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Day 1
Welcome to Kraków.
Transfers for your hotel depart Kraków airport at 10:30, 12:30 and 15:00. Meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers at 17:00 for a Welcome Dinner with wine at a local restaurant. Afterwards, get your first taste of Polish old-world charm with a walk around the magnificent Cloth Hall in the Market Square. Wrapped in romantic gabled townhouses and Gothic spires, the festive Christmas Market stalls are a Disneyesque dream, offering all sorts of delicacies and delights - from Highland woollen slippers to amber jewellery from the Baltic. Maybe try the traditional oscypek cheese with cranberries, a delicacy from the Tatra mountains?(Dinner with Wine)
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Day 2
Kraków.
Perhaps spend some reflective moments during your free time and visit Auschwitz concentration camp? Later, ascend Wawel Hill with your Local Expert to see the Renaissance castle and visit the cathedral – the final resting place of the Kings of Poland. Then cross the former Jewish Quarter of Kazimierz to Old Podgórze, the Old Town, to see Ghetto Square and remains of the Ghetto Wall. The rest of the day is at leisure and allows you to explore the traditional Christmas Market located in the Old Town's historic district. You'll find yourself immersed in festive spirit as you shop for authentic Christmas decorations, gifts, toys and tasty treats.(Breakfast)
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Day 3
Wrocław, the Venice of Poland.
Enjoy your Relaxed Start and a free morning or why not visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine ? Later, continue to the city of Wrocław, known as the Venice of Poland, made up of five rivers, 12 islands and over 150 bridges. Rated as one of the finest in Europe, Wrocław’s Christmas Market offers a delightful, fairy-tale charm. Enjoy an orientation of the market, located in Rynek, the historic main square which is surrounded by Baroque splendour and adorned with thousands of twinkling lights. Spend time exploring the vast array of stalls bursting with local crafts and tasty treats.(Breakfast / Dinner with Wine)
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Day 4
Kutná Hora and Prague.
Cross the Czech border and head for Kutná Hora, a town that flourished during the Middle Ages thanks to vast deposits of silver. At the Sedlec Chapel, step into a macabre world of sculptures, coats of arms and even a chandelier, made entirely out of human bones! Continue your travels to the Czech capital of Prague.(Breakfast / Dinner with Wine)
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Day 5
Prague, City of a Hundred Spires.
With your Local Expert, look upon the Vltava River from the heights of Prague Castle, dominated by the soaring spires of St. Vitus' Cathedral. Then, down at the Old Town Square, Prague’s colourful Christmas Market contrasts with the Gothic skyline. Beneath a giant Christmas tree, draped in a blaze of lights, locals browse the decorative wooden stalls. Meet a local stallholder and savour a glass of Svařák, traditional mulled wine, along with the local Trdelník pastry.(Breakfast)
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Day 6
Dresden and Berlin.
Cross the German border to Dresden. Gaze up at the Frauenkirche, risen once again from wartime ashes. Your guided exploration with a Local Expert will continue past the colossal 'Procession of the Dukes' mosaic, the cathedral, Semper Opera House and Zwinger Palace. During your free time perhaps seek out the delicious Christstollen, a Christmas cake recipe dating back to medieval times, or shop for a traditional Christmas pyramid. Then journey on to Berlin.(Breakfast)
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Day 7
The Spirit of Berlin.
Join a Local Expert to see the Brandenburg Gate, State Opera House, remnants of the Berlin Wall, Unter den Linden, and the beautifully-restored Reichstag building. Feel free to soak up the Weihnachtszauber, or Christmas magic, at the Gendarmenmarkt, which is Berlin’s most magnificent square. Alternatively, you are free to saunter through any of the Christmas Markets that are dotted around the city. For your Celebration Dinner, enjoy delightful German cuisine and wine at a local family-run restaurant, complete with Gemütlichkeit.(Breakfast / Dinner with Wine)
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Day 8
Auf Wiedersehen Berlin.
Your journey draws to a close after breakfast. Departure transfers arrive at Berlin airport at 07:00 and 10:00.(Breakfast)
Included Insight Services
- Our highly-skilled Travel Director will ensure your journey is seamless, serving as your expert guide, consummate organiser, and friend overseas.
- Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxury, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom.
- Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
- We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
- Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
- Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
- From time to time, your Travel Director will enchant you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
- If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.
Authentic Dining
- Berlin: Enjoy a Celebration Dinner with delightful German cuisine and wine at a local, family-run restaurant, complete with music and Gemütlichkeit.
- Dining Summary: 7 Breakfasts (B) and 4 Dinners with Wine (DW) all with tea or coffee.
Insight Experiences
- Prague: At the Christmas Market, meet a local stallholder and savour a steaming mug of Svařák, traditional mulled wine, along with the local Trdelník pastry.
