The Best of Vienna, Budapest and Prague

Chasing Magyar Kings, Bohemian Dukes and Holy Roman Emperors: The Best of Vienna, Budapest and Prague

11 DAYS/10 NIGHTS | GROUP TRAVEL

SUGGESTED ITINERARY | CAN BE CUSTOMIZED

While Vienna, Prague and Budapest have undoubtedly been influenced by their former INCLUSIONS Austrian Habsburg rulers, this Central European itinerary will show you that each is absolutely  Accommodations: Vienna distinct and unique! Vienna oozes classical elegance and houses some of the best museums 4 nights, Budapest 3 and classical music venues in Europe. Budapest, a true melting pot of Western and Eastern nights, Prague 3 nights cultures, is undeniably charming and home to geothermal baths, beautiful architecture and  Meals: Continental amazing views of the Danube. Prague, with its timeless Old Town and ancient Castle District, breakfast daily, lunch and possesses an ambience unlike anywhere else in the world. Spend a week and a half getting to dinner as noted in know three of Europe’s most beautiful capital cities. itinerary

DAY 1 • ARRIVE IN DAY 2 • DAY TOUR OF  Air-conditioned, private coaching VIENNA OLD TOWN  English-speaking Welcome to Austria! Upon After breakfast in the hotel, a assistants and guides arrival an assistant will meet local guide will meet your your group in the terminal’s arrivals hall group and take it on a full-day guided  Admission tickets and and accompany it by private coach to the sightseeing tour of Vienna’s Innere Stadt (1st sightseeing excursions as outlined in the itinerary hotel in Vienna. As this is the arrival day, District), which contains its Old Town. This we have not scheduled any activities until entire area has been classified as an official HIGHLIGHTS dinnertime. Please note that if your group UNESCO World Heritage Site. Being a arrives before the hotel’s official check-in political and cultural capital for the House of  Tour Schönbrunn, the time (generally 3:00 pm) you are more than Habsburg, Vienna served as a capital of the Habsburg’s Winter welcome to store baggage with the Holy Roman Empire, the Austrian Empire, Palace and a UNESCO World Heritage Site reception staff so that you can set out and and later the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The begin to explore Austria’s elegant, riverside dynasty’s patronage long encouraged art,  Dinner in a traditional capital. music and science, and as a result, the city of wine tavern in the Vienna Vienna today is truly a treasure-trove of Woods The ancient city of Vienna was once home cultural attractions. Today’s tour will take  Wachau Valley day trip to some of Europe’s most powerful rulers, place inside of Vienna’s famed Ring. Your featuring Melk Abbey and and their patronage is still evident today in guide will show your group Stephansplatz, a Danube River Cruise this cultural mecca’s grand boulevards, which is home to Vienna’s iconic St. superb museums, splendid palaces, and  Free days at leisure in Stephen’s Cathedral. You’ll stroll down unrivaled classical musical scene. This Budapest and Prague Kärntnerstrasse, Vienna’s most-famous afternoon consider paying a visit to one of  Walking tours in Győr, shopping avenue and see the nearby Vienna Vienna’s impressive museums, or as Hungary; Komárno, State Opera House. Austria’s capital is world-famous for its Slovakia; and Szentendre, Hungary coffee houses, why not pop into one for a Most of your time today will be spent café and a Viennese pastry (or two)? touring the imperial Hofburg Palace, which  Inside visits to Hofburg was the winter residence of the Habsburg Palace, Prague Castle, This evening your group will dine in the kings and emperors. Today it is the official Buda Castle and hotel’s restaurant. residence of the President of Austria. This Křivoklát Castle! enormous palace complex plays host to your group will return to the hotel in many residences, offices and museums Vienna. There is nothing scheduled this including the Spanish Riding School, the evening. However, as Vienna has such a National Library, the Burgtheater, the wonderful classical music scene, your group Natural History Museum, the Museum of might consider attending a performance at Fine Arts, and the Imperial Chapel, where the the symphony or opera. famed Vienna Boys Choir performs on DAY 4 • WACHAU Sunday mornings from September to June. VALLEY EXCURSION Your group will specifically go inside the Imperial State Apartments After breakfast in the hotel, (Kaiserappartements) to see what home was today your group will set out like for the Habsburg emperors and their on an exciting sightseeing excursion to the families. You will then continue to the Wachau Valley. This extremely picturesque Imperial Treasury (Schatzkammer), which is area, which is found along the Danube arguably the world’s greatest treasury. River, is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today’s excursion will take you west The tour will finish up back at the hotel, and through the Vienna Woods to a fairytale the remainder of the day is at leisure. For land of vineyards, castles, sleepy villages information on Vienna’s nightlife and and historic abbeys. excellent restaurant scene, please feel free to ask your guide. As part of today’s tour, your group will leisurely cruise the Danube from the pretty DAY 3 • SIGHTSEEING IN wine town of Spitz to the ancient town of VIENNA Melk, which is home to the famed After breakfast in the hotel, Benedictine Melk Abbey. This baroque your group will dive straight masterpiece, which dates back to the 11th back