Warsaw, Budapest, Vienna and Prague

•   TAUCK’S YELLOW ROADS! Authentic cultural discoveries as you travel from Poland to Hungary, from a visit to Wawel Hill to lunch in a Slovakian village in the scenic Tatra Mountains

Day 1: Arrive Warsaw
Tour begins: 6:00 PM, Le Méridien Bristol, Warsaw. A transfer is included from Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport to your hotel, Le Méridien Bristol, Warsaw, set on the Polish capital’s fashionable “Royal Route” overlooking the Presidential Palace. We invite you to join us for a welcome reception and dinner tonight.
Overnight: Le Méridien Bristol, Warsaw, Poland
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Explore Warsaw / Chopin Recital
Although more than 85% of Warsaw was destroyed or damaged in World War II, the city has been rebuilt into one of Europe’s most vibrant capitals, using pre-war paintings and sketches to painstakingly reconstruct many historic buildings, restoring them to their former glory. See the results for yourself on a guided sightseeing tour including the Palace of Culture; Radziwill Palace, where the beloved composer Frederic Chopin gave his first concert; the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier; the Grand Theatre; and Constitution Square. Continue with a walking tour through 13th- and 14th-century Old Town (Stare Miasto), and a visit to the Jewish Ghetto Memorial honoring the victims of the Warsaw Ghetto and the heroes of the 1943 uprising. Your afternoon is free to explore at your leisure. Chopin’s music comes to life at a memorable private piano recital in the early evening, followed by an à la carte dinner at your historic Art-Nouveau hotel.
Overnight: Le Méridien Bristol, Warsaw, Poland
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 3: Across Poland to Cracow / Old Town
Traditional villages and farms dot the Polish countryside as you wind your way through the country’s heart to ancient Cracow, considered one of the finest medieval cities in Europe. Approximately 1,000 years ago, Cracow was the capital city of Poland; today, its historic center (Old Town) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After lunch, highlights of your guided walk through Old Town include the Jagiellonian University – established in the 14th century as the University of Cracow, and one of the world’s oldest universities; the city’s Franciscan Church, rebuilt in Gothic style in the 19th century, with a stunning modernist interior featuring brightly colored murals and stained glass by the renowned artist Stanislaw Wyspianski; and the Archbishop’s Palace, where Karol Wojtyla resided for 20 years as Archbishop of Cracow before becoming Pope John Paul II in 1978. 
Overnight: Sheraton Krakow Hotel, Cracow, Poland
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 4: Cracow’s Kazimierz or Wawel / Auschwitz
Take your choice of locally guided sightseeing in Cracow this morning. You may tour Kazimierz, the city’s former Jewish Quarter (holidays permitting); once a separate town that dated back to the 14th century but was nearly destroyed by the Nazis during World War II, this historic district is currently undergoing a renaissance as a bohemian enclave, as its splendid synagogues and churches are restored and new cafés, bars and bistros pop up. Or visit Wawel Hill on the banks of the Vistula River, home to a wealth of historic architecture, with your local guide. You’ll get a sense of the hallowed place this complex occupies in the hearts of the Polish people as you view Wawel Castle, Poland’s seat of power and royal residence for five centuries, and go inside Wawel Cathedral, the country’s national sanctuary, where most of her monarchs were crowned and many distinguished citizens are buried. The afternoon is also your choice – spend it at leisure, or journey to the poignant memorial and museum at Auschwitz, 40 miles southwest of the city, for a guided visit.
Overnight: Sheraton Krakow Hotel, Cracow, Poland
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 5: Tatra Mountains / On To Budapest
Traverse dense forests and idyllic farmland as you depart Cracow and make your way into the scenic Tatra Mountains, located along the border of Slovakia and Poland – and a popular ski area for both countries – en route to Hungary, stopping for lunch in Slovakia. Arrive in Budapest, capital of modern Hungary, often referred to as the “Paris of the East,” and once two independent cities on opposite sides of the River Danube. Join us for dinner with wine included aboard a private Tauck cruise on the Danube, offering inspiring views of Budapest’s remarkable mix of architectural styles, brilliantly illuminated at night. Your home for the next three nights is the Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest, a modern luxury hotel towering over the city center.
Overnight: Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest, Hungary
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 6: The Architecture of Pest
The Danube River divides Budapest into two distinct areas, Buda and Pest. Today, Tauck’s locally guided sightseeing shows you the best of Pest, sprawling along the eastern banks of the Danube. View the city’s historic embassy district; City Park; and adjacent Andrassy Avenue, one of Budapest’s main shopping boulevards, lined with elegant 19th-century mansions and townhouses and itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Go inside the neo-Renaissance State Opera House for a special visit; tour St. Stephen’s Basilica and the synagogue at Dohány (holidays permitting); visit Heroes’ Square, whose impressive statuary commemorates many of Hungary’s early rulers and national heroes. Enjoy dinner à la carte at your hotel this evening.
Overnight: Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest, Hungary
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 7: Explore Buda & More / Castle Hill
Today includes a guided tour of Hungary’s neo-Gothic Parliament building in Pest, an icon of Budapest’s skyline. Crossing over to Buda, you can practically feel the history that’s been made inside the Gothic Matthias Church, among the city’s most notable sites, where the last two Hungarian kings were crowned. Check out the imposing Fishermen’s Bastion looming over the Danube, and stroll the quaint lanes and cobblestone streets of Castle Hill, perched above the river’s western bank. Feel free to enjoy complimentary use of the spa at your hotel this afternoon, or explore more of fascinating Budapest on your own.
Overnight: Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest, Hungary
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 8: On to Vienna via Bratislava, Slovakia
Make your way from Hungary to Slovakia’s ancient capital city, Bratislava. After lunch, discover 17 centuries worth of history along the cobblestoned, vehicle-free streets of the city’s Old Town, both on a walking tour with our local guide and during time on your own; see the 13th-century Old Town Hall and St. Martin’s Cathedral. Your journey continues to Vienna, Austria, for a three-night stay at one of the most celebrated hotels in Europe, where you’ll enjoy dinner à la carte tonight.
Overnight: Hotel Bristol, Vienna, Austria
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 9: Fine Arts Museum / Schönbrunn Palace
Vienna inspires romantic visions of “Old Europe” at virtually every turn! Following a drive along the famous Ringstrasse and the Danube, view masterworks from the Imperial Habsburg art collections on a guided visit to the Kunsthistorisches (Museum of Fine Arts). Then it’s on to Schönbrunn Palace – an architectural treasure built to rival Versailles, and the former summer residence of Austria’s emperors – for a demonstration of the art of making Vienna’s delectable strüdel... with a tasting... as well as lunch and a tour of the grand State Apartments.
Overnight: Hotel Bristol, Vienna, Austria
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 10: Vienna and a Private Palace Concert
More of Vienna waits for you... on a guided walking tour that includes the city’s medieval center, the historic Jewish Quarter, and the courtyard of the Hofburg, former home of the Habsburg emperors and Austria’s presidential residence today. After an afternoon spent on your own, join us for dinner followed by a private classical music concert at a traditional palace.
Overnight: Hotel Bristol, Vienna, Austria
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 11: On to Prague, Czech Republic
Depart Vienna and travel to Prague – capital of the modern Czech Republic and one of Europe’s best-preserved medieval cities – for a three-night stay in the heart of Bohemia. Arrive in time for lunch, then join us for a guided walk that includes the Powder Tower and the Municipal House; Old Town, where you’ll view the Astronomical Clock; and iconic Charles Bridge, lined with historic statues and alive with artists and street musicians.
Overnight: Kempinski Hybernská Prague, Czech Republic
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 12: Visit Prague’s Castle Quarter
A guided tour of Prague’s Hradcany (Castle) district reveals magnificent palaces, museums and monasteries surrounding 1,000-year-old Prague Castle. Explore its halls and courtyards; visit the Cathedral of St. Vitus; and enjoy a Tauck Exclusive – a private guided tour of the Baroque libraries of Strahov Monastery. The rest of the day is free to spend as you like.
Overnight: Kempinski Hybernská Prague, Czech Republic
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 13: Sights and Sounds of Prague
Join your local guide to explore Prague’s Wenceslas Square, which figured prominently in the Velvet Revolution, and visit the Estates Theatre. Choose a guided architectural tour viewing the Town Hall and the Art-Nouveau Municipal House, or a guided tour of the Josefov District, Prague’s Jewish Quarter; see the Jewish Cemetery and Old-New, Pinkus and Maisel synagogues (holidays permitting). Attend a special evening at Lobkowicz Palace at Prague Castle, with a “Princely Collections” tour and a gala farewell dinner.
Overnight: Kempinski Hybernská Prague, Czech Republic
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 14: Journey Home
Tour ends: Prague. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from Kempinski Hybernská, Prague to Ruzyne International Airport. Allow a minimum of 3 hours for flight check-in.
Overnight:
Meals Included: Breakfast

Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
5/19/2012 - 6/2/2012	$6,290
5/26/2012 - 6/9/2012	$5,590
5/30/2012 - 6/13/2012	$5,590
6/2/2012 - 6/16/2012	$5,590
6/9/2012 - 6/23/2012	$5,590
6/13/2012 - 6/27/2012	$6,290
6/16/2012 - 6/30/2012	$6,290
6/30/2012 - 7/14/2012	$5,590
7/7/2012 - 7/21/2012	$5,290
7/14/2012 - 7/28/2012	$5,290
7/21/2012 - 8/4/2012	$5,290
7/28/2012 - 8/11/2012	$5,990
8/4/2012 - 8/18/2012	$5,290
8/18/2012 - 9/1/2012	$5,290
8/29/2012 - 9/12/2012	$5,290
9/1/2012 - 9/15/2012	$5,290
9/5/2012 - 9/19/2012	$5,590
9/8/2012 - 9/22/2012	$6,290
9/12/2012 - 9/26/2012	$6,290
9/15/2012 - 9/29/2012	$6,290
9/22/2012 - 10/6/2012	$6,290
9/24/2012 - 10/8/2012	$6,290
9/26/2012 - 10/10/2012	$6,290
9/29/2012 - 10/13/2012	$6,290
10/6/2012 - 10/20/2012	$5,990
10/8/2012 - 10/22/2012	$5,290
10/10/2012 - 10/24/2012	$5,290
10/13/2012 - 10/27/2012	$5,290
Note: Departures appearing above in green are guaranteed to operate by the tour operator.
Airfare Disclaimer A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link. Documents TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

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