Compare Splendors of Budapest, Vienna & Prague by Abercrombie & Kent vs European Whirl (Paris, Base) by Trafalgar
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| Trip |
4 | Great
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4.5 | Great
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| Duration | 10 days | 14 days |
| Price From | $ 7,495 | $ 3,895 |
| Price Per Day | $ 750 | $ 278 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Small group tour | Group tour |
| Lodging Level | Luxury | Premium |
| Physical Level |
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| Travel Themes |
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| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions |
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N/A |
| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | No |
| Activities |
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| Meals Included |
9 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches and 5 Dinners |
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| Description |
Explore the great cities of Central Europe, enjoying a private evening cruise through Budapest on the Danube, a Chef's Table experience in Bratislava; a tour of Vienna's Schönbrunn Palace and a visit to the Jewish Quarter in Prague. |
The tring-tring of bicycles sounds the start of your European Whirl. Kick back on the canals of Amsterdam and Venice, in the quiet lakeside beauty of Lucerne and among the Tuscan hills near Florence, with flavors of Italian Chianti setting the tone for an unforgettable trip. |
Day 1: Arrive Budapest, Hungary
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest
Arrive in Budapest, a city occupying both sides of the Danube River and founded in 1873, when right-bank Buda and Óbuda joined left-bank Pest. Transfer to your hotel, where you join your A&K Resident Tour Director and fellow guests for a welcome dinner. Budapest’s broad avenues and turn-of-the-century architecture have earned it the name, “the Paris of Eastern Europe.” Like Paris, it is a cultural mecca for writers, artists and musicians.
Day 2: Budapest | Matthias Church & Fisherman’s Bastion
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest
This morning, cross the Danube River to explore the Buda side of the city. Visit Matthias Church, the 13th-century coronation cathedral of Hungarian kings, and Fisherman’s Bastion, offering spectacular views of the city. Built in neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque styles, the bastion is named for the guild of fishermen who defended this part of the city during the Middle Ages. Then, meet a Buda resident for lunch in the gardens of her villa — an experience specially planned for A&K guests. Enjoy your afternoon at leisure, relaxing in your luxurious accommodations or exploring this romantic city on your own, perhaps dining at one of Budapest’s fine restaurants. Choose one on your own or ask your Resident Tour Director for a list of recommendations by A&K.
Day 3: Budapest | Across the Bridge in Pest
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Accommodation: Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest
Today, explore Pest, starting with a private visit to the beautiful, neo-Renaissance Hungarian State Opera House, which was commissioned by Emperor Franz Joseph and opened in 1884. Continue your city tour as you view Heroes’ Square and stop to see the Great Synagogue as well as St. Stephen’s Basilica, whose south tower houses the largest bell in Hungary. Then, visit the Central Market Hall, to view the vast array of food and crafts on sale throughout its three floors, including cheeses, sausage and other local specialties, and enjoy time at leisure for lunch on your own. Later, visit the Parliament Building before spending the remainder of your afternoon at leisure. This evening, after dinner, embark on a private cruise of the romantic Danube, to watch the glittering lights of Budapest drift by in the night.
Day 4: Bratislava, Slovakia/Vienna, Austria | Chef’s Table
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Sacher Wien
Journey overland to Bratislava, capital of Slovakia, for a guided walking tour of its Old Town, once a jewel of the Austro- Hungarian empire. Stop at a local restaurant where you enjoy a Chef’s Table experience, having lunch with its esteemed chef, who shares insights into seasonal dishes and his life as a restaurateur. Embark on a high-speed catamaran for a quick cruise along the Danube River to Vienna, Austria. Enjoy dinner at your hotel tonight.
Day 5: Vienna | Hofburg & Schönbrunn Palaces
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel Sacher Wien
Join your local guide for a walking tour of marvelous Vienna. At the Hofburg Palace — former seat of emperors and current residence of the president of Austria — visit the Treasury to admire its glittering collection of Imperial regalia. Continue to the Gothic St. Stephen’s Cathedral, before lunch at a local restaurant. This afternoon, tour Schönbrunn Palace, the former residence of Habsburg monarchs.
Day 6: Vienna | Visions of the Imperial City
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Sacher Wien
This morning, enjoy a panoramic tour of Vienna, viewing the Prater and its Giant Ferris Wheel. See the Secession Building and the famous Hundertwasser House, and then visit the Belvedere Gallery, where you find many works by the brilliant and controversial symbolist artist Gustav Klimt, including The Kiss. Lunch and the afternoon are at your leisure to shop and explore independently.
