Budapest is lovely, but sometimes you need to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city. That’s where a Szentendre day trip comes in. This cutesy, artsy town sits about an hour outside of Budapest and is a popular day trip for visitors. The area is light on sights, but it can be pleasant to stroll the lanes and browse the various shops before getting a delicious lunch and heading back to Budapest.
In this post, I’ll cover everything you need to know about planning your day trip to Szentendre including what to see and all of the transportation logistics.
What to See in Szentendre
So you’ve decided to take a day trip to Szentendre. What should you see while you’re there?
Main Square (Fő Tér)
First and foremost, you need to understand that Szentendre is a small town. The areas that you’ll want to see all fan out from the Main Square. At the Main Square, you’ll find shops and restaurants lining not only the Main Street, but also some of the side streets. You’ll also find some nice architecture, and although nice it pales in comparison to the main squares elsewhere in Europe.
In my opinion, you’ll end up in the Main Square at some point, regardless of your sightseeing plans in Szentendre, but for those who aren’t sure where to start on their day trip, start in here.
Marzipan Museum
If you like marzipan, have I got a place for you. The Marzipan Museum is located slightly off the Main Square and is the place to stock up on treats. Later in the day, the store can feel very packed with visitors trying to pick out their treats, but I still think it’s worth a stop. It’s free to visit the shop (though obviously you’ll have to pay for your marzipan), but there’s an attached museum that you can visit for a fee.
Learn more at the official website.
St. John Catholic Church (Keresztelő Szent János)
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, it’s not a list of things to do in Europe without a church. But instead of listing one church, I have two options for you.
The first of these is St. John Catholic Church. Even if you’re burnt out of European churches, I still recommend visiting St. John Church. Why? Because this church is perched on the top of the hill (Church Hill to be specific) and offers some nice views of Szentendre.
St. John Church was the first church to be built in Szentendre. If it’s open, you can pop in for a quick peak. I visited on a Sunday and masses were in progress so all of the churches I saw in Szentendre were from the outside, so I can’t say if it’s definitively worth it.
Belgrade Serbian Orthodox Cathedral (Belgrádi Székesegyház)
You’ll have to pay a small fee to enter this Orthodox Church, but based on photos (remember, I visited on Sunday), it looks beautiful.
This is an Orthodox Church, so it may looks slightly different than you are accustomed to. Worshippers stand during the service, so there are no pews and the walls are decorated icons.
Note that your entrance fee will also include a visit to the church’s attached museum which includes numerous religious objects and paintings.
Enjoy Some Lunch
Since Szentendre is light on sights, many visitors will choose to take the time to enjoy a nice lunch in town before returning back to Budapest. There are numerous restaurants around the main square, so browse the menu and see what looks good.
I got lunch in Szentendre, but I went the budget option. As I walked down a side street (technically an alley) toward the river, I found a small hole in the wall restaurant selling lángos. Since there seemed to plenty of locals in line, this is where I chose to get lunch. I took my food just a few steps away and had a makeshift picnic on along the river. It was cheap (the lángos here in Szentendre was cheaper than what I got in Budapest, but just as fresh and delicious), scenic, and a great way to cap off my day trip to Szentendre.
Shop for Souvenirs
Szentendre is an artsy town and there is no shortage of places that you can shop. You’ll find stores carrying all of the typical souvenirs, but plenty of artists set up stands along the streets.
Now it should be noted that there was another event in town (a classic car show along the river), so maybe I just got lucky with all of the extra artisans, but I think Szentendre can be a great option if you’re looking for souvenirs. And remember, don’t just stick to the Main Street. There’s more options down the lesser trafficked side streets.
Tips for Your Szentendre Day Trip
I have two big tips for visiting Szentendre. The first is to make sure you understand the transportation tickets that you need. I’ll cover this more in depth later when I talk about how to get to Szentendre, but it’s very important that you have valid tickets. It’s almost a guarantee that ticket inspectors will check your tickets and it’s really easy to get your tickets messed up in Budapest.
If you are caught without a valid ticket it’s a 12,000 HUF fine on the spot (per person, so if you’re traveling as a couple and both of you have incorrect tickets, it’s 24,000 HUF). Now, 12,000 HUF isn’t a massive amount (it’s about $35 USD at the time of writing), but it’s just enough to sour your day trip to Szentendre.
My second tip is to try to arrive early. Don’t arrive so early that nothing is open, but most tourists arrive around lunch time. The streets are busier and I think the town is less charming. I arrived around 10:00 am and it was so nice to take a quick stroll while as so many vendors were just first setting up for the day. It felt like a breath of fresh air. Later, when the streets were busy with tourists, it was still nice, but some of that charm was lost.