into the world of Habsburg splendor. century, is a true symbol of Austria and one Today’s first visit will be to the of the most-important monastic sites in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, which is Vienna’s world. Your guide will lead your group on Museum of Fine Arts. Many of the an interesting tour of the abbey before museum’s collections were amassed by the returning to Vienna in the late-afternoon. Habsburg rulers from their extensive (Please note that the Danube river cruises territories. Quite simply, this is one of the generally only operate from April to finest art museums in the world! October. In the event that your group is vacationing in Austria outside of this time Afterwards your group will board its private period, this area is still well worth a visit! coach and travel southwest to Schönbrunn, Instead of the river cruise, we could the Habsburg’s magnificent baroque summer arrange for your group to have a special palace. This UNESCO World Heritage Site, lunch of regional specialties in Melk). which has well over 1,000 rooms, is the location where a six-year-old Mozart wowed After returning to the hotel in Vienna, the Empress Maria Theresa (mother of Marie enjoy some time to relax and freshen up Antoinette) with his extraordinary musical before tonight’s group dinner in Grinzing, talent in the late 1700s. an area located on the outskirts of the Vienna Woods. Grinzing is best After touring the palace’s state rooms, 18th- characterized by its “heurigen” or century rooms associated with the Empress traditional wine taverns. Enjoy a Maria Theresa, and the private apartments memorable last evening in Austria before of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Sisi, returning to the hotel (roundtrip to Austria. Having played host to Celtic transportation to Grinzing is included). tribes, Roman legions, nomadic Magyars, Tatar raiders and Ottoman invaders, DAY 5 • VIENNA – GYŐR Hungary is nothing if not a fascinating – KOMÁRNO - BUDAPEST melting pot! After breakfast and check- DAY 6 • SZENTENDRE out, your group will bid AND BUDAPEST farewell to Austria and head east by private SIGHTSEEING coach to the Hungarian capital of Budapest. En-route, enjoy interesting sightseeing After breakfast in the hotel, beginning with a stop in the Hungarian today your group will set out on an exciting town of Győr. Nestled near Hungary’s day of sightseeing. Today’s tour will begin northwestern borders with Austria and with a short drive north to the pretty Slovakia, the ancient city of Győr lies at the Hungarian town of Szentendre, a popular confluence of three rivers: the Danube, excursion from Budapest. Szentendre is Rábca and Rába. This morning your group known for its Slavic influences (particularly will enjoy a one-hour walking tour of Győr Serbian), baroque architecture and thriving before continuing east to the river port artist community, and during your visit this town of Komárno, Slovakia. morning, you’ll find no shortage of galleries or museums. After a guided walking tour, Upon arrival you and your fellow travelers your group will return to central Budapest will have free time for lunch before setting to learn all about this strikingly-beautiful out on a one-hour walking tour of city. Komárno. Prior to the conclusion of World War I, Komárno was actually located in Interestingly, Budapest didn’t exist prior to Hungary. Today the city has retained 1873 but instead was three distinct cities: something of its former Hungarian past, Buda, Pest, and Óbuda. The city’s political which you will see during your walking tour and cultural development led to its of its Old Town. Afterwards your group will becoming the truly enchanting capital city proceed directly to the hotel in Budapest. that you will visit today. You will not run After check-in and time to freshen up, your out of things to do in Budapest as it is home group will feast on Hungarian specialties in to gorgeous architecture, one of the largest the hotel’s restaurant, and tomorrow you synagogues in Europe, a wonderful café will begin sightseeing in Hungary’s historic culture, terrific classical music venues and capital. geothermal baths where locals and visitors alike can soak their troubles away. Its After visiting Vienna, Budapest is a natural numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites, follow-up as it was a culturally and which include Andrássy Avenue, the Buda politically important city for the Austrian Castle District, the riverbanks, Heroes’ Habsburg rulers; its location led to it being Square and the Millennium Underground caught in a very frequent tug-of-war Railway, straddle both sides of the Danube. between the Holy Roman Empire to the west and the powerful Ottoman Empire to During today’s sightseeing tour of Budapest the south. Budapest was also the official you will see its famed Parliament building second capital of the powerful Austro- along with the Széchenyi Chain Bridge. Hungarian Empire. That being said don’t Afterwards your group will visit the Buda make the mistake of thinking it too similar Castle District including Matthias Church, the Fisherman's Bastion and the Hungarian Much of the fairytale-like beauty found in National Gallery, which is located inside the Prague can be credited to its 14th-century Royal Palace. The tour will finish back at the ruler: Charles IV. As both the King of hotel. Bohemia and the Holy Roman Empire, his patronage ushered in an era of art, culture, DAY 7 • BUDAPEST FREE architecture, and scholarship in Bohemia; a DAY true