Itinerary
- Day 1
Prague
You'll get picked up at the airport and head to your hotel to settle in. The rest of the day is yours to explore Prague however you want—the National Gallery and Franz Kafka Museum are both solid options if you're looking for something specific. Later in the evening at 6 pm, you'll meet up with your group leader and the other travelers for a traditional Czech dinner to get acquainted.
- Meals
- Dinner (Traditional Czech dinner featuring local favourites such as goulash (beef stew) and svickova (roast beef))
Included Activities
- Welcome Meeting with Local Leader
- Traditional Czech Dinner
Optional Activities
- National Gallery - Czech and international art on display
- Franz Kafka Museum - dedicated to the life and work of the famous Prague writer
- Museum of Communism - CZK380
- Mucha Museum - CZK300
- Kafka Museum - CZK300
Landmarks National Gallery Franz Kafka Museum Museum of Communism Mucha Museum 
- Day 2
Prague
Your leader takes you on a morning walk to see the main sights around Prague. You'll see Prague Castle, one of the world's largest ancient castles, and Charles Bridge spanning the Vltava River. In Old Town, you'll find the astronomical clock from 1410. Later in the day, you head to the Pilsner brewery to learn how they make the pale lager and taste some samples.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Prague - Orientation Walk
- Prague - Pilsner Brewery Visit and Tasting
Landmarks Prague Castle Charles Bridge Old Town Square Prague Astronomical Clock - Day 3
Prague to Olomouc
A train takes you east to Olomouc, which doesn't get as much attention as Prague but has plenty of character. Your leader shows you around during an orientation walk, pointing out the Holy Trinity Column (a UNESCO site), Olomouc Castle from the 12th century, and the city's own astronomical clock. After that, the rest of the day is yours to explore or grab lunch recommendations from your leader.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Olomouc - Orientation Walk
Landmarks Holy Trinity Column Olomouc Castle Olomouc Astronomical Clock Smetana Gardens - Day 4
Olomouc to Krakow
You'll drive into Poland to visit Auschwitz, a sobering and significant part of this trip. A guide walks you through the grounds and explains the history of the concentration camp and the suffering of millions during the Holocaust. Afterward, you head to Krakow to process the experience. Later, you can explore the Old Town and have dinner there.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Krakow - Auschwitz Guided Tour
Landmarks Auschwitz Krakow Old Town - Day 5
Krakow
A local guide leads you through Krakow's medieval architecture on a tour. You'll see Main Market Square in the Old Town, one of Europe's largest, and St. Mary's Basilica with its distinctive Gothic style. You'll learn about the city's history during the Austro-Hungarian Empire and World War II. Later, you'll join a cooking class where you make pierogi and eat them for lunch.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Pierogi (Central European dumplings) made during cooking class)
Included Activities
- Krakow - City Tour With Local Guide
- Krakow - Pierogi Cooking Class
Landmarks Main Market Square St. Mary's Basilica - Day 6
Krakow to Banska Bystrica
You travel to central Slovakia and arrive in Banska Bystrica. Your leader shows you around, and you might see the Main Square in the Old Town and the Church of St. Francis Xavier with its Baroque architecture. You'll learn about the city's role in the Slovak National Uprising of 1944. Then you check into Hotel Grand Viglas, a converted castle with a pool, spa, and upscale restaurant for dinner.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Banska Bystrica - Orientation Walk
Landmarks Church of St. Francis Xavier Slovak National Uprising Square - Day 7
Banska Bystrica
The day takes you to the nearby town of Banska Stiavnica, a UNESCO site sitting in an ancient volcanic caldera. You start at the Slovak Mining Museum to see how precious metal mining shaped this region. Your leader then guides you on a short hike to Calvaria Church on a hilltop with nice views of the city below. You return to the hotel for the evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Banska Stiavnica - Mining Museum
- Banska Stiavnica - Calvaria Church Hike
Landmarks Banska Stiavnica Slovak Mining Museum Calvaria Church - Day 8
Banska Bystrica to Budapest
