Gems of Central Europe Program Details
A Privately Guided Tour - Budapest, Vienna & Prague
The Chain Bridge in Budapest spans the Danube River
Day 1 – Depart USA
Your exotic journey begins today as you depart the USA and fly to Budapest.
Day 2 – Arrive Budapest, Hungary
Founded over 100 years ago by the union of two ancient cities, Buda and Pest, the city is now situated on opposing banks of the “Blue” Danube. This charming city is often referred to as the “Paris of the Danube” and is thought by many to be one of the most beautiful in the world. Your local host meets you at the airport and assists with the transfer to your hotel.
Days 3 & 4 – Budapest
The city tour with your private car and guide shows you the Opera House, Heroes’ Square, the Danube embankment and the Chain Bridge. You visit the Buda side of the city and see the Citadel atop Gellert Hill, visit Matthias Church and stop at the Fishermen’s Bastion to enjoy great views of the Hungarian Parliament building, designed to rival London’s Westminster. You’ll also visit the Central Market Hall, a favorite with culinary aficionados. The rest of your stay in Budapest is free to explore the surprising sights and unexpected delights of the city. You have plenty of time to walk down the Vaci Utca, a pedestrian street lined with the city’s smartest shops. The folk art stores have good buys in Hungarian handicrafts – including gaily-painted goose eggs to hang on a holiday tree and local pottery with a floral motif. Be sure to join local residents for a relaxing afternoon of coffee, tea and pastries at the fashionable Cafe Gerbeaud, located on Vorosmarty Square for over 125 years. (B)
Day 5 – Budapest / Vienna, Austria
After breakfast in Budapest you board a train for the trip across the Hungarian border to Vienna. Once the center of the mighty Habsburg Empire, Vienna is now the nation’s modern capital. After arrival at your hotel there is time to begin exploring this imperial city on your own. Be sure to stop in one of Vienna’s famous coffeehouses for a sweet and a cup of freshly-brewed coffee. (B)
Days 6 & 7 – Vienna
An included morning sightseeing tour gives you a wonderful overview of Vienna. Drive along the city’s famed boulevard, the Ringstrasse, and see the Hofburg, the former Imperial Palace; City Hall; the Parliament; National Museum; the famous Vienna State Opera House; and the Baroque Belvedere Palace. Next, you drive through Vienna to Schönbrunn PalaceU on the western outskirts of the city and stroll the surrounding acres of flowering gardens and parks. The rest of your Vienna stay is at leisure to spend as you please. The pedestrian-only Kärntnerstrasse is a bustling shopping street that features all the best shops, restaurants, and coffee houses. The city offers wonderful museums, art galleries, and sculpture gardens for the art lover; the Prater amusement park for the thrill seeker; and innumerable operas, concerts and plays for those who enjoy cultural performances. (B)
Day 8 – Vienna / Prague, Czech Republic
Today you enjoy a train ride through the countryside of Moravia and Bohemia to Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. Goethe once claimed that PragueU was “the most precious stone in the crown of the world.” The town is a treasure chest of Gothic and Baroque architecture, monuments, bridges, and buildings that are lovely to see. (B)
Days 9 & 10 – Prague
The cobblestone streets of the “city of a hundred spires” wind over seven hills and up both banks of the Vltava River. Prague’s renowned beauty is little-changed over the centuries, thanks to this city’s fortunate escape from the destruction of the last World War. You’ll drive up to the Hradcany area where there are wonderful views of the city and the famous Charles Bridge. You’ll walk the Golden Lane, visit the Castle and the Royal Palace, St. Vitus Cathedral and the Loretto Church. You’ll also walk to Old Town Square to see the Old Town Hall and its famous Astronomical Clock. The rest of your time in Prague is free to spend however you like. You can visit the somber Jewish Quarter, which thrived for 1,000 years before the Nazi Holocaust, or choose from a variety of optional excursions and cultural events offered by your local host. (B)
Day 11 – Return to USA
You are transferred to the airport for your flight home. (B)
Carefully Selected Hotel
| First Class | Superior First Class | Deluxe | |
| Budapest | K&K Hotel Opera | Korona | Marriott Budapest |
| Vienna | K&K Maria Theresia | Biedermeier | Hilton Vienna |
| Prague | Mövenpick | Renaissance Hotel | Grand Bohemia |
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Call for reservation |
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