Highlights of Eastern Europe

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.

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 and taste Trdelník, a traditional Czech pastry. 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.

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 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.

A transfer arrives at Budapest airport in the early afternoon. For those extending their stay, a stop is also made at the Kempinski Hotel Budapest.