Insight Premium Tours

This tour is perfectly paced with two-night stays in each of the six cities, allowing ample time for sightseeing and leisure. All driving days are of a reasonable length with frequent stops for refreshments and photos.

Name of Tour:Highlights of Eastern Europe
Duration: 14 Days
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Itinerary
DAY 1 – VIENNA AT LEISURE
On arrival at Vienna airport, there are complimentary transfers to your hotel. The afternoon is at leisure. Perhaps take a stroll through the leafy Stadtpark to see the gilded statue of Strauss? Later, join your fellow travellers for a Welcome Drink.
Hotel: NH Danube City/Hilton.

DAY 2 – VIENNA – BUDAPEST
Follow the Danube Valley to vibrant Budapest. On arrival, view the spectacular bridges across the Danube from Gellert Hill. Visit Matthias Church, admire the views of the ornate Parliament from the Fisherman’s Bastion and visit Heroes’ Square in Pest. Enjoy a highlight evening of Hungarian music and cuisine.
Hotel: Corinthia Grand Royal. (BB,HD)

DAY 3 – SZENTENDRE EXCURSION
Enjoy time at leisure before driving past the remains of the Roman settlement of Aquincum to the picturesque riverside village of Szentendre, with its brightly coloured houses and quaint churches. There’s time to browse in the shops before returning to Budapest. (BB,D)

DAY 4 – BUDAPEST – KRAKOW
Enjoy a gentle drive into Slovakia and through the breathtaking Tatra Mountains, where peasants still live in traditional wooden houses. See the picturesque Oravsky Hrad Castle before crossing into Poland and continuing to historic Krakow.
Hotel: Sheraton. (BB,D)

DAY 5 – KRAKOW SIGHTSEEING
Join a local guide to tour historic Krakow – for centuries the seat of Poland’s kings. Ascend Wawel Hill, with its castle and legendary dragon, to visit the cathedral. Walk through the Old Town, past the courtyard of Jagiellonian University and Cloth Hall, to visit the 14th century St Mary’s Church (keep your eyes and ears peeled for the trumpeter in the tower). (BB)

DAY 6 – KRAKOW – WARSAW
Make a sombre visit with a local guide to the Auschwitz concentration camp and see nearby Birkenau. Travel north to Czestochowa to visit the 14th century Monastery of Jasna Gora, famous for the Black Madonna, said to have been painted by St Luke. Continue across the Polish Plains to the country’s capital, Warsaw.
Hotel: Sheraton. (BB,D)

DAY 7 – WARSAW SIGHTSEEING
Warsaw was almost totally destroyed during World War Two and only the detail in Canaletto’s paintings of the city enabled an authentic reconstruction to take place. On a guided tour, see the ‘wedding cake’ Palace of Culture and the Chopin Memorial in the Lazienki Park. Pay your respects at the emotive Monument of the Ghetto Heroes and, finally, see the reconstructed Old Town, including the Royal Palace. As night falls, why not enjoy a Chopin concert? (BB,D)

DAY 8 – WARSAW – BERLIN
Cross fertile plains to the historic river port of Poznan. There’s time for lunch in the charming Old Town Square before crossing the German frontier at the River Oder on your way to the capital, Berlin.
Hotel: Concorde. (BB)

DAY 9 – BERLIN & POTSDAM SIGHTSEEING
A local expert introduces the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag building (symbol of Hitler’s rise to power) and Germany’s Parliament building. Drive along Unter den Linden, seeing the beautifully restored State Opera House and Alexanderplatz. Enjoy a highlight excursion to historic Potsdam to visit the Cecilienhof, where the 1945 Treaty was signed, and visit the Gardens of Frederick the Great’s Sans Souci Palace. Consider enjoying an evening out in a lively local restaurant. (BB)

DAY 10 – BERLIN – PRAGUE
Drive south to Dresden where a walking tour introduces the Frauenkirche, now rising once again from wartime destruction. See the Castle of the Electors of Saxony, including the unique Saxon Wall overlaid with Meissen tiles, the courtyards of the Zwinger Palace and the Opera House. After some free time, head for the Czech border high in the Ore Mountains and continue to the capital of Prague.
Hotel: Crowne Plaza Castle. (BB,D)

DAY 11 – PRAGUE SIGHTSEEING
Prague has blossomed since the ‘Velvet Revolution’, but its unique character remains unchanged. On a guided tour, visit the amazing St Vitus’ Cathedral, which is set inside the 1,000-year-old Prague Castle. Later, cross the river to explore the cobblestoned Old Town Square and see its famous Astronomical Clock. As night falls, why not enjoy Prague’s exciting night life? (BB,D)

DAY 12 – PRAGUE – VIENNA
Enjoy a delightful drive through the green Bohemian countryside to medieval Cesky Krumlov, with its ancient town and Renaissance castle on either side of the River Vltava. After some free time to explore, return to Vienna.
Hotel: Hilton. (BB)

DAY 13 – VIENNA SIGHTSEEING
Venture inside the glorious State Apartments of Schönbrunn Palace during a tour with an expert local guide. There is also time to admire the gardens and Gloriette before seeing the baroque St Charles’ Church. Drive around the famous ‘Ring’, passing the Opera House, the Hofburg Imperial Residence and Parliament. The rest of the day is at leisure: why not celebrate your final night on tour with a farewell dinner? (BB)

DAY 14 – VIENNA
The tour ends with complimentary transfers to Vienna Airport. (BB)

Images

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