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Hungary & Croatia Tour 2023

HUNGARY & CROATIA

TOUR

$4300 Double / $5150 Single

Experience, taste and discover the wine and culinary traditions from two Central European countries that should be high on any foodies’ list’ Hungary and Croatia. This is 10 day small-group tour (12 people max) starts in Hungary before heading to Croatia. Along the way we will experience a variety of terroirs, taste dozens of different wines (the vast majority of which are not available in the US), nosh on an array of local dishes & flavors and meet the hospitable and passionate people who make all of this happen.

Hungary’s Culinary culture has many layers to discover—from the hearty home-cooking in the countryside and the Jewish kitchen (which has contributed so much to the flavor of the country’s cuisine), to the decadent baking traditions, and more recently, the contemporary Hungarian restaurants which are spicing up the dining scene in Budapest. There’s definitely lots more to Hungarian cuisine than paprika (though we will also taste plenty of dishes which rely on this quintessential Hungarian spice), and the excellent hand-crafted wines are still under-appreciated outside of the country. We’ll spend a few days in Tokaj, where we will meet winemakers, tour their labyrinth-like cellars, and taste their wines—both sweet and dry. Sample dry Furmints (the region’s signature grape), Hárslevelű (another indigenous varietal), and Aszú, the sweet wine for which the region is most famous. It’s an exceedingly special wine with a long-lingering finish and the potential to age for decades, even centuries.

At a geographic, cultural and culinary intersection of Mediterranean, Slavic, German and Central European influences is Croatia. Since our tour is not on Croatia’s famous Dalmatian coast, we will take in many smaller, wonderful gastro spots that far off the beaten path. Graševina, Blaufränkisch/Frankovka and some exceptional Pinot Noirs await you in the smaller towns along the Danube, frontiers and low-rising hills in the country’s eastern regions.

Join us on this intimate travel experience that will inspire you to delve even deeper into this fascinating region filled with thousand-year-old traditions, delicious food and wine, scenic vistas and charming towns. But this tour is more than just a fabulous collection of wine tastings and dining on delicious local culinary delights. Each day presents a special opportunity for guests to sit down, talk with and learn from a myriad of friendly local producers, wine makers and chefs in their cellars, houses, kitchens and vineyards.

Tour leader Gabor

Day One

Overnight: Budapest, Hungary

Welcome to Budapest

Your Taste Hungary driver and guide will meet you at the airport. Check in at a centrally located 4-star hotel. Take a four-hour long walking tour covering the major sights on the Pest side. Taste Hungary’s private wine cellar and restaurant in the heart of Budapest will introduce you to the Hungarian kitchen with a casual cooking class and wine tasting dinner. Enjoy such Hungarian specialties as chicken paprikás with spätzle (nokedli), cucumber salad, fruit soup, which guests can help make, and Hungarian pancakes (palacsinta) for dessert.

Day Two

Overnight: Budapest, Hungary

Central Market foodie by day, ruin bars by night

Central Market for a four-hour walk exploring Hungary’s culinary culture. The tour will include tastings at the market, a traditional lunch at a butcher, and cakes and coffee at a traditional coffeehouse. Mid-afternoon at leisure.

Meet your guide for an evening of beer, wine and ruin bar walk with snacks. Ruin bars are unique Budapest institutions. They started popping up in the late 90’s in the former Jewish district’s abandoned buildings serving cheap boose and some bar food to students. We will try a little bit of everything. Craft beer, pálinka, spritzer, maybe add a couple of local liqueurs. We will order some light, local bar food and have fun. Get ready for the trip to Tokaj.

Day Three

Overnight: Tokaj wine region, Hungary

Discover Tokaj wines in Hungary’s famed wine region

Tokaj was the world’s first delimited wine region, and some of the world’s finest dessert wines are produced in this little corner of Hungary. We will start with a morning tasting at one of the most renowned estates of Tokaj, the Spanish-Hungarian Oremus Winery, which has one of the most amazing cellar systems in the region, dug deep into the rhyolite tuff, formed from volcanic ash. We usually start with dry, lighter furmints then move on to heavier dry wines, sometimes vineyard selected. Along midway we will jump into the sweet side of Tokaj starting with szamorodni, then move on to different aszús and finish with eszencia, the most expensive wine in the world, wherever we can. 

Lunch at a traditional family owned cellar. They have their own farm, raise their own animals and make the full spectrum of Tokaj wines! Visit the castle of Sárospatak. It sits right on the Bodrog river and is a landmark that made it to many historic wine labels. It ha’s been nicely renovated and is a beautiful example of a medieval Hungarian fortress. Check into hotel located in the middle of endless vineyards and right by the side of the Teresia hill, it is also a great place for walks in our off time. The restaurant and its huge garden with ancient trees is also makes it a really pleasant place. Dinner at the hotel.

