Prague and Budapest

Tour Highlights

Magnificent Prague - The City of Hundred Spires
Explore the ancient towns of Kunta Hora & Sedlec
Festive Czech Folklore Dinner and Show
Five Night Danube River Cruise on CroisiEurope's River Cruise Ship
Visit the Baroque Abbey of Melk & Wine Center of Durnstein
Vienna the City of Waltz's
The Paris of the East - Budapest
Hungarian Folklore Show Plus Much More..

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1 – UNITED STATES/EN ROUTE
Depart today on the scheduled flight traveling en route to Prague, The Czech Republic. Dinner and breakfast will be served during our flight according to airline schedules. (I)

Day 2 – PRAGUE
Today we arrive in Prague the capital of The Czech Republic where we’ll be met by our European Tour Escort and transfer to our hotel where remainder of the day at leisure. Among European capitals, Prague has no rival in beauty, a jumble of terra-cotta roofs, soft yellow gables, and pale blue domes above a web of crooked streets. Boutiques, medieval taverns and lavish palaces of princes give Prague a sense of history and intrigue. (I, D)

Day 3 – PRAGUE
Our sightseeing of Prague will take us past Strahov Stadium to visit Hradcany Castle as well as the city’s most distinctive landmark, St. Vitus Cathedral. A few yards away we’ll find the Golden Lane, a row of tiny, colorful 16th century houses, where the famous Czech writer Franz Kafka once lived. Then we’ll continue down the Mala Strana where we’ll walk across the magnificent Charles Bridge that was built in 1357 and connects the Mala Stranatot and the Old Town. Today Prague’s most familiar landmark is now a pedestrian bridge offering locals and visitors alike a virtual outdoor museum of no less than 30 religious statues. Our tour will continue to the Old Town Square where we’ll view the superbly preserved medieval astronomical clock and its moving figures of the apostles, as well as the magnificent houses that surround the square. The afternoon is at leisure to explore Prague on your own. (B)

Day 4 – PRAGUE (Kunta Hora & Sedlec)
Today we travel to the ancient silver mining town of Kunta Hora, UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site. Our visit will include a walking tour of the medieval town and a visit to the Italian Court of the former Royal Mint that once produced the Prague groschen. We’ll also see a visit the Church of St. Barbara with its three massive and tent-shaped spires rising above a forest of flying buttresses. Afterwards we’ll visit the ghoulish, but fascinating 12th century Gothic Ossuary Chapel at Sedlec. The site holds 40,000 sets of bones arranged in the shape of gigantic bells and cherubs. However, the main draw is a chandelier made out of all the bones of the human body. This evening we enjoy dinner with Czech Folklore entertainment a fitting end to our stay in Prague. (B, D)

Day 5 – PRAGUE/PASSAU/CRUISING
We depart Prague this morning and travel south into Germany to arrive in “the City of the Three Rivers”, Passau, where the Danube, Inn and Ilz Rivers meet. We have time to explore Passau on our own before boarding our River Cruise Ship, be sure to visit the Old Town with its gothic and baroque architecture and St. Stephens Cathedral a true masterpiece and home to one of the largest organs in the world. In the late afternoon we set off cruising along the Danube towards the Austrian-German border. Enjoy a welcome cocktail reception before dinner. (B, D)

Day 6 – CRUISNG (Wachau Valley)
Enjoy breakfast on board as we enter the beautiful Wachau Valley. We disembarking for an excursion to the Benedictine Abbey of Melk which is perched high up on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Danube. It is the symbol of Austrian Baroque architecture at its finest. We reboard our cruise for lunch as we make our way to the village of Durnstein, enjoying the beautiful Wachau Valley on the way. Durnstein is the best known village in the Wachau thanks to the legend of King Richard the Lion Heart. We have a free afternoon to discover this picturesque village and its baroque church for ourselves. This evening we arrive in the Imperial City of Vienna, known as the “City Of Music,” that inspired the creative genius of Mozart, Beethoven and Strauss. After dinner on board we embark on a tour of the illuminated sights of Vienna. (B, L, D).

Day 7 – CRUISING (Vienna)
Today we follow in the footsteps of the Hapsburg Royal family as we tour the magnificent Schonbrunn Palace. Our tour will take us through the grand rooms of the Palace including the audience rooms of Empress Maria Theresia. Lunch on board before enjoying a free afternoon to explore this magnificent city on your own. Tonight we depart Vienna sailing on towards Budapest, passing Bratislava on the way. This evening we enjoy dinner and gala evening on board. (B, L, D)

Day 8 – CRUISING (Budapest)
Enjoy breakfast onboard before arriving in Esztergom, Hungary. We will have time to explore Esztergom on our own, this former capital of Hungary, under the reign of the Arpad Kings. It is still a prominent town as it is the seat of the Hungarian archbishops. Esztergom is decidedly full of treasures with its neo-classic basilica and former Royal Palace. We set sail once again around noon to arrive in Budapest in the late afternoon. The Hungarian capital, which lies along the banks of the Danube, also known as the “Pearl of the Danube” is one of the most attractive cities in Europe. Enjoy some free time to explore the city before returning to the ship for dinner. This evening we enjoy a tour of Budapest by night. (B, L, D)

Day 9 – CRUSING (Budapest)
Our sightseeing begins in “Buda’s” Castle District where we see the Royal Palace, the seven-hundred year-old Matthias Church one of the jewels of Budapest, and behind it is the Fishermen’s Bastion, from where there is a wonderful view of the whole city. We also visit Gellért Hill home to the Liberation Monument and Citadel, and offers fantastic views down the Danube River. We then cross the Chain Bridge, the first permanent bridge to span the Danube to see the neo-Gothic Parliament before visiting St. Stephens Basilica where the Holy Right Hand of the founder of Hungary, King Saint Stephen is on display. Our next stop is the vast and grandiose symbol of 19th-century Hungarian nationalism – Hero’s Square. Following our tour we’ll cruise on the Danube River, giving us a different perspective of Budapest’s historic buildings and bridges. This evening enjoy a Hungarian folklore show including a dinner of Hungarian specialties. Return to the ship for lunch before enjoying a free afternoon to discover this amazing city on your own. After dinner, disembark for a folk evening of traditional music and dances. (B, L, D)

Day 10 – CRUISING/UNITED STATES
Breakfast on board before disembarking and transferring to Budapest Airport for the beginning of our journey home. No better time to reflect on memories that will last a lifetime and new friendships made along the way. (B, I)