Day one: (D) Budapest

Arrive in Budapest and transfer to check in to your hotel K+K Opera Hotel (or comparable). You will have the balance of the day at leisure until you meet your Budapest English speaking guide after 4pm. At 8pm your guide will walk with you to enjoy a welcome dinner at a traditional Hungarian restaurant near the hotel. After dinner you can stroll back to the hotel.

Day two: (B) Budapest

Midmorning after breakfast at the hotel you will be taken in a coach by your guide on a ½ day tour of the Pest side of Budapest, to get acquainted with the “Pearl of the Danube”. You will drive along the main avenues past the Parliament and Opera house before stops at Hero’s Square, St. Stephans Basilica and at The Market Hall- a great indoor market featuring all Hungarian products. You will return to the Hotel, your guide will say goodbye and you will have the remainder of the day and evening to explore this beautiful city and have dinner on your own. (Optional “Jewish Interest” tour for this afternoon)

Budapest, the capital and “Pearl of the Danube” is a World Heritage Center. It is a city of great architecture, hospitable people and imposing panoramas. It is a bustling split city-the hills of Buda and the flat side of Pest. There are many thermal caves and spas on the Buda side.About 120 years ago these two cities, separated by the Danube became one city, Budapest. The city bustles by day and sparkles by night. Budapest bursts with culture with hundreds of monuments, museums, and galleries to captivate you.

Day Three: (B) Budapest

After breakfast your guide will pick you up and you will go for a ½ day tour on the Buda side of the river. You will stop in the Castle hill area and be taken to the 13th Century Matthias Coronation Church and Fisherman’s Bastion (entrance included). Later you will have a stopover on the top of Gellert Hill for a panoramic view of Budapest from the Citadel. You will return to the hotel and have the balance of the day to discover more of this great city and be free for dinner on your own. (Optional Gillert Spa offered this afternoon)

Day four: (B,L) Budapest-Banska Stiavnica, Slovakia

Today your new Slovakian English speaking guide will meet you at your hotel with your transportation to depart on a two hour drive to Svaty Anton where you will be treated to a traditional Slovak lunch with drinks and a folklore program (www.staryhosti.sk). After lunch you will arrive nearby at your hotel-a local Pension (www.kachelman.sk) where the friendly staff will help you take your luggage to your room. In the afternoon you will be taken on a 2hr. guided walking city tour and to a traditional falconery show.After returning to your hotel you will have the evening free for dinner on your own. We recommend the local brewery Erb and their restaurant for great meals and beer.

Banska Stiavnica is located in a unique area of natural beauty, reservoirs, and botanical gardens, and is the home of prominent cultural historic and technical monuments. Some of these are St. Catherins, the Assumption and Evangelical churches, The Knocking tower, the old and “new” Castles, Piarg gate, and so much more. With historical data dating back to 10th century B.C. this has always been a mining and precious mineral center. The town with its’ Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture dates back to the 13th Century and a grant by the Hungarian Empire as a mining town. It became the most important center of precious metal mining in the Habsburg Empire and the home of the first mining school later known as the Academy of Mining and Forestry.

Day five: (B,D) Banska Stiavnica-Bratislava

After breakfast and checkout your guide will meet you and you will depart for the short trip to Bratislava the capital of Slovakia famous for its charm and beauty. Upon arrival you will be taken on a 1.5 hour bus tour around the city including a visit to Bratislava Castle Hill and Eurova on the Danube. You will then be taken to your hotel 4* SAS Carlton (or comparable) and you will have time for lunch on your own in one of the nearby restaurants before checking in to your room. In the late afternoon you will be taken on a walking tour of the restored historic Bratislava “Old Town” wedged between castle hill and the Danube with its’ winding lanes and medieval courtyards. After this tour you will have dinner together at a traditional Bratislava style restaurant (included). After dinner you can wander the small streets back to the hotel.

Bratislava is one of the youngest capitals in Europe and few people know that during the time it was called Pressburg or Pozsony it was one of the most important cities in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was a mixing pot of various nations and nationalities who lived together in peace and harmony.Bratislava’s location on the banks of the River Danube and at the crossroads of ancient trading routes right at the heart of Europe predestined it to become a meeting point of various cultures. The reign of Maria Theresa is regarded as a golden era in the city’s history. She was crowned Queen of Hungary in St. Martin’s cathedral in Pressburg, just like the 10 other Kings and Queens over the course of 300 years when Pressburg was in fact the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary.

Day six: (B, and a Coffee Break) Bratislava to Vienna

After breakfast and checkout your guide will meet you for the short one hour drive to Vienna. Upon arrival you will find yourself back in the age of “Empires” as you embark on a 2 hour walking tour through Albertina, Hofburg, Grabon, St. Stephens with its’ colorful tile roof, and the small medieval part of Vienna where Mozart house is located. Included in this tour will be a 30 minute coffee break at the famous Café Hofburg (included will be your choice of a hot drink and a wonderful Sacher torte). Later after lunch (not included.) your guide and transport will take you to your 4*hotel to check in. (Hotel Austria Trend Rathauspark or comparable) then you will have the balance of the afternoon and evening to roam beautiful Vienna on your own.

