Day 1: Depart USA for Poland
Day 2: Welcome to Warsaw
Your Poland tour begins at 6 PM at Le Méridien Bristol, Warsaw. A transfer is included from Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport to your historic hotel on Warsaw's fashionable "Royal Route." Meet your travel companions and your tour director at tonight's welcome reception and dinner in the hotel, a Warsaw landmark for over a century. TK
Meals: Dinner. Lodging: Le Méridien Bristol, Warsaw, Poland
Day 3: Explore Warsaw
On your first full day in Poland tour the sights of Warsaw, including the Palace of Culture and the Jewish Ghetto Memorial. Visit Old Town, meticulously re-constructed after WWII. Enjoy a free afternoon to pursue your own interests. In the evening, attend a private piano recital featuring the music of Warsaw native Frederic Chopin.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner. Lodging: Le Méridien Bristol, Warsaw, Poland.
Day 4: Czestochowa and the Black Madonna
While in Poland tour the countryside, stopping in the city of Czestochowa for a guided visit to the fortified monastery of Jasna Gora. Inside is a painting of the Black Madonna, which draws Catholic pilgrims from around the world. Arrive in Cracow, considered one of the finest medieval cities in Europe. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Lodging: Sheraton Krakow Hotel, Cracow, Poland
Day 5: Medieval Cracow and poignant Auschwitz
Take a walking tour of Cracow’s historic center, a 13th-century merchants' town with Europe's largest medieval market square, and a highlight of any Poland tour; it’s now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit Wawel Castle, the seat of Polish kings from the 11th to 17th centuries. In the afternoon, choose to explore Cracow on your own, or join an excursion to the poignant memorial at Auschwitz. Meals: Breakfast, dinner. Lodging: Sheraton Krakow Hotel, Cracow, Poland
Day 6: Historic salt mine
Visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine, a subterranean labyrinth of passages, caverns, chapels, and statues carved into crystalline salt. Worked for 800 years, the mine is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a fascinating experience on your Poland tour. Back in Cracow, you'll have a choice of sightseeing this afternoon. You may choose to explore the former Jewish Quarter, known as the Kazimierz (holidays permitting), or embark on a walking tour through Old Town with a local guide, including Jagiellonian University. Meals: Breakfast. Lodging: Lodging: Sheraton Krakow Hotel, Cracow, Poland
Day 7: Through the Tatra Mountains, bound for Hungary
Travel from Poland through the scenic Tatra Mountains, stopping for lunch in Slovakia en route to Hungary. Arrive in Budapest; your hotel is located along the Danube River promenade. In the evening, admire the city’s illuminated architecture on a special dinner cruise on the Danube River. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Lodging: Budapest Marriott Hotel, Budapest, Hungary
Day 8: Stunning architecture in Pest
Today, your Eastern Europe and Poland tour reveals landmarks in Pest, on the eastern side of the Danube. See the embassy district, City Park, and Heroes’ Square, the opulent State Opera House, and Dohány Synagogue (holidays permitting). Choose among many sights and museums in your free afternoon. Meals: Breakfast. Lodging: Budapest Marriott Hotel, Budapest, Hungary
Day 9: A day in Budapest
Sightsee Buda today, visiting the Parliament building, a Neo-Gothic masterpiece; and Fishermen’s Bastion, with Neo-Romanesque design. Explore the cobblestone streets of Castle Hill with nice views overlooking the city. Admire the frescoes and stained glass windows inside the Gothic Matthias Church, where the final two Hungarian kings were crowned. Depart this amazing city in the afternoon and travel to another – Vienna, Austria – for a three-night stay. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Lodging: Hotel Bristol, Vienna, Austria
Day 10: Schönbrunn Palace and the sights of Vienna
In glorious Vienna, see the sights around the Karlsplatz, then view the imperial Habsburg collections on a guided visit to the Museum of Fine Arts. At Schönbrunn Palace, enjoy lunch and a gourmet cooking demonstration on how to make strüdel; take a guided tour of the State Apartments and formal gardens. The palace was built to rival Versailles with 1,400 rooms, including a Hall of Mirrors, and served as the summer residence for Austria’s emperors. Meals: Breakfast, lunch. Lodging: Hotel Bristol, Vienna, Austria
Day 11: Music and more in Vienna
A walking tour takes in Vienna's diverse architectural highlights today. Explore the grounds of the Hofburg, also known as the Imperial Palace, housing imperial treasuries and six museums. Enjoy free time in the afternoon to pursue your own passions, in this extraordinary city that's home of some of Europe's finest art museums. This evening, attend a private concert by the Vienna Residence Orchestra featuring the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Strauss, held in a historic palace. Meals: Breakfast, dinner. Lodging: Hotel Bristol, Vienna, Austria
Day 12: Discover Prague
Your Eastern Europe and Poland tour continues as you journey to Prague, ancient capital city of today's Czech Republic. Go on a walking tour of Old Town, linked to the castle district by the ornate Charles Bridge. Take in the astronomical clock, Jan Palach Square, and Rudolfinum Philharmonic Hall.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Lodging: InterContinental Praha, Prague, Czech Republic
Day 13: Prague's Castle District
Explore the Hradcany (castle) district today; tour the remarkable complex of Prague Castle, one of the largest castles in the world. Built in the 9th century, it is the country’s traditional seat of power, and incorporates palaces, museums, monasteries, and halls for knighthood ceremonies. Visit the Cathedral of St. Vitus, the coronation site for Czech kings and queens, and enjoy an exclusive-to-Tauck, privately guided tour of the libraries of Strahov Monastery before spending a free afternoon as you like. Meals: Breakfast. Lodging: InterContinental Praha, Prague, Czech Republic
Day 14: Art, wine & nobility in Prague
Today your Prague sightseeing includes the Estates Theatre, the Jewish Quarter (Josefov), and the Old-New Synagogue, founded in the 13th century, followed by an afternoon to explore on your own. In the evening, attend our exclusive farewell event at Nelahozeves Castle. Meet a member of the former Czech nobility at a reception featuring wine from the family vineyards, and enjoy a gala dinner complete with live music.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner. Lodging: InterContinental Praha, Prague, Czech Republic
Day 15: Journey home
Tour ends in Prague, Czech Republic. A transfer is included from the InterContinental Praha to Prague's Ruzyne International Airport. Meals: Breakfast
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