Highlights of Bohemia

Don't let the glass and steel skyscrapers deceive you. At its heart, Frankfurt's high-powered business hub communes with a warm medieval centre where half-timbered buildings and tiny taverns line cobbled lanes and the aroma of apple cider lingers around every turn. Here 'Mainhatten' meets medieval charm. After checking in, your Travel Director will lead an orientation tour around the city's dynamic financial centre and medieval Römerberg. See the Römer, which has served as Frankfurt's city hall since the 15th century and admire the medieval architecture that has been lovingly restored after World War II.

Leaving the high-rises behind, you'll journey across the northern plains of Germany to the multikulti liberal powerhouse that is Berlin. This bold capital wears its grittiness for all to see - edgy street art adorns the city's ever-evolving façades and street food markets reveal a cosmopolitan line-up of cultures and cuisines that make Berlin an exhilaratingly diverse city to explore. You'll have time to explore this UNESCO City of Design your way or consider joining an Optional Experience with good food, wine, beer and music followed by a Berlin-by-night tour of the illuminated capital

There's never a dull moment in Berlin. This city has endured more turmoil and triumph over the past century than most, and yet its characteristic philosophy of 'let the good times roll' is almost visceral. Your Local Specialist will bring its tumultuous history to life this morning as you view the Reichstag Building, German State Opera House, Tiergarten, Unter den Linden Boulevard and Brandenburg Gate, the iconic 18th-century military monument that has come to symbolise peace and unity. Spend the rest of the day on your own exploration or join an Optional Experience to uncover the secrets of the city's World War II and Cold War past. You could choose to venture beyond the city for a dinner of German specialties in the countryside.

Close the curtain on your spirited encounter with Berlin and head east into Poland. Stop first in Poznań, the effervescent historical capital of Poland and birthplace of the Polish nation. View its colourful market square and town hall where a curious battle between two iron goats to mark noon has taken centre stage above its clock for over five centuries. Then head to Poland's modern metropolis of Warsaw which has risen with all the invigorating spirit of a phoenix after a recent tragic past.

Delve into Warsaw's turbulent past with a Local Specialist this morning. Your sightseeing tour across this 21st-century capital will reveal how the resilient Poles rebuilt their city which was on its knees after the war. You'll view St. John's Cathedral and the Royal Palace in the Old Town, then see the site of the Warsaw Ghetto which confined over 400,000 near-starving Jews during World War II. There's time later today for an optional visit to the 17th-century Baroque Wilanów Palace, once the summer home of King Jan Sobieski III, or embark on an exploration of one of Europe's coolest neighbourhoods, including a visit to Poland's first Vodka Museum.

Poland's pilgrimage city of Czestochowa features first on your journey south to Kraków. You'll view the Paulite Monastery at Jasna Góra, with its shrine to the Virgin Mary and home to the famous Black Madonna of Czestochowa. Then stop at the former concentration camp at Auschwitz for a poignant reminder of the horrors perpetrated during the Holocaust. Arrive in Kraków later, Poland's cultural and intellectual heart. It is in its Rynek Główny market square that much of the magic happens. Every hour, on the hour, you'll hear the sound of the medieval St. Mary's Trumpet Call, cut short to honour the death of the trumpeter who saved Kraków from a Tatar invasion centuries ago.

Keep a keen eye out for the thirsty dragon whose legendary demise, thanks to the clever thinking of a humble shoemaker, led to the birth of Kraków, one of the most beautiful historic cities in Europe. Your Local Specialist will share the brave tale of the city's origins as you trace its medieval walls and see Wawel Castle in whose dungeons the dragon once roamed. You'll have time to explore the UNESCO-listed Old Town on your own. An optional Trafalgar highlight later could see you visit the UNESCO-listed Wieliczka Salt Mines, often referred to as the Underground Salt Cathedral of Poland. This evening consider joining an optional farmhouse dinner and Polka party where you'll gallop around the dance floor after a meal of Polish specialties.

