>>2918915
Forgot to mention I'm South Asian. I heard that shouldn't matter here though.

>>2918915
Go stay at one of those party hostels and spend your whole trip a drunken mess

>>2919035
Specifically im Indian. I heard Indians are treated well here.

>>2918915
Budapest native here, let me give you a quick rundown first and if you've got questions I'll monitor this thread and make sure to answer them
>sights
Citadella - a 19th century fortress recently refurbished as a public park and viewpoint
Buda Castle - the royal center of the Kingdom of Hungary, full of cobblestoned streets, cute Baroque and Gothic buildings, home to the Fishermen's bastion (free to enter before 9 am and after 7 pm), the Matthias Church, the Royal Palace, Várkert Bazaar, the Hospital in the Rock museum, and the National Gallery
Aquincum - a museum dedicated to Budapest's Roman past, located next to the excavated ruins of the former capital of Pannonia (there's also a VERY pretty housing estate you nearby built for the workers of the now defunct Óbuda Gas Factory)
St. Stephen's Basilica - Budapest's largest church, famous for housing the Holy Dexter (the mummified right hand of our first king), but more popular with tourists because of the but more popular with tourists because of the panoramic dome view
Hungarian Parliament - one of the largest parliaments in the world. you can book a guided tour, but even just walking around the square and seeing it lit up at night is worth it
Heroes' Square - the big monumental square with the Millennium Monument
City Park - home to Vajdahunyad Castle, the Ice Rink, the Budapest Zoo, the Széchenyi Baths, the House of Music, and the Museum of Ethnography
Margaret Island - a large island in the middle of the Danube, perfect for walking, running, or just chilling. it even has a small zoo, a musical fountain, and some Medieval ruins
Great Market Hall - the big covered market by Liberty Bridge in Pest, good for paprika, Tokaj wine, lángos, and people-watching
cont.

>>2919780
Jewish Quarter - various synagogues (including the second largest in the world), famous ruin bars, and world cuisine
Metropolitan Ervin Szabó Library - since you mentioned bookshops: this one is worth a visit even if you don't plan on reading anything. it's housed in a stunning 19th-century palace, and the main reading rooms on the upper floors are breathtaking
if you're after actual bookshops:
- Massolit Books & Café (Kazinczy utca) is the best English-language bookstore in the city, cozy as hell, good coffee, and a quiet backyard
- Bestsellers (Oktober 6. utca) offers a solid selection of English books, right in the centre
- Írók Boltja (Andrássy út) is more literary, mostly Hungarian, but they have a decent English section
- the stretch of second-hand and antiquarian bookshops along Múzeum körút (between Astoria and Kálvin tér) is perfect for browsing if you like old books and dusty atmosphere

>cafés
New York Café - the most over-the-top, gilded, chandelier-filled coffee palace in the city. touristy and expensive, but still worth seeing at least once. go early or late to avoid the worst of the crowds
Centrál Kávéház - beautiful old literary café on Károlyi utca, less overwhelming than New York, good atmosphere, solid cakes
Gerbeaud - Classic Austro-Hungarian pastry shop vibes, famous for their Gerbeaud slice. very central and always busy, located on Vörösmarty square (also the spot for one of the city's biggest Christmas markets)
My Little Melbourne - Australian-style specialty coffee, great flat whites, a few locations (the original on Madách Imre út is still the best)
Kontakt - minimalist, very good coffee, nice quiet spot near Astoria
Három Tarka Macska - cosy, excellent coffee and pastries, and a very local feel
Blue Bird Café - beautiful interior in a renovated building, good specialty coffee and a calmer vibe
9BAR - small but excellent specialty café just a couple of minutes from St. Stephen’s Basilica

cont.

>>2919783
>restaurants
Kéhli Vendéglő - proper old-school Óbuda institution serving traditional Hungarian food the way it’s supposed to be, generous portions, live music most evenings, and a real local atmosphere
Stand - two Michelin starred modern Hungarian fine dining
Dobrumba - excellent Middle Eastern / Mediterranean sharing plates in the Jewish Quarter
Todo Mexican Kitchen - modern Mexican cuisine in central Budapest
101 Tigris - casual Asian noodle house in Újlipótváros, serving homemade noodles, spicy Sichuan/Chongqing-inspired soups and dishes, very good value and proper flavour
Deszka - creative, generous brunch dishes made from good quality ingredients
Rosenstein - family-run classic near Keleti, serving excellent Hungarian-Jewish cooking
Gettó Gulyás - focused on stews and pörkölts done properly, plus solid gulyás
Belvárosi Disznótoros - a butcher shop turned restaurant, fast, cheap, and very local: you just point at the roast meat, sausage or hurka, grab some pickles and bread, and eat away

>music venues
A38 - a floating concert venue on the Danube with regular DJ sets
Szimpla Kert - the original ruin bar. a labyrinth of rooms, courtyard, mismatched furniture, fairy lights, with free entry
Instant-Fogas - the biggest party complex, with 7+ dance floors, 18 bars, and multiple rooms
Akvárium Klub - located under Erzsébet tér, hosting big-name DJs + live acts
Turbina - main stop for techno/house touring DJs
Dürer Kert - located further away from the downtown, home to concerts and underground parties

>>2919786
AI slop

>>2919786
>Szimpla Kert - the original ruin bar. a labyrinth of rooms, courtyard, mismatched furniture, fairy lights, with free entry

I was charged 17 Euros for a double whiskey there. The other ruins were much cheaper.