The Ultimate Guide To A Budapest Stag Do

The former Jewish district in Budapest, Erzsébetváros is now well-known for its ruin bars, pubs, and clubs, all serving up craft beers, wines, and every spirit imaginable. This multicultural area caters to everyone, offering affordable prices for food and drink to mid-range drinks for a fancier occasion. There are a number of cheap hostels for travellers on a budget, as well as full-board hotels, all within a stone’s throw of the area’s main clubs.

Also known as the Fifth District, Belváros is located along the river on the Pest side, and is home to some of the most popular tourist attractions in the city. Staying in this district means you’ll be neighbouring the stunning Hungarian Parliament Building, the Chain Bridge, and the Shoes on the Danube Monument. You’ll also be close to some of the city’s nicest bars, restaurants, and cafes, with excellent public transport links letting you venture out to different parts of Budapest.

Also known as the Palace District, Jószefváros was formerly considered one of the rougher parts of Budapest. But after a huge influx of independent boutiques, bars, and restaurants, it’s become the new ‘it’ district. With a hipster vibe, here’s where you’ll find alternative bars, cafes, and art and design-focused attractions, like the National Museum.

With excellent transport options throughout the city, you can theoretically stay wherever you want to and still be close to the action. But we recommend choosing somewhere you’ll end up spending most of your time in order to avoid paying for public transport. If bars are more your thing, you could stay in Jószefváros, or, if you’ll be clubbing every night, Erzsébetváros would probably be a wiser option.

Ruin bars are predominantly found in Erzsébetváros (District VII), and are formed from abandoned apartment buildings, stores, or lots. Following World War II, the entire neighbourhood was left in its ruined state, making it the perfect spot for an emerging underground bar scene. From the outside, you’d be forgiven for thinking the bars were homes or abandoned buildings, as there are no signs, queues, or loud noises. However, the magic waits inside. The trend started with Szimpla Kert, which opened in 2001 in an abandoned factory. A large open courtyard, cocktail bars, music, and even pizza make this one of the most popular watering holes in Budapest.

Another popular ruin bar is Instant, which actually feels more like a club. Located inside an old apartment building, you can quite literally sit inside what was once someone’s home. Many flats have had the walls knocked down between them, creating a more communal space for DJs, dancefloors, and bars.

Most ruin bars are open until the early hours of the morning, which is ideal if you’re staying in the district. Make the absolute most of the region with our Ruin Bars Pub Crawl, which will make sure you only visit the bars that are worth your time.

Perhaps the most famous of all Budapest’s clubs, Ötkert finds its home in a 19th-century building just a few minutes away from the Széchenyi bridge. The main dance floor is open-air, letting you party under the stars, while there are two other rooms should you want a change of pace. Ötkert turns the lights on and music off at a cool 5am, perfect if you’re in the mood to party until dawn.

With a rooftop terrace found above a supermarket, and the accompanying club located in the basement, Corvin Club is unlike anywhere else you’ve ever visited. The rooftop bar offers a clear view of the city below, while the underground club hosts live DJs until early morning. With rave reviews from punters, it’s obvious why this is a favourite amongst Budapest travellers.

The entire city sits on a patchwork of 125 thermal springs so, naturally, you should take advantage of its spa-like baths. Offering the world’s best hangover cure, Budapest’s Thermal Baths are offered in a huge range of 18 indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, steam rooms, whirlpools, as well your choice of treatments and massages—what more could you want or need?

Live out your Action Man dreams for a day and head down to a shooting range to fire a real gun. We can sort you and the boys out with the ultimate AK-47 Shooting Package, which gives you a shotgun, Glock, and the famous AK-47, along with 25 bullets each for you to play around with. And if that’s not enough to satisfy your dreams of being an action hero, we can even set you up with a session of Tank Driving.

No stag do—or any lads’ holiday, in fact—is complete without spending some time with a few bikini-clad beauties. And we’ve got the ultimate treat for you as you live out the last days of being a bachelor. You and the lads will go up against a group of stunning female footballers in our Bikini Football session. You’ll get absolutely everything you need for the session, including lockers, showers, and club facilities, so all you have to do is try and score against the half-naked hotties you’re up against.

