Travel to imperial cities with glorious pasts and uncover a wealth of history, culture and tradition during this tour of the Old World. Discover treasures such as Buda castle Hill in Budapest, a collection of palaces, churches and monuments that attracts over 20 million visitors each year. Finally, end your journey in the German village of Oberammergau, where you'll witness one of the most powerful and moving Passion Plays ever performed on stage.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 - Budapest

Your trip begins with a regularly scheduled overnight flight to Budapest aboard an internationally recognized airline.

Day 2 - Budapest

Welcome to Budapest, a city divided by the Danube River into its old and new sections, Buda and Pest. A Go Ahead representative greets you at the airport after you clear customs and then escorts you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or begin acquainting yourself with the Hungarian capital. At an included dinner this evening, meet your fellow travelers.
Included meals: breakfast (in flight), dinner

Day 3 - Budapest

A professional guide leads this morning’s sightseeing tour of Budapest, a city divided by the Danube River into its old and new sections (“Buda” and “Pest”). After a stop at Heroes’ Square, explore the lavish interior of the Parliament building, modeled on London’s Palace of Westminster. Then cross the Danube and arrive in Buda. Ascend imposing Castle Hill for a look at the Royal Palace. After taking in the breathtaking views from Fisherman’s Bastion, visit the medieval Matthias Church, once the site of Hungarian coronations, and St. Stephen’s Basilica, a neoclassical cathedral and Budapest’s tallest building.
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: Parliament, Matthias Church,
St. Steven’s Basilica

Day 4 - Budapest

During your free day in Budapest, continue your personal exploration of the city. You might browse through the shops on Budapest’s sophisticated pedestrian shopping streets, take a short journey outside to the Vadaskert (Game Park) or tour the Jewish Museum. You may also opt for an excursion to a horse farm in the puszta grasslands region (seasonal) for an equestrian performance and lunch.
Included meals: breakfast

$109 USD

Hungarian Puszta Your journey into the Hungarian puszta, or grasslands, begins with a trip to the town of Kecskemet, a pretty Eastern European town, to visit its town hall. Then venture farther into the puszta for a visit to a traditional Hungarian horse farm.  Please note: This excursion does not run in November or December and is weather dependent.

Day 5 - Vienna

On today’s transfer through the countryside to Vienna, stop in Szentendre, a picturesque artists’ colony nestled on the banks of the Danube. Your tour director will lead you on a walking tour, including a visit to a Serbian Orthodox Church. Then continue on to Vienna, center of the Hapsburg dynasty, in time for an included dinner.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Included Entrance: Serbian Orthodox Church

Day 6 - Vienna

On today’s guided sightseeing tour of Vienna, you’ll tour the Opera House, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, themajestic monuments of the Ringstrasse and the Hofburg, once the hub of the imperial Hapsburg dynasty. And inside the regal Schönbrunn Palace, where Marie Antionette spent her childhood, you’ll view lavishly decorated public rooms and the private chambers of Empress Maria Theresa. Don’t miss the beautifully landscaped gardens surrounding the estate. This evening, opt to attend our Traditional Viennese Heurigen Evening. At this optional evening event, you’ll take a ride on the Prater Ferris Wheel and dine at a local restaurant where you’ll enjoy wine made by the people serving dinner.
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: Schönbrunn Palace, St. Stephen’s Cathedral

$99 USD

Traditional Viennese Heurigen Evening Take a ride on Vienna’s Giant Ferris Wheel, which offers a one-of-a-kind view of the city. Then enjoy a scenic drive to the picturesque village of Grinzing. At dinner in Grizing, savor a traditional Austrian “Heurigen” cuisine in a cozy Old World setting, along with wine served by the very people who made it.

Day 7 - Vienna

Spend the day at your leisure. You might wish to take a stroll through Vienna’s pedestrian zone, stopping at the Hotel Sacher for a taste of its world-famous Sachertorte, or view the elegant Lipizzaner horses in the Spanish Riding School.
Another popular Viennese attraction is the enormous Ferris wheel in the Prater, once a royal park. Or choose to join an optional riverboat cruise along the scenic banks of the Danube including a stop in Dormstein.
Included meals: breakfast

$85 USD

Danube River Cruise Journey to Durnstein for free time to explore, before your leisurely boat ride through the most charming section of the Danube, the Wachau. Please note: This optional excursion requires advanced reservations and is seasonal from mid-April through October.

Day 8 - Prague

Travel across the Czech border to Prague, one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, and arrive in time for an included dinner.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 9 - Prague

On this morning’s guided tour, discover why Prague is known as the City of One Hundred Spires. The pinnacles of the city’s churches and palaces create one of Europe’s most majestic skylines. Visit the spectacular Hradcany Castle, where Charles IV governed the Holy Roman Empire and Vaclav Havel restored democracy. You’ll also see the soaring Gothic vaults of St. Vitus Cathedral, the Church of Loreto and the Golden Lane, named for the alchemists who once practiced their craft here. During free time this afternoon, you can wander the medieval lanes of the Old Town. Discover Wenceslas Square, Prague’s cosmopolitan heart, or cross the elegant Charles Bridge. Alternatively, join our optional tour of Prague’s Jewish Quarter.
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: Castle of Hradcany,
St. Vitus Cathedral, Golden Lane

$59 USD

Walking Tour of Prague's Jewish Quarter Follow a local expert guide through the streets of Josefov, Prague’s Jewish Quarter, nestled between the Vltava River’s right bank and the Old Town Square.

Day 10 - Prague

With a free day today, browse the shops along the narrow alleys of the Old Town or discover the treasures of Old Town Square with its giant Astronomical Clock. You can journey inside St. James Church and its evocative Gothic interior or check out the rococo façade of Kinsky Palace. This evening, join an optional excursion to Château Sychrov for a concert and dinner.
Included meals: breakfast

$119 USD

Chateau Sychrov Visit the Château Sychrov, a 17th-century Baroque estate north of Prague. Then tour through the gallery of French kings and the chåteau’s gardens. Later, enjoy a private concert of classic Czech music. Dinner is included. Please note: This excursion requires advance booking and payment at least 20 days prior to departure.

Day 11 - Oberammergau

Travel through the Czech and German countryside on your way to Oberammergau, a German village where the townspeople have performed the Passion Play every ten years since 1632 in gratitude to God for delivering them from the plague. Along the way, stop to visit Regensburg. Upon arrival in Oberammergau, settle into your hotel and join your group for an included dinner.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 12 - Oberammergau

Enjoy a free morning to visit the town church and learn about the art of woodworking from Oberammergau’s many artisans. Rejoin your group for an included lunch. Then get ready to watch Oberammergau’s 40th Passion Play, dinner included. Though the play does last for seven hours, with an intermission for dinner, it will be one of the most evocative and emotionally powerful plays you’ll see in your lifetime, giving you the feeling of actually witnessing the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.
Included meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Included entrances: The Passion Play

Day 13 - Munich

If your joining our tour extension, travel to Salzburg today. Otherwise, a Go Ahead representative escorts you to the Munich airport for your return flight home.
Included meals: breakfast
(In the case of early morning departures, breakfast may not be included.)