Imperial Tour of Eastern Europe

Welcome! Guests will arrive at the Prague airport and will be given a private transfer to your hotel. After your flights, you will have time to relax and upwind before the first evening in Prague. Later, your experienced tour director will hold a welcome reception, followed by a casual dinner either at the hotel or a nearby restaurant.

Today, we wake in Prague, an important and beautiful political, cultural and economic nucleus in central Europe. This morning, we will begin our adventure with an early start at the hotel’s full buffet breakfast. After breakfast, we will depart by bus on our comprehensive exploration of the historic capital of the Czech Republic, Prague. Our city tour of Prague begins with a visit to New Town with stops at some of the most significant cultural institutions including Wenceslas Square, the National Museum, the National Theatre, the Charles Bridge and Prague Castle. Later, we will pass through the Jewish Town and Old Town Square. This important site of historical Prague was founded in the 12th century and is dominated by the Baroque Church of St Nicholas, the Rococo Kinský Palace and the Gothic House at the Stone Bell. There, you will have some time for shopping for traditional crafts and a relaxed lunch on your own before we return to our hotel later in the afternoon.

After a long, invigorating day of sightseeing, this evening, we will enjoy dinner in the hotel, featuring delectable regional fare.

On the third day in Prague, you will have a free day to discover new parts of the city on your own. Your tour director will meet with you in the morning to ensure you have a plan for the day. Your day plans might include taking one of Prague’s exceptional public transportation options or a taxi to the city’s main attractions (Tripadvisor has ranked Prague as sixth in the best city destinations in the world!) or finding a lovely little café to sit and watch people and sample local cuisine and drink. Either way, today will allow you to enjoy a closer look at Prague’s rich culture including the city’s inclusion of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architectures.

On your fourth day of our Imperial Tour of Europe, you will indulge in a hearty buffet breakfast in our hotel before we leave Prague and make our way to the town of Krems, a lush, sleepy town in lower Austria. There, we will board our river cruise along the Danube River from Krems to Melk, best known for its historic baroque Benedictine monastery. As we board our cruise ship, be prepared to take in magical panoramic views of nearby castles, thriving vineyards, and charming villages. In the picturesque village of Melk, we will stroll through the famous abbey and church with plenty of time for some shopping and a relaxed lunch before we board our motorcoach and make our way to Austria’s capital, Vienna! This evening, we will gather and be treated to a specially designed Viennese dinner with local wine and traditional music.

Today, Vienna! This historic and cosmopolitan capital of Austria is rich in art, culture and music. All the city has to offer will become your reality during this full day and evening. After a satisfying breakfast, we will embark on an enchanting walking tour of Vienna's Old Town with intimate views of its varied architectural masterpieces including the St. Stephen Cathedral (the tallest church in Austria), the Majokiahaus (Majolica House), Schönbrunn Palace (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Opera House and Parliament. With each city block, you will experience Vienna’s Celtic and Roman roots that have transformed over centuries to the well-preserved medieval and Baroque old city of today.

After our walking tour, we have planned time for you to enjoy lunch on your own at a wurstelstand (a traditional street food vendor with sausages, hot dogs and beer) or in one of the city’s many famous coffee houses. Vienna is considered a coffee hot spot in Europe and their cafes are considered a main social institution that transcend a place for mere eating and drinking. Take time this afternoon to partake in café life, stroll along the picturesque shops and taste one of world’s most famous chocolate cakes, the Viennese Schertorte!

This evening, your tour guide will suggest places for you to relax and enjoy a customary dinner of Wiener Schnitzel or Austrian Goulash or your guide can direct you to one of Vienna’s more upscale restaurants for a unique, gastronomical feast.

It is impossible to see all of the sights of Vienna in one day, so today we will assemble as a group for a second city tour. Vienna has consistently been named the world’s “most livable city” by the Economist Intelligence Global Livability Index, in part because of its rich, cultural traditions, architecture, open-air parks and recreational areas, museums and restaurants. To experience more of this engaging city, our tour will focus our attention on some additional encounters with Viennese life. In the afternoon, you will have time to relax in cafes or visit one of the many remarkable museums of the city including the Leopold, Naturhistorishches Vienna (Natural History Museum), and the Jewish Museum of Vienna. A farewell to Vienna dinner has been carefully designed for you at a local restaurant specializing in traditional food, wine and music.