Golden Age. During his reign, Prague After breakfast in the hotel, became the imperial capital of the Holy enjoy a full day to visit Roman Empire. A second Golden Age in Budapest on your own. Despite the fact Prague took place in the late 16th century that this is one of Europe’s largest cities, during the reign of Emperor Rudolf II, who you will find that is surprisingly easy to visit despite being a Habsburg chose to rule from many of its main attractions on foot. Today Prague instead of Vienna. His fostering of consider checking out one of Budapest’s both science and art allowed Prague to lovely parks (Városliget “City Park” or the blossom even further. After his reign, the parks on Margaret Island are all good Austrian Habsburgs continued to rule over choices), visit Heroes’ Square, tour the Prague for the next three centuries; until Budapest Holocaust Memorial Center, or the end of World War I. Today, many of relax at one of Budapest’s amazing thermal Prague’s magnificent cultural and springs spas. architectural offerings date from their reigns. The city’s heritage is so rich that its DAY 8 • BUDAPEST – entire historic center is a UNESCO World BRATISLAVA - PRAGUE Heritage Site. After breakfast and check- DAY 9 • PRAGUE out, your group will travel CASTLES TOUR north by private coach to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Located on the banks of After breakfast in the hotel, the Danube only 40 miles east of Vienna, your group will set out by Bratislava was the capital of the Austrian- private coach on a full-day royal castles led Kingdom of Hungary for almost 250 sightseeing tour featuring Křivoklát Castle years. Its iconic castle was a major cultural and Prague Castle. Dating back to the 12th center under the patronage of Austrian century, Křivoklát Castle was the home of Empress Maria Theresa. The chief charm Bohemian kings and princes for centuries however of Bratislava is simply its Old (as well as political prisoners during the Town, which is home to truly beautiful Middle Ages). The castle’s interiors are medieval and baroque architecture. While absolutely stunning; its library and royal there your group will have a 2-hour guided chapel in particular. After touring the castle walking tour followed by time for lunch and free time for lunch, your castle before re-boarding the coach and traveling sightseeing tour will continue with a visit to northwest to Prague. the Prague Castle complex, which is composed of many structures including Upon arrival to the hotel in Prague, check towers, houses and churches. One can in and take some time to freshen up before easily spend an entire day there and still not tonight’s group dinner in the hotel’s see everything. During your tour this restaurant. Tomorrow you will begin your afternoon your group will tour St. Vitus sightseeing in the Czech Republic’s historic Cathedral, St. George's Basilica, the Old capital. Royal Palace, Golden Lane and Daliborka WHY TRAVEL WITH US ? Tower, all of which form part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Whether it is taking a family trip to Paris, an The sightseeing tour will finish up back at educational group to Barcelona, or a church your hotel, and the evening is at leisure for group to Rome we can build an affordable you to enjoy Prague. trip tailored to your interests. From single city itineraries to multiple cities and DAY 10 • PRAGUE FREE countries, we will work with you to create DAY custom tours for groups of 10 to 500 After breakfast in the hotel, people. enjoy a full day at leisure to visit Prague on your own. As most of We Make It Easy - We provide a quick yesterday’s sightseeing in Prague took turnaround on custom quotes. Multi-city Why Should You place up in Hradčany, the Castle District, and multi-country itineraries are our Book Your Vacation today we recommend you explore Prague’s specialty. In addition, we can help organize with Go-today? medieval Old Town, which in Czech is signup deadlines, travel documents and known as “Staré Město.” There you will payments. find a multitude of interesting sights, some Ease of Use th of which; like the 13 -century Old New Experience - Go-today has managed over Synagogue; are located in Josefov, Prague’s 6,000 custom group trips since 1990. We Experience Jewish Quarter. Another must see is provide expert guides and high quality Prague’s magnificent Old Town Square, travel products. th Flexibility which is home to the city’s 15 -century Astronomical Clock. For postcard-like Flexibility - We work with you to create a views of the Vltava River, we suggest you Peace of Mind tailor-made trip to accommodate your stroll across the city’s iconic Charles Bridge. interests, booking whatever combination of Lastly, if you are a fan of the Czech Art travel services fit your plans and budget, Destination Expertise Nouveau artist, Alphonse Mucha, you must including airfare, hotels, rail, transfers, pay a visit to the Mucha Museum, which is sightseeing and more. housed inside the baroque Kaunický Palace.

This evening your group will dine in a local Peace of Mind - Dedicated local ground restaurant on its last evening in Central support means that there is always Europe. someone available to help you. Relax knowing that your trip is backed by our DAY 11 • DEPARTURE FROM PRAGUE commitment to offer world-class quality of service. After breakfast and check- out, your group will transfer by private coach to Prague Václav Havel Airport for its return flight to the USA or Canada.

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