On arrival at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport, there are complimentary transfers to your hotel at 10:00, 13:00 and 15:30.Join your Travel Director at 18:00 and travel to a local restaurant. Your Welcome Dinner is a treat of mouthwatering Hungarian specialities, accompanied by specially selected wine.
Stroll through the alleys of the Old Town of Buda with a Local Expert. Admire the facade of Matthias Church and take in the view from the Fisherman’s Bastion. At Matthias Church, you will either listen to an organ recital or visit Liszt Music Academy followed by an enchanting recital.In the evening, perhaps choose an Optional Experience to see this fairy-tale city as you cruise along the Danube and enjoy a meal of Hungarian specialties?
Take a gentle drive into Slovakia and through the breathtaking Low Tatra Mountains, where villagers still live in traditional wooden houses. Stop at scenic Donovaly. Continue north to see the picturesque Oravský Hrad Castle before crossing into Poland and continuing to historic Kraków.
Join a Local Expert to ascend Wawel Hill and visit the cathedral. Walk past the former residence of Pope John Paul II through the Old Town, to Europe's largest and most beautiful town square. See the medieval Sukiennice Cloth Hall and visit the 14th-century St. Mary's Basilica, the most important church in the city. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for the trumpeter in the tower.This afternoon, why not join an Optional Experience and journey into a glistening subterranean world at the 600-year-old Wieliczka Salt Mines? In a maze of tunnels deep below the surface, witness unique salt sculptures, sunken lakes and even a glorious cathedral carved entirely out of rock salt by the miners. Alternatively, enjoy time at leisure.
Join a Local Expert at Oświęcim, better known throughout the world by its German name, Auschwitz, infamous for its role during the Holocaust. Spend reflective moments amid the remains of the concentration camp and the memorials to those who died. Continue across the Polish plains to the country’s capital, Warsaw for the night. Dumplings are an Eastern European tradition, so in the evening enjoy a dumpling demonstration and delightful Highlight Dinner.
Join a Local Expert in the morning to see the Old Town, Royal Castle and Palace of Culture. Visit the Chopin Memorial in the Łazienki Park.Pay your respects at the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes and then enjoy a free afternoon to explore at your own pace. Perhaps attend a Chopin recital or delve into Warsaw's inspirational past?
Your route leads westward, across the rolling farmlands of the central plains, over the Oder River to enter Germany. Your destination is the vibrant capital of Berlin where you can try traditional Berliner cuisine.
Prepare to embrace the rejuvenated spirit of Berlin. Join a Local Expert for a drive through the leafy Tiergarten to the refurbished Reichstag building and see the Brandenburg Gate. On the eastern side, take the Unter den Linden past the State Opera House to Museum Island.
Journey south to Dresden. Almost totally destroyed by horrific air raids in 1945, Dresden has now risen again from the ashes in a blend of old and new. See the reconstructed Frauenkirche and walk past the colossal ‘Procession of the Princes' on the wall of the Royal Palace. Explore around the Catholic cathedral to view the tiered facades of the opera house and the Baroque Zwinger Palace. After free time for lunch, head for the Czech border, high in the Ore Mountains and continue to the capital city of Prague.
Explore Prague with Insight Choice. Choose to walk the courtyards of the Castle and visit the imposing St. Vitus Cathedral. Alternatively, join your Local Expert for a walk through the Jewish Quarter and learn about a different side of the history of Prague.The city is then yours to explore. Perhaps walk in the footsteps of kings along the Royal Route? Czechs are passionate about their beer, so be sure to try the local pilsners, alongside the Czech cuisine.
A journey through the green Bohemian countryside will bring you to České Budějovice. Enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of a local brewery to sample the beer and discover the secrets of how this golden vintage is made. Continue on to Český Krumlov, a picturesque medieval town nestled on the banks of the Vltava. Walk the narrow cobbled streets and arch-covered footpaths, past colourful townhouses and centuries-old inns. With a Local Expert, visit the fairy-tale, red-roofed castle, considered by many to be the finest in the land. After the day trippers have left, soak up the unique atmosphere of this UNESCO World Heritage Site at a local restaurant. Enjoy a traditional Czech Highlight Dinner of local specialities.
Cross the border into Austria and enjoy a delightful journey to Vienna. The afternoon is free for you to explore this stately capital and later why not enjoy a delightful Austrian meal with the option to dine at a country mansion?
Vienna owes much of its present-day charm to the long reign of the Habsburgs. Join your Local Expert for a private visit of Maria Theresa’s Schönbrunn Palace and its formal gardens. Then, take some great photos on a circuit of the famous Ring Road. This grand boulevard, built along the lines of the old city walls, showcases many of the capital’s architectural masterpieces, including the Opera House, magnificent Hofburg Imperial Residence, Austrian Parliament Building and Karlskirche. Explore Vienna with Insight Choice. Choose between a visit to a traditional Viennese café to enjoy local specialities of coffee and Sachertorte or alternatively, join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience during an inclusive workshop and take to the floor in a Viennese Waltz dance workshop designed to support the visually impaired community. Enjoy a delicious meal of traditional Austrian fare with drinks at a local restaurant, before sitting down to an extraordinary concert of Viennese classical music.
A transfer arrives at Vienna airport at 08:00.
Prices shown are per person based on two people sharing a twin room. To request a personalized travel quote, click "Request Quote" and a Travel Specialist will send your custom quote including airfare if requested.
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.
