Cruise the Vltava through Prague and view the city’s historic riverfront from the water. The river offers a fresh angle on the bridges, rooftops and castle-side skyline that define the Czech capital.

Prague developed along both banks of the Vltava, making a cruise a relaxed way to appreciate how its districts fit together. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

• 8 Dinner (D)
• 16 Breakfast (B)

• Vienna: Walk through the first district, Inner Stadt, as your Local Specialist reveals the historic core of the city. Tour the Ring Road to see the Hofburg Imperial Residence, Opera House, Parliament Building and Karlskirche.
• Ljubljana: Join your Travel Director for an orientation of the city. See City Hall, Prešeren Square, the pink facade of the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation and the iconic Triple Bridge. You’ll also catch a view of Ljubljana Castle watching over the city from its hilltop perch. 
• Lake Bled: Take the day to enjoy the forests and mountains of Lake Bled.
• Zagreb: Take in the scenic landscapes of Zagreb. 
• Lake Balaton: Take in the views of the largest lake in Central Europe – Lake Balaton.
• Budapest: Spend the day basking in the iconic views of Budapest. 
• Kraków: Walk around the beautiful town square, Rynek Glówny. See the famous Sukiennice Cloth Hall, St. Mary’s Basilica and the many historic townhouses, palaces and churches.
• Auschwitz: Bear witness to the horrors/atrocities of the Holocaust at Auschwitz.
• Warsaw: See the Old Town, Palace of Culture and visit the Chopin Memorial in the Lazienki Park before paying your respects at the Ghetto Heroes Memorial.
• Berlin: Visit the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse, where preserved sections of the Wall and watchtower offer a powerful insight into the realities of a divided city. Learn how families were separated and how Berliners lived through one of Europe’s most defining chapters.
• Berlin: During a sightseeing tour with your Local Specialist, admire Berlin landmarks like the Tiergarten and the neo- Renaissance Reichstag.
• Dresden: Stroll through the historic center of Dresden and learn about the city’s reconstruction. 
• Prague: Led by your Local Specialist, explore the courtyards of Prague Castle with a visit to the splendid Gothic St Vitus Cathedral. Continue to the delightful Old Town Square and see the detailed 15th-century Astronomical Clock.

• Deluxe coach travel
• Selected hotel dinners plus a locally hosted meal
• 4-star stays

Trafalgar

Explore Vienna’s historic centre with a Local Specialist, walking through streets shaped by centuries of Habsburg rule. Admire the Hofburg Palace and St Stephen’s Cathedral, whose patterned tile roof rises above the old town.

See the grand boulevards and civic landmarks that give the Austrian capital its imperial character. Your guide brings context to a city celebrated as much for its architecture as for its musical heritage.

Meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers over a light welcome dinner in Vienna. This hosted gathering offers a chance to make introductions and hear about the journey through Central and Eastern Europe.

Vienna’s long tradition of bringing people together around food and conversation makes a fitting setting for the occasion. The experience is a social introduction to the group rather than a formal sightseeing tour.

Discover Ljubljana’s compact historic centre with a Local Specialist. See the Triple Bridge and Prešeren Square, the cathedral and opera house, and look towards Ljubljana Castle above the city.

Along the Ljubljanica River, pastel facades and pedestrian streets give Slovenia’s capital an intimate feel. The tour introduces the city’s architectural landmarks and the lively public spaces where local life gathers.

Visit Lake Bled, where wooded shores meet the foothills of the Julian Alps. Take in views across the water towards its small island and the castle perched on a lakeside cliff.

This is a scenic visit with time to enjoy the setting at your own pace, not an included boat trip. The lake’s combination of mountain backdrop, still water and historic landmarks has made it one of Slovenia’s most recognisable landscapes.

Join a Local Specialist to explore Zagreb’s Upper and Lower Towns. See landmarks including the cathedral, Archbishop’s Palace and opera house, and admire the colourful tiled roof of St Mark’s Church.

The two districts reveal different sides of Croatia’s capital: the older hilltop streets and the broad avenues of its later civic centre. Your guide connects the city’s architecture with the history that shaped it.

Pause on the shores of Lake Balaton to photograph the broad sweep of water known locally as the “Hungarian Sea”. This dedicated scenic stop offers a view of Central Europe’s largest lake.

Balaton has long been a favourite Hungarian holiday destination, valued for its beaches and relaxed lakeside atmosphere. The visit is a brief opportunity to appreciate its scale and setting, rather than a cruise or extended stay.

Walk through Budapest’s Castle District with a Local Specialist and admire views from around Fisherman’s Bastion across the Danube. Continue sightseeing in Pest, where you’ll see the Parliament building and Great Synagogue.

The river divides two distinct historic districts, while bridges and riverfront landmarks bring them into one striking cityscape. This guided experience pairs the elevated streets of Buda with Pest’s monumental civic architecture.

Join the Schieszl family for a hosted Hungarian dinner and hear the story of their winery, whose roots reach back to the 19th century. Taste home-smoked Mangalica ham while learning about the family’s approach to organic production.

This Be My Guest experience offers a personal introduction to local food and winemaking traditions. Conversation with your hosts brings the family history behind the meal into focus.

Walk through Kraków with a Local Specialist, taking in Wawel Hill and views of its royal castle and cathedral. In the Old Town, see the Cloth Hall and St Mary’s Basilica around the spacious Main Market Square.

Listen for the trumpet call sounded from St Mary’s tower, a tradition associated with the city for centuries. Kraków’s preserved streets and former royal seat reveal its central place in Polish history and culture.

