Eastern Europe: Beyond the Big Sights

You've made it!

Arrival and welcome: drop your bags at your central accommodation and meet the small group of explorers you'll be spending the next three weeks with. Chances are, you'll be swapping stories like old friends in no time!

Our first dinner: Hungarian food is having a serious moment – and tonight's group dinner is your intro to the good stuff. Think goulash, paprika potatoes, and chimney cake for dessert. Heaven.

Later, your way: feeling the jet lag? Head back to your accommodation for a bit of downtime. Got a second wind? Sink into a ruin bar with a spritz or soda and soak up the Budapest buzz. Stay: Wombat's City Hostel Budapest (or similar) (D)

Budapest, it's been a dream. Kraków, let's see what you've got.

Next stop, Kraków: where it's time to swap thermal baths for medieval charm as we roll into Poland. Settle in with a good playlist and a stash of snacks. Those paprika chips? Unexpectedly moreish, but we'll let you be the judge.

First impressions count: once checked in, head out on a relaxed wander with your Trip Leader. Expect cobbled streets, fairytale castles and enough pigeons to form their own parliament.

Dinner's on us: tonight, it's time to tuck in to a hearty group dinner and say cheers (or ‘na zdrowie!') to new adventures in Poland's prettiest city.. Stay: MEININGER Kraków Centrum (or similar) (B/D)

Get ready to fall for Kraków.

Do your thing, Kraków style: today is yours to soak it all up – lantern-lit alleys, cosy cafés, and enough old-world soul to win anyone over. Wander the Old Town, dive into the fairy-tale vibes of Wawel Castle, or check out the eerie and unforgettable Wieliczka Salt Mines. Prefer something slower? Go full local with a coffee and a drożdżówka (Polish sweet bun) in hand.

Kazimierz calling: this afternoon, head to the Jewish Quarter. Think indie galleries, vintage stores, and cool coffee spots tucked inside centuries-old synagogues. There's history around every corner – and probably some outrageously good zapiekanka (Polish-style pizza bread) too. You've earned it. Still thirsty? There's an optional vodka tasting later – because when in Poland… Stay: MEININGER Kraków Centrum (or similar) (B)

Next stop: Warsaw, where old meets bold.

Bright lights and big sights: you've touched down in Warsaw – bags down, boots on: there's a whole lot more storybook beauty waiting on this afternoon's walking tour with your Trip Leader – think colourful Old Town squares, royal castles, and a fair bit of history (some heavy, some heroic).

Group dinner tonight: it's your last night in Poland, so eat as many of those golden potato pancakes as you can.

Later, your way: chase the sunset along the Vistula River or sip something sweet in a fairy-lit bar in Praga – Warsaw's edgier cousin across the river. Stay: A&O Warschau Wola (or similar) (B/D)

Warsaw round two – time to dig deeper into this city of contrasts.

Step into history: this morning, you'll be going inside the Warsaw Uprising Museum – an unmissable deep dive into one of the city's most defining moments. It's immersive, moving, and seriously powerful stuff.

Your afternoon = your rules: stroll through the Old Town's colourful streets, seek out the city's best local bites, or park yourself in Łazienki Park and do absolutely nothing. Warsaw is yours to wander. Stay: A&O Warschau Wola (or similar) (B)

Berlin bound! Time to swap pierogi for currywurst as we roll into Germany's capital of cool.

Get moving: settle in on the journey from Warsaw to Berlin, and start dreaming of the colourful murals of the East Side Gallery, grabbing a pretzel from the carts on Oranienstraße, and dancing to techno beats at Berghain.

Fuel up, Berlin style: gather tonight for an included feast of hearty German favourites – you can expect sausages, schnitzels and plenty of gemütlichkeit (that's good cheer, the German way). Stay: A&O Hostel Berlin Hauptbahnhof (or similar) (B/D)

Bites, sights and a bit of Berlin grit.

Walking tour (with snacks): late morning, meet your local guide for a whistle-stop wander through Berlin's past and present – with included, grazing-style lunch stops along the way. Expect a sugar-dusted Berliner jam donut and a piping-hot currywurst that packs a punch.

Choose your own adventure: the city's yours to explore. Feeling arty? Join an optional Berlin Street Art Tour and uncover the graffiti-covered corners of the city. Prefer something more relaxed? Take it slow with a riverside stroll and some vintage shopping in Kreuzberg.

Later, your way: do your own thing, or ask your Trip Leader for their top dinner picks – from German classics to cool neighbourhood eats. Stay: A&O Hostel Berlin Hauptbahnhof (or similar) (B/L)

History that hits home.

