Highlights of Eastern Europe (Premium)
2 Week Tour of Hungary, Austria & Poland | Operated by InsightVacations
-
14 Days
-
6 Countries
Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria -
10 Cities
Budapest, Oravsky Podzamok, Kraków, Warsaw, Berlin, Dresden, Prague, Ceske Budejovice, Cesky Krumlov, Vienna -
19 Meals
6 Dinner with Wines, 13 Breakfasts -
Pace: Active
Faster paces with mix of 1–2-night stays in each location. Typically features 4+ miles of walking on some days and may involve steep hills and uneven surfaces, such as cobblestones.
Trip Itinerary
Budapest sets the scene for a memorable journey around Eastern Europe. Join your Travel Director and fellow travelers at a local restaurant. Your Welcome Dinner is a treat of mouthwatering Hungarian specialties, accompanied by specially selected wine.
Visit the *Liszt Academy of Music for a guided tour followed by an enchanting recital. Stroll through the alleys of the Old Town of Buda with a local expert to admire the façade of Matthias Church and take in the views from the Fisherman's Bastion. 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? (*on occasions the Liszt Academy will be replaced by an organ recital at the Matthias Church).
Take a gentle drive into Slovakia and through the breathtaking Low Tatra Mountains. Stop at scenic Donovaly. Continue north to see the picturesque Oravský Hrad Castle, where villagers still live in traditional wooden houses, 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. 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.
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 colorful townhouses and centuries-old inns. With a Castle Guide, 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 specialties.
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 specialties 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.
Your journey comes to an end in Vienna this morning.
Price Includes
Dining Summary- - 6 Dinner with Wines (DW)
- - 13 Breakfasts (B)
- Enjoy a tour of the Liszt Music Academy with a student, followed by an enchanting recital. Producing incredible musical talent, the university was founded by piano virtuoso and composer Franz Liszt in 1875.
- Stroll through the alleys of the Old Town of Buda with a Local Expert.
- The medieval heart of Krakow is rich in legend, a kind of Polish Camelot. Join your Local Expert for an in-depth exploration of this historic Holy Grail.Cross the former Jewish Quarter of Kazimierz to Podgórze and see the Ghetto Square.
- Visit the cathedral atop Wawel Hill, see the castle and look for the iconic dragon, accompanied by your Local Expert.
- Visit the 14th-century St. Mary's Basilica, the most important church in the city.
- Experience a powerful and moving visit, with a Local Expert. See the Auschwitz memorial and museum, which bears witness to the terrible atrocities of the Holocaust.
- Your Local Expert will show you the city's highlights. See the Old Town, Palace of Culture and visit the Chopin Memorial in the Lazienki Park before paying your respects at the Ghetto Heroes Memorial.
- You Local Expert provides a tour of this vibrant city. Drive along the Ku'Damm, passing the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and through Tiergarten to the Reichstag building. See the Brandenburg Gate, State Opera House and visit Alexanderplatz.
- During your orientation with your Travel Director, take a moment to admire the 'Procession of the Princes' mosaic on the Saxon wall of the castle. You'll also see Frauenkirche, Zwinger Palace and the opera house, Semperoper.
- Stroll through the Jewish Quarter with your Local Expert to hear how the Jewish community has shaped the history of Prague.
- Visit the imposing St. Vitus Cathedral and explore the atmospheric courtyards of the historic Prague Castle with your Local Expert.
- Your Travel Director will lead you on an orientation of the city as you explore the medieval streets of this fairy-tale town.
- Visit the fairytale castle considered to be the finest in the land. Let a Local Expert lead you through a medieval labyrinth of private chambers, courtyards, kitchens and dungeons of the castle, so rich in history.
- A private, guided exploration of Schönbrunn Palace will have all your senses tingling. Stand beneath frescoed ceilings, crystal chandeliers and gilded Rococo frames where Mozart performed as a child prodigy.
- Walk through the first district, Inner Stadt, as your Local Expert reveals why this is the historic core of the city. You will also tour the Ring Road to see the Hofburg Imperial Residence, Opera House, Parliament Building and Karlskirche.
- Enjoy a demonstration of the traditional techniques of dumpling-making with an expert chef. Then enjoy a hearty Polish Highlight Dinner with a variety of local delicacies and drinks.
- Tour a local brewery to discover the secrets of how the golden vintage of beer is made, followed by a sampling.
- For your Dine-Around Evening, choose your own style of ambience and cuisine from a fine selection of restaurants in the atmospheric center.
- Visit a traditional coffeehouse to enjoy Viennese specialties of coffee and Sachertorte.
- Your Imperial Viennese Celebration Dinner is regal splendor on a plate. Enjoy a delicious traditional meal with drinks at a local restaurant, before a concert of classical music that pays homage to the genius of Strauss and Mozart.
- Listen to the musical masterpiece of Mozart and learn the Viennese Waltz, in an inclusive workshop designed to support the visually impaired community. Unique to Insight Guests, ‘Dancing without Barriers’ takes place in the dark, in a specially designed sensory studio, and will be a unique experience for all your senses. This specifically designed workshop focuses on inclusion and education around the topic of visual impairment. Through their foundation the organization supports children from disadvantaged family and children with a visual impairment. This experience advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities. Alternatively, visit a traditional Viennese café to enjoy local specialties of coffee and sachertorte.
Optional Experiences
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.
Revolution Walk & St Stephen's with a Coffee Break (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 the moving memorial “Shoes on the Danube Bank” before discovering Kossuth Lajos Square, situated next to the jaw-dropping Parliament building. We'll visit the 1956 Underground Museum to hear about the local populace facing off against the might of the Soviet Union during the famous uprising of that year. Then enjoy a break for coffee and a delicious strudel in the First Strudel house of Budapest before completing our historic stroll 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.
Adult Price: €53 Danube Cruise With Dinner (Available on Day 2)Enjoy a sumptuous buffet of the delicious food for which Hungary is famous. Szegedin Goulash (goulash stew), Töltött Káposzta (stuffed cabbage), chicken paprikash, Dobos-Torta and much more. All as you sail along watching the illuminated landmarks of this stunning city.
Adult Price: €96 Salt Mine Excursion (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: €68 Polish Karczma Dinner & Polka Party (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: €79 Chopin Concert (Available on Day 6)The spirit of Warsaw and the music of Chopin go hand in hand. In a concert venue located in the center of Warsaw, enjoy an enchanting recital of his music performed by a celebrated Polish pianist. Sparkling wine is served during the intermission.
Adult Price: €54 Uprising Walk with Vodka Museum and Tasting (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: €45 Wilanów Palace (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: €45 Berliner Dinner & Entertainment (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: €69 Highlights of Former East Berlin (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: €35 Bridge of Spies, Sanssouci & Dinner (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.
A wonderful further look into the “Golden City”. Accompanied by our Local Expert, we will begin to discover the hidden world of Prague's Malá Strana district on foot. Enjoy a drink amongst the locals in a typical Czech ‘beer pub’ whilst enjoying some musical entertainment, and walk across the famous Charles Bridge, built in 1357, and an icon of the city! Later we will take the coach to enjoy spectacular views over Prague and the Vltava River from the heights of the historic Strahov Monastery.
Adult Price: €51 Traditional Dinner & Folklore Entertainment (Available on Day 10)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: €73 Dinner In A Country Mansion (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: €71 Hidden Treasures Of Old Vienna Walk (Available on Day 12)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: €35