Budapest to Prague Adventure

Our Eastern European adventure begins in Budapest, Hungary's picturesque capital and our home for tonight. Situated on a beautiful stretch of the Danube River, Budapest consists of two parts - Buda and Pest. Buda is the city's graceful older sibling, with cobbled streets, medieval buildings and the famous castle, while Pest is its younger counterpart - a hub of colourful street art, modern galleries and a thriving culinary scene. For those arriving on time, our tour leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 4:30pm for a welcome meeting. After the meeting, we'll use local transport to take an orientation tour of Budapest's main sites. We'll see the Basilica of Saint Stephen and the Parliament buildings before crossing the Chain Bridge to the Castle District and Watertown. Here lie Buda's most ancient gems - Castle Hill with the Old Town, Fisherman's Bastion and the Royal Palace. After the tour, there'll be the chance to go for dinner. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Budapest Airport (BUD). If you want to join the orientation tour, you must arrive at the hotel by 4.30pm. If you're booking your own flights, we recommend giving yourself at least one hour to clear the airport. It's around a 45-minute drive from the airport to the hotel, therefore the latest your flight can arrive is 2.30pm. If you miss the meeting, our tour leader will leave you information giving the meeting time for the next day in the hotel reception and will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up. Budapest is a real European gem and it's impossible to see all of the sites in just one day. We recommend adding a night or two to the start of your tour to make the most of your time in the stunning city.

This morning, we'll say goodbye to Budapest and drive towards our next stop - Slovakia's capital, Bratislava. The drive takes around three hours by private bus - please note, that there may occasionally be delays at the border crossing. On arrival, we'll have a leisurely afternoon discovering the highlights of this historic city. Bratislava was once the capital of the Hungarian Kingdom and was known as 'Pressburg' - it went through tough times at war with the Ottoman Empire. We'll walk through the Old Town's maze of pretty Medieval streets and squares, surrounded by cafes and trendy bistros. Along the way, we'll pass by Michael's Gate which is the only remaining old entrance to the city, the pretty Main Square, Neoclassical Primate's Palace and the Cathedral of Saint Martin. After our walk, you can continue your discovery by visiting one of the oldest castles in Slovakia or by enjoying a bird's eye view from the city's most famous landmark, the so-called UFO bridge, which affords views over the 'panelaky' - typical communist era blocks of flats and various other fairly radical urban projects.

We'll head out to discover another historic capital today - Vienna. Making use of the local rail system, we'll hop on a train to Vienna's beautiful capital, a journey of just one hour. On arrival, we'll take a walking tour to take in the city's must-sees and get our bearings. Our walk will include the Karlsplatz, Heroes Square, Hofburg (Imperial Palace Complex), Imperial Treasury, National Library, Spanish Riding School, Vienna's ancient housing estates, Saint Stephens Church and the Opera. While we won't have time to look inside any of these landmarks on our walk, afterwards you're free to explore solo and will have plenty of time to tick them off. You can choose to return to Bratislava by train at your leisure (you'll be given a return ticket) or you might prefer to book a boat trip back along the Danube River, taking approximately two hours and costing €30 per person.

We have another short train ride ahead of us this morning (just one hour), followed by a short bus journey to the beautiful town of Mikulov. Filled with history embodied in architectural monuments, this small town offers something for everyone. Situated in the very heart of the wine region, it has plenty of walking paths with local and family-run wine cellars or wine-tasting centres along the way. En route to Mikulov, we'll stop at Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's one of the largest artificial landscapes in Europe and we'll take a walk around the castle park of Chateau Lednice. In the afternoon, we'll sample some of Mikulov's local produce with a wine tasting before visiting the Jewish Cemetry, which is home to centuries-old tombs. We'll finish up with a walking tour of the old town.

The final destination of our Eastern European tour is Prague, the capital city of Czechia. We have a slightly longer train journey ahead of us (four-and-a-half hours total) including one connecting train. Twelve centuries have adorned Prague with a labyrinth of old streets, wonderful palaces and photogenic bridges. We'll enjoy a guided city tour to take in some of the main highlights including the Old Town Square and City Hall, set amid antique houses and arcades. Other sites include the Astronomical Clock, Powder Tower and Prague Ghetto, which includes the Jewish Cemetery and Synagogues. We'll also see Charles Bridge, the most handsome bridge over the Vltava River and the area of Hradcany which contains the castle of the Bohemian Kings.

Today, you're free to enjoy Prague at your own pace. You might like to catch the train to the 700-year-old Konopiste Castle. The castle was once owned by Archduke Ferdinand, whose assassination in Sarajevo triggered the start of World War I. Another option is to take a boat trip on the Vltava River. There are also many classical music concerts on offer and if the timing is right, you might be lucky enough to see a performance in one of the old atmospheric churches. Alternatively, you could visit the Bunker Museum, where a range of Cold War relics are on display from an age when paranoia and spying was at an all-time high - interestingly, this museum is housed in a former communist bunker underneath the city. Finish up your day with a hearty meal at one of Prague's traditional restaurants, serving up steaming goulash and dumplings and, of course, local beer.

Our trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Prague. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to depart from Prague at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to depart from Prague Airport (PRG).