Sachsenhausen visit: this morning, you'll visit a former concentration camp which is now a memorial site. It's a haunting place, offering insight into one of history's darkest chapters.

Your Berlin, your way: this afternoon, it's over to you. Hunt down vibrant street art in Friedrichshain's creative corners, unwind with a cold one in a leafy beer garden like Prater Garten, or dive into the city's alternative scene in Neukölln – where cool cafés, quirky bars and hidden galleries await.

Optional foodie fix: join an optional food tour and sample some more of Berlin's tastiest traditions. Stay: A&O Hostel Berlin Hauptbahnhof (or similar) (B)

Tschüss Berlin, ahoj Prague! (That's ‘bye' in German, and a friendly ‘hello' in Czech to us!)

From Berlin to Prague: grab your snacks and playlists – you're rolling into the fairy-tale city of spires, and historic venues, packed with the kind of allure that'll sweep you off your feet.

Prague on foot: after check-in, stretch your legs on a walking tour with your Trip Leader. Expect grand spots like the bustling Old Town Square, Gothic towers soaring skyward – but this experience is all about slipping behind the scenes. Think hidden courtyards, tucked-away passages, and secret corners that only locals know and tales of wild history lurking in the shadows.

Dinner time: you'll gather for a group dinner tonight. Think dumplings, goulash, and a cold Czech beer or two. Na zdraví! Stay: The Gold Bank (or similar) (B/D)

Medieval feasts, river views, and a splash of Prague adventure.

Prague, round two: you've got the whole day to dive into this fairy-tale city your way. Want to float past spires and castles? Join an optional stand-up paddleboarding session on the Vltava River – it's sightseeing, but redefined with insider secrets. Hungry for more medieval madness? Sign up for tonight's optional banquet and feast like it's 1399. Stay: The Gold Bank (or similar) (B)

Next stop: Vienna. Let's waltz.

Trade fairy tales for fancy façades: we're rolling into the city where Strauss's melodies fill the air and schnitzel is always on the menu. After check-in, hit the streets on an orientation tour with your Trip Leader – think grand boulevards, imperial palaces, and maybe even a slice of something sweet. Stay: A&O Wien Hauptbahnhof (or similar) (B)

Do your thing, Vienna-style.

Vienna's a-calling: today's yours to soak up the imperial elegance of Austria's capital. Channel your inner Habsburg at Schönbrunn Palace, hunt down the city's flakiest apple strudel, or lose an afternoon to Klimt at the Belvedere.

Later, your way: feeling fancy? Opt in for a Viennese orchestra performance later – because what's a trip to Vienna without a little Mozart magic? Stay: A&O Wien Hauptbahnhof (or similar) (B)

We say auf wiedersehen to Vienna as we head to Bratislava.

From Vienna to Bratislava : journey to Slovakia's laid-back capital – small in size, big on old-world beauty and a breezy riverside feel.

Bratislava on foot: after check-in, lace-up for a chilled-out wander with your Trip Leader. Expect cobbled streets, quirky statues, and a castle with views to die for – along with local legends and little-known stories your Trip Leader's got up their sleeve.

Dinner plans: you'll come together for a relaxed group dinner, full of local flavours like bryndzové halušky (creamy potato dumplings with sheep's cheese), garlicky soups, and flaky pastries – all served up with full plates, great company and stories you'll still be telling next week. Na zdravie (cheers)! Stay: Hotel Tatra (or similar) (B/D)

Next up: Budapest, and one last hurrah to end on a high!

Next stop: Budapest: Cross into Hungary, where grand and hilly Buda meets buzzing, flat Pest—two sides of the Danube, one unforgettable city.

Budapest's best bits: after check-in, lace-up for a walking tour through one of Europe's most enchanting capitals. You'll see the iconic Chain Bridge, the banks of the Danube, and take in sweeping views from the Buda side. You'll pass the neo-Gothic Parliament building, the vibrant Great Market Hall, and the stately Andrássy Avenue. Along the way, your local guide will share stories of emperors, revolutions, and thermal baths that have shaped Budapest into the city it is today.

Taste buds ready: you'll reunite for a final group dinner packed with tasty Hungarian flavours – goulash, paprika-spiced everything, and the kind of comfort food that hits just right. Stay: Wombat's City Hostel Budapest (or similar) (B/D)

Viszlát, Budapest! (That's ‘goodbye' Budapest' in Hungarian).

That's a wrap: your two-week adventure comes to a close – time to check out and start planning the next one! (B)