Country Roads of Central Europe
Overview
Itinerary
Your journey begins in Vienna, the capital of Austria. Spend your afternoon at leisure before meeting your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a pleasant dinner at a local restaurant.
Join a Local Expert for a tour of Maria Theresa's magnificent Schönbrunn Palace and its formal gardens. Be transported to a time of opulence and extravagance, as you marvel at the intricacies of gilded Rococo frames, frescoed ceilings, and crystal chandeliers.
Get your camera ready for a drive around the Ringstrasse, a grand boulevard built along the lines of the old city walls, showcasing many of the capital's architectural masterpieces, including the Opera House, the magnificent Hofburg Imperial Residence, the Austrian Parliament Building, and Karlskirche.
Explore Vienna by joining a unique MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, take to the floor in a Viennese Waltz dance workshop and support the visually impaired community. Dancing in the dark, in a specially designed sensory studio, will be a unique experience for all your senses.
Once over the Czech border, head for picturesque Český Krumlov, where you will begin with a brief orientation tour of this fairy-tale town, straight out of the Middle Ages. Enjoy some free time to explore and appreciate views of the Vltava River. Wander through the cobblestone, traffic-free streets, past colourful houses that lead up to the finest castle in the land.
In the afternoon, continue through the green Bohemian countryside to Golden Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.
Explore Prague with Insight Choice. Choose to walk the courtyards of the castle and visit the imposing St. Vitus Cathedral. Alternatively, join your Local Expert for a walk through the Jewish Quarter and learn about a different side of the history of Prague. Continue to Old Town Square where the mechanical antics of the Astronomical Clock's glockenspiel delight onlookers each hour. The afternoon is free for you to explore at your leisure.
Enjoy a drive through the rolling Czech countryside before crossing into Poland where you will stop at Oświęcim, better known by its German name of Auschwitz. Join a guided tour of the memorial and museum, which bore witness to the terrible atrocities of the Holocaust.
In the morning, why not join an Optional Experience and journey into a glistening subterranean world at the 600-year-old Wieliczka Salt Mine? In a maze of tunnels deep below the surface, witness unique salt sculptures, sunken lakes and even a glorious cathedral carved entirely out of rock salt by the miners.
Alternatively, enjoy a morning at leisure before joining your fellow traveller to ascend Wawel Hill and visit the cathedral, with your Local Expert. Walk past the former residence of Pope John Paul II through the Old Town, to Europe's largest and most beautiful town square. See the medieval Sukiennice Cloth Hall and visit the 14th-century St. Mary's Basilica, the most important church in the city. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for the trumpeter in the tower.
In the evening, choose from a selection of hand-picked local restaurants on your Dine-Around evening.
Journey into the Slovakian region of Orava and see the picturesque Oravský Hrad Castle before continuing through the breathtaking Low Tatra Mountains to arrive in Budapest.
Enjoy a tour of the Liszt Music Academy, followed by an enchanting recital by one of the students. The university was founded by the piano virtuoso and composer Franz Liszt in 1875.
Afterwards, explore Budapest with a Local Expert. Visit Heroes' Square and drive down elegant Andrássy Boulevard in Pest, and wander the medieval streets of Buda to enjoy views from the Fisherman's Bastion.
The rest of the day is at your leisure to relax by the Danube or browse the boutiques of Vaci Street. For dinner, you are treated to mouth-watering Hungarian specialities, accompanied by specially selected wines.
Today, bid farewell to your new friends before you transfer to the airport.
Trip Inclusions
- Vienna: Visit Vienna's grand Baroque palace with your Local Specialist and trace the legacy of the Habsburg dynasty. See the Hall of Mirrors where Mozart performed as a child, the richly decorated Great Gallery used for court functions, and the private apartments of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth. Learn how court rituals, politics and personal tastes shaped one of Europe's most influential empires.
- Vienna: Travel along the Ring Road to see the Hofburg Imperial Residence, Opera House, Parliament Building and Karlskirche.
- Cesky Krumlov: Your Travel Director will lead you on an orientation of the city as you explore the medieval streets of this fairy-tale town.
- Auschwitz: Visit the Auschwitz Memorial and Museum with a Memorial Guide Educator, viewing preserved barracks, guard towers and the barbed-wire perimeter of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp.
- Kraków: Visit Wawel Cathedral with your Local Specialist, stepping inside the burial place of Poland's monarchs and statesmen. You'll see chapels added across successive dynasties and the cathedral where Karol Wojtyła, later Pope John Paul II, served as Archbishop of Kraków.
- Kraków: Join your Local Specialist to trace Kraków's development around Rynek Główny and the streets that formed the city's medieval core. You'll see the layers of architecture shaped by royal patronage, mercantile guilds and university life, noting how each period left its mark on the Old Town's pattern.
- Kraków: Visit the 14th-century St. Mary's Basilica, the most important church in the city.
- Budapest: Explore the Old Town of Buda with a Local Specialist.
- Budapest: Enjoy a tour of the Liszt Music Academy with a student, followed by an enchanting recital. Producing incredible musical talent, the university was founded by piano virtuoso and composer Franz Liszt in 1875.
- Vienna: Learn the Viennese waltz in an inclusive workshop designed to support the visually impaired community. ‘Dancing without Barriers' takes place in a specially designed sensory studio, and will be a unique experience for all your senses. This specifically designed workshop focuses on inclusion and education around the topic of visual impairment. Through their foundation the organisation supports children from disadvantaged family and children with a visual impairment. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities.
Choose between two carefully selected activities
- Prague: Stroll through the Jewish Quarter with your Local Specialist to hear how the Jewish community has shaped the history of Prague, and visit the Old-New Synagogue and the Jewish cemetery.
- Prague: Explore Prague with your Local Specialist, walk the courtyards of the Castle, and visit the imposing St. Vitus Cathedral. The city is then yours to explore. Maybe take a river cruise through the heart of the city, or walk in the footsteps of kings along the Royal Route?
- Vienna: Learn the Viennese waltz in an inclusive workshop designed to support the visually impaired community. ‘Dancing without Barriers' takes place in a specially designed sensory studio, and will be a unique experience for all your senses. This specifically designed workshop focuses on inclusion and education around the topic of visual impairment. Through their foundation the organisation supports children from disadvantaged family and children with a visual impairment. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities.
- Air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom
- An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
- Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
- All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
- We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door
- From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with a local specialty representing the destination.
- Complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi where available
- Vienna: Join your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a drink, followed by a pleasant dinner with wine at a local restaurant.
- Kraków: For your Dine-Around evening, choose your style of dining from a selection of hand-picked local restaurants, unique in Polish flavour.
- Budapest: Sit down to a Hungarian dinner amid the architectural delights of the city.
- Dining Summary: 4 Dinners (D), 8 Breakfasts (B)
- Itinerary and inclusions are subject to change
- Price is for land, cruise and internal flights as specified. Flights not specified are not included
You’ll enjoy the icons and hidden gems with a Local Specialist by your side. Read more
With one on every itinerary, Be My Guest ensures your journey is truly one-of-a-kind, wherever it takes you. Read more
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Trafalgar Worldwide Tours (2027-28)
Dates & Pricing
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A definite departure means minimum numbers have been reached for this departure to operate. Your Global Journeys Travel Advisor will check the availability of your departure date when you Enquire. Additional savings may apply. T&C’s apply.
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by Trafalgar. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from the cruise-line and should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.
