DAY 1, Monday - Depart the USA
Depart the USA for Poland. Your flight includes meals, drinks and in-flight entertainment
DAY 2, Tuesday - Arrive in Warsaw
Arrive and transfer to your hotel. Balance of the day at leisure. This evening, enjoy a welcome drink and orientation with your tour director, followed by dinner. Stay at the Sheraton Warsaw Hotel. D
DAY 3, Wednesday - Warsaw Sightseeing Tour
This morning, a tour of Warsaw includes both banks of the Vistula River. Visit Lazienki Park to view Chopin's Monument, then travel along the Royal Route with its historic monuments and residences toward the Warsaw Ghetto and the Jewish Cemetery. Walk through the cobbled streets to the Market Square. View the Cathedral of St. John and the Royal Castle. Balance of the day at leisure. B
Optional: Chopin Recital is available locally
DAY 4, Thursday - Jasna Gora Monastery
Travel south to Czestochowa to see the Paulite Monastery at Jasna Gora, a place of devout pilgrimage by Polish Catholics to view the Black Madonna, a portrait of Our Lady that is said to have miraculous powers. Drive to Krakow, former residence of the Polish kings. Stay at the Radisson Blu Hotel. B, D
Optional: Wieliczka Salt Mine
DAY 5, Friday - Krakow Sightseeing Tour
This morning, enjoy a tour of medieval Krakow, including a visit to the 16th century Wawel Royal Castle District. Visit the Jewish Quarter and view Oskar Schindler's factory. Continue to the Old Town and Market Square to view St. Mary's Church and the Renaissance Cloth Hall. B
Optional: Auschwitz-Birkenau (PM)
DAY 6, Saturday - Scenic Drive to Budapest
This morning, view Sister Faustine Convent. Continue through the scenic Tatra Mountains and the wooded countryside of Slovakia before reaching the Danube Valley and the twin cities of Buda and Pest. Stay at the Radisson Blu Beke Hotel. B, D
DAY 7, Sunday - Budapest Sightseeing Tour
Your morning tour begins in Pest with a chance to view the Parliament, Royal Palace and Heroes' Square. Cross the Danube over the Elizabeth Bridge to the Buda Hills. Visit Mount Gellert, then continue to Castle Hill to see the 13th century Matthias Coronation Church. From Fishermen's Bastion, enjoy a panoramic view of the city. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure B
Optional: Budapest Jewish Interest Tour (PM)
DAY 8, Monday - Travel to Vienna
Morning at leisure in Budapest. Depart Hungary and travel through the Austrian countryside to Vienna, former center of the Hapsburg Empire. Enjoy the balance of the day at leisure. Stay at the Hilton Vienna. B
Optional: Parliament, St. Stephens & Great Market Hall (AM)
Optional: Mozart & Strauss Concert (PM)
DAY 9, Tuesday - Vienna Sightseeing Tour - with Schonbrunn Palace
Today, enjoy a sightseeing tour that begins with a visit to the impressive Schonbrunn Palace, the former summer residence of the Hapsburg emperors. View the Belvedere Palace and its gardens. Continue with a drive along the famous Ringstrasse and view the Empress Maria Theresia Monument, Votive Church, City Hall and Parliament. Next, walk through the Hofburg courtyards to the State Opera House. B
Optional: Austrian Country Dinner (PM)
DAY 10, Wednesday - Day at Leisure in Vienna
An entire day at leisure to follow the footsteps of your favorite composer. Visit one of countless museums or enjoy the gardens, cafes, and shopping that the elegant Austrian capital has to offer. B
Optional: Bratislava, Slovakia (AM)
DAY 11, Thursday - Travel to Prague via Cesky Krumlov Tour
This morning, depart Austria for the Czech Republic. Begin with a stop in Cesky Krumlov, a fairy-tale town with a maze of narrow cobbled streets. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992, Cesky Krumlov has earned an international reputation as a time capsule of the past. Enjoy a short walk through the town and view its Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance houses. Later, continue through Southern Bohemia to the Czech capital, Prague – "The City of a Thousand Spires". Stay at the Courtyard Marriott Prague. B
DAY 12, Friday - Prague Sightseeing Tour
Visit the Castle District including St. Vitus Cathedral and St. George’s Basilica. Admire the views of Charles Bridge and the Lesser Town. Continue past the Jewish Quarter and walk to the Old Town Square to view the famous Town Hall Astronomical Clock. This evening, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. B, D
Optional: Prague Jewish Interest Tour (PM)
DAY 13, Saturday - Depart for the USA
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight.
