Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1
Start Prague.

Day 2
A full day to explore the wealth of attractions Prague has to offer, with some guided sightseeing in the morning and some free time. We will explore the Old Town, with the famous Wenceslas Square, and Prague Castle, the largest ancient castle in the world. Clients will pay their own entrance fees.

Day 3
We head south to the quaint town of Cesky Krumlov. En route we visit the picturesque village of Holasovice, a World Heritage site, which is one of the best places to see Baroque folk architectural style. Cesky Krumlov, whose chateau is perched delightfully on a hill overlooking the town, is one of Central Europe's gems. The quintessential cobbled streets, red roofs and surrounding hills make this a popular day trip for many. For this reason, the town is best viewed in the early evening and morning.

Day 4
Today we head to Vienna. On the way we stop at Telc, another World Heritage site, a lovely Renaissance town that was destroyed by fire in the 16th century. The town has remained largely untouched since and represents a unique insight into this period of history. From here we continue south to Vienna, arriving mid afternoon.

Day 5
Full day's sightseeing in the wonderful city of Vienna, including visits to the grand Schonbrunn Palace, St. Stephens Cathedral and the Mozart Museum (entry fees included to these three sites). Late afternoon there will be some free time and an optional visit to an evening concert (this will need to be pre-booked and so will be explained by your leader on Day 1).

Day 6
Today we drive to the quaint mediaeval town of Sopron in Hungary where Franz List had his residence: there will be time to have lunch here. We continue to Budapest, arriving mid afternoon with free time to explore the city.

Day 7
The mighty Danube literally splits this great city into two halves, Buda, dominated by the Castle Hill Palace complex, high above the river, and Pest, the bustling and more cosmopolitan centre of trade. The morning is spent visiting the Castle Hill area, perched above the Danube and inner city area. In the afternoon we visit the charming riverside town of Szentendre, a short drive north of Budapest following the 'Danube Bend'. Szentendre, traditionally an artists' colony, is full of pretty houses painted in pastel shades and many small galleries. We end our tour with dinner, and an optional boat cruise on the Danube, offering close-up views of the spectacular Neo-Gothic Parliament building on the waterfront.

Day 8
Today we transfer to Eger, one of the most wonderful Baroque towns in Hungary, it boasts a glorious past and a wide collection of important monuments. Highlights include; the mediaeval Egri Castle, the Dobo Istvan Castle museum, the second largest church in Hungary, the Turkish thermal baths and an impressive cave complex. Eger is also a historic wine-producing region and there will certainly be the opportunity to sample some of the excellent local red and white wines.

Day 9
This is a rather long driving day (5-6 hours) up into the Slovakian hinterland and the walled town of Levoca, founded in the 13th Century. En route we stop at the Spis castle, a UNESCO listed site and the largest castle ruins in Central Europe. Leaving Levoca we drive through gentle undulating hills, with the main granite bulk of the mighty Tatra Mountains in front of us. After border formalities with Poland we continue through a thickly wooded valley and then up into the High Tatras and some of the best scenery in all of Central Europe. Our destination is Zakopane, a long-established and very popular year-round resort, catering for skiing in winter and hiking in the summer.

Day 10
After a short local tour in Zakopane, we then ride a cable car to the summit of Kasprowy Wierch peak (1980m). We are now virtually on the border with Slovakia, and should be rewarded with some fine views of the surrounding countryside. A lovely walk through some of Poland's prettiest scenery brings us eventually back to Zakopane. It is quite a long walk with a descent of 1200m, but it’s on well-trodden footpaths. It is also possible to return to the base using the cable car. Afternoon free.

Day 11
Free morning in Zakopane then depart for Krakow, arriving mid-afternoon. The ancient city of Krakow has a magnificent mediaeval centre with a huge market square - the biggest in Central Europe - and several Gothic churches. Our hotel is located a short walk from the square. Our leader will escort the group into the Old Town with a short orientation walk and meal suggestions. (Today we also offer an optional rafting excursion to the Dunajec Gorge, which departs Zakopane at 9am. If you choose this option you will arrive to the hotel in Krakow at 4pm and meet up with the main group again early evening).

Day 12
We take a short tour on foot of the main sights of the old city, including the Mariacki church, Old Market Square, the Jewish quarter and Wawel Hill. Wawel Castle is renowned as the best example of a renaissance style castle on the north side of Alps. Afternoon free to explore, or an optional visit to the impressive and labyrinth like Wieliczka Salt Mine. This vast network of tunnels and rooms now covers 9 levels to a depth of 327m and was described by an eighteenth-century visitor as being 'as remarkable as the Pyramids and more useful'. This huge mediaeval underground salt mine contains chambers, chapels and even concert halls all excavated from salt by hand.

Day 13
Free day in Krakow or alternatively clients can opt to take an optional visit to the moving museum at Auschwitz.

Day 14
End Krakow.

Departure Dates

06/06/2010
27/06/2010
01/08/2010
05/09/2010

Prices

Date: Base Price
06/06/2010: £1049
27/06/2010: £1049
01/08/2010: £1049
05/09/2010: £1049

Optional single supplement from: 200 GBP

Trip Information

Trip Profile
Travel by private air-conditioned bus and cable car.

Accommodation
13 nights hotels and pensions.

Food
All breakfasts included.

Group Size and Age
Min. 8, max. 19, plus leader.