Skip to content
LarkTours

Routes · Europe

Melbourne to northern Hungary: Budapest, Eger and Tokaj

Melbourne → Eger → Tokaj

Eger
"Eger - Dobó Square.JPG" by Pudelek (Marcin Szala), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
View from Gellért Hill to the Danube, Hungary - Budapest (28493220635) (Budapest)
Photo: Visions of Domino, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Baroque town, wine cellars & thermal baths Best season (general guide): May–Oct

Northern Hungary is a region of wine hills, baroque towns and history. This route spends three nights in Eger and three in Tokaj. From Melbourne you'll connect via Asia or the Gulf to Budapest, then take the train.

How to pace it: Spend days one to three in Eger: day one, train from Budapest; day two, Eger Castle and minaret; day three, Valley of the Beautiful Women. Then spend days four to six in Tokaj: day four, train to Tokaj; day five, cellar visits; day six, Bodrog river walk.

Eger is a baroque town with a castle that resisted an Ottoman siege in 1552, a story every Hungarian knows. The castle sits above the town with views over the rooftops.

A minaret, one of the northernmost left from the Ottoman period, stands in the centre.

In the Szépasszony valley, the 'Valley of the Beautiful Women' outside town, small wine cellars are dug into the hillside. Egri Bikavér, 'Bull's Blood', is the local red.

Tokaj, further east, gives its name to a wine region listed by UNESCO, famous for sweet wines made from grapes affected by noble rot. The village lies where two rivers meet below a hill of vineyards.

Old cellars are cut deep into the rock, covered in mould that helps the wine age.

Good to know: Trains link Budapest, Eger and Tokaj, with changes. Cellars are small family businesses, so book or call ahead.

Many cellars welcome visitors without booking, but call ahead for tastings at larger estates. In Tokaj, small family wineries are spread across several villages, and a driver or local tour saves the problem of tasting and driving. Bring a light jacket for cool cellars, even in summer.

Eger also has thermal baths, a good way to rest at the end of a day.

Practical notes: In Eger and Tokaj, May to October is the best season, and the grape harvest comes in autumn. Budapest is the gateway, and trains run from Budapest to Eger, so there is no need for a car until the wine country.

Safety: Canada's advice for Hungary is to take normal security precautions (updated 11 August 2026), and the US rates Hungary Level 1 (15 Apr 2026).

Suggested outline

  1. Melbourne

    Start

  2. Eger

    By air · 3 nights suggested

    A baroque town with a famous castle and wine cellars.

  3. Tokaj

    By train · 3 nights suggested

    A wine village in a UNESCO-listed landscape.

    Tokaj
    "Tokaj (7).jpg" by Elekes Andor, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Eger — Arrive; train from Budapest· Melbourne → Budapest (by air) — long-haul; may arrive the next calendar day, then Budapest → Eger (overland)
  2. Day 2 · Eger — Eger Castle and minaret
  3. Day 3 · Eger — Valley of the Beautiful Women
  4. Day 4 · Tokaj — Train to Tokaj· Eger → Tokaj (by train)
  5. Day 5 · Tokaj — Cellar visits
  6. Day 6 · Tokaj — Bodrog river walk
  7. Day 7 · Tokaj — Travel home from Tokaj· Tokaj → Budapest (by train), then Budapest → Melbourne (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

Each button opens a live, dated search. We don't show stored fares here: check today's price on the booking site.

Showing dates about a month ahead — change them when you search.

Eger

Nearest airport: Budapest Search fares · Budapest ↗

Partner links may earn LarkTours a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, availability and terms are set by each partner.