Optional 2-night Berlin Extension 2012: Jul 02, 16: Aug 06: Sept 10: Oct 08. Cost extra.
DAY 13, Saturday - Walking Tour of Dresden
Today cross Saxony to the Baroque art city of Dresden, also known as "the Florence on the Elbe River." Enjoy a walking city tour to view sights including Zwinger Palace, the Semper Opera and the newly rebuilt Frauenkirche. Visit the stunning Green Vault Museum of Applied Arts. Continue to Berlin, proud capital of reunited Germany. B
DAY 14, Sunday - Berlin City Tour
This morning, enjoy a guided tour of Berlin. View the major sights of the city, including the Reichstag building, Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie, the remaining symbol of the former Berlin Wall. View the Unter den Linden Street and Kurfurstendam, as well as the State Opera House and the cathedral. This evening, enjoy a farewell dinner. B, D
Optional: Potsdam Tour (PM)
DAY 15, Monday - Depart for the USA
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight. B
Optional Sightseeing Excursions
Wieliczka Salt Mine: Legend has it that the salt mines in Wieliczka were part of a dowry from the Hungarian princess, Kinga, when she wed Boleslaw the Shy over 700 years ago, making the Wieliczka Salt Mine one of the oldest in Europe. The mine's historical importance, as well as the amazing works of art carved into the walls by miners, have earned the Wieliczka Salt Mine a place on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list. You will be guided with a group on a route through 3 levels of underground galleries and **This tour is not recommended for travelers that have difficulty walking on uneven and/or steep terrain. $65
Auschwitz & Birkenau: Drive to the town of Oswiecim where the Nazis built Auschwitz, their largest concentration and death camp. It has remained as a state museum to keep evidence of the Nazi terror. A local guide will give an introduction on the subject and show a movie with historic film material showing footage of the Red Army liberating the camp in 1945. Includes a guided tour of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp Museum and a stop at the former Birkenau Extermination Camp $58
Budapest Jewish Interest Tour: This tour highlights the different aspects of Budapest's rich Jewish heritage. Begin with a visit to the Great Dohany Synagogue which ranks among one of the top sights of Budapest. This Moorish style building is Europe's largest and the world's second largest Synagogue. Travel to a different section of town to explore the chilling Hungarian Holocaust Museum. Additionally, view the Jewish Museum, the Tree of Life and the Raoul Wallenberg Memorial. $62
Budapest Parliament, St. Stephen's & Great Market Hall: This comprehensive tour includes three splendid interiors and at the same time provides an insight on local politics, religion and products. The cost of building the Hungarian House of Parliament would have paid for the construction of an entire town for 40,000 people. A stunning interior and the Hungarian Crown Jewels await us there. Only a limited number of visitors are allowed to visit each day. Next we tour St. Stephen's Basilica, the largest and most impressive church of Budapest where a relic, the mummified hand of St. Stephen, can be seen. Finally our guide takes us to the historic Great Market Hall where, like a hundred years ago, the locals still do their everyday shopping. At your leisure, absorb the unique atmosphere with over 100 market stalls and an endless choice of regional products.$63
Austrian Country Dinner: This fun evening begins with a short drive through the legendary Vienna Woods to the top of Mount Kahlenberg with panoramic views of Vienna. Continue to one of the charming old wine villages in the vicinity for dinner. The characteristic Heurigen tavern dates back to the 18th century and has been family run for generations. Local musicians entertain with traditional melodies while hearty Austrian dishes are served. Wine and soft drinks are included. $79
Half Day Bratislava: This morning enjoy a half-day excursion across the border to Bratislava, capital of Slovakia. For centuries, this city has been famous for its charm and beauty. It has undergone a major revitalization and now flourishes as one of Europe's newest capitals. The beautifully restored old town with its winding lanes and medieval courtyards is nestled between the steep Castle Hill and the Danube River. First, explore the historic center on a guided walking tour. Then, with time at leisure, stroll the lively pedestrian streets of this charming city where local street vendors offer regional gifts. $60
Prague Castle & St. Vitus Cathedral: Leaving the bustle of the new town, drive up the hill to the historical area surrounding the Prague castle, and enter the fairytale complex of cobbled courtyards, churches and administrative buildings, once the court of the Bohemian Kings. Still the political center of the Czech Republic, this is where the Presidential Palace is located, complete with ceremonial guards. Visit the medieval Old Palace and the Cathedral of St. Vitus, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, as well as the St. George Basilica and the Famous “Golden Lane”.. $59
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