What can I say… I like to party. And out of all of the places I’ve been, Budapest has had by far the best nightlife. The bars, the clubs, the people, the atmosphere… it can’t be beaten, and for some reason it’s never talked about. Consider this post to be the best place to learn everything you need to know about Budapest’s brilliant nightlife.

DISCLAIMER: This is all based on my opinions and my experiences. Any one of you may have a completely different experience with any one of these parts of Budapest, and that’s great! That’s what travelling is all about!

I’d also like to add that while it is common to hear that Budapest is very cheap, that’s not always the case. From my experience, it’s mainly the beer (not mixed drinks or anything else) that is cheap, and just about everything else (food, clothing, tickets for anything) is priced about the same as any other EU country. Let me know if I’m wrong.

The Ruin Bars

Whether you’ve heard of them or not (I hadn’t when I first arrived in Budapest), the Ruin Bars in Budapest (or Pest, rather) are an experience of a lifetime. While I didn’t have time to visit all of them, here are the ones that I did get to enjoy:

• Szimpla Kert
• Instant & Fogas Ház

While these two places are both labelled “Ruin Bars,” they both have completely different atmospheres and vibes. Let’s break them down:

Szimpla

Szimpla is more of a bar atmosphere, where you can stand around, find a table to chill at, and talk with your friends. There is music, but when I was there not many people were there to dance.

The layout, however, similar to Instant, is incredible. You can walk around continuously for fifteen minutes and you will still find a spot you don’t remember seeing before. There are numerous different spots to buy drinks within the building, and the place is constructed like a labyrinth. You can go up the stairs, walk along the indoor balcony and overlook the crowd below, explore the different rooms, and, if you’re like me, simply look around with awe at how interesting the place is compared to any other bar you’ve been to.

Overall, Szimpla is a much more chill bar than Instant.

Instant

Instant is a nightclub. For me, it still remains one of the coolest clubs I’ve ever been to, and I’m sure you’ll agree. Instant is similar to Szimpla with the crazy labyrinthine layout where you’ll still find rooms you didn’t know were there after an hour of being there, but Instant is much more open and much more like a nightclub. Everyone is dancing, there are like five different DJs, each in a separate large room with a separate type of music and lightshow, and it’s truly a blast. The place is usually packed shoulder-to-shoulder even on a Tuesday in the summer months. Instant does, however, have a mostly younger crowd. 18-35 year olds, I’d say. But if you’re above that age range don’t let that discourage you.

Instant isn’t really the place to chill, sit down and have a beer, but it is definitely the place to dance, listen to good music and have a good time. My recommendation is that you start at Szimpla, then once the drinks are flowing you walk over to Instant. But that’s just, like, my opinion, man.

The Hive Party Hostel

Oh man. If you’re somewhere between 18-35 years old and you’re looking to party, stay at The Hive. It’s cheap, clean, fun, and you’ll meet loads of people. There are bars on the bottom and top floors, as well as a hangout spot on the roof where you can get to know other travelers and devise a game plan for whatever crazy night is to come.

The Hive Pub Crawl

Another good feature of The Hive is that they host a pub crawl. Every Tuesday-Saturday, they take a group on a tour of 4-5 pubs within walking distance of the hostel, with drink deals at each bar. Then, finally, the night ends at Instant, where you can dance the night away. It’s a great time, and it’s how I met a ton of friends that I still stay in touch with today.

The Hive also offers an event called a “Prosecco Boat Tour” that I’ve heard good things about, but I never experienced for myself.

Sparties

“Sparties” or spa parties are parties that take place at Budapest’s Széchenyi thermal baths every Saturday throughout the summer.

It’s a fun experience and worth the memories, but it can get pretty pricey and I would say it’s not worth it for budget travelers. They use a tricky system where you have to buy a card and charge points onto it in order to make purchases at the bar, and it makes it quite the hassle. The ratio is also incredibly male-dominated, so take that for what it’s worth.

However, they do have some really cool dancers, lightshows and music, and the place is super cool, but the choice is yours.

Scammers & Swindlers

I was about to title this section “Late Night Scammers,” but then I remembered that they do it all day too!

Especially around the Ruin Bars and The Hive, there are scammers on the streets outside constantly trying to get you to pay for either drugs or sex, preying especially on travelers/tourists. They’ll say, “hey bro, you want some…” and then gesture to their nose, but they aren’t actually selling whatever drugs they’re referring to. According to my tour guide, they’ll give you a taste of real cocaine and then sell you a bag of flour or something. I didn’t try it, and I never saw anyone fall for the scam, but if these guys are still in business then someone must be falling for it. But don’t let this discourage you – these people are easily turned down and not very persistent.

Stay safe!

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Overall, Budapest has some of the best nightlife I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I recommend it to anyone that’s looking to party and have a good time. Have fun, and safe travels!