Visit the former concentration camp at Auschwitz, now a memorial and museum dedicated to the victims of Nazi persecution and the Holocaust. This is a place for learning, remembrance and respectful reflection.

The preserved site bears witness to the atrocities committed during the Second World War. Encountering its history in person offers an important, difficult understanding of events whose consequences remain deeply felt across Europe and beyond.

Explore Warsaw’s Old Town with a Local Specialist and learn how it was rebuilt following its destruction during the Second World War. See sites connected to the former Warsaw Ghetto and the city’s wartime history.

Warsaw’s carefully reconstructed streets speak to a determined recovery, while its memorials preserve the memory of those who suffered and resisted. This tour places the capital’s present-day energy alongside the events that profoundly shaped it.

Visit the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Straße to learn about the city’s division and reunification. With a Local Specialist, see landmarks including the Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag, alongside the Tiergarten and Unter den Linden.

Preserved traces of the Wall give tangible context to the separation of families and neighbourhoods. The wider sightseeing tour reveals how Berlin’s historic buildings and public spaces reflect successive chapters of German history.

Stroll through Dresden’s historic centre on an orientation tour, seeing the Semper Opera, Zwinger Palace and reconstructed Frauenkirche. Hear how the city restored many of its defining landmarks after the destruction of the Second World War.

Dresden’s domes and ornate facades recall its past as a Saxon royal capital. The walk highlights both the artistry of its historic buildings and the scale of the work undertaken to rebuild them.

Enjoy a regional dinner at a local Prague restaurant and sample the hearty flavours associated with Czech cooking. This shared meal offers a relaxed setting for conversation beyond the city’s sightseeing landmarks.

Czech culinary traditions favour satisfying dishes shaped by local ingredients and Central European influences. Dining locally adds a taste of everyday Prague to a visit otherwise filled with castle courtyards, church spires and old-town streets.

Explore Prague Castle’s courtyards and St Vitus Cathedral with a Local Specialist, discovering Gothic architecture at the heart of the historic castle complex. Continue through the city towards the Old Town Square and Astronomical Clock.

Along the way, see streets and facades shaped by centuries of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque building. The route also passes the Old New Synagogue, offering a view of Prague’s layered religious and cultural heritage.

Enjoy a wine tasting at Stift Klosterneuburg, the historic abbey winery near Vienna, and learn about its sustainability work. The winery is identified by the tour operator as Austria’s first carbon-neutral winery.

Wine production forms part of the abbey’s long heritage, giving the tasting a setting grounded in local tradition. The included Make Travel Matter® experience is paired with a farewell dinner with your Travel Director and fellow travellers.

Take a boat trip on Lake Bled for a different perspective on its clear waters, wooded shore and cliff-top castle. From the lake, the surrounding mountains frame one of Slovenia’s most distinctive views.

Boating has long been part of the lake’s visitor tradition, and the gentle journey puts its small island and dramatic shoreline into focus. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Cruise the Danube through Budapest and see the city’s riverfront from the water. Look towards the Parliament building, the hills of Buda and the bridges linking the two sides of the capital.

The Danube has shaped Budapest’s layout and identity for centuries. A scenic cruise brings its grand riverside architecture into a single sweeping view. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Enjoy a dinner of traditional Hungarian dishes in Budapest, accompanied by views of the capital. This optional dining experience offers a chance to explore local flavours in a setting chosen for its outlook.

Hungarian cuisine is known for richly seasoned, comforting dishes and a strong tradition of shared meals. Details of the venue and menu are available on tour. The experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Relax in the thermal waters of Széchenyi Bath in Budapest, with a suggested visit as the sun sets. The complex is celebrated for its outdoor pools set against an ornate, yellow-painted facade.

Bathing in mineral-rich thermal water is an enduring part of Budapest’s culture, supported by the springs beneath the city. This optional spa experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour; specific facilities depend on the visit arrangements.

Spend an evening enjoying Polish entertainment and dinner in Kraków. This optional hosted outing pairs a meal with a lively introduction to local performance traditions.

Kraków’s cultural life draws on a long history of music and communal celebration. The particular programme and venue are confirmed on tour, making this a choice for travellers who want a social evening beyond the city’s historic streets. It is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Visit a traditional Polish wódka bar in Kraków for an optional introduction to a drink closely associated with Polish hospitality. The bar setting offers an informal way to encounter a familiar part of the country’s food-and-drink culture.

Details of any tasting or refreshments are confirmed on tour rather than included in the main itinerary. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Descend into the Wieliczka Salt Mine near Kraków to discover chambers carved deep into rock salt. Its underground passages reveal the scale of a mining tradition that lasted for centuries.

Wieliczka is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its historic workings and remarkable subterranean spaces. This optional excursion provides a striking contrast to Kraków’s above-ground royal and medieval landmarks. It is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Listen to a private recital of Chopin’s music in Warsaw, the city where the composer spent his formative years. The performance offers a focused encounter with works that remain central to Poland’s musical heritage.

Chopin’s compositions are celebrated for their expressive piano writing and enduring connection to his homeland. This optional recital adds a musical perspective to a visit to the Polish capital. It is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Join an organised evening in former West Berlin for another perspective on Germany’s capital. The itinerary presents this as an optional group outing; its specific venue and activities are confirmed on tour.

West Berlin’s post-war identity was shaped by its position within a divided city, a history that still informs the character of its neighbourhoods. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Explore more of Berlin’s history with a Local Specialist on an optional experience beyond the included city sightseeing. The additional guided activity is intended for travellers who want to examine the capital’s complex past in greater depth.

Berlin’s streets hold traces of imperial Germany, the Second World War and Cold War division. The precise route and sites are confirmed on tour. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.