Heading toward Budapest, you stop in Holloko, a village in the Cserhat Mountains that feels like another era. This well-preserved community shows Paloc culture with residents wearing traditional clothing and doing crafts like pottery and weaving. A local guide walks you around, shows craft demonstrations, and lets you try on traditional clothes. You'll taste local brandy and cheese pie before driving on to Budapest.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Snack (Local brandy and cheese pie tasting)
Included Activities
- Holloko - Holloko Traditional Village
Landmarks Holloko 
- Day 9
Budapest
Your leader takes you on an orientation walk to help you get oriented in Budapest, Hungary's capital and famous for its spa culture. Later, you ride the bus to Buda Castle on the west side of the Danube River, which gives you views of Chain Bridge connecting Buda and Pest, and Matthias Church. You grab langos, a popular deep-fried flatbread, along the way.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Budapest - Orientation Walk
- Budapest - Buda Castle Walk
- Budapest - Traditional Langos Snack
Optional Activities
- Szechenyi Baths - EUR16
Landmarks Buda Castle Chain Bridge Matthias Church Szechenyi Thermal Baths - Day 10
Budapest to Belgrade
You drive to Serbia and stop in Subotica, a border city with striking Art Nouveau architecture. A guide shows you the City Hall and Synagogue while explaining how Roman, Ottoman, and Austro-Hungarian periods shaped the city. After that, you visit a local winery to learn about Serbian wines, taste from their collection, and practice your tasting skills. Then you continue to Belgrade for the evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Subotica - City Tour with Local Guide
- Subotica - Wine Tasting
Landmarks Subotica City Hall Subotica Synagogue - Day 11
Belgrade
Your leader leads an orientation walk through Belgrade's history as a center of power for various empires over centuries, where the Danube and Sava Rivers meet. Once you know your way around, the rest of the day is yours. You can shop on Knez Mihailova Street, visit Kalemegdan Fortress for river views, or check out the Nikola Tesla Museum to learn about his influence on 20th-century technology. You'll gather with your group for a traditional Serbian dinner.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Traditional Serbian dinner)
Included Activities
- Belgrade - Leader-led Orientation Walk
- Belgrade - Farewell Dinner
Optional Activities
- Knez Mihailova Street Shopping
- Kalemegdan Fortress Visit
- Nikola Tesla Museum - RSD800
Landmarks Knez Mihailova Street Kalemegdan Fortress Nikola Tesla Museum - Day 12
Belgrade
You have a free day in Belgrade to relax and explore at your own pace. Visit museums, grab a Turkish coffee at a kafana, or find the city's hidden spots. This is a transition day, so a welcome meeting for new travelers and a new leader happens at your hotel at 6 pm. After that, you head out for dinner at a local restaurant with Serbia's traditional food.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Optional Activities
- Museum visits
- Turkish coffee at kafana
- Day 13
Belgrade to Timisoara
A private vehicle takes you to Timisoara, crossing into Romania and arriving in a park-filled city that sparked the Romanian Revolution in 1989. On a guided walking tour, you explore Victory, Liberty, and Union Squares while learning how the city's uprising led to the fall of the Communist regime.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Timisoara - City Tour
Landmarks Victory Square Liberty Square Union Square - Day 14
Timisoara to Sibiu
After breakfast, you head to Sibiu with a stop at Sarmizegetusa Regia, the ancient capital of Dacia and Romania's version of Stonehenge. A local guide takes you through this UNESCO site to explain its religious, military, and political significance before the Romans invaded in 102 AD. Then you continue to Sibiu and walk through its cobbled streets and squares, see medieval walls and towers, cross the legend-shrouded Bridge of Lies, and visit the Brukenthal National Museum. The evening is yours to relax.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Sarmizegetusa Regia - Guided Tour
- Sibiu - Evening Orientation Walk
Landmarks Sarmizegetusa Regia Bridge of Lies Brukenthal National Museum - Day 15
Sibiu