How Long Do You Need in Szentendre?
Most visitors will take a day trip to Szentendre from Budapest. There’s not a lot to see in Szentendre, so a few hours is really all you need. This gives you enough time to browse the shops, visit a few churches, and get a good lunch before heading back to Budapest.
When I visited Szentendre, I spent about three hours here. I arrived at shortly after 10:00 am and caught a train back to Budapest around 1:00 pm. It wasn’t a lot of time, but it was enough for me. Unless you plan to have a nice, sit down lunch, I don’t think you need to plan for more than a half day in Szentendre. That said, make sure to account for the travel time as it will take you about an hour each way to reach Szentendre from the Batthyány Tér station in Budapest.
How Do You Get to Szentendre?
In short, you’ll want to board the HEV suburban train from Batthyány Tér to Szentendre. On the surface, it’s pretty simple, but you’ll be dealing with Budapest public transportation.
I’ve already written an entire blog post about Budapest’s public transportation system since it’s one of the more confusing systems I’ve encountered. That guide serves as a good starting point, but Szentendre is outside of the Budapest city limits, so you’ll need to make sure you have the proper tickets or you’ll risk a fine from the very thorough ticket inspectors. So here’s what you need.
First and foremost, you need a public transportation ticket. If you have a 24 hour pass, you’re good and you can move on to the next step for the suburban extension ticket. If you are using single tickets, you’ll need a brand new, never used single ticket. If you caught a bus, tram, or metro to Batthyány Tér, you’re single ticket will not transfer. Before you board the HEV train, get a new single ticket.
The other ticket you will need is a suburban extension ticket. You will need this regardless of whether you’re using a 24 hour pass or single tickets. At the Batthyány Tér station, go to one of the kiosks. Change the button to English and follow the prompts to buy a ticket to Szentendre. When I did this, the screen made it pretty obvious which ticket you’ll need.
Before you board the train, make sure you have both tickets: the single ticket (or 24 hour pass) and the suburban extension ticket. Then, validate the single ticket and the suburban extension ticket when you board the train. Look for a little yellow box in the carriage, stick your ticket in, and pull. This should punch some holes in your ticket and will prove to the ticket inspectors that you have a validated ticket. If you forget to do this step, your ticket is not valid and you’ll get a fine.
Note that there’s some debate about whether or not you need to validate your suburban extension ticket. I validated all of my suburban extension tickets (both for Szentendre and Gödöllő Palace) and was never questioned or yelled at, so at a minimum, it doesn’t hurt to validate your ticket.
When you return to Budapest, you’ll need to pick up another suburban extension ticket in Szentendre. If you’re traveling with single tickets, don’t forget to get another single ticket as well.
Is It Worth Visiting Szentendre?
While Szentendre can definitely feel touristy, I still think it was worth a visit. It feels different than Budapest and it was nice to just wander a get a good bite for lunch. Like I’ve already said, I would recommend getting here early. Sure, not all of the shops may be open, but there was something very nice about walking through the streets before all of the chaos of the Budapest day trippers.
Now that all said, I’d only recommend visiting Szentendre if you have more than two days in Budapest. You’ll want those full two days in the city to see all of the great sights, so if you find yourself with more than two days in Budapest, absolutely consider a day trip to Szentendre.
When to Visit Szentendre
Szentendre, and the more popular city of Budapest, can be visited all year round, but some seasons are better than others. Peak tourism is summer when temperatures soar. That combination makes it less ideal to visit. The benefit though, is that sights have the longest opening hours.
In winter, visitor numbers decrease along with the temperature. Be prepared for cold weather and shorter hours for the top sights.
Shoulder season has the best balance between weather and crowds, in my opinion.
I visited in mid October. Temperatures were cool in the morning but warmed up in the afternoon. In general though, I needed my fleece and jacket all day to keep warm. There were a lot of tourists, but I knew it would have been worse in summer. Remember, not only do you have people visiting as part of a larger journey in Europe, but there are loads of visitors visiting via river cruise.
Final Thoughts
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Budapest and there’s a lot to see there. But I do think it is worth spending a few hours in Szentendre. Is it touristy? Yes, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less fun to visit.
Continue Your Adventure
Budapest: Check out my guide for two days in Budapest. If you’re on a time crunch, try my guide for one day in Budapest. Get around the city effortlessly with my Budapest Transportation Guide. Plan your trip with my Budapest Travel Budget.
More in Europe: If you’re already visiting Budapest, consider adding Vienna. Beyond that, Paris is one of my favorites, but Amsterdam can also be fun. For an easy first trip, try visiting London.