Day seven: (B) Vienna

This morning your guide will escort you via the excellent metro train on a very short ride to the impressive Schonbrunn Castle. You will have a guided English audio tour of the castle and also the wonderful gardens (included). After this tour you will return by metro to the heart of Vienna and have the rest of the day for leisure or shopping.

Day eight: (B) Vienna

Today you will have the whole day to decide what you want to do. There is so much to see in this historic city and most attractions are within walking distance of the city center. Some of the famous attractions that you might want to consider are:

• Shopping on the famous pedestrian only Kartner Strasse
• A tour of the Ornate State Opera House
• The Natural History Museum
• The Kunstistorisches Museum housing under one roof the artistic treasures of the Habsburg Empire and one of the worlds’ finest collections of old masterpieces.
• The Lipizzaner Riding Academy
• Belvedere Palace and Museum or the Imperial Hofburg Palace
• The Rathaus Platz (normally the site of a current festival)

Note: For this day we can arrange a day tour of the Danube Wachau valley to Durnstein and the Melk Abbey. Enjoy your day and evening in this “City of Music”

• We can arrange tickets to a Mozart and Strauss Concert for this evening Castles & Culture

Settlements along the Danube, near what is now the City of Vienna, can be traced back to the 5th century before Christ. These were of Celtic origin as is the name Wien derived from the Celtic "Vedunia" for river in the woods. The Romans established the garrison camp Vindobona in the 1st century A.D. Remainders of the Roman camp can be seen at Hoher Market and at underground station Stephansplatz. Vienna began to rise in importance during the middle ages. It was made residence of the Babenberg's and the city walls were raised in 1200. Vienna was to become the capital of the Habsburg Empire for almost seven centuries. Its imperial past is still visible today, as evidenced by the Hofburg, Schőnbrunn Castle, the buildings along Ringstraße and many other sites throughout the city.www.wien.info/en

Day nine: (B,L) Vienna to Cesky Krumlov-Czech Republic

After breakfast and checking out of your hotelyour guide will take you on a 3+ hour drive through the beautiful Austrian and Czech countryside to Cesky Krumlov-Czech Republic. Upon arrival in town your guide will walk with you to have lunch (included) in your hotel-Hotel Mlyn (or comparable). Note: Your transport cannot come into the pedestrian center of town therefore your luggage will be brought in by licensed taxi to the hotel and placed in your room. After lunch and check in your guide will offer (included but not required) to take you on a special local favorite-a 3-4 hour rafting trip down the gentle river from this town to the nearby monastery town of Zlata Koruna. Rafting was the means by which people and goods were carried down through the centuries and is part of the heritage of this region. You will be picked up and returned to your hotel and will have the balance of the afternoon and evening to explore this medieval town and have dinner on your own.

Cesky Krumlov, meaning crooked meadow, a UNESCO designated town was founded around 1253 and built around a castle whose design is a mix of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque Architecture. This small medieval town, surrounded by the Vltava river, is a cultural center full of historic theaters, museums, galleries, the castle and its’ beautiful gardens and over 300 well preserved Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance historical buildings and houses. Strolling the cobblestone streets reminds you why this fairytale town is always rated among the best small towns in Europe and is considered a time castle from the past].

Day ten: (B,D) Cesky Krumlov-Prague

After breakfast your guide will take you on a guided tour of the city. This tour will include a 1 hour guided tour of the castle and grounds. After lunch and checkout your luggage will be transferred back to your transportation and you will depart for Prague “The City of One Thousand Spires” to check in at your final lodging the Hotel 4* Premier Majestic Plaza (or comparable). Your guide of the past seven days will say goodbye and introduce you to your Prague guide. In the evening your new guide will meet with you and you will be transported to the river for a beautiful dinner cruise (included). Prague is beautiful during the day but spectacular lit up at night. After the cruise you will be taken back to the hotel.

Day eleven: (B) Prague

After breakfast your guide will take you on a ½ day walking tour of Prague. Some of the attractions that you will see are the Astronomical clock, Wenceslas Square, Royal Way of the Old Town, and the famous (1357A.D.) St. Charles Bridge that is adorned with 30 statues of various saints. After the tour your guide will leave you to enjoy the remainder of the day and evening exploring all there is to see and experience in this magical city.

Day twelve: (B) Prague

After breakfast your guide will meet you and take you by tram for the second ½ day tour. Today we are on the other side of the river and will go to the Hradcany castle area. The castle complex of buildings, one of the largest in the world, was home to the Czech rulers for over 1000 years. The tour will include St. Vitrus Cathedral from the outside (tickets to enter the Cathedral and the Museum can be arranged at an additional cost. The Cathedral, a French Gothic design building boasts grand stained glass windows and countless chapels and monuments). This tour will also include a visit to the Mala Strana area which is halfway down the hill on the way back to the Charles Bridge. Your guide will now say goodbye and you will have the afternoon and evening free to continue exploring the city. You can shop, watch one of the famous Marionette shows or visit some of the many other famous Cathedrals or Museums.Dinner tonight is on your own.

Day thirteen: (B) Prague-flight back home or continue your journeys.

Gather up the memories of your fantastic journey, checkout of the hotel and transfer to the airport for departure.