconic European cities in just one weekend? Then try visiting Budapest, Vienna, and Salzburg (in that order) to maximize the bucket-list check-offs.
This past November, I took a weekend trip from Florence, Italy to Hungary and Austria, visiting Budapest, Vienna, and Salzburg along the way. As a study abroad student in Florence, there are many options to embark on trips like this one with guided group tours by SmartTrip.
For this trip, I chose to travel with this company on a group tour. In this article, I'll give you both my opinion on the guided tour and my tips for how to spend your free time when traveling to these cities.
Day 1: Bus to Budapest | Overnight
Thursday
When traveling with SmartTrip, you'll often leave late on Thursday night from Piazzale Montelungo (bus stop), which was the case for this weekend trip. Yes, the overnight bus ride was long and taxing (around 11 hours), but with a bit of sleep and a good playlist, it's surprisingly manageable.
Pro tip: If you get motion sick, be sure to secure a seat on the bottom of the double-decker buses. Also, tour groups like SmartTrip often do not provide buses with onboard bathrooms, but the tours will make rest stops every 3-4 hours.
Day 2: Full-Day in Budapest | Tour & Hit the Town
Friday
We arrived in Budapest around 10:30 a.m. and dropped off our luggage at our hostel (MEININGER Budapest Great Market Hall). After a quick breakfast and quick change, I joined the optional group walking tour — which I highly recommend. On our tour, we:
Visited the Hungarian Parliament Building
Walked along the Danube
Saw Chain Bridge
Walked past St. Stephen's Basilica
Looped around Liberty Square
Scavenger-hunted mini sculptures*
*The mini sculptures that we saw along our walking tour were created by Ukrainian-born sculptor Mihaly Kolodko, each depicting their own magical story or thought-provoking message.
Walking tours are always the best way to get a lay of the land, and are especially useful if you're limited on time. With this 2-hour tour, I was able to see many of the major sights in Budapest, and left the tour with a plan for tackling the day.
In the afternoon, I wandered through the streets, tasting authentic chimney cakes and exploring Nagycsarnok market. Per suggestion of the tour guide, I made sure to purchase my chimney cake from a shop that wasn't radically overpriced (tourist traps). If you're looking for a place to stop, try Pichler Chimney Cake & Gelato.
Continuing my exploration, I then walked over to the Fisherman's Bastion, which is across the Chain Bridge on the Buda side of the town. On this side of the town, you can also find the iconic thermal baths which are known to be both rowdy and relaxing. From the Fisherman's Bastion, you'll get an incredible view of the Danube and the Parliament Building.
Pro tip: Try to plan your day around visiting the Fisherman's Bastion at sunset. Afterwards, stick around for a little and watch as the lights of Budapest bring the city to life. It can be a bit of a hike up the hill, so be prepared to make the trek up to the top.
After your full-day of stepping and sightseeing, treat yourself to some local cuisine. I dined at Goulash & Langosh Bar, where I had to try (of course) the beef goulash soup. I joked to my mom after, commenting that the goulash tastes exactly like her homemade vegetable soup with hamburger meat.
Many people also love taking a nighttime booze cruise along the Danube for staple views of the Parliament Building. If you're traveling with a group of friends, I highly recommend trying this out! You can find tours online on both Viator and GetYourGuide.
For my first and final night in Budapest, I had to go out. I capped the day by hitting Budapest's iconic ruin bars, including Szimpla Kert. If you've ever wanted to drink the night away in a dilapidated, graffitied, post-war workhouse, then this is your chance! In all honesty, though, this was one of the coolest bars I've ever been to. You've got to see it for yourself.
Day 3: Full-Day in Vienna | Tour & Hit the Town (Again)
Saturday
Early wake-up, breakfast, and then off to Vienna! After arriving mid-morning to the city and settling in, I embarked on another walking tour, but this time in Vienna. On this tour, we:
Viewed the Vienna State Opera
Walked around Hofburg Imperial Palace
Visited St. Stephen's Cathedral
Saw St. Peter's Church
Wandered Mozart's stomping grounds
On this walking tour, I learned so much about Vienna's history and gathered endless tips from my tour guide. This tour helped me get a feel for where I was (mission accomplished), but it also helped me appreciate the depth of this city beyond its regal display. At the end of the tour, we explored the area where Mozart lived during his time in Vienna, and peeped into a live orchestra performance at the same tiny theater where he used to perform.
Did you know that Mozart was in love with Marie Antionette when they were children? And that the croissant is actually not native to France, as it's actually an Austrian recipe that was brought to Paris by Marie Antionette? Also, if you're lucky, you might just find a €1 coin with Mozart on it to take as a keepsake!
As my day carried on, I spent the afternoon exploring some of the suggestions left by my tour guide. First, I headed over to the Christmas Markets (which begin in mid-November), where I tasted a Frankfurter Würstel (a hot dog, essentially).
After exploring the markets for a while, I walked over to Alda to try the famous chocolate cake (sachertorte), which I found to be rich and delicious (but perhaps a bit dry).
To finish my full-day in Vienna, I chose to go on the optional pub-crawl (suggested by SmartTrip). I have to say, this was the best pub-crawl that I went on throughout my time in Europe. Hitting dive bars, a karoake bar, and then finishing at a club, this pub-crawl offered a spot for everyone. It's always an awesome time when you get to meet people from all over, which this pub-crawl definitely saw to.
Day 4: Salzburg | Free-Day of Exploration
Sunday
After staying out all night long in Vienna (and maybe making it back to my bus one minute before it left), we then set course for Salzburg. Arriving just before lunch, we had the option to either join the Sound of Music Tour or explore on our own.
I chose to explore, and took advantage by:
Walking around the Mirabell Gardens
Visiting Mozart's Birthplace
and hiking the hills
The day in Salzburg was slow and relaxing, which was much needed after a full two days of sight-seeing and bar-hopping in Budapest and Vienna. With some free time left to chill at a cafe, I sipped on a cappuccino with some mates I met on the tour before boarding the long bus ride back home.
Final Thoughts
This trip was fast and action-packed, and also so worth it. If you're on a budget or in a time-crunch, exploring these three cities in three days is the way to go. Booking this specific trip through SmartTrip helped to reduce costs and travel-time, while also giving me the freedom to explore the cities at my own pace.
What I'd Recommend
If you plan on organizing this trip by yourself, I think this daily split is a great guide to go by. In case you have more time to kill, I'd recommend hanging around Vienna for a while longer. It was my favorite city of the three and was my favorite destination overall for a while after visiting.
When to visit: I definitely recommend visiting these cities for the holiday season. I went about one weekend too early, as most of the Christmas markets were just getting ready to open. Therefore, aim to travel to these destinations from mid-November (no earlier than the third weekend) through the end of December.
Say BRB & See BVS
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