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Things to do on weekdays in Budapest

leisure in Budapest
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Updated byAnne-Lise Mtyon 05 November 2019

In Budapest, you won't be bored even on weekdays, with lots of things to choose from. Typical ones, as going to the cinema to watch a film or have a drink with your friends after work, and more special ones, as going on a concert on a Wednesday night or watching your favourite team at a cup game. Let's have a look at the obvious ones first.

Nightlife in Budapest

If you live in central Budapest, you can do most of the things you can do at the weekends, such as visiting restaurants, pubs, clubs, cinemas, theatres or exhibitions. The opening hours might be a bit shorter than on a Friday or Saturday night. If you are planning to visit a ruin bar in central Pest, it will be different, as they are open the same hours every day on the week. Still, it can be worth to visit them during weeknights, as fewer people means you don't need to queue up or wait for hours for a free table. Exceptions can be Wednesday/Thursday nights at some clubs which are popular with university students who prefer to go out on these nights (as many travel home at the weekends).

Cinemas in Budapest

If you are planning to watch the latest movies, you can find several cinemas, in shopping centres and individual art cinemas as well, which are also offering discounts on different weekdays. Discover the list of English movies being screened. If you would prefer to walk around nice paintings or photographs, you can visit various museums as well. However, keep in mind that most of them are closed on Mondays.

Theatres in Budapest

The list of theatres in Budapest is almost endless, and the good thing is that many of them are located in the same area, on and around Nagymezo Street, nicknamed the Broadway of Pest. If you are looking for English-speaking shows, options are more limited. Still, you can find plays with English subtitles in Katona Jozsef Theatre, Madach Theatre, Hungarian State Opera and Erkel Theatre. You can also visit some classical music concerts, where language won't matter, check out Liszt Ferenc Academy, Mupa cultural venue or Pesti Vigado.

Sports and fitness in Budapest

If you would prefer to do something more active, you can register at a gym, a fitness centre or a yoga club. These are getting more and more popular in Budapest, especially with younger professionals who are looking to relax and stay fit after spending the whole day at the office. Many of the yoga clubs offer classes with English-speaking teachers and instructors, so you can follow all the moves.

If you would like to try out a new sport or just continue to do your favourite one, you might find a club to join as well. The offer is wider when it comes to sports that are famous in Hungary, such as football, handball, basketball, fencing, gymnastics, judo and water sports, including swimming, canoeing and water polo.

If you prefer just to watch some sports, you don't have to wait until the weekend, as most ball games have league or cup competitions during the week. In 2019, Budapest was titled the European capital of sports, so you can find more sports-related events throughout the week.

We do our best to provide accurate and up to date information. However, if you have noticed any inaccuracies in this article, please let us know in the comments section below.

About

Anne-Lise studied Psychology for 4 years in the UK before finding her way back to Mauritius and being a journalist for 3 years and heading Expat.com's editorial department for 5. She loves politics, books, tea, running, swimming, hiking...

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