- Prague: With a Local Expert, look down on the Vltava River from the heights of Prague Castle, dominated by the soaring spires of St. Vitus' Cathedral.
- Berlin: With a Local Expert, see the Brandenburg Gate, State Opera House, remnants of the Berlin Wall and the beautifully-restored Reichstag Building.
Stay in style
- Prague: The brand new, boutique-style Hotel Royal Prague is a short drive from Old Town Square, set across from the Vltava River.
Top Rated Highlights
- Christmas Markets: Lose yourself in the festive atmosphere of Christmas, where you can shop for local delicacies and try the heartwarming Glühwein, available on all departures.
- Kraków: Take in the ambience with a walk around the magnificent Cloth Hall in the Market Square to see the Christmas Market.
- Kraków: Ascend Wawel Hill with a Local Expert to see the Renaissance castle and visit the historic cathedral.
- Kraków: Cross the former Jewish Quarter of Kazimierz to Old Podgórze to see Ghetto Square and remains of the Ghetto Wall.
- Wrocław: Be delighted with the thousands of twinkling lights adorning the market in the historic main square of Rynek.
- Kutná Hora: Step into the macabre world of the Sedlec Ossuary, also known as the Church of Bones – one of the most unusual chapels you will ever see!
- Dresden: Your guided tour shows you the Frauenkirche, the colossal 'Procession of the Dukes' mosaic, the cathedral, Semper Opera House and Zwinger Palace.
Dates & Prices
Airfare is not included, but can be added to quote upon request-
Definite Departure
| Price | Discount | Availability | Price | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Start Date:
Sun, Nov 24, 2019
Return Date:
Sun, Dec 1, 2019
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$1,650$1,568pp | SAVE: $82Pay by Aug 29AARP members save an additional $100 |
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Request Quote Book Now | ||
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Start Date:
Sun, Dec 1, 2019
Return Date:
Sun, Dec 8, 2019
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$1,650pp | AARP members save an additional $100 |
|
Request Quote Book Now | ||
|
Start Date:
Tue, Dec 3, 2019
Return Date:
Tue, Dec 10, 2019
|
$1,650pp | AARP members save an additional $100 |
|
Request Quote Book Now |
Optional Add-Ons
Optional Experiences are subject to change. Your Travel Director will supply you with a final list of Optional Experiences available on your trip. Optional Experiences cannot be booked online; they can be purchased during your trip through your Travel Director.
Krakow
Salt Mines Excursion
A visit to the 600-year-old salt mines on the outskirts of Krakow, where we view an underground world of chambers filled with absolutely unique salt sculptures, sculpted by the miners themselves (placed by UNESCO on the World Heritage list).
Adult Price: €55
Polish Dinner with Folklore Show
Settle into a comfortable countryside restaurant for a selection of authentic Polish dishes with drinks included. While you dine, traditional entertainment is provided by a wonderful ensemble of folk dancers and musicians in regional costume.
Adult Price: €56
Auschwitz and Birkenau
Take a sobering but worthwhile trip to Auschwitz and Birkenau, the memorial sites of former concentration camps during WWII.
Adult Price: €31
Prague
Traditional Dinner & Folklore Entertainment
Hearty and delicious, Czech cuisine borrows heavily from its Central European neighbors, but also boasts a few unique twists of its own. In a local restaurant, enjoy a traditional Czech meal accompanied by the planet's most perfect pilsner. During dinner, lively musicians in traditional dress set the mood with songs and dances from Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia.
Adult Price: €58
Magical Prague
Discover the hidden world of Prague's Malá Strana district on foot, accompanied by our expert local. Continue over the famous Charles Bridge, built in 1357, before enjoying a private cruise on the Vlatava. Enjoy a drink as you glide past the magical sights of Prague.
Adult Price: €41
Berlin
Berlin by Night & Dinner
This evening you are treated to traditional Berliner cuisine in a lively local restaurant with live music and drinks. Guten Appetit and Prost! Afterward embark on a scenic illuminations drive through the center of Berlin, with splendid views of the historic buildings and monuments, lit up in all their glory. See the Unter den Linden, Brandenburg Gate and more.
Adult Price: €60
Highlights of Former East Berlin
Explore the shadows of the past with our local expert. See the Soviet War Memorial and visit the staggering Holocaust Memorial. Stop for a photo at ‘Checkpoint Charlie,’ location of the tense stand-offs between U.S. & Soviet forces during the Cold War. Then a real highlight as we visit the Berlin Wall Memorial. The memorial contains the last section of the Berlin Wall with a guard tower and preserved grounds and is thus able to convey an impression of how the border fortifications developed until the end of the 1980s. Learn about this focal point of 20th-century history and of the fate of those who attempted to cross it.
Adult Price: €31
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