From its cosmopolitan capital city to its charming countryside, Hungary is increasingly on travel bucket lists.  The central European country offers something for everyone, from mouth-watering food to traditional folk culture. Budapest is famed for its distinctive Art Nouveau architecture incorporating colorful Hungarian folk motifs. Explore the hidden Art Nouveau gems of Budapest and discover how history and dreams were carved on to the facades of the city.

Despite its vast repertoire and variety, Hungarian cuisine is possibly one of the most under-appreciated and unknown European cuisines. There are few Hungarian restaurants outside of the country itself, and there are few good Hungarian cook books available internationally. 

Hungarians are passionate about food and wine - from the ladies on the tram comparing cake recipes and the price of tomatoes to the young winemakers successfully resurrecting the country’s long and proud wine tradition. 

You will be met at the airport by your wine and food guide for the first five days and transferred to Lake Balaton. As a welcome on the bus, enjoy a glass of the world famous Tokaji wine and then stop en route for an early gourmet dinner and guided spirit tasting of Hungary’s best palinkas. Then it is onto the and your home for the next five days.  

Enjoy a walk around a local farmer’s market with lots of tasting options of organic specialties. This afternoon, visit the for an organic home-style lunch overlooking the beautiful countryside. Following lunch, drive on to the for a little row boat adventure through the caves. Return to the hotel for the rest of the afternoon and evening at leisure.

Drive to the beautiful Tihany peninsula which rises 700 ft above the lake and almosts divides it by jutting out within a mile of the southern shore. Thatched‐roof cottages stand along its steep, winding roads, and lavender grows in its fields. And in the center of the peninsula is its own body of water, a little lake‐within-a‐lake. Take some time to stroll around the village of Tihany with its unique shops and a lavender center. It also has an open-air museum, consisting of old houses displaying examples of traditional crafts in the area, including pottery and wood carving. Lunch on your own, perhaps at the beautifully-restored . After lunch, visit the award-winning winery for a tasting and snacks. Figula won a gold medal at the International Challenge in Bordeaux and a silver at the Decanter World Wine Awards in London and is considered one of the best in Hungary. 

This morning, travel to Keszthely at the lake’s furthest western shore and its first settlement to see the newly restored Baroque castle, considered the prettiest in Hungary. The castle’s Helicon Library has more than 50,000 rare books, etchings and paintings. It also has a French-style inner courtyard and an outstanding coach museum. 

Free time for light lunch because this afternoon, you will spend several hours at the Heviz Spa for an authentic, Central European spa experience.  The history of spa culture in Hungary dates back 2,000 years with the Romans. The Turks enriched it in the late 1500s and 1600s with an expert infrastructure, some of it still functioning today. Around it, beautiful baths were mainly created in the 19th century and renovated in recent years, safeguarding their tradition. This is an experience not to be missed. 

The next stop is is the beach and the oldest fish restaurant on for a traditional fish dinner. Hosting tonight’s dinner will be the winemaker from Dobosi’s winery, who will tell the story of winemaking during communism and after. 

The first stop today is the , a UNESCO site for a guided tour, including the lavender distillery, herb garden and tea house. After the tour, enjoy a gourmet organic lunch at the abbey’s restaurant, . () Return to Budapest and check into the hotel. 

For an evening snack, meet in an authentic cellar for a special wine tasting with charcuterie. Hungarian cuisine is often overlooked in favor of its European counterparts, but boasts a rich artisanal heritage. Discover Hungary’s fine wines, flavorsome cheese, and charcuterie during this special tasting experience. Dinner on your own.

After breakfast, depart for a culinary walking tour. Discover the Budapest through its food on this entertaining and informative walk. The expert guide will discuss the culture of eating and drinking in Hungary, the ingredients, the dishes commonly made from them … and just what it is that Hungarian home cooks do with all of that pork fat, paprika and goose liver. 

Home-cooked Jewish-Hungarian Dinner

Securing an invitation for dinner in a local home is an ultimate travel experience! This meal takes place in a central Budapest apartment, home to our host/chef, Maja. During the course of the lunch or dinner, your guide will discuss the history, culture, and culinary traditions of Budapest’s Jews—both past and present. 

Budapest was once a capital of art nouveau.  This morning, take a private guided walking tour of the main Art Nouveau architecture gems of the Hungarian capital. Explore the hidden Art Nouveau gems of Budapest and discover how history and dreams were carved on to the facades of the city. The Danube separates the older hilly residential Buda from its younger, flatter, industrial counterpart opposite. The walk will take place in Pest, which has more art nouveau buildings than Buda. The tour ends at the House of Hungarian Art Nouveau. 

Meet in the hotel lobby at 4:00 pm for the drive to the water’s edge where you will board your privately chartered boat for a one and a half hour Danube River cruise and wine tasting.  

Budapest’s Danube bank is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with extraordinary architecture lining both sides. You’ll see it all up close on this 1.5-hour cruise at sunset … the perfect introduction to Budapest and the wines of Hungary! This cruise is one part sightseeing, and one part wine tasting. Your guide will fill you in on what you are seeing, as well as on what is in your glass: a curated selection of good Hungarian wines, paired to complement the stunning views. Feel the wind in your hair and the spray of the river, while tasting delicious wine and seeing fairytale-like scenery. There will be plenty of great photo-ops to take advantage of - away from the crowds! 

Celebrate your final evening at KönyvBár restaurant (or other).  (Reservation required).

Say goodbye to Budapest and transfer to the airport for your return flight home.