Hungary, the central European country that is a spectacle of baroque buildings and thermal spas, is a temperate land with cold winters and mild summers. This means, the best time to visit Hungary is through spring and summer months. The weather in Hungary is at its best between March and May, and then from September to November. The tourists are also lesser as these are shoulder seasons and not the peak of summer. The worst of winter here is cut off by the Balkan Mountains and Alps, while humidity is heightened by River Danube and the many waterbodies in the country. This also makes Hungary the sunniest land in all of Europe. For a seasonal guide, read on.

Spring season in Hungary is a burst of warmth after a long winter. March marks the arrival of spring with the first week showing a rise in temperature until it touches the 20°C mark by April. Humidity also goes high by this time and fogs are a thing of the past. With long sunlight hours, tourism becomes coveted by April, and May is blessed with occasional showers. Touring Hungary in spring season is great, the only downside being rains. If you can keep your vigilance about weather forecasts then this is really a quiet and beautiful time for visiting.

Technically, summer is the best season to visit Hungary weather-wise. But due to an insane amount of crowds, we do not recommend summer to travellers who want to savour every bit of their holiday and save a good amount of money. The temperature in summer is a nice, warm 27°C while long, sunny days endure. Fishing, swimming, hiking, horse riding etc are at their best in the towns while museums and castles are full to bursting. Too much crowd means inflated rates of food and travel as well as accommodation. So avoid this time if you don’t want tourist noises and expensive lodging to weigh your trip down.

Autumn in Hungary is the shoulder season, a receding time from the peak that was summer. Warmth is still persistently cocooning Hungary but the temperature does start dropping from 25°C to almost 7°C by November end. Yet, September and October are good months to holiday, with lakes still warm enough for swimming and sight-seeing tours still ongoing (albeit cheaper).

As Hungary is landlocked and temperate, it must experience bitter freezing winters. But because the Balkan mountains and the Alps stand tall in protection of this land, most cold winds are broken before they freeze the land. However, that doesn’t stop the country from being snowed-in and enduring around 35 days of snow. The average temperature drops down to 2°C and high humidity makes it feel colder. The only saving grace of winter holiday in Hungary is the Christmas and New Year time when lake resorts offer ice-fishing and bonfire parties.