The foothills of the Tatras loom large on the horizon as you head south through Poland, then slice through the pastoral heart of Slovakia bound for Hungary. Your final destination is Budapest, which sits straddled on either side of the beautiful Danube - two halves shaped by an exotic mix of Magyar, German, Slav, Jewish, Gypsy and Turkish settlers that have made Budapest into the cultural capital it is today. Begin your exploration of this 'Paris of the East' on the water with an optional scenic cruise on a private boat along the Danube. Against an enchanting illuminated backdrop, you'll enjoy a dinner of Hungarian specialties while you sail underneath the famous Chain Bridge and past Budapest's majestic Parliament buildings.

Like all great capitals, Budapest's story begins with a legend, which your Local Specialist will share as you view all the city's sights including Fisherman's Bastion, Heroes' Square and the Church of St. Matthias. Take a trip up Gellért Hill, named after Bishop Gellért who played a key role in converting the Hungarian nation to Christianity. Then there's time to explore the 1000-year history of elegant Budapest on your own or perhaps join an optional tour, including a goulash cooking demonstration, to the medieval town of Szentendre, set on the banks of the Danube.

All that glitters certainly is gold in Budapest. You'll see this first-hand during an optional visit to the Hungarian Parliament, followed by pancakes at Gundels, whose original recipe featuring rum, raisins and chocolate are a decadent way to start the day. Cross the hilly landscapes of Transdanubia to Györ, which sits at the crossroads of Central Europe, midway between Budapest and Vienna. Then continue across the Austrian border arriving in Vienna later today. In a city where music literally surrounds you, famous composers like Mozart and Strauss rose to musical fame. Today, this 'City of Music' can carry more than a tune as you'll come to discover when you join an optional dinner in a favourite Viennese restaurant including musical entertainment.

A free morning could see you discover why the streets of Vienna are paved with culture or consider a guided visit to Schönbrunn Palace, the former summer residence of the Habsburgs, whose lasting legacy can be seen across their dynastic capital. Your Local Specialist will reveal all the sights of this imperial city later today. View the Parliament, the Vienna Opera House, the Hofburg and City Hall before enjoying some time on your own. You'll need no excuse to embrace the locals' love of the good life as you indulge in the city's Kafee culture with a heavenly slice of Sachertorte to tame your chocaholic tendencies. This evening, the melodies of a musical Vienna are the order of the day if you join an optional dinner followed by a concert of Strauss and Mozart masterpieces.

Leave Vienna's enchanting symphony behind and head north to the Czech Republic. You'll visit the medieval town of Brno and pass green and gold landscapes, arriving in Prague later today. The Golden City of a Hundred Spires shines even brighter at night, so consider joining an evening introduction to this fairy-tale city. Resist the urge to retire early and crack open a cold one to quench your thirst, discovering the dry-hopped goodness for which Prague is renowned.

While the rest of Europe's capitals smouldered, the enduring beauty of Prague saved it from a similar fate during World War II. You'll see why Hitler chose to spare it as you join your Local Specialist for a sightseeing tour which features Prague Castle, the Cathedral of St. Vitus and the Old Town Square. Delve into its thousand-year history before exploring the city your way. Walk along the 14th-century Charles Bridge lined with Baroque statues of saints or take a relaxing lunch cruise on the Vltava - an Optional Experience that will reveal the legends, myths, culture and hidden secrets of this enchanting city.

Take a step back in time during your stop in Rothenburg ob der Tauber along Bavaria's Romantic Road this morning. Your orientation tour will reveal an exquisite medieval centre encircled by a fortified town wall that was built in the 13th century. Continue to Frankfurt, where there's time for some last-minute souvenir shopping and a farewell dinner to reminisce over an epic journey across the Bohemian countryside and capital cities.

Great empires created the enchanting land which you've explored over the past 15 days. You've encountered legends, tales of bravery and unforgettable masterpieces that span the centuries. All that's left is to bid your new friends a fond farewell as you prepare to close the curtain on an exhilarating encounter with Bohemia. Airport transfers are available. Conditions apply.