Available on Day 2
Enjoy a sumptuous buffet of the delicious food for which Hungary is famous for. Gulyás (Goulash), Töltött Káposzta (stuffed cabbage), chicken paprikash, dobostorta and much more. All as you sail along watching the illuminated landmarks of this stunning city.
Adult Price: € 67
Available on Day 2
Take a trip back in time to learn of the incredible journey Budapest has taken to once again become the Queen of the Danube. With our local expert, we'll begin with a visit to the Basilica of St Stephen, whose treasures include the most important relic in Hungary: the miraculous Holy Right Hand of the country's first King, St Stephen. Stroll past some of the city’s iconic monuments on our way to the jaw-dropping Parliament building, then enjoy a break for coffee and a delicious slice of cake in one of the city's many cafes. Continue with a visit to the 1956 Underground Museum to hear how the local populace bravely faced the might of the Soviet Union during the famous uprising of that year. We finish our historic walk at the moving "Shoes on the Danube Bank" memorial.
Adult Price: € 46
Available on Day 4
Enjoy a generous selection of traditional Polish cuisine and drinks in the countryside outside Krakow. A local, beautifully-dressed folk group and live band will entertain you with songs and dances and you might even get to join them for a polka or two! Don't miss this enjoyable evening.
Adult Price: € 63
Available on Day 4
Visit the 700-year-old UNESCO World Heritage listed salt mine, located on the outskirts of Krakow. On a guided tour, learn about the mine’s long history, and explore the vast underground labyrinth of chambers filled with unique salt sculptures carved by the miners themselves.
Adult Price: € 56
Note: This optional involves reservations and entrance prepayments. Should you decide to cancel the optional, a 50% cancellation fee will be incurred.
Available on Day 6
The spirit of Warsaw and the music of Chopin go hand in hand. In a concert venue located in the centre of Warsaw, enjoy an exclusive private recital of his music performed by a celebrated Polish pianist. Sparkling wine is served during the intermission.
Adult Price: € 46
Available on Day 6
The Warsaw Uprising of 1944 was one of the most heroic episodes, and greatest tragedies, of history. The failed attempt at self-liberation from Nazi occupation led to the total destruction of the elegant Polish capital, once regarded the ‘Paris of the North'. Join your Local Expert on a walk to visit some of the memorials & sites associated with the uprising. Then, we'll cross the Vistula river to visit the Polish Vodka Museum. Vodka is a crucial element of Polish culture and has been served during celebrations for centuries. We'll learn about the ingredients and production of vodka throughout the ages and enjoy a tasting of some of the best!
Adult Price: € 37
Available on Day 6
To the Polish people, Wilanów is more than just a palace – it's a national treasure, the embodiment of an era from which much has been lost. Join a Local Expert for a guided visit to the ‘Polish Versailles’. Walk within the baroque royal residence to admire the stunning collection of furniture, portraits and china which forms part of the National Museum.
Adult Price: € 36
Available on Day 7
Berlin's eating establishments have enjoyed legendary status ever since the "Golden Twenties". This evening you are treated to traditional Berliner cuisine in a lively local restaurant with live music and drinks. Guten Appetit!
Adult Price: € 60
Available on Day 8
Explore the shadows of the past with our Local Expert 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: € 32
Note: If your hotel is located near Checkpoint Charlie you will visit East Side Gallery instead.
Available on Day 8
Our evening takes us to Potsdam, the summer home and royal residence to the Kings of Prussia. Here we'll see the ‘Sanssouci’ palace of the most celebrated Prussian king, Frederick the Great. We'll enjoy time for photos in the gardens and then continue to the Glienicke Bridge, the famous 'Bridge of Spies'. The bridge was used for spy exchanges between East & West during the Cold War. We'll cross the bridge on foot before continuing to historic Wirsthaus Moorlake, nestled on the banks of the Havel river, for an evening of traditional German fare. n.b. This optional experience may be offered without dinner for €48.
Adult Price: € 63
Available on Day 9
A wonderful introduction to the “Golden City”. Begin with spectacular views over Prague and the Vlatava River from the heights of the Strahov Monastery. Now with your Local Expert explore the narrow cobbled lanes of 'Mala Strana' the lesser town. Join the locals for a glass of pilsner or wine in one of Prague's famous beer pubs, and enjoy a walk on the Charles Bridge. Finally have your cameras ready as we cruise by private boat along the 'Devil's Canal' and the Vltava River.
Adult Price: € 53
Note: Occasionally this optional experience may be operated without the river cruise at EURO 33.
Available on Day 10
Hearty and delicious, Czech cuisine borrows heavily from its Central European neighbours, 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: € 61
Available on Day 12
Cross the Danube, passing the famous Prater Park en route to one of Austria's most famous restaurants. Former patrons include Napoleon, the Emperor Franz Joseph, Liz Taylor and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Once through the door of this historic country mansion you're transported to a different world! Old memorabilia, autographed photos and other paraphernalia cover the ceilings, walls and even the restrooms. Choose from traditional Austrian fare, enjoy unlimited drinks and be serenaded by musicians at your table. A fun-filled experience never to be forgotten!
Adult Price: € 63
Available on Day 13
A leisurely walk with an expert historian unveils the hidden squares and tucked-away corners of the old city. See the Hofburg Palace, which was the official residence of the Habsburg Empire for more than 600 years. Admire the beautiful baroque Church of St. Peter's and the Column of the Holy Trinity. See the most important House of Mozart, where "Marriage of Figaro" was composed. Finally, visit St. Stephen's Cathedral where your local expert explains its importance to Austrian culture and history.
Adult Price: € 30
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