Prague – Vienna – Budapest in depth by rail

We depart from NYC to fly to Prague by plane.

Today we explore the charms of Prague, capital of the Czech Republic. In the morning, we’ll have a guided Walking Tour of Prague Old Town. We’ll visit Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral in the afternoon.  We’ll check into a boutique hotel in Prague Old Town where we’ll stay for 3 nights. We’ll lunch and dine on czech cuisine at local restaurants,

After breakfast in our hotel, we’ll embark on Prague’s historical heritage with a Jewish Quarter Tour. Prague’s Jewish Quarter, also known as Josefov, is a historic neighborhood located in the north of the Old Town of Prague. It is one of the most significant Jewish quarters in Europe and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1992. The quarter used to be the largest Jewish ghetto in Europe and has a long and complicated history. It is home to several synagogues, museums, and cemeteries that are part of the Jewish Museum. In the afternoon we’ll see the Charles Bridge and do a Lesser Town Exploration. Local restaurants again for lunch and dinner.

We’ll take in Bohemian Art with a morning visit to the Mucha Museum.  This museum is dedicated to the life and work of the world-acclaimed Czech Art Nouveau artist Alphonse Mucha. It is located in the former Kaunitz Palace in Prague’s city center. After another tasty lunch at a local restaurant, we’ll have free time in the afternoon for souvenir shopping. We’ll end the day with a dinner at Kampa Park, one of the best secrets in Prague, with a fantastic menu, spectacular staff, and the beautiful pink sunset venues.

Today we travel by rail to Vienna, for a 4.5 hour journey. We’ll check into a boutique hotel in the Vienna City Center. The Vienna City Centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site that stretches across three square kilometers and is one of the most significant historic centers in Europe. The pedestrian area of the city center covers an entire 82,000 square meters and is round and girded by Ringstrasse. The city center is rich in history, palaces, classical music venues, coffeehouses, restaurants, and high-end shopping. When it comes to architecture, you will find a mix of Medieval, Baroque, Historistic, Art Nouveau, Modernist, and sleek contemporary sites.

In the morning we’ll embark on a guided tour of Schönbrunn Palace. Schönbrunn Palace is a former imperial summer residence located in Hietzing, Vienna, Austria. It was built in the 17th century and has over 1,400 rooms. The palace grounds include a number of historical structures, great museums, charming gardens, an imperial zoo, and beautiful interiors complimenting its ambiance. The palace is one of the most important architectural, cultural, and historic monuments in Austria and has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. Afterward, we’ll eat lunch at a local cafe, then visit the Belvedere Palace Museum. We’ll have a wonderful dinner at Plachutta, known for its Viennese specialties.

Today we’ll explore the art and culture in Vienna, by a morning visit to the Kunsthistorisches Museum. This museum is a is located in the festive palatial building on the Vienna Ring Road and is crowned with an octagonal dome. The museum was established between 1871 and 1891 and is one of the world’s largest and most noteworthy art history museums. It has a vast collection of art pieces from ancient times to the modern era, including paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, and more. The museum’s collection includes works by famous artists such as Raphael, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Rubens, and many others. Afterward, we’ll get an afternoon guided tour of the Vienna State Opera House. This is one of the world’s leading opera houses and is known for its performances of works by Richard Wagner, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Richard Strauss. The opera house also hosts performances by the Vienna State Ballet.

Vienna has a rich musical heritage, which we’ll explore today. We’ll begin with a visit to Mozart’s House., which is a museum dedicated to the early life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The museum depicts his first musical instruments, his friends, and his passionate interest in opera. The third floor exhibits Mozart’s childhood violin as well as portraits, documents, and early editions of his music. Then it’s onto the Vienna Philharmonic Museum. After lunch, we visit St. Stephen’s Cathedral, a Roman Catholic cathedral located in the heart of Vienna.  It was built in the 14th century and has a rich history and is one of the most important Gothic structures in Austria. Then we’ll have free time to do some shopping.

Travel we’ll hop on a 2.5-hour train ride to take us from Vienna to Budapest, our final city. We’ll check into a boutique hotel in the Budapest City Center. One of the most beautiful cities in the world, Budapest is the economic and cultural center of the country. The city is best known for big castles, ancient churches, appealing architectural bridges, and breathtaking avenues- it’s a perfect blend of ancient architecture and contemporary lifestyle. A visit to Budapest is incomplete without visiting the historic Buda Castle, grand St. Stephen’s Basilica, and the iconic The Széchenyi Medicinal Bath, which you’ll get to do the next 2 days!

We’ll visit iconic places in Budapest today. In the morning it’s Buda Castle Hill and Matthias Church. Buda Castle Hill is a historic castle and palace complex of the Hungarian Kings in Budapest. It was first completed in 1265, although the massive Baroque palace today occupying most of the site was built between 1749 and 1769. The complex in the past was referred to as either the Royal Palace or the Royal Castle. The castle now houses the Hungarian National Gallery and the Hungarian National Museum. Matthias Church is one of the finest churches in Budapest and the most unique churches in Europe. Located atop the Buda Castle hill, it has been serving the citizens of Buda Castle Hill since 1015, its foundation by the first Hungarian king. The church has a breathtaking interior with colors inspired by orientalism and romantic historicism. Its mystically exotic atmosphere paired with its Neo-Gothic features differentiates it from any other church. The church was used as a coronation church by Hungarian kings for centuries, also a mosque for over 150 years by the Ottoman Turks, once owned by Franciscans, Jesuits, now a thriving Catholic church with holy masses, concerts, plenty of weddings, thousands of tourists.

After a lunch in the Central Market Hall, we’ll spend a pleasant afternoon on the Danube River doing a river cruise.

Today is our final day in Budapest so we have some fun things planned! We’ll start with a nice soak in the Széchenyi Thermal Baths. The Széchenyi Baths is one of the largest bath complexes of Europe, with healthcare and wellness services in 21 pools. There are saunas, aquafitness and aerobics classes, and a gym.

After lunch at a local Hungarian cafe, we’ll have free time in the afternoon for any last-minute exploration we may want to do. We’ll have a Farewell Dinner that evening, at a very special Hungarian restaurant.

Today we end our trip, we depart from Budapest to fly to NYC by plane.