Day Four

Overnight: Tokaj wine region, Hungary

Barrel making and Jewish heritage in Tokaj

Visit a Synagogue in town of Mád which dates back to 1795. Situated on a hill overlooking the majestic vineyards of this wine region, it is one of the oldest surviving synagogues in Hungary. Enjoy traditional beef goulash (gulyás) cooked over a fire by a local winemaker. Head to Erdöbénye, a lovely village which has a long tradition of cooperage. Visit a cooper in his workshop and have a demonstration of handmade traditional Hungarian oak barrels (the oak comes from the nearby Zemplén forests).

Walk off the wine and food with an easy hike around the beautiful wine country. Enjoy a farewell dinner with a wine maker couple who will welcome us in their home.

Day Five

Overnight: Overnight: Budapest, Hungary

Buda castle and Danube river cruise

Drive back to Budapest. Cross over to the Buda side of the city and discover the Buda castle/Royal Palace with your guide. It houses both the Budapest History Museum and the Hungarian National Gallery. Lunch with your guide at a traditional restaurant. Private Danube boat ride with sparkling pezsgő wine. Spend the evening on your own and get ready for the trip to Villány.

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Day Six

Overnight: Villány, Hungary

Bold reds in old cellars

Villány is Hungary’s southernmost wine-producing region, and is well-known for producing Hungary’s boldest red wines, particularly Bordeaux blends and Cabernet Franc. We’ll start with a tasting and cellar visit with Csaba Malatinszky, a winemaker with a long vision, and a focus on ageing his wines (something that most winemakers in Hungary don’t do). Take a walk along Villány’s main street, full of picturesque Swabian cellars. We’ll have a traditional home-cooked meal in one of Villány’s cellars. After lunch, we’ll take a walk in the prime Kopar vineyard, and visit another winery. Dinner will be a home-cooked meal prepared by a family with a small restaurant and cheese manufactory. 

Day Seven

Overnight: Slavonia region, Croatia

First Taste of eastern Croatia: Kulen and Slavonski čobanac

We say ‘viszontlátásra’ (goodbye) to Hungary and cross over into Croatia’s Baranja region. Hearty soups, roasted game, cured meats and fish paprika soup await us there. We’ll pop into some small cellars for a late morning wine tasting before meeting with a local entrepreneur that specializes in curating Kulen, the must-have paprika-infused salami of eastern Croatia.

 

Dinner will be čobanac, a rustic beef stew using a special breed of local cattle and coloured red by paprika and cherry peppers (if you like it hot), served along side home made pasta with farmers cheese and fried bacon.

Day Eight

Overnight: Slavonia region, Croatia

Grasevina, wine cellars and historic cities

We will go wine tasting in a small town just a few kilometers from the Serbian border along the Danube. Tiny Ilok has ancient cellars and some great small scale producers making Grasevina, the most classic white wine of Croatia.

 

Our local guide will tell us about the recent histories of Osijek and Vukovar, which was badly damaged in the 1990’s homeland war. Dinner at rustic farm so you know what that means? A light meal including freshly made goat cheese, fall-off-the-bone roasted pork in vegetable sauce and roasted turkey baked over layers of pasta. 

Day Nine

Overnight: Zagreb, Croatia

Capital City 

We depart the Baranja/Slavonia region and head to Croatia’s capital city. But first we will stop for a wine tasting in the Kutjevo region of Croatia. Cistercian Monks arrived in Kutjevo in 1232 making cellars here the oldest in the country. Arrive into the capital city of Zagreb. Afternoon walking tour of the upper and lower town with evening free to try some craft beers and have dinner on your own.

Day Ten

Overnight: Zagreb, Croatia

City by day, village farewell dinner by night

First half of day at leisure to enjoy and explore the capital. Don’t miss out on a wholy unique museum, the Museum of Broken Relationships. A mere 45 minutes west of Zagreb brings us to the area of Jastrebarsko, best known for its Plešivica Wine Road. Some great sparkling and Pinot Noirs can be tasted here. We will enjoy some amber/skin contact wines at a boutique winery before cozying up in a rural family home for farewell dinner paired with wines.

Price: $4300 (Air not included). Single Supplement is $850. We welcome singles and can try to pair you with another single to room with, but the single supplement will be required if we can’t.

Tour price includes 8 dinners, 7 lunches, 10 nights lodging at hotels and B&Bs, ten wine tastings, transport, private guide, transfers to/from airport.

Tour begins afternoon of October 2nd in Budapest, Hungary (BUD airport code). Tour ends in Zagreb, Croatia (ZAG airport code)

I have been visiting friends and showing them my photos from the Piemonte tour. I was telling them how great it was to become immersed in this area and see things you would not normally have the opportunity to do or know about. Having a caring and inquisitive guide who delights in sharing where she lives brings so much to the experience. Go visit Piemonte with Lisa- you will have such an amazing time and fond memories to share and relish!

