The Bohemian
9 Day Tour to Krakow, Prague Vienna & Budapest | Operated by InsightVacations
-
9 Days
-
5 Countries
Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary -
6 Cities
Vienna, Cesky Krumlov, Prague, Kraków, Oravsky Podzamok, Budapest -
12 Meals
4 Dinner with Wines, 8 Breakfasts -
Pace: Comfortable
Mainly 2–3-night stays in each location. Comfortable travel days with numerous stops. Requires 1-3 miles of walking per day that might involve some uneven surfaces, such as cobblestones and stairs.
Trip Itinerary
Welcome to Vienna! Enjoy your afternoon before meeting your Travel Director and fellow travelers to enjoy a pleasant Welcome Dinner served with wine at a local restaurant.
Join a Local Expert for a private tour of Maria Theresa's magnificent Schönbrunn Palace and its formal gardens. Be transported to a time of opulence and extravagance, as you marvel at the intricacies of gilded Rococo frames, frescoed ceilings and crystal chandeliers. Get your camera ready for a drive around the Ring Road, a grand boulevard built along the lines of the old city walls, showcasing many of the capital's architectural masterpieces, including the Opera House, magnificent Hofburg Imperial Residence, Austrian Parliament Building and Karlskirche. Explore Vienna by joining a unique MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experience, take to the floor in a Viennese Waltz dance workshop and support the visually impaired community. Dancing in the dark, in a specially designed sensory studio, will be a unique experience for all your senses.
Once over the Czech border, head for picturesque Český Krumlov, where you'll start with a brief orientation tour of this fairy-tale town, straight out of the Middle Ages. Enjoy some free time to explore and appreciate views of the Vltava River. Wander through the cobblestone, traffic-free streets, past colorful houses that lead up to the finest castle in the land. In the afternoon, continue through the green Bohemian countryside to Golden 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. Continue to Old Town Square where the mechanical antics of the Astronomical Clock’s glockenspiel delight onlookers each hour. The afternoon is free for you to explore at your leisure.
Enjoy a drive through the rolling Czech countryside before crossing into Poland where you will stop at Oświęcim, better known by its German name of Auschwitz. Join a guided tour of the memorial and museum, which bore witness to the terrible atrocities of the Holocaust.
In the morning why not join an Optional Experience and journey into a glistening subterranean world at the 600-year-old Wieliczka Salt Mine? 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 a morning at leisure before joining your fellow travelers to ascend Wawel Hill and visit the cathedral, with your Local Expert. 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. In the evening, choose from a selection of hand-picked local restaurants on your Dine-Around Evening.
Journey into the Slovakian region of Orava and see the picturesque Oravský Hrad Castle before continuing through the breathtaking Low Tatra Mountains to arrive in Budapest.
Explore Budapest with a Local Expert. Cross the Danube to the Pest district to visit Heroes’ Square and drive down elegant Andrássy Boulevard.
Enjoy a tour of the Liszt Music Academy with a student, followed by an enchanting recital. The university was founded by the piano virtuoso and composer Franz Liszt in 1875. The rest of the day is at your leisure to relax by the Danube or browse the boutiques of Vaci Street. For your Celebration Dinner, you are treated to mouthwatering Hungarian specialties, accompanied by specially selected wines.
Your Bohemian journey concludes after breakfast with transfers arriving at Budapest airport at 07:00 and 11:00. The 07:00 transfer continues to Vienna airport, arriving at midday, and offers a final stop at the post-trip hotel.
Price Includes
Dining Summary- - 4 Dinner with Wines (DW)
- - 8 Breakfasts (B)
- Join your Travel Director and fellow travelers for a drink, followed by a pleasant Welcome Dinner served with wine at a local restaurant.
- For your Dine-Around Evening, choose you style of dining from a selection of hand-picked local restaurants, unique in Polish flavor.
- 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.
- Travel along the Ring Road to see the Hofburg Imperial Residence, Opera House, Parliament Building and Karlskirche.
- Your Travel Director will lead you on an orientation of the city as you explore the medieval streets of this fairy-tale town.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Stroll through the alleys of the Old Town of Buda with a Local Expert.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
Dinner In A Country Mansion (Available on Day 2)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 Gala Viennese Concert (Available on Day 2)Enjoy a wonderful concert of Viennese Classical music performed by highly acclaimed soloists and dancers. During this special evening, enjoy a glass of champagne along with some of the most famous works by Johann Strauss and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Adult Price: €64 Prague by Day (Available on Day 3)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 4)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 Salt Mine Excursion (Available on Day 6)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 Danube Cruise With Dinner (Available on Day 7)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 Budapest Parliament Visit (Available on Day 8)Join your Local Expert for a tour of the Hungarian Parliament building, one of the largest and most ornate parliamentary buildings in the world. This impressive symbol of Budapest was the country's most expensive construction (they could have built a town for 40,000 inhabitants for the same cost!). With all of its gilded decorations and marble, it's often referred to as the 'Jewel box of the nation'. After the visit, we'll stop at the Kossuth Lajos square to see the Monument of the 1956 Uprising, then explore Liberty Square and take pictures of its monuments and statues. Finally, we'll see the moving "Shoes on the Danube" memorial.
Adult Price: €61