Are you planning to come to Hungary? Do you want to know when the tourist season is and what the weather is like in Hungary? I’ll tell you about the weather in Hungary month by month, what the winters and summers are like here. But the most interesting part is finding out why Hungary is a great place to visit in the winter, even though there are no mountains, hardly any snow, and no skiing.

Climate in Hungary: General Points

If you don’t know where Hungary is on the map of Europe or have trouble picturing it, I recommend reading a brief article at the provided link. Understanding Hungary’s geographical location will make everything I say below much clearer.

  • Hungary is located in the central part of Europe.
  • Unlike many European countries, Hungary does not have access to the sea. This makes its climate mild and not very humid.
  • The distance from the Atlantic Ocean, over 1000 km away, plays a significant role. The Atlantic is the source of cold, rain, and snow in Europe.
  • There are no mountains in the country. The highest point in Hungary is Mount Kékes, only 1014 meters above sea level.
  • Since the country is relatively small, it is all in one climatic zone. The climate across the entire country is the same, as are the average annual temperatures, with minimal differences. Yes, just like anywhere, it can rain in Budapest while it’s sunny in Debrecen at the same time, but that’s about the weather, not the climate.
tourist season in Hungary
In the summer, Hungary has about 70% sunny days. In the winter, the sky is often overcast.

Useful to know:

If we sum it all up in one sentence, Hungary has a moderately continental climate. This means it has hot summers, very mild winters, sometimes even without snow, a long shoulder season with warm and clear weather, and moderate precipitation throughout the year without distinct rainy seasons.

Weather in Hungary by Month

In general, the situation looks like this:

  • From May to October, it’s summer in Hungary, and daytime temperatures are always (or almost always) above 21-23 degrees Celsius.
  • The hottest months of the year are July and August. During the day, the temperature in the shade is around 30 degrees Celsius. In recent years, Central Europe has experienced intense heat for 1-2 weeks, with temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees during this time. Perhaps climate change is not a fairy tale.
  • April and October in Hungary are very comfortable for traveling around the country. It’s dry, sunny, and warm, without extreme heat.

Useful to know:

The weather in Hungary can vary from year to year. Usually, October is very warm throughout the country. However, in 2023, on October 12-13, there were frosty mornings, which is highly unusual. Even in January, it’s not always as cold as 0 degrees. On the other hand, by October 25, it was already +27 in Budapest.
weather in hungary
Weather in Hungary by month. Blue bars are precipitation amounts. The yellow line is the average daily temperature. Of course there is minus at night, but the daily average is always above 0.

Briefly about the Hungarian Winter

Winter in Hungary is very mild. If you search for pictures of snowy Budapest on the internet, you’ll find them easily. But be aware that such occurrences are quite rare. Snow does fall in Hungary, maybe a couple of times during the winter, but it usually doesn’t last long and turns into slush within an hour, and by lunchtime, it’s all melted.

Useful:

The coldest months of the year are December and January, with daytime temperatures ranging from 0 to 5 degrees Celsius. It’s rare for sub-zero temperatures to persist for long. That’s why there’s almost no snow.
budapest in winter
Budapest in January. In recent years, this picture has become less and less frequent, but it happens a couple of times during the winter. Sometimes it snows for several days.

Simply for your information, Hungary has several ski resorts in the hilly region of the country at elevations between 500-1000 meters. Skiing is possible for 1-2 months per year. They use snow machines, and it’s generally suitable for beginners or children on sleds. However, the winter season of 2022-2023 was a complete failure due to the mild winter. In Budapest, it didn’t snow at all.

  • Details about Hungarian mountains, skiing, mountain hiking, and the country’s highest peak.

Season in Hungary: When’s the Best Time to Travel

I’m often asked about this. It’s clear that most people come here in the summer, which makes sense. But for me, the best season in Hungary is definitely not summer. There are many tourists in the summer, accommodation is expensive, attractions are crowded.

An important thought:

The term “season” is more appropriate for beach vacations, where you need a tan, warm water, and plan to spend entire days on the beach. For a country with no sea or beaches, it’s not entirely fitting.

If you’re going to Lake Balaton, it makes sense to choose the summer months. You can sunbathe, swim, and enjoy it as it’s Hungary’s main water resort. But for all other activities, the best season in Hungary is spring and autumn.

weather in Hungary in summer and winter
In the winter, the main attraction in Hungary is the outdoor thermal baths. There are plenty of them in any part of the country; you just need to know the places.

Personally, I love Hungarian winters. They are mild and warm, without extreme cold like -20 or -30. But most importantly, in any city in the country during this time, you need to go to outdoor thermal baths. The water there is around +38 to +40 degrees Celsius, and it’s amazing to sit in such baths when it’s +5 outside.

Interesting to know:

Many might be surprised, but the Széchenyi Thermal Baths in Budapest are far from the only ones. In Budapest alone, there are 13-14 thermal baths open year-round. Every city in the country has thermal baths, and in some places, there are several where the water is +40 degrees even in winter. Hungary has about 1300 thermal baths with hot water, and you can visit all of them.

In conclusion, the weather in Hungary is generally comfortable throughout the year. It’s hot in the summer, not too cold in the winter, with very few freezing days. The ideal seasons in Hungary, in the author’s opinion, are spring and autumn (April-May and September-October). But even in winter, it’s great here, especially if your goal is to enjoy hot springs. In Hungary, you can easily plan a trip where you visit a different thermal bath every day.

Remember, in travel, any weather is beautiful, even if you’re heading to the North Sea in February. It’s all better than sitting at home on the couch.

IMPORTANT: Below are useful links that will help organize your trip to Hungary and Budapest:

  • Flight: Aviasales – compares prices for flights among 30+ airlines flying to Budapest.

  • Tours and excursions:
    • Viator and GetYourGuide – the best services for finding tours in Budapest and Hungary with the largest database of activities in Hungary. They offer river cruises on the Danube, tickets to baths, and 1000+ tours (available in different languages).

  • Accommodation, apartments, hotels, hostels:
    • Hotellook compares the prices among dozens of other booking services and offer the best price

    • Booking – the most popular booking platform

    • Agoda – even more accommodation options in Hungary

  • Car rental: DiscoverCars – the leading and largest car rental service in Hungary.

  • Travel Insurance: EKTA.

  • eSIM – Airalo virtual SIM card in Hungary.

  • Taxi and airport transfers: Intui.Travel