Combining medieval, Baroque, Baroque Revival, and modernist styles of architecture, the huge Buda Castle is truly a sight to behold. The area is home to the Hungarian National Gallery, if you want to add a little more culture to your trip, and also offers some of the best views over Pest, perfect for getting that Instagram snap. The initial castle was first completed in 1265, but the palace you see today was built between 1749 and 1769. Since then, its different occupants from across the globe have influenced the final look, and its most recent addition is Andrássy Avenue, which was completed in 2002. It’s definitely worth a look, just to see the different influences and styles that comprise the one castle.

Spanning three floors, the Great Market Hall is one of the best places to go for traditional Hungarian food. Available upstairs are craft and food stalls, ideal for a bit of lunchtime shopping and sampling the local cuisine. Downstairs offers you the chance to buy fresh ingredients, including wines and spices, while the basement focuses on fresh meat and fish.

The first permanent structure to connect Buda and Pest, the Széchenyi bridge was opened in 1849 and has since appeared in a number of Hollywood blockbusters, including I Spy and Walking With The Enemy. Acting as Hungary’s answer to Brooklyn Bridge or the Golden Gate bridge, the Széchenyi was initially considered a modern wonder of the world. Offering excellent views of the city, the stone lions at either end are the defining features and a great place to take a picture with the whole stag crew. Of course, you could see the famous bridge from below during a Private Cruise on the Danube River, which shows you all the major attractions along the water with the option for a private strip show to really get the stag weekend going.

For some of the best Mediterranean food, head to Mazel Tov. The spacious restaurant features a glass roof, letting you look up at the night sky while you work your way through the menu. We recommend taking advantage of the delicious dips, spreads, and salads alongside your main course. And as an added bonus, the bar staff make a mean cocktail.

For lunchtime with the locals, head to Belvárosi Disznótoros, which offers you the best of Hungarian street food. With high-top tables and standing counters, customers can chow down on a range of braised, fried, and cured meats that even the late Anthony Bourdain approved of. Whether you want a traditional sausage or crispy duck, or feel like branching out to black pudding or whole trotters, this eatery serves up some of the best.

Serving up a range of classic Hungarian and European cuisine, Hemingway dishes are chosen by the chef on a weekly basis. Enjoy your meals on a lakeside terrace, or in the Palm House, and have your food professionally matched up with a drink from the wine menu. We recommend booking a table in advance, as it can get busy during peak times. But it’s well worth it, especially considering previous diners include Glenn Close and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Of course, if you’d rather keep your dinners more low-key, why not go for a takeaway? Book a Sexy Pizza Delivery treat for the stag with Maximise, sending him a fresh pizza personally delivered by a stripper.

One of the best and cheapest ways to navigate Budapest is by simply walking between destinations. Most bars, restaurants, and tourist sites are an easy distance away from each other within each district, and you can get a better understanding of your bearings on foot—perfect for when you need to get home and you’re feeling a little worse for wear.

BuBi is Budapest’s answer to bicycle sharing (think the Santander bikes in London) providing over 1,500 bikes with almost 130 docking stations scattered around the city. However, it’s important to remember that while there are docking stations in Buda, bikes are definitely more suited to the flat terrain in Pest. The cost of renting is very affordable, coming in at around £1.50 per day, or £3 for three days.

Buses, trolleys, trams, and trains connect the city, so you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to getting around. The cost for a single fare on public transport routes start at around £1, while the more affordable option is a one-day, three-day or weekly ticket, depending on how long you’re in the city. If you’re going to be checking out the local tourist attractions, it might be worth investing in a Budapest Card, which automatically entitles you to free usage of public transport. If you’re relying on public transport to get you around, it’s worth making a note of when the service starts and ends each day so you don’t get stranded.

Budapest cab fares are regulated across all taxi operators, so you won’t have to worry about getting stung. The base fare is around £2 with a distance-based charge of about £1, making it an affordable option. All licensed cabs are yellow and will feature the exact fare on the side doors. Cabs can be easily hailed from the street, but if you do want to book a taxi, we recommend using Bolt, which works similarly to Uber. Local taxi drivers lobbied against large companies such as Uber and Lyft, so these apps don’t work in Hungary.

Of course, if you want to travel around in style, why not hire yourselves a Grand Daddy Limo? This not only lets you ride in Europe’s biggest limo, but you’ll also be treated to a private strip show during your trip around the city. Make the most of the stag do by getting straight into the fun and games on every night out.