While places like Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Tuscany often get all the attention when it comes to European wine, there is one underdog quickly gaining international notoriety.
While I’ll admit that I didn’t know this until I paid a visit, their natural wine scene is burgeoning and set to be one of the most interesting destinations for wine connoisseurs. Now, the question is, where and how do you begin to explore this part of the city?
I highly recommend checking out any of the 5 top Budapest wine tours that are well worth your time and money. Let’s get started.
Be sure to see our reviews of Budapest Dinner Cruises, Budapest City Tours and Food Tours.
Best Wine Tours in Budapest
| Half-Day Wine Tasting Tour in Etyek Wine Country near Budapest | Budapest Culinary & Wine Walk | Hungarian Wine Tasting (with Cheese and Charcuterie) in Budapest | |
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| Location: | Hotel pickup and drop-off available | Central Market Hall, Budapest, 1093 Hungary | Tasting Table Cellar, Budapest, BrĆ³dy SĆ”ndor u. 9, 1088 |
| Start: | 10:00 AM or 3:00 PM | 9:30 AM or 3:00 PM | 3:00 PM |
| Duration: | 4 hours | 4 hours | 1.5 hours |
| Includes: | Local guide, Transport by air-conditioned minivan, Visits to 2-3 wine cellars, up to 12 wine samples with snacks, 2-course dinner with water | Guide, visits to the Central Market Hall and 4 (or more) additional tasting locations, lunch, alcoholic beverages, tasting of 3 wines | 4 kinds of cheeses/cured meats, 5 glasses of wine, professional sommelier, tasting sheets, fresh artisan bread and mineral water |
Quick Answer: The 5 Best Rated Budapest Wine Tours For 2024
- Half-Day Wine Tasting Tour in Etyek Wine Country near Budapest
- Budapest Culinary & Wine Walk
- Hungarian Wine Tasting (with Cheese and Charcuterie) in Budapest
- Private Winetasting and Sightseeing Tour to Eger, Home to Bull’s Blood Wine!
- Essentials of Hungarian Wine Tasting (with Cheese and Charcuterie) in Budapest
Best Budapest Wine Tour Reviews
1. Half-Day Wine Tasting Tour in Etyek Wine Country near Budapest
- Duration: 4 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off available
- Departure Time: 10:00 AM or 3:00 PM
- Includes: Local guide, Transport by air-conditioned minivan, Visits to 2-3 wine cellars, up to 12 wine samples with snacks, 2-course dinner with water
If you really want to immerse yourself in the world of Hungarian wine, I highly recommend you check out the Etyek wine country. With the option of choosing either a lunch or dinner tour and clocking in at 4 hours, it’s easy to fit into any schedule.
Known for its white and sparkling wines, I knew that I had to get out there and try their famously well-balanced, sweet wines! With hotel pickup and drop-off included, I don’t think it could possibly be more convenient to head out into this beautiful place without having to drive yourself.
Known as the “vineyard of Budapest”, this trendy place boasts a climate similar to what you’d find in Burgundy or Champagne, resulting in delicious whites.
Our friendly local guide shared interesting background info on the region with us as we drove along in our air-conditioned minivan, like how German settlers planted the first vines here.
The quick 30-minute drive was lovely with rolling hills and rich colors all around, though wasn’t too long that we were tired by the time we arrived. Our first stop was at a vineyard where we tried the famous Torley sparkling wine before heading to Old Wine Hill, where we learned and sampled.
We learned how the soil, climate, and acidities make all the difference, checking out the inner workings required to make the wine. The morning tour is a bit shorter so you’ll visit 2 cellars, while the afternoon option is a bit longer, visiting 3.
At each cellar visit, you’ll receive 4 wines from each winery, along with expertly-paired snacks. For an extra expense, we were also offered the option of ordering authentic Hungarian dishes, which were all quite tasty.
Whether you’re a wine enthusiast or brand-new to the subject, I know you’re going to love this tour as much as I did!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
2. Budapest Culinary & Wine Walk
- Duration: 4 hours
- Departure: Central Market Hall, Budapest, 1093 Hungary
- Departure Time: 9:30 AM or 3:00 PM
- Includes: English-speaking, food-specialized guide, visits to the Central Market Hall and 4 (or more) additional tasting locations, lunch, alcoholic beverages, tasting of 3 wines (including Tokaji aszĆŗ) and a Hungarian spirit, snacks, plenty of tastings, bottled water, 10% discount on wine purchases at The Tasting Table Budapest!
Next up is another 4-hour wine tour that focuses not only on viticulture but the local foodie scene and the city’s history. The Budapest Culinary & Wine Walk is a well-paced experience where you’ll stroll around the charming metropolis, admiring the views as well as the beverages and eats.
You get to select from either a completely private tour or a small-group tour capped at just 8 passengers, if you want to reduce costs. While you aren’t heading out to the actual wine country like with the previous tour, you’ll be in no way lacking in education and sightseeing.
In fact, if it’s your first time in Budapest, it’s also a great way to get to know the city, with the walking tour aspect! Start out by meeting your friendly local guide at the famed Central Market Hall, where you’ll get to know some of Hungary’s most beloved dishes and learn about the fresh ingredients found here.
After trying our first samples, we chatted with our guide while we digested a bit, walking over the beautiful Liberty Bridge that crosses over the breathtaking Danube river. We then arrived at a butcher shop, which I thought was odd initially, but then learned that it’s actually local tradition to grab lunch here!
You can expect to try tasty Hungarian dishes, and I appreciated the nice variety they offered us, and I discovered some dishes that I absolutely loved. My favorite stop was next – at the 19th-century coffeehouse, Central Grand Cafe & Bar, which at one point was the go-to spot for the country’s most famous writers and artists.
