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London to Istanbul Overland - 15 Days

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London to Istanbul Overland - 15 Days Short Descrip-on, Dura-on London to Istanbul Overland - 15 days Countries UK, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey Trip Overview We traverse ConInental Europe to the edge of Asia. Following old trade routes and visiIng iconic towns and ciIes along the way, we visit some of the places in Europe that you’d probably never considered before! Visit the home of Dracula, the oldest Wurst kitchen in Germany, walk the cobbled streets of Prague and BraIslava, experience a salt mine tour in Romania and pay your respects to the fallen at Tyne Cot Cemetery. Finally follow the route of the Orient Express in to Istanbul. Trip Highlights Tyne Cot Cemetery, Belgium Walking tour of Prague, Czech Republic Sunset cruise on the Danube in Budapest, Hungary 12th Century Stone Bridge in Regensberg, Germany Medieval town of Sighisoara, Romania Bran Castle - "Draculas Castle" – Romania Romanian Bear Sanctuary Train journey from Bucharest to Istanbul Old Town 'Sultanahmet' in Istanbul Please note: The trip will leave from a designated hotel in London – details will be advised closer to the :me of departure. We intend to leave very early in the morning, and we therefore recommend you arrive the night before departure and join our pre departure mee:ng. Day 1 Leaving behind the City of London, we head East to Dover and across the channel to Calais. We take the short drive in to Belgium to pay our respects to the fallen at Tyne Cot Cemetery. A[er a tasty picnic lunch, we conInue to Ghent. You have a free a[ernoon to wander the car free centre of town and admire the Medieval Architecture, take a walk along the scenic Graslei Harbour or treat yourself to some ‘babblers’ (a local bu_erscotch-esque sweet). In the evening there will be the chance to try Waterzooi, a local chicken or fish stew, washed down with a locally brewed Trappist beer. Meals Included: Picnic Lunch Day 2 StarIng our drive across Europe, we head South East, taking a short lunch stop in Luxembourg. This small and interesIng city has a complex layout, set on several levels, dropping in to two gorges. Late a[ernoon brings us to Heidelberg and our evening stop. The most notable a_racIon is the Castle, and there will be Ime for a visit either today, or tomorrow morning. In the evening we visit the Baroque old centre to find a restaurant with over 100 schnitzels on offer! Meals Included: Breakfast Included Excursions: Heidelberg Castle Entrance Day 3 Traversing Germany we stop off in Regensberg for a sausage lunch at the oldest ‘wurst’ kitchen in the country. The city was built on ancient trade routes of the 13th Century. Here Knights of the 2nd and 3rd crusade crossed the sIll standing Medieval bridge over the Danube, on their way to the Holy Land. We cross the border in to the Czech Republic and in to the city of Prague, our base for the next 2 nights. The evening is free to wander the cobbled streets and enjoy the local cuisine and possibly Europe’s greatest beer! Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch Day 4 Prague. Our local guide takes us on a walking tour of Regensburg the major sights in the morning. Visit major a_racIons such as the King Charles Bridge (14th Century), the world famous 600-year-old Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Square, Prague Castle and the Jewish Quarter. The a[ernoon is yours to enjoy - just relax and lose yourself in the many streets of the old town, find a cafe and watch the world go by. Meals Included: Breakfast Included Excursions: Walking tour of Prague with a local guide Day 5 Back on the road, we take the short drive East to the UNESCO town of Kutna Hora. We visit the famous Church of Bones (Sedlec Ossuary) to look at the macabre bone structures, which have been arIsIcally arranged in to chandeliers and decoraIons. Further south we stop in Brno for a brewery tour and our final taste of Czech beer. BraIslava in Slovakia is our night stop and we walk the cobbled streets of the old town in search of a tasty dinner. Meals Included: Breakfast Included Excursions: Church of Bones Entrance and Brewery Tour. Day 6 Esztergom on the Danube bend will be our first stop. The huge Cathedral gives fantasIc views of the river and surrounds. We conInue following the Danube and its interesIng towns, all the way into Budapest. In the evening we take the underground in to the city. Meals Included: Breakfast, Picnic lunch Included Excursions: Esztergom Cathedral Entrance. Day 7 Free day in Budapest. You have the day to explore. Free walking tours are available, or you may prefer to wander the streets and enjoy the coffee house culture or just relax in one of the city’s thermal spas. We meet again in the evening to enjoy a drink onboard a 2 hour sunset boat cruise on the