Imperial Capitals                                  • Prague • Vienna • Budapest •

DURATION: 10 DAYS/9 NIGHTS

Guaranteed Departures                                                        

° First class hotels, rooms with private facilities
° Service charges and hotel taxes
° Breakfast daily
° Dinner with folklore in Prague
° Dinner with entertainment in Grinzing suburb of Vienna
° Farewell dinner with entertainment in typical restaurant

   in Budapest
° Opera performance in Prague
° Strauss & Mozart Concert in Vienna
° Inter-city travel by modern motor coach or first class train
° Arrival and departure transfers
° Professional Tour Director throughout *
° Luggage handling

* In case of traveling by train, the tour will be fully locally escorted

SIGHTSEEING TOURS INCLUDED:
° Prague: Royal Castle of Hradcany, St. Vitus Cathedral
° Vienna: Hofburg Palace, Kunsthistorische Museum
° Budapest: Fisherman’s Bastion, Coronation Church

Day 1 - Friday - Prague
Arrival in Prague. You will be met and transferred to your hotel with time to relax. Dinner at a local restaurant with folklore entertainment. (D)

Day 2 - Saturday - Prague

Your morning tour of the golden city of Prague will take you into the old part of the city to view the Old Town Square where you will find the Astronomical Clock known as “Orloj” at the Old Town Hall, beneath which crowds gather to watch as Christ and the 12 Apostles show themselves at two little windows above the clock face. Next is the Jewish Ghetto, one of the oldest in Europe dating back to at least the 10th century. Continue past St. Nicholas Church to Charles Bridge with its wealth of statuary. Other sights of interest will also be featured. The balance of the day is free to do some sightseeing on your own. Perhaps to visit the Loreto Church and Treasury containing a priceless collection of church monstrances, jeweled goblets and golden robes or to visit the nearby Strahov Monastery, one of the most impressive historic libraries in Europe with books and manuscripts dating back as far as the 10th century. This evening enjoy an opera performance. (B)

Day 3 - Sunday - Prague

A morning sightseeing tour will take you to the Royal Castle of Hradcany , the one time residence of the Kings of Bohemia. Dominating the Castle is St. Vitus Cathedral, the repository of the Czech crown jewels. Time permitting spend a few minutes strolling through the gardens on the ramparts. The views over the river and the city are spectacular. The balance of the day is free perhaps to do some souvenir shopping or to take an optional cruise on the Vltava River. Perhaps an optional dinner at the “U Fleku Restaurant” with live folklore music. Situated in the heart of Prague, the “U Flecku” was founded in 1499 in an ancient building featuring a complex of rooms each with its own distinctive style and identity. (B)

Day 4 - Monday - Prague - Vienna

Leaving Prague travel by motorcoach or first class train crossing the border into Austria and heading for the Imperial city of Vienna. Dinner this evening at a local Heurigen Restaurant . (B,D)

Day 5 - Tuesday - Vienna

Your morning sightseeing tour features the ornate Hofburg Palace, once the seat of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. See the Belvedere Palace, built as a summer home for Prince Eugene of Savoy on a slope above Vienna providing a wonderful view of the city. Pass the Prater Amusement Park, the UN Buildings and St. Stephen’s Cathedral whose lofty spires tower over the heart of the city. Next is the Ringstrasse which encircles the inner city. The afternoon is free to do some shopping along the elegant Kartnerstrasse or the Mariahilfer Strasse or perhaps to pause for a few moments and indulge at a Viennese café with a tantalizing piece of Sachertorte at the Sacher Hotel opened in 1876 by Eduard Sacher, the son of the creator of the original Sachertorte. Or perhaps an exquisite pastry at the world famous Demels pastry shop at 14 Kohlmarkt still bearing the imperial patent K.u.k. Hof-Zucherbacker (Imperial and Royal Court Confectionary Bakery) above the shop front. This evening enjoy a Strauss and Mozart Concert. (B)

Day 6 - Wednesday -Vienna

Across from the Hofburg Palace is the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Arts). This huge building houses many of the fabulous art collections gathered by the Habsburgs and ranks amongst the richest and most important collections in the world. The showpiece of the Egyptian-Oriental Collection, one of the largest of its kind in the world is the complete and intact cult chamber of Prince Kaninisut. The balance of the day is free. Perhaps to visit the Upper Belvedere where you will find the largest collection of works by Klimt as well as masterpieces by Schiele and Kokoschka. Perhaps this evening you may wish to try a typical Viennese schnitzel at Figlmueller’s, the most famous schnitzel maker in Vienna inaugurated in 1905. The restaurant is located in the center of Vienna, next to St. Stephen’s Cathedral. (Cost not included). (B)

Day 7 - Thursday - Vienna - Budapest

This morning travel eastbound by motorcoach or first class train towards Budapest, often referred to as the “Paris of the East”. The afternoon is free to explore the city on your own. Perhaps to visit the Hungarian National Gallery or the Jewish Museum attached to the beautiful Dohany Synagogue with its unparalleled collection of Judaica. (B)

Day 8 - Friday - Budapest

Situated on the opposite banks of the Danube River, the former cities of Buda and Pest are linked by a series of graceful bridges. A morning sightseeing tour includes the view of the decorative Parliament Building reminiscent of London’s House of Parliament. Continue via the Vaci Utca, a pedestrian street where you will find the city’s smartest shops. Next is Hero’s Square which leads into the City Park with the impressive Millennium Memorial commemorating the 1000th anniversary of the conquest of Hungary. Stop at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The balance of the day is free perhaps to visit the Aquincum packed with memories of the Roman period or to do some souvenir shopping for Herend porcelain or plum brandy or to take an optional tour to the picturesque village of Szentendre, 25 kms. from Budapest where you can find art centers, ancient monuments, galleries and art shops. (B)

Day 9 - Saturday - Budapest

This mornings tour features a visit to the Castle Hill area located in the heart of mediaeval Budapest and largely destroyed during the war. The entire area is now banned to cars. Castle Hill is a long narrow plateau with several streets of miniature palaces, mansions and churches. The Neo-Romanesque Fishermen’s Bastion provides an excellent view of the river and Pest. The Royal Palace restored to its former splendor is now a vast museum complex and cultural center. Also see Matthias Church also known as the Coronation Church. The afternoon is free to perhaps visit St. Stephen’s Basilica, the largest church in Budapest. Its 96 metre dome affords a fantastic view over the entire city. This Neo-Classical building holds the greatest reliquary of the Hungarian people. Tonight enjoy dinner in a typical Csarda Restaurant with entertainment. (B,D)

Day 10 - Sunday - Budapest

After breakfast transfer to the airport for departure. (B)

ADDITIONAL NIGHTS IN PRAGUE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TOUR & IN BUDAPEST AT THE END OF THE TOUR CAN BE PROVIDED