Szentendre Old Town and Fő tér
2 h · 2 kmAll ages; slopes and cobbles, better a backpack than a pushchairDog-friendlyAll year
Baroque lanes, the main square with its merchants' cross and the towers of the Serbian churches · 2 h on foot · Free
From BudapestHÉV H5, about 40 min
Time neededHalf a day or a day
Best timeApr – Oct · Advent
By boatSummer and Advent, from 5,000 Ft
November 2026 The Skanzen is closed until spring 2027. Mahart boats were suspended because of low water in mid-month; the Advent boat is announced from 29 November.
What to do
What to do in Szentendre
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
Skanzen, the Open-Air Ethnographic Museum
4 hAll ages; a lot of walkingFrom spring to early November; closed in winter except for special dates
Hungarian villages rebuilt house by house on 60 hectares on the edge of Szentendre · Half a day · Closed in winter; reopens in spring 2027
Church Hill (Templom-domb)
30 minAll ages; steps from the squareDog-friendlyAll year
The viewpoint over the old town, five minutes from Fő tér · Rooftops, towers and the Danube · Free
Itineraries
Itineraries that pass through
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Szentendre, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Szentendre
From April to October, with the Skanzen open and terraces on the river. In Advent, a Christmas market and boats at weekends. In January and February the village is quiet and the open-air museum is closed.
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How you travel
Szentendre your way
Choose how you're travelling and we'll tell you where to stay, how to get around, where to eat and which services you'll need. We only show the ways of travelling that make sense here.
Szentendre Without a Car, by HÉV or Boat
Szentendre is the car-free excursion par excellence from Budapest: the HÉV suburban train leaves you ten minutes from the square and the centre is covered on foot. In summer and Advent you can go by boat and return by train. The budget is per person per day, with a night in the village, meals and transport.
70–130 €per person per day, approximate
- SleepingMathias Rex Panzió, between the…
- Getting aroundHÉV H5 from Batthyány tér…
- EatingTeyföl, contemporary Hungarian cooking, also…
- ServicesHÉV and bus station
Sleeping
- Mathias Rex Panzió, between the station and Fő tér
- Bükkös Hotel & Spa, ten minutes' walk from the station
Getting around
- HÉV H5 from Batthyány tér, about 40 minutes
- Mahart boat from Vigadó tér, in season
- Bus to Visegrád to continue along the Danube Bend
Eating
- Teyföl, contemporary Hungarian cooking, also on Sunday at midday
- Adria Café, every day, next to the climb from the station
Services
- HÉV and bus station
Fly to Budapest and Go Up to Szentendre by Suburban Train
Szentendre has no airport: you fly to Budapest-Ferenc Liszt (BUD), with direct flights from Madrid and Barcelona, and from there it is two journeys. The 100E bus takes you to central Budapest in about 40 minutes and the HÉV H5, from Batthyány tér, to Szentendre in another 40. Almost everyone comes for the day from Budapest and sleeps there.
- Getting thereBudapest Airport (BUD), 100E bus…
- Getting aroundOn foot around the centre
- SleepingMathias Rex Panzió, five minutes…
- ServicesHÉV H5 Budapest–Szentendre
Getting there
- Budapest Airport (BUD), 100E bus to Deák Ferenc tér
- Metro M2 to Batthyány tér and HÉV H5 to Szentendre
- In summer and on Advent weekends, the Mahart boat from Vigadó tér
Getting around
- On foot around the centre
- Local bus to the Skanzen, in season
- Buses to Visegrád and Esztergom from the station
Sleeping
- Mathias Rex Panzió, five minutes from the HÉV
- Bükkös Hotel & Spa, for a night with a spa
Services
- HÉV H5 Budapest–Szentendre
Szentendre by Car, First Stop on the Danube Bend
By car, Szentendre is the first stop on road 11, which follows the Danube to Visegrád and Esztergom: you can see the village in the morning and continue upriver. Park outside the centre, which is paid and has narrow streets. The budget is per person per day, with accommodation, food and petrol.
80–140 €per person per day, approximate
- SleepingMathias Rex Panzió, with its…
- Getting aroundRoad 11 from Budapest, about…
- EatingTeyföl, next to the town…
- ServicesParking and access by car
Sleeping
- Mathias Rex Panzió, with its own parking if you ask when booking
- Bükkös Hotel & Spa, to end the day in the spa
Getting around
- Road 11 from Budapest, about 30 minutes
- The same road continues to Visegrád (25 km) and Esztergom
- Free parking on Lövész utca and Petőfi utca
Eating
- Teyföl, next to the town hall square
- Adria Café, on Kossuth Lajos utca
Services
- Parking and access by car
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights3
Who you're with
Szentendre for whoever you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
Szentendre with the Family
Szentendre is a comfortable excursion with children: a short train ride, a small village with no traffic in the centre and, in season, the open-air museum, where they go into real houses.
- What works bestThe Skanzen, from spring to…
- SleepingMathias Rex Panzió, with apartments…
- EatingAdria Café, open every day
- Bear in mindThe centre has slopes and…
What works best
- The Skanzen, from spring to early November, with houses, animals and crafts
- The boat from Budapest, with a reduced rate from 2 to 14 years
- The Danube promenade, flat and with benches
- The Advent market, with programmes for children
Sleeping
- Mathias Rex Panzió, with apartments for up to four people
Eating
- Adria Café, open every day
- Teyföl, on Sunday at midday
Bear in mind
- The centre has slopes and cobbles: better a baby carrier than a pushchair
- The Skanzen is closed in winter
- The Bükkös is an adults-only hotel
What to do as a family
Szentendre with Small Children
For children up to the age of six, the journey is already part of the plan: train or boat, river and small squares.
