Whether you’re visiting the Hungarian capital for a hen do, a birthday trip or just a weekend away with the girls, Budapest has enough to offer to make it unforgettable. From having a hearty brunch to taking selfies with flamingos and sipping cocktails at a speakeasy-style bar – as well as even hopping aboard a steamboat – here are some fun things to do with the girls in Budapest.
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Have a big girly brunch
There’s no better way to start the day than with a big breakfast and a glass of champagne – or two. Luckily in Budapest, there are more breakfast and brunch places than you can shake a stick at. If you’re after something a bit girly – or Instagram worthy – there’s a long list of places to choose from. Café Fiori on Dohány utca is dressed in all shades of pink, and flowers cover the counter, a wall and a part of the ceiling. At Á la Maison Grand, you can get comfortable in plush chairs and on dusty-blue sofas on the ground floor of an Art Nouveau building, and if you don’t mind venturing a little bit further away from downtown into the Buda Hills, Villa Bagatelle is a charming place located inside a nicely refurnished residential villa.
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But first, let me take a selfie
A swimming pool of sprinkles, shimmering turquoise tiles, a cherry swing, a life-size unicorn and a wall of pink flamingos – the Museum of Sweets and Selfies is an Instagram dream. If you’d like to take a few amazing photos with fabulous backgrounds, you can wonder around eight rooms with eye-popping colours. Coffee, cakes and ice cream are available in the front parlour, which is, of course, bubblegum pink, and Wi-Fi is free inside, so you can post your pics straight away. The museum is located in the Jewish Quarter in downtown.
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Hop aboard a historic steamboat
If you’re up for a really cool, nostalgic and atmospheric sightseeing tour, you can board a 19th-century styled steamboat for an hour-long journey on the Danube. The Kisfaludy Paddle Steamboat not only shows passengers Budapest’s splendid sights, but also the olden days of the boat’s crew and passengers thanks to an onboard exhibition. If you’d like to hop aboard, you can browse the boat’s website or find Dock 10 near the white Elizabeth Bridge.
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Soak away in the spa capital
Budapest is the spa centre of Europe, as the city sits on a patchwork of hot springs that spout mineral-rich healing waters into numerous thermal baths, many dating back centuries. Therefore, visiting one of the baths is a must in Budapest. The most famous ones are Széchenyi, a wedding-cake like yellow building with amazing outdoor pools, Gellért, which is an Art Nouveau paradise with colourful tiles everywhere, and Rudas that boasts a rooftop hot tub with wonderful views to the city. You can’t go wrong with any of these, but if you’re after relaxing somewhere lesser-known, the city has many other spas to offer as well.
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Clink your cocktail glasses
If you're feeling like sipping splendid cocktail concoctions, there are many places in Budapest where you can walk in, tell the bartender what flavours you fancy and get a delicious drink in hand within minutes – if you’d rather stick to reliable mixtures, a drink list is often available, too. If decadent elegance is what you’re after, enhanced with heavy velvet curtains and golden peacocks, check out the panoramic The Duchess on top of Matild Palace. If a dimly-lit speakeasy-style basement bar is more up your alley, you’ll love Hotsy Totsy, and if you’re after truly amazing drinks mixed to perfection, Boutiq Bar – once ranked among the top 50 best bars in the world by Drink International magazine – is a great choice.
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Own the dancefloor at Füge Udvar
If you’re up for a bit of dancing, ruin bar Füge Udvar ('Fig Garden') could be a great stop. Located in Budapest's party district yet boasting a fuss-free atmosphere, you can kick the evening off here with great cocktails and some tasty burgers. If you’re feeling playful, you can try your hand at some bar games like pool or foosball, as well as some really cool and nostalgic arcade games. Then hit one of the four dancefloors and shake it to the hottest beats. Drinks are served fairly cheap, what's more, two cocktails are on the house (for girls) every Thursday when Ladies' Night takes over (sign up here for the free drinks). It's a great place to mingle with fellow foreigners and locals alike, with even its outdoor areas conveniently covered and heated. The place is open every day, and the best part is that entry is free. (x)
