Experience Budapest!
If you have only a day to spend in Budapest and you want to see the classic sights, then try the World Heritage tour below. The tour can be done in either direction and the active can walk the whole way – the foot sore can always hop on the millennium underground or take bus no. 16.
Visiting all the museums en route would take more time than you’ve got, so choose carefully what you want to see on the inside as well as from the outside. Remember there are cafés along the way (Lukács and Művész at Andrássy út 70 & 29 respectively, or the Ruszwurm in Buda Castle) for refreshments when needed.

World Heritage
Heroes’ Sq – Millennium underground – Andrássy Avenue – Opera House – St Stephen’s Basilica – Chain Bridge – funicular railway to Buda Castle – Royal Palace, National Gallery, Matthias church, Fishermen’s Bastion.
For those with more time and specific interests, here are some other ideas:

The Roman experience: Villa Hercules (bus no. 86) and Aquincum in Óbuda (HÉV suburban train from Batthyány tér).
While Budapest may not be the place to come just for its Roman heritage, what it does have is worth seeing, particularly when there are special events nearby (www.aquincum.hu).
A peaceful experience: When you get the feeling you want to escape from the bustle of the city, why not exploit one of Budapest’s most relaxing natural resources, water – and see the sights in peace at the same time. Budapest is blessed with thermal springs and over the centuries marvellous buildings have been erected around them to pleasurably enjoy the calming effect of the water. Try the neoclassical Széchenyi in the City Park, or the Turkish Rudas or the Art Nouveau Gellért, both at the foot of Gellért Hill. Anyone averse to water or seeking only spiritual cleansing may like to walk up to the Garden of Philosophy, a work by a Hungarian sculptor who lived in Japan, at the top of the Gellért Hill towards the Castle District. Despite the fact that three of the figures have been stolen, it is still a tranquil spot for meditation and has a splendid view of the city.
For families: City Park (Zoo, funfair, circus, Agricultural Museum, Vajdahunyad Castle, Transport Museum); Palace of Wonders, Natural History Museum (for more info see Directory).
The City Park is a great place for kids to let off steam and there are numerous attractions there for all the family – the biggest problem is getting everyone to agree where to go first! There are also a number of kid-oriented museums.
Green spaces: City Park, Margaret Island, Buda Hills, Botanical Garden (VIII, Illés u. 25), Botanical Garden of the University of Horticulture (XI, Villányi út 35-43) 
If you feel in need of a breath of fresher air, besides the havens of green in the city, the City Park and Margaret Island, a trip to the Buda Hills offers many options. The children’s railway (bus no. 90), cogwheel railway (tram nos. 18, 56) and chairlift (bus no. 158) are alternative means of getting around the area.
Night Life
Night Life Here are a few ideas of what to do after dark by saxophonist János Vázsonyi (www.vazsonyijanos.hu), himself a well-known performer in Budapest clubs.

For high-standard jazz in solid surroundings the best place to go is the Take Five jazz club beneath Vista Travel Agents on Erzsébet tér (VI, Paulay Ede utca 2), where you can chat over a beer or simply absorb what’s happening on stage.
Budapest’s alternative and underground scene gravitates to the Gödör Club (Erzsébet tér), though there’s also world music, folk and jazz.
For a small club try the If café in Ráday Street with live, mainly acoustic, music almost every evening.
If you want to dance, the top of Corvin has great DJs and brilliant music until dawn (VI, Blaha Lujza tér). And a new place opened downstairs, Jelen, with food and concerts in various styles in a Dutch-Hungarian pub.
For a quiet supper in a family atmosphere, Kőleves (VII, corner of Dob utca - Kazinczy utca) is an excellent choice.
Budapest Jazz Club
The Budapest Jazz Club has opened in District VIII in the attractively renovated interior of the building at Múzeum utca 7. The club has a café and a concert hall on separate levels, and jazz is everywhere. Students of the Franz Liszt University of Music hold jam sessions every Monday evening and give concerts on Tuesdays. Wednesdays are intended to be for swing and on Thursdays from 8 pm there’ll be ethno-jazz or dance houses. On Fridays and Saturdays Hungarian jazz greats will perform in usual or casual line-ups. Every two weeks there’s a big band Sunday. Concerts start at 9 pm and usually at 7 pm on Sundays. For the programmes see www.bjc.hu.
Other jazz clubs in the capital are the Take Five Club in the basement of the Vista Travel Agents (VI, Paulay Ede utca 2) and the Columbus Ship Jazz Club (V, Vigadó tér, harbour no. 4, www.majazz.hu)