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Most first-time visitors are surprised to find that Budapest is actually two cities: colorful Buda and hard-working Pest. They are separated by the blue-green waters of the Danube River, which flows placidly past. The monumental architecture and lovely natural setting make this one of Europe’s most eye-catching capitals.

The city is full of United Nations World Heritage Sites, including Buda’s Castle Hill, and the embankments of the Danube River. Andrássy Avenue is a elegant mile and a half thoroughfare of neo-renaissance and neo-baroque villas and mansions between City Park (Városliget) and Downtown. Heroes' Square (Hősök tere), the Opera House and St Stephen's Basilica are along the way, and Oktogon Square is at mid-point along the route. Liszt Ferenc Square, just south of Oktogon, is full terrace tables in summer, with good food and drinks at reasonable prices. Also worth a visit are the palatial Hungarian Parliament Building and the impressive Dohány Street Synagogue, the largest in Europe. It is home to only a small Jewish population, as many were killed during World War II.

This "Paris of the East" has long been known as a gay center of Eastern Europe, but things have really taken off since reintegration with the West. There is no single gay neighborhood, but most gay-popular bars and clubs can be found in Pest in the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 9th districts, many within walking distance of one another. Defining lines aren't drawn as sharply here as in the West - except at men's saunas or cruise bars - and people mix more. With a little discretion you can look for friendly and meaningful eye-contact most anywhere. Budapest Pride is gay Hungary’s largest annual event, each June or July. Other events they sponsor include parties, and an LGBTQ Film Festival.

 

Getting here

Budapest International Airport  is 15 miles southeast of central Budapest. You can get downtown via bus, shuttle bus, or taxi, but perhaps the best way is the speedy train connection from Ferihegy terminal 1 to Nyugati Railway Station with a hundred or more departures each day. See Máv for online details in Hungarian, English and German. There are also high-speed trains arriving daily at Budapest from most major European cities.

 

Getting around

Although the city is relatively spread out, the system of buses, trams, subways, and light-rail trains gets you around quickly. See BKV-ZAT for service maps and schedules. One ticket is good for any of their modes of transportation. Tickets are available at most stations, and must be validated before you board by using one of the punch machines. Just watch the locals, or ask how. Taxis often overcharge tourists, so best have your hotel call, rather than hailing on the street.

 

Currency and Money

The local currency is the Hungarian forint. The country may eventually adopt the euro, and many businesses catering to tourists accept them, but you'll usually get a better exchange rate using credit cards or getting forints at an ATM. Contact your local bank with travel plans before leaving home to avoid charge problems, and ask if they have partner banks to save on withdrawal fees.

Cruising

The Turkish thermal baths are one of the highlights of a visit to Budapest. Not gay establishments per se, these have been places for men to meet and relax together since the Ottoman era, long before "gay" was a concept, and they still are. The amount of cruising varies widely, so it’s best to ask a local for the latest scoop on the most active. Check out Squirt.org for more.

 

Media & Resources

The Hungarian LGBT Alliance, Magyar LMBT Szôvetség, is an umbrella organization of LGBT organizations, with online news and articles.

Budapest Gayguide has gay accommodations, plus listings for bars, saunas, and saunas. Budapest.com also has gay listings and website links.

Qualendar, an event-based website guide to LGBTQ Budapest, also lists local bars, clubs, restaurants, sex and crusing spots - in English and Hungarian.

LOOK is an online queer-friendly English-language arts magazine with club nights. QueerLife is in Hungarian.

The website of Labrisz, the Hungarian Lesbian Association, has local listings, first Saturday monthly film screenings, and other activities, along with news for the women's community in Budapest - in both Hungarian and English.

The Aventura Hostel website also has an online guides to gay Budapest, in English as well as Hungarian.

The Budapest Bears website has listings of social events for local and international gay bears and friends.

Human Magazine has a print edition and online articles in Hungarian; also some English language content at their website. 

Hatter, the Hungarian LGBT community services and advocacy group, operates an information and counselling hotline that covers coming out, HIV and legal issues. They also maintain an LGBTQ Archive and Library, literature and film databases, a news service, and a discrimination report interface; plus a calendar of local events.

Budapest Pride takes place on a Saturday in early July.

