Arrive today in Prague. You are met at the airport by a Grand Circle representative and transferred to your hotel. Depending on your arrival time and hotel check-in policy, you may not be able to check into your hotel room immediately upon arrival at your hotel.  Your Program Director will advise you of our check-in status and activity schedule for the day when you arrive.

You have the remainder of the afternoon at leisure to relax after your overseas flight, or venture out on your own explorations. During the afternoon, you can join your Program Director for a walk to get acquainted with the vicinity around your hotel.

Prague’s regal beauty spreads on both sides of the winding Vltava River, connected by 16 picturesque bridges. Like Rome and San Francisco, the city is built over a series of hills, and its varied architecture spans many centuries.

Get better acquainted with your Program Director and traveling companions over a Welcome Drink. You can ask your Program Director for suggestions as to where to dine on your own.

During the reign of Charles IV, King of Bohemia and Moravia, Prague was the seat of the Holy Roman Empire. Later it was the vital center of the Habsburgs.  While other European capitals were leveled during World War II, Prague survived virtually intact. 

Among the structures to remain remarkably undamaged was Prague’s great landmark, Prague Castle—the largest ancient castle in the world and still the seat of political power. Built during the ninth century, Prague Castle has evolved over the centuries, blending Romanesque, Gothic, and even Spanish architectural styles. Today, it is a sprawling complex of breathtaking enormity and a symbol of Czech unity. You’ll walk through Prague’s Castle District, encompassing palaces, galleries, churches, gardens, and museums. While in the Castle District, you’ll also visit the 14th-century Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral, seat of the Archbishop of Prague. It was here that coronations were held until 1836 and saints and royalty were buried. Admire its high vaulted ceilings, brass door, and stained-glass windows. 

Your tour ends around noon. You may want to continue exploring Hradcany (the Castle area) on your own, perhaps marking the hour by watching the changing of the guard at the castle’s front gate or exploring the eleven small houses that line the castle complex’s Golden Lane. Once an alchemists’ district—and a site where Franz Kafka worked his alchemy in literature—today it is a quaint alleyway of craft and souvenir shops. 

Or instead, you might return to the hotel by bus, or ask to be dropped off in the city center.

After lunch on your own, spend some time in the afternoon exploring Prague at your own pace. Perhaps you’ll contrast your discoveries of historic Prague with its more modern aspect at the Dancing House, whose unusual contemporary architecture is framed by the Vltava River. Or visit the Mala Strana, the eighth-century market town that today is a quaint neighborhood of cobbled street, boutiques, and baroques churches and palaces.

You might also consider a visit to Josefov (Prague’s Jewish Quarter) and the Old Jewish Cemetery. The Prague Ghetto and vibrant Jewish community have contributed to Prague’s character since the tenth century, and this area once was one of Europe’s main centers of Jewish mysticism and thought. The Old Jewish Cemetery, one of the oldest cemeteries in Europe, documents the rich Jewish heritage that is an integral part of Prague’s culture. The cemetery was spared during Nazi occupation as an “Exotic Museum of an Extinct Race.” Shortly after World War II, the names, birth dates, and death dates of nearly 80,000 Czech Jews who perished in the Holocaust were carved on the stones of one of the crypts. Due to space limitations, and the Jewish tradition that graves never be disturbed, thousands of people are buried in a dozen layers and their tombstones are amazingly crowded together.  

Here is the much-visited grave of the great Jewish scholar, Rabbi Loew, who created the mythical being Golem, a figure he sculpted from clay and animated with magical powers to protect the persecuted. It is said that Golem would perform tasks written on a scrap of paper that was then placed in his mouth. 

In an imitation of the legend, many Jews hid their valuables in the cracks of Rabbi Loew’s tomb before they were transported to concentration camps. Even today, people place scraps of paper, bearing prayers and wishes, into the tomb.

As it was during the zenith of the Bohemian kingdom, Prague still ranks as the thriving center of the country, with an artistic you’ll find some community reminiscent of Paris in the 1920s. This evening, you might seek out some of Europe’s best jazz venues, excellent opera, and innovative theater groups. 

Or, you might want to join our optional tour of Sychrov Castle, the 18th-century residence of a noble family. During the last ten years or so, an extensive reconstruction and restoration of the manor house’s exteriors and interiors, as well as of the nearby park, has returned the Castle of Sychrov to its former glory. After a welcome drink, enjoy an organ concert in the chapel of the palace, followed by a guided walk through the palace. You’ll have the opportunity to view the magnificent woodwork and lush interior of the huge manor.  Relax with us over dinner before returning to the hotel in late evening.

Today you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the variety of scenery and the changing landscapes as you ride for most of the day in a comfortable motorcoach on your way to Budapest. Along your route, we stop in Bratislava for lunch. Afterwards, enjoy a neighborhood walk with your Program Director.

You'll arrive in Budapest in the early evening, and dinner will be on board.

You’ll be transferred to your hotel early this morning. After checking in, your Program Director will lead you on an orientation walk of the area around your hotel. Following lunch, you’ll continue your exploration of Vienna by foot. This evening, enjoy a Welcome Drink with your fellow travelers; at this gathering, you’ll also have the chance to purchase optional tours to some of the region’s most notable sights. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are on your own today.

You have the day at leisure to relax, do some shopping, or explore this unique city on your own. Vienna has served as home and inspiration to some of the world’s greatest artists, thinkers, and musicians. You’ll see statues of Strauss, Mozart, Beethoven, and Mahler throughout the city, and see how music is such an integral part of Viennese life. The numerous performances of the Vienna State Opera House are the constant talk of the town, and its performers are treated like celebrities. The strains of waltz music emanate from the many cafés, and the entertainment moves outdoors to the sidewalks in good weather.

