DAY 1: Depart for Hungary
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DAY 2: Arrive in Budapest
- Arrive in Budapest and transfer to your hotel. The balance of the day is at leisure. Your tour will begin with an orientation meeting with your Tour Manager at approximately 6 PM, followed by a light dinner at your hotel. We recommend that you flights which arrive in no later than 4 PM
- Overnight: Budapest
- Meal: Dinner
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DAY 3: Budapest City Tour, Danube Dinner Cruise
- Your morning tour begins in Pest with a chance to view the Parliament, Royal Palace and Heroes Square. You will cross the Danube River on the Elizabeth Bridge into the Buda Hills. Visit Castle Hill to see the 13th century Matthias Coronation Church. From Fishermans Bastion, enjoy a panoramic view of the city. Spend the afternoon with Danube Dinner Cruise, Enjoy a relaxing cruise down the Danube on a private boat, accompanied by the commentary of your local expert. The views from the river are magnificent as you admire the skyline from a different perspective of the city after sunset. The buffet dinner features Hungarian specialties and wine. Transportation is included.
- Overnight: Budapest
- Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
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DAY 4: Travel to Vienna, Parliament, St. Stephens & Great Market Hall & Mozart & Strauss Concert
- Spend the morning with Parliament, St. Stephens & Great Market Hall, This comprehensive tour includes three splendid interiors and at the same time provides an insight on local politics, religion and products. The cost of building the Hungarian House of Parliament would have paid for the construction of an entire town for 40,000 people. A stunning interior and the Hungarian Crown Jewels await you there. Only a limited number of visitors are allowed to visit each day. Next tour St. Stephens Basilica, the largest and most impressive church of Budapest where a relic, the mummified hand of St. Stephen, can be seen. Finally your guide takes you to the historic Great Market Hall where, like a hundred years ago, the locals still do their everyday shopping. At your leisure, absorb the unique atmosphere with over 100 market stalls and an endless choice of regional products. Countinued with Mozart & Strauss Concert, Experience a delightful evening of Viennese culture in the "City of Music." Attend a concert featuring the classical masterpieces of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Strauss, two of Viennas most famous citizens. The musicians will bring to life the passionate strains of Mozart, a child prodigy who blossomed into one of historys greatest composers and Strauss, the Waltz King, who composed the Blue Danube, the worlds most famous waltz.
- Overnight: Vienna
- Meal: Breakfast
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DAY 5: Vienna City Tour, The Glory of the Habsburg Emperors
- Today, take a sightseeing tour that begins with a visit to Schonbrunn Palace, the former summer residence of the Habsburg emperors. Continue with a drive along the famous Ringstrasse and view the Empress Maria Theresia Monument, Votive Church, City Hall and Parliament. Next, walk through the Hofburg courtyards to the State Opera House. Countinued with The Glory of the Habsburg Emperors, This guided tour takes you on a journey through over 1,000 years of power, wealth and glory. Experience imperial Vienna at the Habsburg Treasury. View precious items collected by the Holy Roman and Austro-Hungarian Emperors. Amongst many other treasures see the Imperial Crown Jewels, as well as priceless vestments worn by kings and queens. Next, visit the Imperial Crypt where your local expert makes the days of the great Empire come alive.
- Please note this tour does not operate on Mondays.
- Overnight: Vienna
- Meal: Breakfast
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DAY 6: Bratislava City Tour, Austrian Country Dinner
- This morning enjoy a half-day excursion across the border to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. The beautifully restored old town with its winding lanes and medieval courtyards is nestled between the steep Castle Hill and the Danube River. First, explore the historic center on a guided walking tour. After, take time to stroll the lively pedestrian streets of this city where local street vendors offer regional gifts before returning to Vienna. Tonight we will countinue with Austrian Country Dinner, This fun evening begins with a short drive through the legendary Vienna Woods to the top of Mount Kahlenberg with panoramic views of Vienna. Continue to a one of the charming old wine villages in the vicinity for dinner. The characteristic Heurigen tavern dates back to the 18th century and has been family run for generations. A local musician will entertain with traditional melodies while hearty Austrian dishes are served. Wine and soft drinks are included.
- Overnight: Vienna
- Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
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DAY 7: Travel to Prague
- This morning, depart Austria for the Czech Republic. Travel through Southern Bohemia to the Czech capital, Prague - "The City of a Thousand Spires". Upon arrival, check into your hotel. Balance of the day is at leisure. Tonight, try traditional Czech cuisine at one of the many world-class restaurants in Prague
- Overnight: Prague
- Meal: Breakfast
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DAY 8: Prague City Tour, Prague Castle & St. Vitus Cathedral
- This mornings sightseeing will include a walking tour of the Lesser Town and the Old Town, viewing the 14th century Charles Bridge, with its 30 Baroque statues of various saints. From here, admire the view of Prague Castle. Continue through the Old Town Square to view the Town Hall, Astronomical Clock, Municipal House, Powder Tower and the Jewish Quarter. Countinued with Prague Castle & St. Vitus Cathedral, Leaving the bustle of the new town, drive up the hill to the historical area surrounding the Prague castle, and enter the fairytale complex of cobbled courtyards, churches and administrative buildings, once the court of the Bohemian Kings. Still the political center of the Czech Republic, this is where the Presidential Palace is located, complete with ceremonial guards. Visit the medieval Old Palace and the Cathedral of St. Vitus, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, as well as the St. George Basilica and the Famous &ldquoGolden Lane&rdquo. This evening, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant
- Overnight: Prague
- Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
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DAY 9: Dresden En route to Berlin
- Today cross Saxony to the Baroque art city of Dresden, also known as "the Florence on the Elbe River". Stop at the ornate Zwinger Palace, once a setting for court festivities, and Semper Opera House. Continue to the Frauenkirche Church, symbol of reconstruction with its Baroque dome. Afterwards, travel to Berlin, capital of Germany. Balance of the day is at leisure
- Overnight: Berlin
- Meal: Breakfast
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DAY 10: Berlin City Tour, Berlins Hidden Past
- This morning, take a guided tour of Berlin that includes the citys major sights, the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag Building and "Checkpoint Charlie," the last remaining mark of the formerly divided city. Drive along Unter den Linden Boulevard past the State Opera House and the Cathedral. End the day in the shopping and entertainment district of Kurfürstendamm. Countinued with Berlins Hidden Past, Embark on a fascinating tour into Berlins turbulent past. Your knowledgeable guide makes Berlins history come alive as you delve beneath the surface to see what remains of the city of the latter part of the 20th century. The tour will bring you to the East Side Gallery, a preserved colourful section of the wall, now one of the longest open air art galleries in the world. Next visit the Berlin Wall Memorial, and later the Topography of Terror, an exhibition located on the former site of the Gestapo Headquarters. This evening, at dinner, bid farewell to your Tour Manager
- Overnight: Berlin
- Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
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DAY 11: Depart Germany
- Transfer to the airport for your departure flight
- Meal: Breakfast
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