Day 7: Prague, Czech Republic | Testaments to Tolerance
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Mandarin Oriental, Prague
Travel to Prague, visiting Trebic en route, a town that dates to at least 1101, when the Benedictine Order founded their monastery here. Visit the ensemble of the Jewish Quarter, the old Jewish cemetery and the 13th-century Basilica of St. Procopius, a remarkable example of the influence of Western European architectural heritage. Together, these sites comprise a UNESCO World Heritage Site and serve as reminders of the co-existence of Jewish and Christian cultures here, from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Significantly, Trebic’s Jewish Quarter is the only Jewish monument outside of Israel specifically placed on the UNESCO List. Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant, before continuing to Prague.
Day 8: Prague | Synagogues & Remembrance
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: Mandarin Oriental, Prague
Today, embark on a walking tour of Josefov, the city’s Jewish Quarter, which remained a walled ghetto until 1848. View the birthplace of Franz Kafka (part of the State Jewish Museum complex). Best known for his existentialist novel, The Metamorphosis, Kafka is widely considered one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. Proceed to visit the Old Jewish Cemetery, site of 12,000 graves, and the Old-New Synagogue, Europe’s oldest active synagogue, completed in 1270. After lunch, enjoy a private visit to the Estates Theater, a refreshing glass of fine sparkling wine and a mini-concert (subject to rehearsal schedules). Built in 1783, this theater represents one of the finest examples of neoclassical architecture in Prague and it was here, in October of 1787, that Mozart conducted the premiere of Don Giovanni. At the end of the afternoon, meet a local Czech artist, Tony Manto, at his gallery and learn about the art of glassblowing for an unforgettable artisan visit. Manto’s creations, made from local Czech iron, glass, porcelain and wood, are designed to inspire by appealing to all five senses.
Day 9: Prague | Private Monastery Library Visit
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Accommodation: Mandarin Oriental, Prague
Privately visit the Baroque library halls of the Strahov Monastery, and view its incredible frescoes, which reside amid detailed stucco ceiling decorations. Stroll in the peaceful quiet, looking up at the mural devoted to the intellectual progress of mankind, and let yourself contemplate a bygone era. Then, admire the religious artifacts at the Loreto Chapel, a remarkable Baroque monument that remains a place of pilgrimage. Also, view the towering, Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral, which houses the tombs of Bohemian kings and Holy Roman Emperors, including that of Wenceslas I, Duke of Bohemia — legendary subject of the beloved Christmas carol, Good King Wenceslas. Cross the famous Charles Bridge, an iconic landmark of Prague completed in 1402. Walking past its statues of saints makes for a fitting conclusion to your visit to the historic central European capital, and sets the tone for a celebratory farewell dinner at a nearby local restaurant.
Day 10: Depart Prague
Meals: Breakfast
Transfer to the airport to board your flight home.
Day 1: Welcome to London
The vibrant British capital where you will spend the next two nights, enjoying the pomp and pageantry of a city that effortlessly combines old and new.
The Tower
Day 2: Discover Historic London
Join a Local Specialist this morning for a tour to see the iconic sites of London, including Big Ben, the imposing Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. Spend a leisurely afternoon shopping on Carnaby Street, consider visiting one of London’s museums or wander along the Thames watching ambitious Londoners pound the pavements.
The Tower
Breakfast
Day 3: Eurostar™ to Brussels and on to Amsterdam
This morning we meet our Travel Director before traveling to London's St. Pancras International where we will board the Eurostar™ for a high-speed train journey to Brussels and a luxury coach journey to Amsterdam. Enjoy an orientation of this historic Dutch city before joining your fellow travelers and Travel Director for a dinner cruise on its canals.
Mercure City
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4: Journey to the Rhineland and a Scenic Cruise
Driving through the lush landscapes of the Netherlands and Germany, we arrive in Boppard where we board a cruise along the Rhine to St. Goar, passing vineyard-clad hills and medieval castles perched above riverside towns. Arriving in the Baroque city of Heidelberg, we explore its unexpected highlights before traveling to our Rhineland hotel.
Sinsheim
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5: Off to Innsbruck
Crossing the Swabian Alps on the edge of the Black Forest, we arrive in the Bavarian capital of Munich. Our orientation takes us past the Hofbrauhaus, reputedly the most famous Beerhall in the world, and the neo-Gothic Town Hall which dominates the Marienplatz. We cross the Austrian border next, arriving in Innsbruck, the capital of the Alps. Admire the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture of the Old Town, including Emperor Maximilian's famous Golden Roof with its ornate façade and consider an evening of traditional Tyrolean entertainment.
