Day-by-day estate-visit plans for Tokaj: weekend, first-timer and deep-cellar editions.

Day-by-day plans

Three-day Tokaj village circuit: Tokaj town, Mád and Tarcal ★ 4.7

  1. Day 1

    Morning
    Arrive in Tokaj town and walk down to the Tisza-Bodrog confluence for the panoramic view of the Hegyalja hills. Visit the Tokaj Museum on Bethlen Gábor utca for the history of Aszú production before the first tasting appointment.
    Afternoon
    Enter the Rákóczi Cellar beneath Tokaj town for the candlelit heritage cellar walk and Aszú tasting. The cellar tunnels run for several hundred metres and maintain a constant cool temperature for Aszú maturation.
    Evening
    Dinner in Tokaj town followed by an evening tasting at one of the cellar bars in the main square.

  2. Day 2

    Morning
    Drive 15 km west to Mád for a morning appointment tasting at one of the village's leading estates. Mád's single-vineyard Furmint producers including Holdvölgy, Barta Pince and Szepsy are the focus of the visit.
    Afternoon
    Walk the Nyulászó and Betsek vineyard rows above the village in the afternoon; vineyard walking maps are available at Holdvölgy and Royal Tokaji Mád locations. Optional second tasting appointment at a second Mád producer in the late afternoon.
    Evening
    Return to Tarcal or stay in Mád for the evening; the village has limited accommodation but the night quietude and stargazing above the vineyard is exceptional.

  3. Day 3

    Morning
    Morning visit to the Disznókő estate at Tarcal for the full cellar tour and tasting, including the underground barrel cellar and the panoramic terrace above the Lapis vineyard.
    Afternoon
    Drive north to Erdőbénye or Tolcsva for a final afternoon appointment at a smaller estate, then loop back south via the Bodrog valley road to Tokaj for the return journey to Budapest.
    Evening
    Train or car return to Budapest, arriving by 21:00.

Weekend Aszú extended tour: Royal Tokaji, Disznókő and Oremus ★ 4.8

  1. Day 1

    Morning
    Morning appointment at Royal Tokaji in Mád for the full Aszú vertical tasting, including the estate's single-vineyard Nyulászó and Szt. Tamás Aszú bottlings alongside the Late Harvest and dry Furmint.
    Afternoon
    Drive 15 km east to Tarcal for an afternoon appointment at Disznókő. The cellar tour covers the barrel cellar, the Lapis vineyard parcels and a comparative vertical of Aszú across recent vintages.
    Evening
    Dinner in Tarcal or Tokaj town; Szamorodni száraz with fish as the pre-dinner aperitif.

  2. Day 2

    Morning
    Drive 30 km south along the Bodrog valley to Tolcsva for a morning appointment at Oremus, the Vega Sicilia-owned estate. The tasting focuses on the estate's Mandolás dry Furmint, Szamorodni and the Aszú range.
    Afternoon
    Return north along the Bodrog valley road stopping at the Bodrogkisfalud and Bodrogolaszi riverbank viewpoints before joining the motorway south to Budapest.
    Evening
    Budapest arrival by early evening.

Mád single-vineyard pilgrimage: Szepsy, Holdvölgy and Barta ★ 4.9

  1. Day 1

    Morning
    Begin with an appointment tasting at Szepsy István's cellar in Mád for the single-vineyard dry Furmints (Betsek, Úrágya and Nyulászó) alongside the Aszú bottlings. This is the originating cellar of the dry Furmint renaissance.
    Afternoon
    Walk the Nyulászó and Betsek vineyard rows above the village before a 15:00 appointment at Holdvölgy for a comparative single-vineyard Furmint tasting from their Mád parcels. Optional third appointment at Barta Pince for the Öreg Király and Vén Király single-vineyard bottlings if time allows.
    Evening
    Return to Budapest or overnight stay in Mád.

