Austria & Slovenia

Welcome to Austria and the historically rich city of Vienna situated on the north-eastern side of the country. Europe's bastion of imperial grandeur and culture, this glorious city will delight with its impressive palaces and wide boulevards. We don't want you to miss out on any aspect of your small group tour. To ensure that you don't, we recommend you arrive at your starting destination by 3.00pm. We'll join our fellow travellers and our tour leader for a welcome dinner and a brief orientation walk around the Old Town.

Our sightseeing today in majestic Vienna includes a drive along the famed Ringstrasse to see the palaces of Hofburg and Belvedere, the Prater Amusement Park, Vienna State Opera, the Academy of Fine Arts, the Rathaus, St Stephen's Cathedral and more. We'll also visit the Imperial Palace of Schönbrunn. With its adjacent buildings and vast gardens, it is among the most important baroque structures of its type in Europe.

Our tour includes the Residential Palace with its impressive furniture, fixtures and fittings reflecting the luxurious lifestyle of the Imperial Family. The beauty of Schönbrunn Palace lies in the fact that it has retained many of its original features that date back to the 18th century. The baroque layout of the gardens has also remained scarcely unchanged and is a joy to explore. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure to explore the city at your own pace.

This morning we leave Vienna and make our way to the stunning city of Salzburg. The city is famous for being the former home of Mozart and the shooting location for ‘The Sound of Music'. Salzburg offers a vibrant arts scene and delectable cuisine, within a breathtaking setting of charming fairy-tale-like buildings, landscaped parks, and quaint side streets. En route we'll stop by the town of Melk. Here we'll get the chance to tour the Melk Abbey complex, an 18th century Benedictine monastery that sits upon a clifftop overlooking the idyllic Danube River.

After some free time for lunch in Melk, we continue on to the Wachau Valley. A picturesque valley nestled snug against the Danube River, here we'll enjoy a delicious tasting at a local winery. After arriving in Salzburg, we'll enjoy the evening at leisure.

Today our eyes are set on exploring the sights of Salzburg on a Sound of Music tour, uncovering all of the gorgeous sights and landscapes where the iconic film took place. We visit the Mirabell Gardens and Pegasus Fountain where Maria and the children sing Do-Re-Mi, along with the stunning Hellbrunn Palace gardens and St Michael's Church in Mondsee.

We will also see the Benedictine Nonnberg Abbey, St Gilgen, and the Wolfgangsee where the famous opening scenes were shot. Ensure your cameras are fully charged for today, Austria's countryside is nothing short of incredible! We'll return to Salzburg where the afternoon is free for you to explore more of this delightful city at your own pace.

Special Experience: Step back in time and enjoy a Mozart Dinner Concert, set in a Baroque Hall complete with historical recipes and melodies.

This morning we travel to the nearby town of Hallein to visit one of the oldest salt mines in the world, located in the mountainside in the Dürrnberg Plateau. The Hallein Salt Mine is an underground mine which has been used for centuries, bringing enormous wealth to the surrounding communities. In fact, the salt mined from this region was referred to as ‘white gold'. Here we'll go deep into the mountainside to learn how salt was extracted from the mountain.

We continue on to visit the infamous Eagle's Nest, or the Kehlsteinhaus as it is locally known, a building from the Third Reich era. A unique engineering feat, the structure was built as a teahouse for Adolf Hitler and sits high atop a rocky outcrop. Its architecture reflects the monumentalism favoured at the time. To gain access we head into a 100-metre-long tunnel that leads straight into the side of the mountain. Here an elevator takes us up through the mountain and into the building itself. We'll then make our way to the quaint town of Berchtesgaden for some free time for lunch, before heading on to Innsbruck, enjoying the evening at leisure upon arrival.

Exploring the gems of Innsbruck is on our agenda today. Nestled amidst the stunning Austrian Alps, this enchanting alpine city offers a glorious blend of natural beauty, rich history and vibrant culture. With breathtaking mountains as a backdrop, the city is home to narrow cobblestone streets lined with colourful buildings, alluring museums and art galleries and delicious cozy eateries.

This morning we'll set off on a walking tour around Innsbruck, enjoying the sights it has to offer. We will also take the famed Nordkette cable car, taking us from the heart of Innsbruck to the majestic Nordkette Mountain Range. As we ascend, we'll be rewarded with views of the stunning city and serene alpine landscapes. Think lush mountains, deep valleys and urban vistas! Enjoy the afternoon at leisure to explore more of this wonderful city at your own pace.

We cross the border into Slovenia today, with our eyes set on the enchanting Lake Bled. En route we'll stop past the picturesque Austrian town of Zell am See. Here we'll find a pristine alpine lake surrounded by an imposing mountain range. We'll immerse ourselves in the charm of the cobblestoned streets in the Old Town with free time for lunch, before continuing on to Lake Bled.

Welcome to Lake Bled! The Julian Alps have called to European travellers for centuries and today we'll experience their beauty on a day of sightseeing. With its serene, sapphire-toned lake, charming villages and alpine fresh air, Bled enchants all who make their way here. In Bled, we enjoy a morning guided tour of the town including a visit to the picturesque Bled Castle. Built in approximately 1011 on a cliff that lines the shore of Lake Bled, the castle is home to sweeping views across the lake.

Next, we make our way through the pretty Slovenian villages to the town of Bohinj, before boarding a cable car up to the top of Mount Vogel. Atop Mount Vogel we'll enjoy some free time to bask in the views and eat some lunch.

Special Experience: Experience a traditional butter making demonstration at a family dairy farm and enjoy a taste of the delicious dairy products.

Today we'll depart the stunning Lake Bled and begin our journey to the picturesque Slovenian city of Ljubljana. As we make our way to Ljubljana, we stop at the incredible Postojna Caves, a network of 20 kilometres of passages, galleries and chambers and the largest and the most-visited show cave in Europe. This massive cave has its own distinct ecosystem and is home to the unique amphibian, the olm, also known as the human-fish. We'll enjoy a delicious three course lunch in Postojna, before continuing on to Ljubljana with the afternoon at leisure.

Today we'll say hello to the gorgeous city of Ljubljana. Charming and romantic, the country's capital is an idyllic city full of elegant buildings, tree-lined boulevards and welcoming locals. It's a delightful tapestry of fairytale beauty, riverside restaurants, historic architecture and lush parks, all contributing to the city's captivating allure. This morning we'll take off on a sightseeing tour of the city, seeing the intricate Baroque Old Town, Central Open-Air Market, Town Hall, Robba's Fountain, Three Bridges, Parliament and Congress Square.

We then head to the charming town of Novo Mesto, located on a horse-shoe bend of the Krka River. Its tranquil location, quaint cobblestone streets, and cozy size make it an ideal town to visit.

Special Experience: Take a relaxing cruise aboard Rudolf’s Raft as we meander past the adorable houses and buildings dotted along the riverbanks, all while enjoying local wine paired with delicious snacks and light music. We'll enjoy a farewell dinner tonight, reminiscing on all of the fun experiences we've shared and sights we've seen on tour.

Our tour concludes after breakfast this morning. We bid farewell to our new friends and to the charm of Austria & Slovenia.