Tokaj Day Trip from Košice by Train

You don't need a car to spend a day in Slovak Tokaj. The train takes about an hour from Košice to Čerhov, and from there the cellar villages of Malá Tŕňa and Veľká Tŕňa, the lookout tower and two or three wineries are all within walking distance. Nobody has to drive, so everybody can taste.

At a glance

Duration: one day, about 9–10 hours door to door from Košice
Best for: first-time visitors and anyone without a car; April to October is easiest
Transport: regional train to Čerhov, then about 10 km on foot in total, or a hired bike
Book ahead: two tastings (both wineries below need a reservation), a bike if you want one, and lunch if you want a sit-down meal

The day

09:07 Train from Košice

Take the regional (Os) train from Košice at 09:07; it reaches Čerhov at 10:06. For a longer day, the 07:06 arrives at 08:06. These times are from the 2026 timetable, and trains ran roughly every two hours. Check cp.sk on the day, and look up your return train before you leave.

10:10 Čerhov

The Tokaj Tourist Information Office is next to the halt. It has maps, local products and bikes and e-bikes for hire, but it opens outside events only by arrangement, so call +421 915 999 009 a day or two ahead. The House of Folk Traditions in the same complex shows village life, tools and a grape press. See Čerhov.

10:30 Walk to Malá Tŕňa

It is about 3 km (allow 45 minutes) to Malá Tŕňa. On a bike, the green-marked wine route 5710 leads through the vineyards past the wooden statue of St Urban, patron of winegrowers.

11:15 First tasting: Tokaj & CO

Tokaj & CO is on Medzipivničná street. Its cellar has about 2.5 km of tuff corridors and some 1,500 barrels, and is a national cultural monument. Tastings of 2, 9 or 15 samples include a cellar tour with the winery's oenologist. Booking required. Allow about an hour.

On the same street, Tokaj Macik Winery runs guided tastings in its cellar (book ahead), and you can also taste on your own in its wine shop.

12:30 Lunch

There is no restaurant on this walking route that we can recommend for a walk-in lunch, so choose one of two options:

Picnic: buy food at the village shop on Kostolná street and eat it at the lookout tower, which has benches and a gazebo.
Arrange it: when you book your tastings, ask whether the winery can serve food. Some, such as Víno Kapraľ, serve local snacks with a tasting.

13:30 The lookout tower

Walk about 30 minutes up the vineyard road to the barrel-shaped tower between Malá Tŕňa and Černochov. It is 12 metres tall, free and open all year, with views over the vineyards towards Sátoraljaújhely in Hungary. Walk back down to the village.

15:00 Veľká Tŕňa

Veľká Tŕňa is next door. Walk through the Gazdovské pivnice, where 33 stone portals lead to more than 100 farmers' cellars dug into tuff, and up the hill to the Romanesque gallery church from the 13th century. No opening hours are published, so plan to see the church from outside.

15:30 Second (and third) tasting

Choose one or two:

J & J Ostrožovič: a family estate founded in 1990, with a tasting cellar 13 metres underground. Booking required, groups of four or more, no children under 15.
A family cellar in the Gazdovské pivnice: Víno Vdovjak (groups of four or more, spring to autumn), Víno Kapraľ or Vinárstvo u Koňa. Booking required, by phone.

Arrange the last tasting so that it ends at least 45 minutes before your train.

17:00–18:00 Back to Košice

Walk back to Čerhov station (about 3 km). The journey to Košice takes about an hour. If you want to buy wine to take home, the two wine shops in Čerhov stock bottles from several producers.

By car, with a designated driver

The same day works by car: Košice to Malá Tŕňa is 57 km, about 1 h 10 min. The driver drinks nothing at all: Slovakia and Hungary both have zero tolerance for alcohol when driving (0.0 ‰). A car lets you add:

lunch at Chateau Grand Bari in Bara (reserve by 11:00 on the day) or at Majer Bara, the estate of Tokaj Gold (Monday to Thursday lunch only, 11:00–14:00)
Viničky on the Bodrog, with a tasting at Tokaj Zlatý Strapec (Monday to Saturday 07:00–17:00 according to the winery, closed Sundays; book)
the Rákóczi manor in Borša, just outside the wine region (April to October daily 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:00)

There is a car park at the lookout tower. Spitting at tastings is normal, and a bottle to open at home is a fair deal for the driver.

On a festival day

On the Open Tokaj Cellars Day or the Harvest Festival in September, skip the bookings: your ticket covers the participating cellars, and free buses link the villages from Čerhov station. Arrangements change every year; see events.

Before you go

Book both tastings and tell the wineries you are coming by train.
Check the train times there and back on cp.sk.
Call the information office in Čerhov if you want a bike.
Pack a warm layer for the cellars (10–12 °C), comfortable shoes and water.
Bring cash in euros for small cellars.
Bring food for a picnic, or arrange lunch with a winery.
If you go by car, agree on the driver before you leave.

Day trip from Košice