- What works bestThe Danube promenade, flat
- SleepingMathias Rex Panzió, with a…
- EatingAdria Café, with a terrace
- Bear in mindCobbles and steps in the…
What works best
- The Danube promenade, flat
- The summer or Advent boat
- Church Hill, a short climb with views
- The Skanzen, in season
Sleeping
- Mathias Rex Panzió, with a garden
Eating
- Adria Café, with a terrace
Bear in mind
- Cobbles and steps in the old town
- In winter it gets dark before 16:30
What to do with young children
Szentendre with Teenagers
For teenagers, Szentendre works in half a day, better combined with something else: the Skanzen in season or continuing to Visegrád Castle.
- What works bestThe Skanzen, with houses you…
- SleepingMathias Rex Panzió
- EatingAdria Café, Balkan grilled cooking
- Bear in mindCombine it with Visegrád by…
What works best
- The Skanzen, with houses you can enter
- The boat on the Danube from Budapest
- The Advent market
- Wandering the old town freely
Sleeping
- Mathias Rex Panzió
Eating
- Adria Café, Balkan grilled cooking
Bear in mind
- Combine it with Visegrád by bus to fill the day
What to do with teenagers
Where to stay
Where to stay without a carif you're flyingif you're driving
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Bükkös Hotel & Spa
Why we like it: A four-star boutique hotel with a spa and terrace in the centre of Szentendre, designed for adults and couples, half an hour from Budapest.
Mathias Rex Panzió
Why we like it: A family guesthouse with a garden on Kossuth Lajos utca, five minutes' walk from the HÉV and Fő tér; rooms and apartments for 1 to 4 people.
From Ft26,500
View details
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Szentendre
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
Adria Café
What to order: A dish from the Balkan grill on the terrace, recalling the Serbian merchants who founded the village.
Teyföl
What to order: Let them recommend the seasonal dish; the menu changes with what their producers bring.
Book through its website; closed Monday and Tuesday.
Nearby
Near Szentendre
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
47.78° N · 19.13° E
Vác and Nagymaros
Car-freeBy plane
47.79° N · 18.92° E
Danube Bend
Car-freeBy carBy plane
47.50° N · 19.04° E
Budapest
Car-freeBy planeLuxury
47.60° N · 19.35° E
Gödöllő
Car-freeBy planeBy car
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Boat there, HÉV back
The boat is the pretty journey; the train is the one that doesn't depend on a timetable.
- 2Buy the HÉV supplementary ticket
The Budapest travel pass does not cover the section outside the city.
- 3Book Teyföl on Sunday
It is one of the few well-kept tables open on Sunday at midday.
A day trip from Budapest: Szentendre is about 20 km north of the capital, on the right bank of the Danube, and is the easiest escape from the city. The suburban train drops you ten minutes from the square in about 40 minutes; in summer and during Advent you can also go by boat. It is a small village of Baroque houses, churches built by the Serbs who resettled it in the 18th century and many galleries: since the artists' colony of the 1920s it has been the town of Hungarian painters.
Getting there from Budapest
- By HÉV, the H5 suburban train: it leaves from Batthyány tér, in Buda (metro M2), and takes about 40 minutes. If you have a Budapest travel pass, buy a supplementary ticket for the section outside the city. Details in the HÉV H5.
- By boat, with Mahart, from Vigadó tér: an hour and a half upriver, in summer and on Saturdays and Sundays during Advent (29 November to 27 December 2026). Go by boat and come back by train. Everything about the boat from Budapest.
- By car, on road 11, about 30 minutes. Park before the centre.
If you are coming from Spain, you land in Budapest and reach Szentendre in a little over an hour and a half: 100E to the centre, metro to Batthyány tér and the HÉV.
What to see in a day
Start with the old town and Fő tér, the square of merchants' houses with the cross in the middle and the Serbian Church of the Annunciation on one corner. Climb Church Hill to see the rooftops and towers, wander back down Bogdányi út, between galleries and workshops, and finish on the Danube promenade. For lunch, Teyföl, with seasonal Hungarian cooking, is also open on Sunday at midday; Adria Café, with Balkan cooking, is open every day.
If you go between spring and early November, spend the afternoon at the Skanzen, the open-air ethnographic museum, about 4 km away: Hungarian villages rebuilt house by house. In 2026 it closed in early November and reopens in spring 2027.
How long?
Half a day is enough for the centre. A whole day if you add the Skanzen or combine it with Visegrád, half an hour upriver by bus, to see the castle above the curve of the Danube: it is the start of the Danube Bend. To stay overnight, the Mathias Rex guesthouse, between the station and the square, or the Bükkös Hotel & Spa, for adults.
When to go
From April to October, with the terraces open and the open-air museum. In December, for the Advent market, which in 2026 opens on 29 November and runs from Dumtsa Jenő utca to Lázár cár tér. On summer and Advent Saturdays it fills up with people from Budapest: if you can, go on a weekday or arrive before 11:00.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How do you get from Budapest to Szentendre?
On the HÉV H5 from Batthyány tér, about 40 minutes. In summer and during Advent, also by boat from Vigadó tér.
Is it worth going by boat?
Yes, if it coincides with the season: an hour and a half on the Danube. Come back on the HÉV so you don't depend on the timetable.
How much time do I need in Szentendre?
Half a day for the centre; a day if you add the Skanzen or Visegrád.
Is the Skanzen open in winter?
No. It closed on 2 November 2026 and reopens in spring 2027.
Can you eat on Sunday?
Yes: Teyföl is open from 12:00 to 17:00 and Adria Café all day.