9-Day Crown Of Eastern Europe Escorted Tour

DAY 1, Friday - Depart the USA
Depart the USA for Hungary. Your flight includes meals, drinks, and in-flight entertainment for the journey

DAY 2, Saturday - Arrive in Budapest
Arrive in Budapest and transfer to your hotel. Balance of the day at leisure. This evening, enjoy a welcome drink and orientation at your hotel. Stay at the Budapest Radisson Blue Reke. (D)

DAY 3, Sunday - Budapest City Tour
Your morning tour begins in Pest with a chance to view the Parliament, Royal Palace and Heroes' Square. Cross the Danube over the Elizabeth Bridge to the Buda Hills. Visit Mount Gellert, then continue to Castle Hill to see the 13th century Matthias Coronation Church. From Fisherman's Bastion, enjoy a panoramic view of the city. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure (B)
Optional: Budapest Jewish Interest Tour (PM)

DAY 4, Monday - Travel to Vienna
Morning at leisure in Budapest. Depart Hungary and travel through the Austrian countryside to Vienna, former center of the Hapsburg Empire. Enjoy the balance of the day at leisure. (B)
Optional: Parliament & St. Stephens (AM)
Optional: Mozart & Strauss Concert (PM)

DAY 5, Tuesday - Vienna City Tour
Today, enjoy a sightseeing tour that begins with a visit to the impressive Schonbrunn Palace, the former summer residence of the Hapsburg emperors. View the Belvedere Palace and its gardens. 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. Stay at the Vienna Hilton Hotel - Am Stadtpark.  (B)
Optional: Austrian Country Dinner (PM)

DAY 6, Wednesday - Day at Leisure in Vienna
An entire day at leisure to follow the footsteps of your favorite composer. Visit one of countless museums or enjoy the gardens, cafes, and shopping that the elegant Austrian capital has to offer . (B)
Optional: Bratislava, Slovakia (AM)

DAY 7, Thursday - Travel to Prague via Cesky Krumlov
This morning, depart Austria for the Czech Republic. Begin with a stop in Cesky Krumlov, a fairy-tale town with a maze of narrow cobbled streets. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992, Cesky Krumlov has earned an international reputation as a time capsule of the past. Enjoy a short walk through the town and view its Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance houses. Later, continue through Southern Bohemia to the Czech capital, Prague - "The City of a Thousand Spires". Stay at the Prague Courtyard Marriott - Flora. (B)

DAY 8, Friday - Prague City Tour
This morning’s sightseeing will include a walking tour of the Lesser Town and the Old Town, viewing the Infant Jesus of Prague Church and include the 14th century Charles Bridge, with its 30 baroque statues of various saints. From here, admire the views up to the Prague castle. Continue through the Old Town Square to view the famous TownHall Astronomical Clock, viewing the Municipal House, Powder Tower and the Jewish Quarter. This evening, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant . (B, D)
Optional: Prague Castle & St. Vitus Cathedral

DAY 9, Saturday - Depart for the USA
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight . (B)

DAY 9, Saturday - Travel from Prague to Dresden. Walking Tour of Dresden
Today cross Saxony to the Baroque art city of Dresden, also known as "the Florence on the Elbe River." Enjoy a walking city tour to view sights including Zwinger Palace, the Semper Opera and the newly rebuilt Frauenkirche. Visit the stunning Green Vault Museum of Applied Arts. Continue to Berlin, proud capital of reunited Germany. (B)

DAY 10, Sunday - Berlin City Tour
This morning, enjoy a guided tour of Berlin. View the major sights of the city, including the Reichstag building, Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie, the remaining symbol of the former Berlin Wall. View the Unter den Linden Street and Kurfurstendam, as well as the State Opera House and the cathedral. This evening, enjoy a farewell dinner (B)
Optional: Potsdam Tour (PM) .

DAY 11, Monday - Depart for the USA
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight. (B)

Optional Excursions

 Budapest Jewish Interest Tour: This tour highlights the different aspects of Budapest's rich Jewish heritage. Begin with a visit to the Great Dohany Synagogue which ranks among one of the top sights of Budapest. This Moorish style building is Europe's largest and the world's second largest Synagogue. Travel to a different section of town to explore the chilling Hungarian Holocaust Museum. Additionally, view the Jewish Museum, the Tree of Life and the Raoul Wallenberg Memorial. $62

Budapest Parliament, St. Stephen's & 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 us there. Only a limited number of visitors are allowed to visit each day. Next we tour St. Stephen's Basilica, the largest and most impressive church of Budapest where a relic, the mummified hand of St. Stephen, can be seen. Finally our guide takes us 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.$63

Vienna Mozart & Strauss Concert: What better way to spend an evening in the "City of Music" than enjoying a concert of Austria's greatest composers in one of the city's splendid palaces. With the musicians, singers and dancers wearing historic costumes, this performance takes us back in time to the days when Mozart and Strauss were alive. A glass of champagne is included during the intermission. $68

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 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. Local musicians entertain with traditional melodies while hearty Austrian dishes are served. Wine and soft drinks are included. $79

Half Day Bratislava: This morning enjoy a half-day excursion across the border to Bratislava, capital of Slovakia. For centuries, this city has been famous for its charm and beauty. It has undergone a major revitalization and now flourishes as one of Europe's newest capitals. 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. Then, with time at leisure, stroll the lively pedestrian streets of this charming city where local street vendors offer regional gifts. $60

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 “Golden Lane”. $59