If You Have 1 Day--Spend a few hours in the morning exploring the Inner City and Central Pest. Walk the length of Váci utca, the city's trendiest shopping street, to Vörösmarty tér. Stop for cappuccino and a slice of almás rétes (apple strudel) at the sumptuous Gerbeaud coffeehouse. Stroll along the Danube as far as the neo-Gothic Parliament building, noting along the way the Chain Bridge and the Gresham Palace. Lunch with the locals at Kisharang Étterem on Október 6 utca. Save the whole afternoon for visiting the major sites of Castle Hill and exploring the cobblestone streets of the Castle District.

If You Have 2 Days--On your first day, see Pest (an itinerary is outlined above), saving the Castle District for day 2. Walk the Outer Ring Boulevard, noting Nyugati Railway Station and the New York Palace, grand examples of turn-of-the-20th-century architecture. Stop for coffee and a slice of dobos torta (layer cake) in the newly renovated Lukács Cukrászda, just a block away from Oktogon on grand Andrássy út. Later, head to Buda's Gellért Hotel and unwind in the medicinal spa waters there. Refreshed, hike up the stairs of Gellért Hill to see the Liberation Monument and get an unparalleled panorama of the city.

Devote most of your second day to the Castle District, as outlined in the "If You Have 1 Day" section, above. Visit some smaller museums as well, like the Music History Museum (check for a recital) and the Military History Museum. Head back to Pest later in the day to see Heroes' Square and City Park. Splurge on dinner at Gundel, where visiting royalty dined in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Afterwards, stroll the length of grand Andrássy út back toward the center of Pest.

If You Have 3 Days--Spend days 1 and 2 as suggested above. Spend 1 evening attending a concert at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest's finest concert hall.

On the third day, take a boat up the Danube to Szentendre, a charming riverside town that is home to a flourishing artists' colony. Don't miss the Margit Kovács Museum, where the work of Hungary's most innovative ceramic artist can be seen. Return in time for a final dinner at elegant Kacsa Vendéglo in Budapest's Watertown.

If You Have 4 or 5 Days--In the morning on day 4, visit any central Pest sights you may have missed, such as the Opera House or St. Stephen's Basilica. After lunch, cross the Chain Bridge to Watertown, Buda's historic riverside neighborhood. See St. Anne's Church, the Capuchin Church, and the Király Baths, one of the only remaining examples of 16th-century Turkish architecture in Budapest. Later, take a ride through the scenic Buda Hills on the Children's Railroad.

On the fifth day, first thing in the morning, visit one of Pest's authentic indoor market halls and sample whatever variety of Hungary's scrumptious fruit is in season. Head to the Ethnographical Museum or the Applied Arts Museum, treasure troves of artifacts illustrating Hungary's rich culture. After lunch, get away from the hustle and bustle of the city on Margaret Island. Stroll through the rose gardens, rent a bike, or just sunbathe in this peaceful setting. Later, as the sun is setting, return to the Castle District for a final look.