Budapest.com is the official Budapest Tourism Bureau website, with general information on area sights, culture, food/drink, shopping and leisure activities. The Budapest By Locals Guide has some Insider tips. Expats Arrivals and XpatLoop also have useful tips for English-speaking visitors.

The Hungarian word for hot, meleg, is local slang for "gay" - as in meleg vagyok (I am gay), or meleg filmek (gay movies). Leszbikus filmek are the women-for-women options at the cinema.

For map locations and website links to the businesses below, and more, see our gay Budapest listings pages.

 

Accomodations

Lodging choices range from among the most opulent hotels in Europe, to simple and inexpensive backpacker hostels, with everything in-between. See our map & listings tab for some suggestions.

Aventura Boutique Hostel (Visegrádi utca 12), gay friendly dorm rooms, lofts and apartments with shared or private baths at budget prices; breakfast, guest laundry and kitchen, WiFi and massage services, maps, magazines and an online guide to LGBTQ Budapest. Near the Danube, the main train station, and the Westend City Center shops; just 15-20 minutes walk from many gay bars/clubs and restaurants.

GayStay/Budapest offers five apartments at four Budapest locations. The helpful staff will gladly take the time to answer guests' questions about Budapest and gay life around the city. They also do guided tours such as: "Grand Budapest Sightseeing" and "Gay Bars and Clubs."

 

Going out

Alterego Club (Dessewiffy utca 33), popular basement dance club, mostly younger mix, gay men and women, lounge, 3 bars, stage shows, retro sing-alongs, drag diva nights, men-only nights.

Brutkó Diszkó deep house-techno "Bullshit-free Queer Clubbing since 2006" includes Papa Don’t Vogue! at Ludus House (Soroksári út 60).

Café & (Dessewffy utca 30), cafe/patisserie, fresh bread, croissants, pastries, all-day breakfast; gayest evenings and weekends. No longer especially gay with new owner.

Café Eklektika (Nagymezo utca 30), lesbian owned/operated resto-lounge cafe/bar, international and Hungarian food; lunch, dinner, pizza and snacks, late Sat/Sun breakfast noon-6pm, live music, free WiFi, coffee/tea and cocktails, summer terrace.

Club 93 Pizzeria (Vas utca 2), mixed crowd pizzeria, pasta, burgers, deli meats and cheeses, plus Hungarian traditional fare; espresso coffees, beer, wine, vodkas and mixed cocktails. Open 11am-11pm daily, and until midnight Thursday-Saturday.

CoXx Club (Dohány utca 38), basement, men-only sex club, 3 bars, cruise area/dark room, jail, sling, sex shop, porn videos; special naked, military, suckers and gang-bang nights.

Crush Budapest (Dohány utca 22-24), Dance/ nightclub; karaoke, drag, LGBTQ community bar and Latin nights. Former Gaga.

Garçons Budapest, "...queer party for gays, fashion junkies, posers, models, art-heads and other freaks. Underground as well as glamorous ...a new era in chic clubbing." Party nights, performances, international shows, film screening - at various venues; big NYE bash.

Habroló Bisztro (Belvaros Szep utca 1), small, cozy neighborhood gay pub, easy-to-meet people-friendly vibe, English-speaking owner.

Hello at Toldi Klub (Bajcsy-Zsilinszky útca 36–38), pop dance party almost every month - "POPQUEERS IN THE NIGHT! Funny and trashy popnight for Queers, Barbie Dolls, Aliens and their friends!"

Kasino (Dorottya utca 2-4), dance club and special events venue; gay parties include some Garçons nights.

Kimberly Cafè & Bar (Nagymező utca 66), hetero-friendly gay bar/pub, karaoke, drag shows, theme parties.

Ludus Budapest (Soroksári út 60, Ferencváros), new LGBTQ-themed party series at Budapest Park.

Massolit Books & Café (Nagy Diófa utca 30), English-language bookstore including titles of LGBT-interest; cafe quiche, cakes, tarts and beverages, film club screenings and other special events.

Oops at ELLÁTÓház (Dob utca 19), trashy Friday queer party events "for all kind of love" at live music and beer garden venue.

Szociális Helyiség (Kazinczy utca 52/c), gay-friendly, lesbian-popular cafe/bar with street patio tables, evening events.

