Last time I visited Budapest, it was summer. The weather was warm and humid, with thunderstorms looming. We took the kids to watch Hungarian folk dancing during the St Stephen’s Day festival. This time, I returned in February, with a hint of snow in the air and the promise of spring around the corner. This trip was different; I had 48 hours with my parents and sisters to explore the city, enjoy great food, and have as much fun as possible together.

For such a short trip, choosing the right hotel is crucial. After reviewing many options on the Avios website, we decided on the 5-star Intercontinental Hotel. This elegant hotel offers both luxury and a prime location on the banks of the Danube, close to Budapest’s main attractions.

Our room had a stunning view of the Royal Palace on Castle Hill, making it an obvious first stop. We walked across the Chain Bridge to the hill’s base, where we saw the funicular. Although it’s more of a tourist attraction and a bit pricey, we opted to walk up the easy paths instead. At the top, we admired the views from the balustrade towards the Pest side of the city and down the Danube. We watched the soldiers march in front of the Sandor Palace, guarding the Hungarian President’s residence, and continued towards St Matthias Church.

On a previous summer visit, my family let me explore St Matthias Church alone while they relaxed at a nearby café. The church’s interior was vibrant with painted frescoes and colorful pillars. I learned that many medieval churches were originally much more colorful than the bare stone we see today. The church’s multicolored tiled roof, replaced after WWII shelling, was particularly striking.

In front of the church is the Fisherman’s Bastion, a whimsical colonnade of turrets and arches built in the 19th century as a monument to the Guild of Fishermen. From here, we enjoyed spectacular views of the Hungarian Parliament Building across the river, which resembles the Houses of Parliament in London. In summer, open-air cafés on the battlements offer live Hungarian folk music. In February, we warmed up with coffee and strudel at the nearby Ruszwurm Cukrászda café.

Back across the river, we walked from the Intercontinental to St Stephen’s Basilica, another major Budapest landmark with a dome dominating the skyline. We browsed the souvenir shops and restaurants around the square. We returned to the cathedral for Mass on Sunday morning and explored the Basilica, named after King Stephen I, Hungary’s first king who brought Christianity to the country. His mummified hand is displayed in one of the chapels and paraded annually on St Stephen’s Day.

Later, we strolled along Andrassy Avenue, an elegant boulevard with high-end shops, passing the State Opera House on our way to the House of Terror. This museum, once the headquarters of the Hungarian Nazis and later the communist state terror organizations, offers a sobering insight into Hungary’s history under Nazi and communist rule. The exhibits, including a black and white wall of victims’ faces and a tank in a shallow pool, are powerful reminders of the past.

For a low-cost sightseeing tour, we took the No 2 tram along the river, which stops outside the Intercontinental Hotel. One direction takes you past the Hungarian Parliament Building to Margaret Island, where we enjoyed the Palatine Baths in summer. The other direction leads to the Central Market and Liberty Bridge, which crosses to the Gellért Baths. We bought tram tickets at a convenience store and validated them on the tram.

On Sunday afternoon, after Mass and brunch at The New York Café, we took the tram to the Gellért Baths for a quintessential Budapest spa experience. The baths, part of the Gellért Hotel, offer both outdoor pools in summer and steamy Turkish baths in winter. We spent a couple of hours trying out all the pools, with the beautifully tiled Turkish bath being our favorite. Remember to bring your own swimsuit, towel, and cap, as rentals are pricey.

On our final morning, we took the No 2 tram to the Central Market, a large indoor market with fresh produce, meat products, and paprika stalls. Upstairs, there are handicrafts and souvenirs, including painted eggs perfect for Easter or Christmas decorations. We also tried Lángos, a Hungarian street food, before heading back to the hotel to collect our bags and catch our taxi to the airport.

We packed a lot into our 48 hours in Budapest, revisiting old favorites and discovering new ones, and had a great time together. There’s still plenty left to explore on our next visit.