You head to ASTRA Village Museum on the outskirts of Sibiu, a 96-acre open-air living museum set around a lake. You walk the grounds to see reconstructed old dwellings, windmills, and workshops showing how Romanian people of centuries past lived and worked. The afternoon is free to visit the Orthodox Cathedral, explore the Gothic Lutheran Church, grab a covrigi or pretzel, or wander the old town photographing the colorful architecture.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Sibiu - ASTRA Village Museum and Guide
Optional Activities
- Orthodox Cathedral Visit
- Gothic Lutheran Church Visit
Landmarks ASTRA Village Museum Orthodox Cathedral Gothic Lutheran Church - Day 16
Sibiu to Coltesti
You leave Sibiu and head to Alba Iulia, one of Romania's oldest cities with an 18th-century citadel tracing back to Roman times. An expert guide walks you through the fortress's cobbled streets, ornate gates, vantage points, museums, and cafes, explaining two millennia of history. Then you drive into the Trascau Mountains to Coltesti and check into Szekler Mansion for the night. Dinner features hearty borsch, goulash, local cheese, and sarmale.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Traditional meal featuring hearty borsch or goulash, locally made cheese, and sarmale (smoky, meat-filled cabbage rolls))
Included Activities
- Alba lulia - Citadel Tour
Landmarks Alba Iulia Citadel - Day 17
Coltesti to Sighisoara
You head to Sighisoara with a stop at Turda Salt Mine, a massive underground space 119 meters down that looks otherworldly and runs cold, so bring a sweatshirt. Next, you stop in Medias to see the Trumpeter Tower, a tilted medieval structure. Then you arrive in Sighisoara, a UNESCO site and birthplace of Vlad the Impaler. A guided walk takes you through the colorful old town streets, and the evening is free.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Turda - Salt Mines Tour
- Medias - Town Visit
- Sighisoara - Walking Tour
Landmarks Turda Salt Mine Trumpeter Tower Sighisoara Old Town - Day 18
Sighisoara
You start the day visiting Biertan, a UNESCO site with a 15th-century fortified church on a hill. Then you drive to Malancrav for lunch in a bucolic Saxon village, where you can see the Apafi Mansion and the 14th-century church with Transylvania's oldest wall paintings. You head back to Sighisoara and spend the rest of the day exploring however you'd like.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Biertan - Town Stop
- Malancrav - Village Stop
Landmarks Biertan Fortified Church Malancrav Apafi Mansion - Day 19
Sighisoara to Brasov
After breakfast, you set off for Brasov, stopping at Saschiz Fortified Church, a 15th-century Gothic-style Lutheran church built by Saxons with massive defensive walls and a historic clock tower. Next, you reach Bran Castle, Romania's most well-known attraction because of Dracula connections, though Vlad the Impaler never actually lived there. The forested setting and high location make it a great 14th-century spot. You arrive in Brasov for dinner.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Saschiz - Fortress Stop
- Bran Castle - Tour
Landmarks Saschiz Fortified Church Bran Castle 
- Day 20
Brasov
You continue exploring Romanian castles, this time visiting Peles, a late 19th-century neo-Renaissance palace that's even more elaborate inside than outside. Back in Brasov, you take an afternoon walk with your leader, learning about the city's medieval fortifications, the Black Church that was damaged in the 1689 Great Fire but has since been restored, and the wedge-shaped Council Square with historic buildings. Later, you try chimney cake, a beloved Romanian sweet treat.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Peles - Castle Visit (with audioguide)
- Brasov - Walking Tour
- Brasov - Chimney Cake Tasting
Landmarks Peles Castle Black Church Council Square - Day 21
Brasov to Bucharest
You have a free morning in Brasov. You can find tiny String Street at just 44 inches at its narrowest, or enjoy Romanian sweet treats like papanasi. Then you head out for lunch in the Prahova Valley and tour a local winery known for sparkling rose in the mountain town of Azuga. Finally, you drive to Bucharest, arriving in the late afternoon.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Azuga - Winery Tour and Tasting with Lunch
Landmarks String Street - Day 22
Bucharest
Your trip ends after breakfast in Bucharest. If you'd like to spend more time in the city, contact your booking agent ahead of time to arrange additional accommodation.
- Meals
- Breakfast