Toldi Klub (Bajcsy-Zsilinszky útca 36–38), lobby bar and daytime cafe at Toldi Cinema, alternative crowd afterhours club scene, electronic and live music, rich sound system. LGBTQ parties include Garcons, Hello, and VIBE.

Trafó (Lilion utca 41), presenting stage dramas and hosting various events, including dance parties.

Tütü Budapest (Sas utca 17), weekend dance parties, mixed gay/straight 18+ crowd, with stage shows; Savage queer party nights.  Ostentatious/elegant ambience at new location.

Why Not Bisto (Belgrád rakpart 18), gay-friendly restaurant/bar, healthy Mediterranean cuisine at good prices, karaoke nights, free WiFi.

Why Not Cafe & Bar (Belgrád rakpart 3-4), former Mylord, mixed daytime coffee shop/cafe with terrace tables near the Danube, evenings before or after dinner drinks.

OMOH at Corvin Club (Blaha Lujza tér 1-2), Lärm (Akácfa utca 51) or other Budapest venues, every 1-2 months sex-positive, all-gender "Homo House Commando dance night for Queerdos + Technosexuals."

Ösztrosokk, monthly women's dance parties at Dürer Kert (Ajtósi Dürer sor 19-21), or Gödör Klub (Király utca 8-10) - see their Facebook page for dates/venue.

VIBE at Toldi Klub (Bajcsy-Zsilinszky útca 36–38), or Gödör Klub (Király utca 8-10), casual/ unpretentious monthly gay dance party, theme events.

CLOSED: Action Bar (Magyar utca 42), bar/dark room, videos, rent boys, sex shows/strippers; AnKERT Klub (Paulay utca 33) dance club; Café Capella (Belgrád rakpart 23), dance club, drag shows; Confetti Dreams at Kraft Club (Széchenyi István tér. 7-8), gay/ mixed monthly parties; Funny Carrot (Belvaros Szep utca 1), gay bar, mostly men; Mystery Bar (Nagysándor József utca 3), young crowd, videos, karaoke; Score Club (Tölgyfa utca 1-3), gay dances/shows, men-only events; Underground (Dohany utca 22-24), restaurant, dance club/ show bar.

In Debrecen, east of Budapest towards the Ukraine, look for monthly gay dance parties at Club Zeus (Domb utca 1), 

 

Saunas & pools

Gellért Bath (Kelenhegyi út 4-6), grand 1918 art nouveau general-public thermal bath and swimming pool, massage, discreet cruising in outdoor areas.

Király Bath (Fô utca 82-84), dates to 15th century Arslan Pasha period, general-public hot mineral water bath and sauna. Since 2011 no men-only days, now mixed-gender only, so the cruisy vibe is gone.

Magnum Sauna & Gym (Csepreghy utca 2), biggest, most popular gay sauna, age and types mix, steam/dry, cabins, dark rooms, glory holes, video lounge, gym, bar, snacks; naked and other theme parties, Saturday shows and all-night hours.

Szauna 69 (Angyal utca 2), gay men's sauna, Finnish, infrared, steam, Jacuzzi, cabins, gloryholes, video lounge, darkroom, massage services, full bar, free internet and Wi-Fi. OMOH all-gender sex-positive party events,

For other general-public baths and swimming pools, see website Spas Budapest. Csillaghegyi (Pusztakúti út 3), an outdoor heated pool, open year-round, with nudist area up the hill, popular with gay men, is among their 15 listings.

The Rudas Thermal Bath (Döbrentei tér 9), no longer the meeting place for men it was for so long, with mixed bathing all the time, and very different customers, it is still of some interest for it's Ottoman dome, and octagonal pool.

 

Sex Shop / Fetish

Black Dream (Mária utca 9), bondage gear, leather wear, fetish items, pride & sex shop, Mr B shop.

Budapest Sex Shop (Berzsenyi utca 3), sex shop toys, gay and straight DVD videos, magazines, accessories.

L'Amour Sex Shop (Király utca 72), large sex shop near Oktogon Metro stop, toys, acessories, straight and gay DVD movie sales and cabin rental screenings, cinema with straight movie shows until 4pm, then gay films 4-10pm.