This beautiful place is quite inspiring, but they also offer amazing coffee and snacks! Finally, we ended up at the Tasting Table Budapest, where we enjoyed a delicious wine and cheese tasting in a lovely cellar, with a pro sommelier there to share info about national varietals, styles, and wine regions (ending with trying the amazing Tokaji aszu wine!).
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
3. Hungarian Wine Tasting (with Cheese and Charcuterie) in Budapest
- Duration: 1.5 hours
- Departure: Tasting Table Cellar, Budapest, BrĆ³dy SĆ”ndor u. 9, 1088
- Departure Time: 3:00 PM
- Includes: Includes 4 kinds of cheeses/cured meats, 5 glasses of wine, professional sommelier, tasting sheets, fresh artisan bread and mineral water
Let me be clear: I am not the type of person to ever pass up cheese and charcuterie – especially in such a wonderful place like Budapest. However, if you want the best experience of this kind, you need to check out the Hungarian Wine Tasting (with Cheese and Charcuterie) in Budapest!
It’s perfect if you have a packed schedule but would like to learn more about wine! This 1.5-hour tour is the ideal length of time for an experience like this, and I think fits nicely into a schedule right before going to dinner.
If you have someone in your group who’s curious about local wine but doesn’t want to commit to a longer tour, this is an easy way to convince them! With an informative, friendly local guide there to guide you and no need to drive to the wineries yourself, it’s super convenient!
Upon arriving to the location, we headed into the gorgeous 19th-century wine cellar complete with vaulted ceilings and the quintessential environment for sampling fine wines.
Their resident sommelier knew about the wine scene front and back, though was very kind and patient with us throughout our time there. This is a nice intro to do before heading out to Hungarian wine country, if you end up wanting to see where most of their wine comes from firsthand, too!
We tried 5 different wines, including some local bottles that are little hidden gems! Aside from that though, we learned all about the artisanal cheese and charcuterie revival that took place here after the Communist era ended. Expect to sample beef sausage, smoked duch, water buffalo salami, and much more.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
4. Private Winetasting and Sightseeing Tour to Eger, Home to Bull’s Blood Wine!
- Duration: 8 to 9 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off included
- Departure Time: 9:00 AM
- Includes: Private tour guide, wine tasting, transfers
Next up, is the Private Winetasting and Sightseeing Tour to Eger, Home to Bull’s Blood Wine! This is by far the longest tour of the bunch, though it’s the best opportunity to be able to try the most famous wine in all of Hungary: the bull’s blood.
Aside from that, you’ll get the chance to see some of the coolest landmarks in the country, try a tasty lunch, and you don’t even have to drive yourself out there! If you’re a history buff, a wine enthusiast, a foodie, or some mix of the three, I guarantee you’ll love this tour!
While it lasts around 9 hours, the time simply flew by with so much to see, do, and learn about with our guide and fun group of people! Our guide was so much fun and shared so many anecdotes and gems of info that I don’t think I would’ve ever learned from a history book – or even other tours!
We started things off in the morning by being picked up at our hotel, with our first stop being the stunning medieval Eger Castle, known for fighting off the Turkish attack in 1552!
After taking time to explore and take photos, we then made our way to Winecellar’s Row, where we enjoyed a delicious wine tasting and a tasty lunch to refuel (though this is an additional cost).
It was so cool to also be able to see the Torok Kori minaret, which is one of the few left from the Ottoman Empire rule in Europe, which stands a whopping 40m high and was built from a beautiful red sandstone in the 17th-century as part of the Djami of Kethuda mosque.
After that, we saw the stunning Minorita Templom baroque church and the impressive Basilica of Eger, before going to the Hungarian winery where we finally got to try the Bull’s Blood wine!
They even took us on a fun tour of the winery, which was as visually stunning as it was interesting, learning about how they make their wine every step of the way. This is one of the best tours I’ve ever taken anywhere, and if you have an entire day free, I truly cannot recommend it enough
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
5. Essentials of Hungarian Wine Tasting (with Cheese and Charcuterie) in Budapest
- Duration: 2 hours
- Departure: Budapest, BrĆ³dy SĆ”ndor u. 9, 1088 Hungary
- Departure Time: 6:00 PM
- Includes: Professional sommelier-guide, 8 wine tastings, light food pairing to accompany each wine, mineral water
Are you curious about local wine and cheese but are on a tight budget? Perhaps you want to save some money and are looking for a tour that isn’t that long? Then you need to do yourself a favor and take a look at the Essentials of Hungarian Wine Tasting (with Cheese and Chartuerie) in Budapest tour.
I personally think this is the best activity to partake in if you’re looking to do a fun yet romantic tour before going to dinner at a nice restaurant. However, it’s also a fun tour to take with groups of friends, entire families, or take the opportunity to make some friends as a solo traveler!
Arrive at the Tasting Table Cellar, where your guide will greet you and lead you to the beautiful cellar for a tasting of 8 fine wines expertly-paired with certain Hungarian dishes.
Our guide did a great job of regaling us with interesting historical accounts and anecdotes, relating them back to the different types of wine and their unique characteristics.
As we tried the fine selection, they shared how German settlers were the first to bring the vines here, and how the trends have changed over the centuries. They also shared some insight into the most popular wines currently, and where they predict trends to go in the future.
With plenty of tools like sheets to reference the different varietals and tasting notes, it’s a great way to quickly immerse yourself into the world of Hungarian wine. Of course, no local wine tasting is complete without a sample of the Tokaj: one of the best sweet wines on the planet!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
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The Half-Day Wine Tasting Tour in Etyek Wine Country near Budapest is our Editors Choice for the best Budapest wine tour