Budapest to Tokaj weekend by train ★ 4.5

  1. Day 1

    Morning
    Take the morning Intercity from Budapest Keleti station to Tokaj (approximately 2 hours 30 minutes). On arrival, check in at the hotel and walk to the Tisza-Bodrog confluence and the Tokaj Museum.
    Afternoon
    Afternoon candlelit tasting at the Rákóczi Cellar beneath Tokaj town, followed by a walk through the historic town centre and up to the Tokaj hill viewpoint overlooking the vineyards.
    Evening
    Dinner in Tokaj town with the local Hétszőlő Furmint and Tokaj Trade House Aszú paired with traditional Hungarian dinner dishes.

  2. Day 2

    Morning
    Hire a local taxi or bicycle to reach Tarcal (3 km from Tokaj town) for a morning appointment at Disznókő. The estate has a well-structured visitor programme.
    Afternoon
    Return to Tokaj town station and catch the afternoon Intercity train back to Budapest Keleti.
    Evening
    Budapest arrival by early evening.

Harvest week: Aszú berry-picking experience ★ 5.0

  1. Day 1

    Morning
    Arrive in Mád and check into accommodation. Orientation visit to the first estate (Royal Tokaji Mád) for a harvest briefing, covering the Aszú berry selection criteria and the day-by-day progress of botrytis in the vineyards.
    Afternoon
    First Aszú berry-picking session in the Nyulászó vineyard; pickers select individual shrivelled botrytised grapes by hand. An hour of picking typically yields a small puttony basket.
    Evening
    Estate dinner with the harvest team; fresh grape must and previous vintage Aszú poured alongside traditional harvest food.

  2. Day 2

    Morning
    Second morning picking session in the vineyard; continue Aszú berry selection with the estate team. The picking typically runs from 08:00 to 13:00 before the afternoon heat makes the grapes less firm.
    Afternoon
    Cellar observation session: watch the Aszú paste preparation and the maceration of the botrytised berries in Furmint base wine. The winemaker leads the technical explanation.
    Evening
    Free evening in Mád village.

  3. Day 3

    Morning
    Travel to Tarcal for two nights at Disznókő. Morning vineyard walk through the Lapis parcel above the estate to observe the botrytis progression on the Furmint clusters.
    Afternoon
    Aszú berry-picking session at Disznókő; the estate uses large estate-wide teams and visitors join a single picking row. Followed by a barrel-cellar walk to see the previous vintage Aszú in cask.
    Evening
    Estate dinner at Disznókő.

  4. Day 4

    Morning
    Rest morning or optional visit to Tokaj town for the museum and Rákóczi Cellar tasting.
    Afternoon
    Afternoon Aszú tasting vertical at Disznókő cellar: five vintages of Aszú 5 puttonyos to compare the harvest character year by year.
    Evening
    Farewell harvest dinner at a Tarcal restaurant with local Zemplén cuisine and a bottle of Disznókő Aszú.

  5. Day 5

    Morning
    Morning drive or train to Budapest; the harvest season leaves the Hegyalja valley particularly golden in morning light. Stop at a roadside fruit stand for the seasonal Zemplén plums.
    Afternoon
    Optional Tokaj wine shopping at Bortársaság Budapest before the journey home.
    Evening
    Drop-off at Budapest.

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Itineraries in Tokaj, FAQ

When is the best time to visit Tokaj for wine?

Peak wine-travel season in Tokaj is spring through autumn, with harvest the standout window.

Do I need an appointment to taste at Tokaj estates?

classified-growth and grand-cru estates require booking days to weeks ahead; smaller family domaines often take walk-ins midweek.

What hours do Tokaj cellars and tasting rooms keep?

most estates open 10:00 to 17:00 by appointment, often closed Sunday and Monday.

How does tipping work at Tokaj tastings?

tipping is not expected at tastings; buying a bottle from the cellar door is the customary thank-you.

What is the one wine to try in Tokaj?

Ask the next local you meet what they would order. Tokaj rewards trust.

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