Alternatively, you can join your Program Director this morning for a trip to the nearby Schloss Schonbrunn, an inimitable collection of faux-Roman ruins, Habsburg palaces, and stunning gardens. Lunch is on your own today, and if you choose to follow you Program Director, you can spend the afternoon at Schloss Schonbrunn or head back to the city.

Spend this evening as you wish.

Or, join us for an optional Musical Vienna tour. Sit back and let the strains of classical composers carry you off to the former glory of this imperial city.

Before its most famous landmark, Peles Castle, was constructed, Sinaia was a quiet monastery settlement in the Prahova Valley. Afterward, it quickly became a booming resort town—with help from the subsequent creation of a direct train line from Bucharest. With the king in Sinaia to avoid the heat of the nation's capital in summer, the nobility swarmed to this mountainside city.

The day is yours to relax and to explore this exquisite resort community on your own. Perhaps you'll visit Sinaia Monastery. Founded by Romania's Prince Mihai Cantacuzino after a pilgrimage to Mount Sinai, this 17th-century abbey in turn lent its name to the town. Admire the gold mosaic paintings and gold-plated thrones in the Great Church here, as well as its collections of religious icons, books, and porcelain. You might also pay a visit to the Sinaia Casino, built in 1912 and inspired by the glamorous casinos along the Cote d'Azur.

Or, come with us on an optional tour to the Rasnov Fortress and Bran Castle. Located on a rocky hilltop in the ancient Carpathian Mountains, the Rasnov Fortress overlooks the Bran Pass and was built 800 years ago. The castle was meant to be a refuge from extended sieges for the local villagers—and, with 30 houses, a school, a chapel and other buildings it was a small self-contained village. The fortress has been restored and you'll travel back through time as you walk beside ancient walls and inner rooms—which are like a maze, with wooden ladders that link them to secret passages.

Then travel to Bran Castle, often referred to as Dracula's Castle. Prince Vlad Tepes, the son of Vlad Dracul and the person who inspired Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula, used this castle as headquarters for his incursions into Transylvania. This 15th-century ruler became known as "Vlad the Impaler" for his practice of impaling enemies of the kingdom, which was greatly threatened by the Ottoman Turks at the time. Stoker's work of fiction drew inspiration from this bloody practice, the family name, and the castle-dotted mountain landscape of Transylvania.

Built in 1377 to protect nearby Brasov from invaders and also served as a customs station, you'll see Bran castle's exterior. In 1920, the people of Brasov, who owned the castle, offered it as a gift to Queen Maria of Romania, and the castle soon became her favorite residence. After an included lunch, you return to your hotel, arriving in the late afternoon.

And/or, join us again later for another optional excursion, this time an early evening visit to the Enescu House, the former home of George Enescu—founder of the Romanian School of Music and teacher of the world-famous violinist Yehudi Menuhin.

Renowned as both a musician and composer, George Enescu built this villa over many years with money from his concerts. The villa is decorated in an authentic Romanian style with the maestro's piano still in the living room. Your tour concludes with a short musical recital performed by a duo (viola, and piano). You return to the hotel in time for dinner on your own.

After breakfast, we transfer to Bucharest, with lunch en route. We'll begin a city tour upon arrival in Bucharest. This is an old city that has served as the capital of Wallachia and later Romania since 1659. Today, it is noted for its broad, tree-lined boulevards, well-kept parks, and mix of architectural styles that combine neoclassical structures with monumental 20th-century edifices (the latter built for the most part to satisfy the late dictator Nicolae Ceausescu). The capital is often referred to as "the Little Paris" because of its wide boulevards.

You’ll view the Arc de Triomphe commemorating the exploits of World War I soldiers, and drive along Victory Avenue to Revolution Square, where recent events in history are inscribed. After the tour, you’ll transfer to your hotel with some time to settle in and relax before dinner.

This evening, join your fellow travelers for dinner at your hotel.

Please Note: If you choose this optional Post-Trip Extension, you'll spend the two days in Bucharest from the base trip after the Transylvania extension. Days 4 and 5 of this extension correspond to Days 11 and 12 on your main program.

Following breakfast, join us for an included motorcoach tour of Sofia. The city offers attractions spanning its long history, from the 4th century Church of St. George to the 19th century monument to Tsar Alexander II to the towering Stalinst structures of the Largo. Other attractions include the Public Mineral Baths, the gold-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the yellow cobblestones of the city center, the outdoor book market at Slaveykov Square, the gardens of the Borisova Gradina, and the natural beauty of nearby Mount Vitosha. This afternoon, put your new knowledge of Sofia to use by exploring at leisure. Lunch is on your own today.

Tonight, enjoy dinner with your traveling companions while taking in a Bulgarian folklore show.

Spend your final day in Sofia visiting any sites you might have missed so far.

Or, come with us to the Maritsa River valley, the center of the Bulgarian National Revival movement in the mid-1800s. Your tour includes Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s third largest city where the local Orthodox patriarch, Cyril, saved more than 1,500 Jews from the concentration camps during World War II. The well-preserved ruins of a Roman amphitheatre, aqueduct, and stadium can be seen here, along with historic churches and graceful art galleries. But the centuries-old appeal of this valley is the millions of roses cultivated here. The valley is one of the world’s leading producers of rose oil, an essential element in perfume production, and each year the slopes of the valley are carpeted in the bright pink blooms of fragrant Damask roses. Harvesting the roses requires a delicate touch, but during harvest season, the sweet smell of roses permeates the valley.

Lunch and dinner are on your own today. This evening, join your fellow travelers for a farewell drink.