On our seventh day together, we will say goodbye to Vienna and travel toward Budapest. Before we arrive in Budapest, we will stopover in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia where we will enjoy a traditional Slovakian dinner with entertainment. Next, it is time to get acquainted with the global city of Budapest with its historical and cultural sites and institutions of commerce, art, fashion and entertainment!

This morning, you will wake up in the beautifully preserved, historic city of Budapest! After breakfast at our hotel, we will be privileged to join a professionally guided sightseeing tour which will include a visit to Heroes’ Square and a panoramic view from Fishermen’s Bastion. Heroes’ Square is a major, iconic city locale with historic statues of ancestorial figures and national, political leaders and has been host to many significant political and cultural leaders. Fisherman’s Bastion owes its name to a medieval fishermen’s guild who, according to historical lore, lived under the castle walls and have been credited with expertly preserving this distinctive part of the city.
The afternoon and evening in Budapest are at your leisure. Your tour director will suggest areas of interest to explore, museums to discover, and local restaurants you may visit to experience recognized Hungarian fare such as Langosch (a sweet or savory flatbread), stuffed cabbage or kolbasz, a slightly spicy sausage customarily served in salads, stew and soups. Please don’t miss the chance to sample the pleasing comfort foods of this region of the world!

On this leisure day in Budapest, feel free to discuss options with your tour guide. Among many possibilities, you may choose to visit one of Budapest’s 223 museums including the archeological Aquincum or the Hungarian National Museum. Or you might prefer to take a tour of the prominent neo-Gothic Parliament where you’ll have the opportunity to view the famous Hungarian Crown Jewels. Alternatively, perhaps you’d like to take a picnic lunch to relax and take a long break in one of Budapest’s vast, green parks. Whatever you decide, your director will assist in preparing for a memorable outing in one of Europe’s finest cities.
This evening, we have prepared an unforgettable dinner event that includes nods to traditional Romani folk cuisine, dance and entertainment.

Upon an early afternoon arrival to Zagreb, there will be free time to acquaint yourselves with this mesmerizing city that resides along the Sava River in the north of Croatia. Zagreb enjoys a vibrant cultural history dating from Roman times and for the next three days, it is yours to discover.
Dinner will be served at our hotel so you might enjoy a good night’s sleep before full day of adventure tomorrow.

We will begin our adventure with a local Zagreb specialist to guide us to the two-towered capital and largest city of Croatia. In the morning, we will drive through the streets of the Lower Town then, we will venture toward the historic Upper Town to investigate Ban Jelacic Square which includes Gradec and Kaptol, medieval urban settlements with churches, palaces, museums and galleries. Be prepared to witness a slice of true Croatian urban life, with lively shops containing local traditional arts like crystal, straw baskets and ceramics. Later, you will be entranced by treasures of the Mimara Art Museum in Roosevelt Square and finally, we will return to Ban Josip Jelacic Square on our way to the celebrated Zagreb cathedral. This Gothic Cathedral is the ultimate travel destination in the city, with its two recognizable spires that were damaged in two earthquakes in 1880 and 2020, respectively. Our city tour will conclude with views of the former Presidential Palace, Stone Gate, the Lotrščak Tower and St. Mark’s Church which is the oldest architectural monument in Zagreb.
In the late afternoon and evening, relax and enjoy our hotel's amazing amenities or join us for an optional experience to the one of the most beautiful squares in the Lower Town where you will learn about the local folklore, culture and traditions.

After days of city touring, today we will drive west to the Adriatic coast! Your travel director will take you to spend the day in the traditional seaside resort town of Opatija which is nestled at the foot of Mount Ucka and is surrounded by beautiful woods of bay laurel. Our group will take time to stroll along the luxurious villas that reside on tree-lined seafront boulevards. This setting provides the perfect spot for people watching at an open patio café or take a walk along the seaside with some local wine, bread and cheese.
After our day at the Croatian Riviera, we return to Zagreb for a gala farewell dinner with time-honored Croatian dishes, music and plenty of local wine.

As with all great things in life, our journey must end. Today, we will leave our travels and our new friends with incredible memories to last a lifetime. After a final breakfast, all will be transferred to the Zagreb airport for departure.