Patricia Eaganafter a tour in Piedmont, Italy with Lisa

I have had the joy of traveling with Adventures with Sarah many times, from Thailand, to Turkey, and many places in between. I choose to book with AWS because I can rely on a tour that is paced well, varied in activities, with great food and even greater guides. As a frequent traveler to Europe, I really enjoy AWS tours due to a small group size and the opportunity to go in depth into a region and really experience the culture of the area I’m visiting. And every time, with every group, I meet fellow travelers who are now friends. Adventures with Sarah is a tour company that I would recommend without hesitation. In fact, I have 3 tours booked for this year!

Betsy McGregorafter multiple tours with Adventures with Sarah

Fantastic look at more "out of the way" spots and wonderful experiences of food and wine. No crowds, just the Sicilian countryside and lovely towns. Traveling in April was fantastic with all the wildflowers. And walking on Mama Etna's shoulders was a highlight!

Barbara B.Sicily Pleasures tour

It really was a wonderful trip. This was our first group trip, and the size was just right. We all got along well which was a bonus. Everything was smooth, and Sarah had picked out some really wonderful things for us to do. I felt like we were getting "sneak peeks" of special things regular tourists don't get to do. We were willing participants for her to try out new things on this trip. The hotels were lovely, and the wine lunches perfect! There was a good balance of planned activities and free time which I appreciated. I will definitely be looking for more trips to go on with Adventures with Sarah!

Leslie P.Sicily Pleasures tour

Good accommodations in the heart of all important areas. Food experience was excellent with incentive to try new foods. Sarah is very personable and has each tour member's concerns and needs in mind. Love the small groups.

Larry C.Sicily Highlights tour

We had a great time! Perfect mix of free time and planned group excursions/tours. The food was amazing! Our accommodation was comfortable and our views were unforgettable! I would book another trip with this company.

Jen R.Dalmatian Staycation tour

My husband and I had a great time touring Dalmatia with Sarah and the local guides that joined us. A favorite activity was sailing on a traditional sail boat from the island of Vis. Lovely group of travelers and many memories made!

Dawn R.Dalmatian Staycation tour

Food and wine blitz in beautiful areas of Slovenia and Croatia. You will appreciate it most if you are a true wine lover. Meetings with young enthusiastic, creative winemakers were the highlight.

Betsy W.Harvest tour

We had a wonderful trip with no issues at all. Gorgeous area, plenty of delicious food, perfect weather and knowledgeable guide!

John G.Harvest tour

What a perfect way to get back into European travel. It was obvious from the start that Trish had put her heart and soul into the planning of the Hidden Paris tour. It was a great mix of adventures and I throughly enjoyed my travel group, who became like family, and it was obvious to see why most had traveled with adventures with Sarah before, Our local guide, Julian, was excellent and it was fun finally getting to also meet Sarah and sons. Merci beaucoup, Trish for this great time and I hope to travel with you again in the future.

Leslie A.Paris Staycation tour

A thoroughly enjoyable trip. George, our leader, was super-knowledgeable, helpful, energetic, and fun. His knowledge of people and places gave us experiences we couldn't have duplicated on our own. The itinerary was great - I thought the pace was good and we had a variety of experiences. The only thing I didn't like was that the weather in late April was rather chilly and often wet, more so than I expected. However, traveling later in the spring would have meant missing Orthodox Easter, which was the highlight of the trip for me. We spent it in a rural village, and participating in the villagers' traditions was a rare privilege that I'll never forget. So take an umbrella and some warm clothes and prepare for a special experience. Maybe you'll get the sunshine that we mostly didn't get!

Melissa M.Romania tour

Our guide Susanna was both professional and thoughtful. She cared for our health and happiness! I had some health issues and was treated with kindness and help! Our accommodations were both comfortable and clean. The bus driver was fearless and professional. I will travel with Susanna again!

Melva O.Sicily Pleasures tour

This was a wonderful trip! Susanna was such a wonderful tour guide, thoughtful, funny, informative. I can’t imagine a better guide for this trip! Our accommodations were wonderful as were all the varied activities and dining experiences. I enjoyed the other travelers in our group and felt as if we were family. I have made new friends that I will keep in touch with. Thank you!

Anne B.Sicily Pleasures tour

We had a wonderful tour with our guide Susanna and fellow travelers. The tour was well planned out touching on most all the main destinations in Sicily. Susanna was super well organized, kind and considerate and a lot of fun to travel with. She was a great communicator before, during and after the tour and was helpful with day to day needs like finding laundry service, restaurants and transport to the airport. The local guides, meals, accommodations, etc were all top notch. We had a great small group of 7 travelers that all got on very well. The spacious van we used for traveling was very comfortable and the driver Giuseppe was highly skilled at driving the chaotic streets in Sicily’s cities and towns. We highly recommend booking a tour with Adventures with Sarah and especially with Susanna Perrucchini!!

Randal D.Sicily Highlights tour

In short, we will travel with AWS again and would highly recommend them! Oh!! We also felt that we received far more in value and experience than the price for the tour.

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