Day 01: Budapest, Hungary
Arrive Budapest International Airport. Upon clearing Customs and Immigration, you are met for transfer to your hotel. Check-in and enjoy the balance of the day at leisure.
Your local representative is part of a unique network of one of over 75 on the ground representatives throughout Europe to ensure your vacation operates smoothly and to your absolute satisfaction. Your local representative is there on the ground to ensure that your travel arrangements run perfectly. He/she is on the end of the phone for you should you have any queries and is there to assist you.
The remainder of the day will be at your leisure.
You are confirmed for three nights at the le Meridien Hotel in superior room accommodation, inclusive of buffet breakfast. Please note that official check-in time is 2PM. If your arrival is before this time we will request early check-in on your behalf however this cannot be guaranteed. Le Meridian BudapestDay 02: Budapest
Enjoy a half-day tour (4 hours) of the Buda side of the Danube River with you English-speaking guide and private vehicle. Walk across the Chain Bridge to the funicular, which will take you up to the former Royal Palace. In this ancient Royal district you will visit the Matthias Church, which has witnessed the coronation of many Hungarian Kings, and enjoy stunning panoramas of the city and river from the Fishermen’s Bastion. The Bastion affords fantastic views across the whole city. Also visit the former Royal Palace housing the Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest History Museum and the National Széchenyi Library. Your guide will escort you back to your hotel on foot. Le Meridian Budapest (Breakfast)Day 03: Budapest
Today meet your English-speaking local guide and private vehicle for a half-day sightseeing tour (4hrs) on the Pest side of the Danube. Beginning at the market hall (only open in the morning Monday to Saturday) you will see the vast array of provisions and craft-wares on sale. Continuing on your tour you will visit the ornate Synagogue which is the largest in Europe and also its Jewish Museum. See the vast Heroes' Square with its impressive Millennial Monument, and St. Stephen's Basilica, the city's largest church. You will also enjoy a private tour (approx. 1 hour and subject to theater scheduling) of the palatial Opera House, built between 1875 and 1884 and painstakingly restored after being severely damaged during the siege of the city in 1944-5 alternatively you may like to enjoy a viewing of the Crown Jewels in the Parliament Building. Le Meridian Budapest (Breakfast) Day 04: Budapest - Vienna, Austria
You will be privately transferred to the station and your local representative will show you to your pre-reserved seating in the First Class carriage of the train bound for Vienna. The journey takes approximately three hours.
Upon arrival into Vienna you will be met from the train door by your local representative and privately transferred to your hotel where you will be assisted with check-in.
In the afternoon meet your English-speaking local guide today for a half-day walking tour (4 hours) of the Imperial city of Vienna. Walk along the famous 'Ringstrasse' with its 19th century buildings and visit the Hofburg Palace complex, the residence of the Habsburg family who ruled the Austro-Hungarian Empire until 1918, and the gothic St Stephen’s Cathedral, whose soaring structure enshrines the heart of Vienna.
You are confirmed at Levante Parliament in superior room accommodation inclusive of buffet breakfast. Levante Parliament (Breakfast)
Day 05: Vienna
Meet your English-speaking local guide today and travel outside the city center by private vehicle for a half-day excursion (up to 4 hours) to the magnificent Schönbrunn Palace with its beautiful grounds. Schönbrunn Palace was the vast summer residence of the Habsburg’s and takes its name from a beautiful spring found on the estate. The spectacular setting of the Palace and the gardens are a prime example of Baroque planning. The beauty of the strict architectural symmetry is further enhanced by its gardens with fountains, trees and alleyways. Your guide will accompany you through many of the palace staterooms including the 'Hall of Mirrors' in which Mozart performed for the Empress Maria Theresa when he was only six years old.
Return to Vienna for a further half-day tour (4 hours) into Vienna’s musical past. Your guide will show you the places where the great composers lived, worked and played. Your guide will also tell you some history about the composers and their music. Composers to have left their mark on Vienna include Beethovan, Schubert and Mozart. Levante Parliament (Breakfast)Day 06: Vienna – Praque, Czech Republic
You will be privately transferred to the station and your local representative will show you to your pre-reserved seating in the First Class carriage of the train bound for Prague. The journey takes approximately four and a half hours.
Upon arrival into Prague you will be met from the train door by your local representative and privately transferred to your hotel where you will be assisted with check-in.
You are confirmed at Aria Hotel in deluxe room accommodation inclusive of buffet breakfast. Aria Hotel (Breakfast)Day 07: Prague
Meet your English-speaking local guide and enjoy a half-day walking tour (4 hours) of the Old Town, with its cobbled streets, and the Jewish Quarter, birthplace of Franz Kafka. See the Gothic Town Hall in Old Town Square, famous for its astronomical clock. Visit the Jewish Museum which houses the largest collection of Judaica in Europe, the Old New Synagogue and the Jewish Cemetery. You may also enjoy a walk across the 14th century Charles Bridge. Aria Hotel (Breakfast)Day 08: Prague
Today you will enjoy a full day sightseeing tour (8 hours) of Prague’s Castle District and art museums with your English-speaking local guide and private vehicle. Hradcany Castle was the seat of Bohemian kings and Holy Roman emperors. Visit the Cathedral of St. Vitus, one of the finest and most richly endowed in central Europe and the Basilica of St. George, which was founded in 905. Stroll along the Golden Lane, a row of tiny houses dating from the 16th century. Continue to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Loreto, an important place of pilgrimage, and the Strahov Monastery with its glorious Baroque decorations.
After lunch at leisure you will visit the Troja Palace. Troja was built in the late 17th century by Jean-Baptiste Mathey for Count Sternberg, a member of leading Bohemian aristocratic family. Situated at the foot of the Vltava Heights, the exterior of the palace was modelled on a Classical Italian villa, while its garden was laid out in formal French style. Aria Hotel (Breakfast)Day 09: Prague - Depart
Transfer to the Prague International Airport. (Breakfast)
