ITINERARY
Day 1: Departure Day
- Fly from departure city to Frankfurt.
Day 2: Arrive - Frankfurt
- Upon arrival at the airport, meet your Educational World Tours representative who will greet you on arrival.Board your private coaches and continue on to your first destination - the picturesque city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber (190km; driving time: approx. 2.5 hours).
- En route, stop in Heidelberg to purchase lunch (1 hour maximum stop due to driving hours).Heidelberg is renowned for its romantic beauty with ruins of the castle rising high above the towers and turrets of this Renaissance town.
- On arrival in Rothenburg ob der Tauber you will be transferred to your hotel for check-in.
- The remainder of the day will be at leisure to enjoy the village and relax after a long travel day.
Accommodation: Moderate hotel accommodation in Rothenburg ob der Tauber - 2 nights
Day 3: ROTHENBURG OB DER TAUBER
- ROTHENBURG OB DER TAUBER is one of the finest medieval towns in Germany. It seems virtually unchanged since the 16th century. Located on a steep promontory above the winding Tauber, the town prospered during the Middle Ages but suffered greatly during the Thirty Years' War and never recovered its former importance. As a result, the architecture has kept its 16th century appearance.
- This morning you will transfer to nearby Weikersheim.
- Activity specific to your group
- Time to purchase lunch in Weikersheim.
- This afternoon you will visit the magnificent Weikersheim Castle and its beautiful gardens with your tour guides. Afterwards, return to Rothenburg.
- Dinner at your accommodation or a local restaurant.
- At night you will take an evening walking tour of Rothenburg with one of the famous Night Watchmen of the City.
Day 4: ROTHENBURG OB DER TAUBER / PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
- Breakfast at your accommodation.
- Today your journey will take you to the Czech Republic (385km; driving time: approx. 4.5 hours). You will stop on the way in Nuremberg and visit the Germanisches National museum (entrance included).
- After arriving in Prague, you will transfer to your hotel to check in. The rest of the day will be free to enjoy Prague.
- Welcome to PRAGUE, the golden city. Throughout many centuries, all roads in the Czech Republic led to Prague. Located on the river Vltava, it was made famous by Smetana's musical composition. When walking along the Vltava River you'll be able to enjoy views of the impressive silhouette of the Hradcany Castle.
- Dinner at your accommodation.
- Depending on availability, you might be able to watch an Opera performance this evening or on the following days
Accommodation: Moderate hotel accommodation in Prague - 3 nights
Day 5: PRAGUE
- Breakfast at your accommodation.
- After breakfast, meet with your English-speaking local guides in the city and enjoy a guided walking tour around the lovely Old Town of Prague, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1992. There is a reason why Prague is often referred to as Golden City and you are about to find out why.
- The remainder of the morning is at leisure. You may wish to visit the Powder Tower.
- Activity specific to your group
- Afterwards, return to your accommodation.
- Dinner at your accommodation or a local restaurant
Day 6: PRAGUE
- Breakfast at your accommodation.
- This morning you will transfer to the Prague Castle area. Enter Hradcany Castle and get to know the city's landmark on a guided tour.
- The afternoon is at leisure. You may wish to stroll along the river, go shopping or grab a coffee and relax in one of the many inner-city parks. In the arcade Svetozor at the Wenceslas Square, you can find Ovocny Svetozor, an authentic Prague cake shop. Alternatively, if you like coffee you may want to pay the Muj salek kavy coffee shop a visit. They serve delicious coffee.
- Tonight's buffet dinner will be served during a river cruise on the Vltava River. Enjoy the food on this scenic boat trip.
Day 7: PRAGUE / SALZBURG, AUSTRIA
- Breakfast at your accommodation.
- This morning you will transfer to Salzburg. The drive takes approx. 4.5hours.
- On arrival in Salzburg you will transfer to your hotel for check in.
- SALZBURG, Mozart´s birthplace. Salzburg is one of the most beautiful European cities in Europe due to its scenic countryside, splendid architecture and views of the surrounding mountains. The beautiful Mirabell Gardens, St. Peter's Church, the Residence, and the 11th Century Hohensalzburg Fortress which dominates the city from its hilltop location, are points to visit. If any country can claim to be the capital of music, it is Austria - many renowned composers contribute to the Salzburg Music Festival, which takes place annually in July and August. The composer Mozart lived here and we recommend you pay a visit to his birthplace, the Mozarthaus).
- Dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodation: Moderate hotel accommodation in Salzburg - 3 nights
Day 8: SALZBURG
- Breakfast at your accommodation.
- This morning enjoy a guided walking tour of the Old Town led by a local English-speaking guides. This tour also includes the cable car ride and the entrance to the outer parts of the Fortress Hohensalzburg. Here you will have an amazing overview over the entire city, its sights and the surrounding mountains. Afterwards, enter the Marionettenmuseum, which is also included in your ticket.
- Activity specific to your group.
- Dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 9: SALZBURG / BUDAPEST
- Breakfast at your accommodation.
- Board your coaches in the morning and depart Salzburg bound for Hungary (545km; driving time: approx. 5.30 hours).
- Your first stop will be near Linz where you will have a guided tour of Mauthausen Memorial (former Nazi Concentration Camp).
- Halfway between both cities, stop at the small village of Melk. The cultural landscape of the Wachau region has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Enjoy a guided tour of Melk Abbey before continuing to Budapest.
- The beautiful STIFT MELK is situated above the Danube and catches one's eye from far away. In 1089, Leopold II gave the castle in Melk to Benedictine monks from Lambach. Since then, monks have lived and worked here without interruption following the rule of St. Benedict. Since the 12th century, a school has been connected with the monastery, and valuable manuscripts have been collected and created in the library. Visual evidence of the monastery's importance in the Baroque as well as of the outstanding status of the abbot at the time is the magnificent baroque building which was built between 1702 and 1736.
- After this lovely stop, continue on to Budapest, the capital city of Hungary.
Accommodation: Moderate hotel accommodation in Budapest - 2 nights
Day 10: BUDAPEST
- Breakfast at your accommodation.
- This morning enjoy a guided city tour by coach to experience the highlights of Budapest. You will see the Chain Bridge and many UNESCO World Heritage sights, such as the Danube River Bank, the Buda Castle Quarter and the Andrássy Avenue with the adjacent Heroes' Square. Entrance to the Fishermen's Bastion and Matthias Church at Buda Castle is included.
- At lunch, you may wish to watch a lunch concert at Lobkowicz Palace (subject dependent) and then visit the museum as well (entrance not included).
- Halfway between both cities, stop at the small village of Melk. The cultural landscape of the Wachau region has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Enjoy a guided tour of Melk Abbey before continuing to Budapest.
- This afternoon is free to enjoy Budapest at leisure. You may wish to visit one of the Budapest museums such as the Spanish Collection of the Fine Arts Museum (the richest in the world after that of El Prado in Madrid). Did you know that Budapest also features the oldest still operating metro on the European continent?
- Dinner at your accommodation or a local restaurant
Day 11: BUDAPEST / VIENNA
- Breakfast at your accommodation.
- In the morning, visit the Széchenyi Thermal Bath. This is one of the oldest bath houses in Budapest. So, sit back, relax and enjoy the warm water.
- This afternoon you will drive from Budapest to Vienna (245 km; driving time: approx. 3 hours).
- Activity specific to your group on route to Vienna
- Transfer to your hotel in Vienna and check in.
- Dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodation: Moderate hotel accommodation in Vienna - 2 nights
Day 12: VIENNA
- Breakfast at your accommodation.
- Meet your local guides for a walking tour of the highlights of beautiful Vienna. During the tour you will see the Hofburg, St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Prater, Vienna State Opera and many others in the Old Town that has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage in 2001.
- VIENNA, is the city of the waltz and home of many famous composers including Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Bruckner, Mahler and Johann Strauss to name a few. In Vienna, Lehar and his contemporaries created the sparkling genre of the operetta and Schönberg went far beyond traditional structures in his twelve-tone creations. There is always a wide choice of performances to attend and music to hear, from the State Opera and the Philharmonic to operetta and musicals, waltzes and the songs of the wine gardens to jazz and pop. Perhaps attend a concert by the Wiener Sängerknaben or the Vienna Boys Choir.
- After your tour you will have some time for shopping and to purchase lunch (own expenses).
- In the early afternoon entrance is included to the House of Music - this interesting and interactive museum dedicated entirely to music.
- The remainder of the afternoon is at your discretion. Visit the popular Prater or the famous Schönbrunn Castle .
- Tonight's farewell dinner will be served at a local restaurant.
- Depending on availability, you might be able to watch an opera/symphony performance
Day 13: Departure from Vienna
- Fly from Vienna to home city.
