NORTHERN HUNGARIAN WINE TOUR 6 DAYS Budapest / Tokay / Eger April - October 2007
SUGGESTED PROGRAM INCLUSIVES:
Two night accommodations at the Hilton Hotel in Buda (Danube River view rooms),
the Grof Degenfeld Castle Hotel in Tarcal (superior rooms) and one night at the Hotel Panorama in Eger.
Daily buffet breakfast, in/out hotel porterage, all taxes and service charges.
Three lunches at local restaurants during the tour. Please note that lunch is
not included on arrival day as flights arriving from the U.S. usually do not arrive into Budapest until early afternoon at the earliest.
Five dinners at local restaurants. This includes; the Welcome dinner at the
Fortuna Restaurant in Buda and the Farewell dinner at the Magnaskert Restaurant, also in Buda.
Three vineyard/winery visits.
Applicable entrance fees in Eger, Godollo and Budapest, per the above program.
English-speaking tour guide throughout the above program.
Transportation by 16 seater air-conditioned minibus
Proposed Daily Itinerary:
DAY 1
Arrival at Budapest Airport where an English-speaking guide is waiting
with a private motorcoach to transfer the group to the Hilton Hotel
perched high above the Danube River in Buda. Checkin will be on arrival
with the afternoon free to relax. The Hilton has a wonderful tasting room
down in the basement of the hotel with over 20 different wines from all
over Hungary. The cost in Hungarian forints is the equivalent of $2-5 per
glass and all in a unique setting. Across the street from the Hilton is
the House of Hungarian Wines. This store does serious tastings of upwards
of 35 wines with or without the assistance of the cellar master. Later
that evening, there is a welcome dinner at the Fortuna Restaurant, also
across the street from the Hilton Hotel.
DAY 2
After breakfast and hotel checkout, your private motorcoach and guide
arrive to begin your journey to the Tokay wine region of northeast
Hungary. Tokay is Hungary's most famous wine region and a World Heritage
site. It produces one of the greatest wines in the world, Tokaji Aszu. The
"Sun King" Louis XIV of France proclaimed it to be "the wine of kings, the
king of wines". Very high praise indeed from the country that is famous
for its notable sauternes, a wine often compared to Tokaji Aszu. After the
drive east, we arrive in the town of Tokay for lunch and we continue to
the nearby village of Tarcal where a winery visit is scheduled at the
Degenfeld Winery. This premium estate was refounded in 1994 by the
Degenfeld family. For many years, the main building on the beautifully-kept grounds, was a wine school. Most recently, it was lovingly renovated
into a lovely hotel. Overnight and dinner will be at the Grof Degenfeld Castle Hotel.
DAY 3
After breakfast, our winery tour will be begin as we visit vineyards in
this legendary region that boasts the perfect combination of volcanic
soil, unique micro-climate, grape variety and a centuries-old tradition of
wine-making excellence. There will be a tasting in one of the most amazing
cellars in Tokay in order to gain insight into the various wines and
styles that no other region can match. Lunch will be at a local restaurant
along the way. Dinner and overnight will again be at the Grof Degenfeld
Castle Hotel.
DAY 4
After breakfast and hotel checkout, the coach and guide drive you to Eger,
another truly historic Hungarian wine region. Eger's best known for its
"Bull's Blood", a complex, spicy and vigorous red wine that is a blend of
3-4 varietals. We will visit a market leader of the wine from this region
and have lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, there will be a
sightseeing tour of Eger to discover the attractive sights of a glorious
past, including the 13th century Eger Castle, the historical Dobo Square and the Cathedral. Dinner and overnight is scheduled at the Hotel Panorama in Eger.
DAY 5
After breakfast and hotel checkout, the private coach and guide takes you
back to Budapest. En route, there will be a stop in Godollo to visit the Royal Palace, the favorite summer retreat of Hapsburg Queen Elizabeth. We arrive back in Budapest where we will check in to the Hilton Hotel in Buda with some time to have lunch on your own near the hotel. That afternoon, there is a sightseeing tour of Budapest scheduled. The highlights are
St. Stephens Basilica, Andrassy Avenue, Heroes' Square (Milennial
Monument), the Castle District with St. Matthias Church and Fisherman's Bastion, as well as, Gellert Hill. This evening you will enjoy an excellent dinner with Gypsy music at the Magnaskert Restaurant in hilly Buda.
DAY 6
After breakfast and hotel checkout, and according to flight schedules, the
group will be transferred to the Budapest Airport for the return to the
U.S.
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
The above program is a suggestion by my Hungarian ground operator partner for a
comprehensive wine tour and sightseeing combination. We can always include more winery visits and some comprehensive evening tastings of the wines of the region you are visiting.
It is also possible to add a few additional days to the program to visit the
Lake Balaton region in western Hungary. Or, it is also possible, to add an additional day or two in Budapest.
Extensions for individual travelers after the group departs can also be
arranged.
The organizer of the land program in Hungary is Mr. Tamas Bekassy of Welcome
Touristic in Budapest. Mr. Bekassy's family has been in the wine business near Lake Balaton for over 150 years.
We highly recommend that group sizes do not exceed 20 people.
Similar small group tours to wine regions in countries like; France, Germany,
Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Croatia and Slovenia may also be
arranged through our network of local ground operators.
