Day 1 : Welcome to Vienna
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.
Accommodation : Hilton Vienna Park.
Day 2 : Stately Vienna and the Habsburgs
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.
Accommodation : Hilton Vienna Park.
Day 3 : Charming Ceský Krumlov and Golden Prague
Once over the Czech border, head for picturesque Ceský 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 colourful houses that lead up to the finest castle in the land. In the afternoon, continue through the green Bohemian countryside to Golden Prague.
Accommodation : Hotel Royal Prague.
Day 4 : Prague, City of a Hundred Spires
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 and taste Trdelník, a traditional Czech pastry. 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.
Accommodation : Hotel Royal Prague.
Day 5 : Reflect on Auschwitz then onto Kraków
Enjoy a drive through the rolling Czech countryside before crossing into Poland where you will stop at Oswiecim, 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.
Accommodation : Vienna House Andel's Cracow, Kraków.
Day 6 : The Damsels and Dragons of Kraków Relaxed Start
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 travellers 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.
Accommodation : Vienna House Andel's Cracow, Kraków.
Day 7 : Through Sleepy Slovakia to Budapest
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.
Accommodation : Courtyard by Marriott Budapest City Center.
Day 8 : Budapest, the Queen of the Danube Relaxed Start
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 specialities, accompanied by specially selected wines.
Accommodation : Courtyard by Marriott Budapest City Center.
Day 9 : Depart Budapest
Your Bohemian journey concludes after breakfast.