Tivoli Innsbruck
Breakfast
Day 6: Onwards to the Canals of Venice Make Travel Matter
Journey through the emerald-green landscape along the Brenner Pass into Italy and across the Dolomite Mountains to Venice. We cruise the beautiful Venetian lagoon by private launch to the gateway of Venice, St. Mark's Square. View the ornate Doge's Palace and the Bridge of Sighs, so named for the sound made by condemned prisoners as they took one last longing look at their beautiful city before meeting their fate. Enjoy a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience where you’ll witness the centuries-old craft of Venetian glassblowing. You’ll learn how the master craftsmen shape the molten glass to make the exquisite and delicate works of art that adorn homes all over the world and perhaps be inspired to buy your own souvenir as a reminder of this special visit. There’s time later to enjoy the city your way. Get lost in Venice, cross bridges and discover hidden campi where locals share their daily stories over a glass of Venetian Spritz.
Novotel Mestre Castellana
Breakfast
Day 7: All Roads Lead to Rome Connect with Locals
Travel south across the Veneto Plain, passing Bologna and the dramatic Apennine Mountains as well as the green and golden fields of Lazio before reaching Rome, the 'Eternal City'. En route, we Connect With Locals over lunch at a Be My Guest experience and enjoy true Tuscan hospitality with a local family on their private estate in the Chianti countryside.
A. Roma Lifestyle
Breakfast, Lunch
Day 8: Discover Ancient Rome and the Vatican City
Our first stop today sees us discover the divine beauty of the Vatican City. We'll visit St. Peter's Basilica with a Local Specialist to view Michelangelo's Renaissance masterpiece, the Pietà. We continue to Ancient Rome to view Roman Forum, the walls of the iconic Colosseum and Circus Maximus, once the site of exhilarating chariot races centuries ago. The afternoon is yours to explore the city on your terms. Sit on the Spanish Steps savoring a tasty gelato, shop up a storm on the trendy Via Condotti or perhaps join an Optional Experience to see the magnificent frescoed ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
A. Roma Lifestyle
Breakfast
Day 9: Continue to Renaissance Florence
From Rome, we travel north through the rolling countryside of Tuscany and along the Arno valley to the 'Cradle of the Renaissance', Florence. Delve into the rich Medici heritage of this beautiful medieval city with your Local Specialist. Visit the political hub of the city, Piazza della Signoria, with its impressive sculptures and stunning palazzi. View the imposing Duomo, crowned by Brunelleschi’s dome, and the Baptistery, renowned for its sculptured bronze doors.
Hilton Metropole
Breakfast
Day 10: Across the Alps to Lucerne
Drive via the scenic Italian Lakes District, across the Alps into beautiful Switzerland, where we'll spend the next two nights in the medieval lakeside city of Lucerne. View the mournful, mortally wounded lion hewn from rock to commemorate the Swiss Guards who lost their lives defending Louis XVI. Walk along the flower-lined 14th-century covered Chapel Bridge, crossing the river Reuss.
Grand Europe
Breakfast
Day 11: Explore Lucerne
This morning join an exciting Optional Experience to one of the surrounding peaks for breath taking views of the Swiss countryside. We have some time later to discover the best Swiss chocolates in town.
Grand Europe
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 12: On to Captivating Paris
Crossing the border into France this morning, we travel past the picturesque vineyards and country towns of Burgundy en route to the 'City of Lights'. Spend some time this evening strolling along the Seine and grand boulevards in search of a cozy bistro for fine French cuisine or consider an Optional Experience to a colorful Parisian cabaret.
Evergreen Laurel
Breakfast
Day 13: Discover the Sights of Paris
Join a Local Specialist today for a sightseeing tour of this romantic city. View the sophisticated Champs-Élysées, Place de la Concorde, the 19th-century Arc de Triomphe, honoring those who fought for France, and Notre Dame Cathedral, then enjoy a stroll through the Latin Quarter. Our European Whirl is almost at its end, we spend the evening with fellow travelers and our Travel Director, enjoying a Farewell Dinner in a local bistro.
Evergreen Laurel
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 14: Farewell Paris
Today bid adieu to your fellow travelers and Travel Director at the end of your memorable experience.
Breakfast
