Overview:

Delve behind the former ‘Iron Curtain’ to explore these stunning cities of the east. Flourishes from the Austro-Hungarian Empire and a mélange of medieval charm are juxtaposed against more sombre reminders of WWII.

Countries Visited

Hungary
Hungary
Hungary
Hungary
Hungary
Hungary

Our highly-skilled Travel Director will ensure your journey is seamless, serving as your expert guide, consummate organiser, and friend overseas.

Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxury, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom.

Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.

We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.

Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.

Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).

From time to time, your Travel Director will enchant you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.

If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.

Budapest: Your Welcome Dinner is a treat of mouthwatering Hungarian specialties, accompanied by specially-selected Hungarian wine, as you dine at the famous and elegant Gundel Restaurant.
Warsaw: Enjoy a demonstration of the traditional techniques of dumpling-making with an expert chef. Then enjoy a hearty Polish Highlight Dinner with a variety of local delicacies and drinks.
České Budějovice: Tour a local brewery to discover the secrets of how the golden vintage of beer is made, followed by a sampling.
Český Krumlov: For your Dine-Around Evening, choose your own style of ambience and cuisine from a fine selection of restaurants in the atmospheric centre.
Vienna: Your Imperial Viennese Celebration Dinner is regal splendour on a plate. Enjoy a delicious three-course dinner with wine and a concert of classical music that pays homage to the genius of Strauss and Mozart.
Dining Summary: 13 Breakfasts (B) and 6 Dinners with Wine (DW) all with tea or coffee.
Budapest: Corinthia Hotel Budapest blends classic hotel opulence with the finest five-star luxury. Located in the heart of the city, its refurbished Royal Spa is simply stunning.
Budapest: With a Local Expert, see Matthias Church and gaze out over the Danube to the Hungarian Parliament Building from the Fisherman’s Bastion. Atop Gellért Hill see the Liberty Statue presiding over the city.
Kraków: The medieval heart of Kraków is rich in legend, a kind of Polish Camelot. Join your Local Expert for an in-depth exploration of this historic Holy Grail. Walk past Jagiellonian University, through the Old Town to the town square and see the medieval Sukiennice Cloth Hall.
Kraków: Visit the cathedral atop Wawel Hill, see the castle and look for the iconic dragon, accompanied by your Local Expert.
Kraków: Visit the 14th century St. Mary’s Basilica, the most important church in the city.
Auschwitz: Join a Holocaust historian and experience a powerful and moving visit to the memorial and museum of Auschwitz and a stop at Birkenau, which bears witness to the terrible atrocities of the Holocaust.
Częstochowa: Visit the 14th century Monastery of Jasna Góra, famous for the Black Madonna supposedly to have been painted by St. Luke.
Warsaw: Your Local Expert will show you the city's highlights. See the Old Town, Royal Castle, Palace of Culture and visit the Chopin Memorial in the Łazienki Park before paying your respects at the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes.
Berlin: You Local Expert provides a tour of this vibrant city. Drive along the Ku'Damm, passing the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and through Tiergarten to the Reichstag building. See the Brandenburg Gate, State Opera House and visit Alexanderplatz.
Dresden: During your orientation with your Travel Director, take a moment to admire the 'Procession of the Dukes' mosaic on the Saxon wall of the castle. You'll also see Frauenkirche, Zwinger Palace and the opera house, Semperoper.
Prague: Bewitched by the gargoyles of St. Vitus Cathedral and ghosts of Bohemian Kings, experience a private tour with your Local Expert through the atmospheric courtyards of Prague Castle.
Prague: Led by your Local Expert, explore the delightful Old Town Square and see the detailed Astronomical Clock that delights onlookers each hour.
Český Krumlov: Your Travel Director will lead you an orientation of the city.
Český Krumlov: Let a Local Expert lead you through a medieval labyrinth of private chambers, courtyards, kitchens and dungeons of the castle, so rich in history. Visit the fairytale castle considered to be the finest in the land.
Vienna: A private tour with a Local Expert showcases the sheer opulence of Schönbrunn Palace, rich in Rococo and glittering gold, and its spectacular formal gardens.
Vienna: Sightseeing with your Local Expert continues as you travel along the Ring Road to see the Hofburg Imperial Residence, Opera House, Parliament Building and Karlskirche.
Scenic Drives: Your journey travels through Donovaly, the country's most famous winter resort you'll see Oravský Hrad Castle and some of Slovakia’s traditional wooden houses as you pass through the Low Tatra Mountains. Continue across the Polish plains, through the Ore Mountains and Bohemia.