Hungary
Central Europe · HUN
Editorial Snapshot
Why Go To Hungary
Hungary works best for travelers who want a city-heavy Central Europe trip with a strong capital, easy cultural side trips, and enough countryside or wine-region contrast to keep the route varied. Budapest does most of the heavy lifting, so the trip is usually stronger when you add one or two focused extensions such as Tokaj, Pécs, or Hortobágy rather than chasing the whole map.
Popular For
Things To See
- Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue
- Tokaj Wine Region Historic Cultural Landscape
- Hortobágy National Park - the Puszta
- Early Christian Necropolis of Pécs (Sopianae)
- Old Village of Hollókő and its Surroundings
- Millenary Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma and its Natural Environment
Best Months
Best Months For Winter Travel
Know Before You Go
- June through September is the easiest broad window in the current brief, while winter fits a different trip style.
- Budapest is the clear anchor, so most first visits do not need many additional stops.
- Tokaj, Pécs, or Hortobágy make more sense as selective extensions than as part of a rushed full-country circuit.
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Flights
Hotels & Accommodations
Compare stays across major booking options
Open hotel and accommodation options for Hungary.
Guidebooks
📚Browse Hungary Guidebooks on AmazonTours & Activities
Country Data
Stats At A Glance
Practical travel, safety, climate, and quality-of-life stats for Hungary.
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Budapest
- Population
- 9,539,502
- Area
- 93,028 km²
- Region
- Central Europe
Languages
- Hungarian
Currency
Hungarian forint (Ft)
HUF
1 USD = 314.63 HUF
Cost of Living (World Bank)
48.0
Price level index (US = 100)
- Groceries
- 45.4
- Restaurants
- 44.7
- Rent
- 14.1
Safety & Peace
higher score = safer everyday environment · derived from World Bank homicide data
lower score = more peaceful · 1.0–3.5 scale
Monthly Climate Averages
These weather averages are based on data for Budapest (47.50°N, 19.08°E).
LGBTQ+ Friendly
61/100
Traveler LGBTQ score
- Legal protections
- 57/100
- Lived safety
- 68/100
This score blends legal protections with lived-safety context so strong laws alone do not automatically push a country to the top of the ranking.
- Homosexuality legal✅
- Relationship recognitionCivil union
- Adoption recognition❌
- Anti-discrimination laws✅
- Employment protections✅
- Legal gender recognition❌
- Conversion therapy ban❌
Human Development Index (UNDP)
0.870
Very high human development
- 5-year change
- +0.013
- 10-year change
- +0.020
- Trend
- improving
- Data year
- 2023
- Gender Dev. Index (GDI)
- 0.989
- Gender Inequality Index (GII)
- 0.213
- Planetary-adjusted HDI (PHDI)
- 0.757
UNESCO World Heritage Sites (8)
- 🏛️
Tokaj Wine Region Historic Cultural Landscape
Inscribed 2002
- 🏛️
Fertö / Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape
Inscribed 2001
- 🏛️
Early Christian Necropolis of Pécs (Sopianae)
Inscribed 2000
- 🏛️
Hortobágy National Park - the Puszta
Inscribed 1999
- 🏛️
Millenary Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma and its Natural Environment
Inscribed 1996
- 🌿
Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst
Inscribed 1995
- 🏛️
Old Village of Hollókő and its Surroundings
Inscribed 1987
- 🏛️
Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue
Inscribed 1987
Natural Beauty (World Bank)
- Protected land area
- 22.6%
- Forest cover
- 22.4%
Source: World Bank.
Wildlife & Birdwatching
- Threatened mammal species (IUCN)
- 6
- Threatened bird species (IUCN)
- 14
Source: World Bank / IUCN Red List. Higher counts indicate richer biodiversity, typically in tropical rainforest, island, and savannah ecosystems.
Food & Cuisine
55/100
Food and dining score
Built from two layers: dining-scene breadth and open prestige signals. We combine restaurant density, cuisine diversity, distinguished restaurants, and gastronomy-city recognitions from open data sources.
Winter Sports
21/100
Ski infrastructure & alpine pedigree
Combines ski resort depth, ski resort density, and Winter Olympic skiing results. Separate from climate comfort.
Luxury Infrastructure
88/100
Luxury & premium accommodation score
Based on OpenStreetMap luxury hotel density and World Bank international tourism receipts.
US Travel Advisory
There were no changes to the advisory level or risk indicators. Advisory summary was updated. Exercise normal precautions in Hungary. Advisory Summary Hungary is generally a safe destination for travelers. Most crimes against foreigners are crimes of opportunity, like purse snatching and pickpocketing, especially in tourist areas and major train stations in Budapest. This includes passport theft on the trains between Budapest, Vienna, and Bratislava. Review our travel guidance for Hungary to learn how to prepare for a safe trip. If you decide to travel to Hungary: Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to get important updates and alerts from the U.S. embassy or consulate. Enrolling helps the U.S. embassy or consulate contact you or your emergency contact in an emergency. Review the Country Security Report for Hungary. Follow the Department of State on Facebook and X/Twitter. Visit the CDC page for the latest Travel Health Information related to your travel. Whether you’re a first time or frequent traveler, use the International Travel Checklist. We highly recommend that you buy travel insurance before you travel. Check with your travel insurance provider about evacuation assistance, medical insurance, and trip cancelation coverage.
Read full advisory →Data current as of August 2026 and subject to change. Travel advisory information is sourced from the U.S. State Department and reflects conditions at the time of data collection, not real-time conditions. Do not rely solely on this information for travel decisions. Always check current government advisories for your nationality. Terms of Use · About our data