Tokaj Wine Region

Home of Tokaji Aszú, the "King of Wines", and a UNESCO-listed wine landscape of ancient cellars, hillside vineyards and hilltop castles.

Tokaj lies in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County in northeastern Hungary. The small town sits where the Bodrog River flows into the Tisza at the foot of Kopasz Hill, and it is the home of Tokaji Aszú, the "Wine of Kings, King of Wines". From the town, the volcanic hills of Tokaj-Hegyalja stretch north with 27 wine villages, inscribed on the World Heritage list in 2002 as the Tokaj Wine Region Historic Cultural Landscape. A visit divides into three parts: the Rákóczi Cellar, museum and riverside in Tokaj's old town; the route of renowned wineries around Mád, Tállya and Mezőzombor to the northwest; and to the northeast Tolcsva, Sárospatak Castle and the Hercegkút cellar row, with old castles such as Füzér and Boldogkő further north in the Zemplén Mountains. The climate is continental, with hot summers and cold winters. The best times to visit are the spring wine festival in May–June and the harvest in September–October, when autumn river mists create the conditions for noble rot; in winter many wineries accept visitors by appointment only. Getting there: trains from Budapest to Tokaj take about 2.5–3 hours; public transport between wine villages is infrequent, so drive, hire a driver or cycle, and never drive after tasting, as Hungary has zero tolerance for drink-driving. Plan on 2–3 days: one for the old town and nearby wineries, one for Sárospatak and the castles. Winery visits generally require advance booking; Hungarian forints and cards are accepted.

Top sights

• Tokaj Old Town – A wine town at the confluence of the Bodrog and Tisza rivers, with cellars and tasting houses lining Kossuth Square and the streets around…
• Rákóczi Cellar – Tokaj's most famous historic cellar, where noble-rot wines are stored in centuries-old underground galleries. Guided tastings can be booked.
• Disznókő Winery – A First Growth winery in Tokaj, with modern architecture tucked among the vineyards, and tastings and a winery restaurant with excellent re…
• Rákóczi Castle, Sárospatak – One of Hungary's best-preserved Renaissance castles, with a Red Tower and a Rákóczi Museum that tells the story of the War of Independence.
• Tokaj Hill (Kopasz-hegy) – A 512-meter volcanic hill whose southern slopes are covered with vineyards, where the summit offers views over the confluence of two rivers…
• Tokaj Museum – A town museum housed in a former 18th-century Greek merchant’s house, telling the history of Tokaj’s wine trade and local heritage.
• World Heritage Wine Museum Tokaj – A museum with interactive displays introducing the World Heritage wine region of Tokaj, combined with wine tasting experiences.
• Tisza–Bodrog Confluence – The riverbank at the confluence of the Tisza and Bodrog rivers below Tokaj town, where you can stroll, take a ferry, or paddle a kayak, and…
• Mád Wine Village & Synagogue – One of the wine villages where famous Tokaj estates are most concentrated, with many boutique wineries and an 18th-century Baroque synagogu…
• Tolcsva Wine Museum – A wine museum and historic cellars in the wine village of Tolcsva, which is also home to the renowned Oremus estate.
• Hercegkút Cellar Rows – A complex of hillside cellars in the core area of the World Heritage site, with over a hundred stone-fronted cellars lining the mountain pa…
• Sárospatak Reformed College – A Protestant academy founded in 1531, famed for its neoclassical grand library and known as the "Athens on the Bodrog."
• Boldogkő Castle – A 13th-century castle perched on a volcanic rock cliff overlooking the Hernád Valley, the most photogenic medieval fortress in the Zemplén…
• Füzér Castle – A medieval castle on a cone-shaped volcanic hill in the northern Zemplén Mountains, where the Holy Crown of Hungary was once hidden; the re…
• Regéc Castle – A castle ruin deep in the Zemplén forests where the young Rákóczi II once lived; partially restored and open to visitors.
• Rákóczi Castle, Szerencs – A Renaissance castle at the western gateway to the Tokaj wine region, where Rákóczi Zsigmond was elected Prince of Transylvania in 1605.
• Zemplén Adventure Park – An outdoor park on the mountain above Sátoraljaújhely, with a cable car, mountain coaster, year-round artificial ski slope, and high-ropes…

Where to eat

• Galuschka Bistro – Traditional Hungarian bistro that opened in Tokaj's Old Town in 2026, with every dish paired with a recommended glass o…
• Dereszla Bisztró – Michelin-recommended bistro on the Bodrog River, run by two brothers and focusing on local Mangalica pork and trout, wi…
• Talu Restaurant – Vaulted-cellar restaurant in the Andrássy estate hotel in Tarcal, recommended by the Michelin Guide for several years…
• Sauska Padi Restaurant – Hillside restaurant at the Sauska Tokaj Winery, winner of Michelin Hungary's 2025 Opening of the Year award, with a Tok…

Itineraries

• Eastern Wine Country & Grassland Loop – A self-drive loop connecting Hollókő, Eger, Tokaj, and Hortobágy, from historic villages to the great puszta.
• Hungary Grand Loop Self-Drive – A clockwise road trip around the country, connecting the capital, eastern wine regions, the Great Plain, historic south…