Danube, where we can properly view the city’s architecture. Meals Included: Breakfast Included Excursions: Sunset boat cruise. Day 8 Crossing the ferIle farmland of the Hungarian plain, our adventure truly begins as we pass through the border in to Romania and on to Transylvania! Our night stop is in Cluj Napoca - the second largest city in Romania. There are a variety of landmark buildings that you might want to go in search of, or just relax a[er a day of travel. Don’t forget to try Ciorba, a characterisIc soup with a sour taste! Meals Included: Breakfast, picnic lunch Day 9 We start our day by visiIng a Salt Mine in the town of Turda. The beauIful 16th Century Medieval Town and UNESCO Heritage Site of Sighisoara is our next stop today. Sighisoara is one of the best-preserved towns in Europe and the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, the character who inspired Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula. We conInue South to Brasov, where we spend the next 2 nights. Meals Included: Breakfast Included Excursions: Salt Mine Entrance Day 10 Morning excursion to Dracula’s Castle in Bran. The a[ernoon is free to wander the walled city of Brasov, built on the intersecIon of trade routes between the O_oman Empire and Western Europe. If you are in need of some fresh air and are feeling energeIc, take a hike up Tampa Mountain (3000 feet) for great views. Meals Included: Breakfast Included Excursions: Entrance to Dracula’s Castle. Day 11 ZarnesI, in the Carpathian Mountains, is home to Libearty Bear Sanctuary, a place that has rescued a great number of Romania’s naIve bears from awful capIvity. We pay the Sanctuary a visit and take a tour of their 70 hectare grounds looking out for the 60 or so bears that are enjoying a new life here. A short drive takes us to Sinaia and Castelul Pele’s, a Neo-Renaissance Castle in the Carpathian Mountains. Overnight Sinaia. Meals Included: Breakfast Included Excursions: Entrance to Libearty Bear Sanctuary and 1 hour tour in Pele’s Castle. Day 12 We conInue our journey south, to Bucharest. A tour of the grandiose Parliament Building is never guaranteed, due to the many events held there, but we aim to make this our first stop. Late a[ernoon / evening is free to visit the old town and enjoy our last evening in Romania. Meals Included: Breakfast Included Excursions: 1.5hr guided tour of the Parliament Building (if available). Day 13 We enjoy a lazy breakfast before boarding the train to our final desInaIon, Istanbul. This will be an adventure in itself, as we immerse ourselves amongst locals on their daily and weekly commute, trundling through Bulgaria and on in to Turkey. It may not be the Orient Express, but you now have Ime to unwind a[er our Ime on the road and exchange stories with other travellers. We will take our own food for the journey as it is never a guarantee any will be available onboard! Meals Included: Breakfast, picnic lunch and light dinner, snacks. Included Excursions: Overnight train in a 4 berth couchePe carriage. Day 14 We cross in to Turkey in the early hours. A[er a baggage check on the border, we re-join the train for the final 5 or 6 hour run in to Istanbul. We transfer to our hotel and enjoy a much-needed hearty breakfast. There will be Ime for a quick refresh before we take an orientaIon tour of the highlights of the old city around Sultanahmet. The a[ernoon is yours to wander the Grand Bazaar, visit ancient sites such as Aya Sofya, the Blue Mosque, or maybe just relax in a Turkish Bath House. Meals Included: Breakfast. Included Excursions: OrientaQon tour in Sultanahmet. Day 15 Your tour ends a[er breakfast. Meals Included: Breakfast. Country InFormaon Most of the countries we visit, although culturally diverse, will have quite a 'western' feel to them and you will feel comfortable sightseeing, shopping, eaIng and drinking, even without knowledge of the local language. However it must be said like in any city, you should be aware of confidence tricksters and pickpockets and we recommend safety in numbers and leng your Tour Leader or other members of the group know if you plan to go off and explore on your own. Once we arrive in to Turkey, we should keep arms, shoulders and legs covered, to avoid causing offence or hassle to yourself - this goes for men as well as women. What's Included Tyne Cot 1st World War Cemetery, near Ypres, Belgium Prague walking tour with a local guide The Church of Bones' Entrance Fee, Kutna Hora Budapest - 2hr Danube River Cruise Salt Mine Entrance Entrance to the Bear Sanctuary in ZarnesI Dracula’s Castle Entrance in Bran Guided tour of Pele's Castle Train Ticket from Bucharest to Istanbul Dover to Calais Channel crossing All transport as per the iInerary 14 Breakfasts, 5 Picnic Lunches, 1 light dinner Budge-ng & What to Pack Knowing what to take, both in equipment and monetary terms can be tricky.
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