Resting along the Danube, with the Hungarian Parliament Building on one bank and the Fisherman’s Bastion standing watch over the other, Budapest is a city of art, architecture, history, and of course, luxurious thermal baths. If you want to visit, you’ll need to prepare. Here’s what to bring.

We’ve shared packing essentials for any 36-hour trip in previous lists, so I asked Evan Rail, our travel columnist who’s been to Budapest several times, to name a few items he thinks any tourist would be glad they packed.

Then we turned to Ria Misra, an editor at Wirecutter, for the best products to fill those needs — and her expert suggestions for other things to pack to make the most of your trip. Here are their picks.

Don’t Forget Your:

Comfortable, Quality Sleep Mask. For the already jet-lagged traveler, Budapest’s late-night scene can be as much a challenge as a charm — especially since, as Mr. Rail notes, “hotel curtains rarely seem to be designed with the city’s night life in mind.” I can vouch for this, having once slept in a hotel room looking out at the Budapest Eye, which was always beautiful and quite colorful, but bright even at night. Bring a good sleep mask, like the Nidra Deep Rest. Ms. Misra offered a helpful reminder: Pack it in your carry-on for the flight so that you get some rest on the way. (For best results, combine it with a good pair of ear plugs and the Travelrest Ultimate Memory Foam Travel Pillow.)

Swimsuit and Towel. For the thermal pools at the Rudas Baths, you’ll want your swimsuit and a quick-drying towel. The Packtowl Personal, collapses down into its own little pouch, has a loop for hanging between soaks, and is made of a fast-drying microfiber, so you won’t need to worry about pulling a sopping towel from the bottom of your pack at the end of the day.

Lightweight Daypack. “Budapest is the kind of place where you can find wonderful souvenirs: storied antiques, Communist-era tchotchkes, and stuff from the city’s surprisingly cool contemporary design scene,” Mr. Rail said. A lightweight, durable daypack, like L.L.Bean’s Stowaway Day Pack — which you can stuff into its own pocket until you need it — will be incredibly useful.

Sun Protection. “Even in the winter, the sunlight there can be startlingly bright, especially compared to grayer destinations in Central Europe,” Mr. Rail said. Bring sunscreen (and use it correctly!) and a pair of sunglasses, like these Kent Wangs.