Berlin, Prague, Budapest, and the Best of Poland

We’ll begin our panoramic tour of Berlin with a local guide, lasting approximately two and a half hours. From the bus, we’ll see Museum Island, the Television Tower, the central shopping streets, the old cathedral destroyed in World War II, the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, and the city’s large parks. We’ll also leave the coach to explore the Holocaust Memorial and the Berlin Wall Memorial Museum, two powerful landmarks that remind us of Germany’s difficult history in the previous century. Enjoy a free afternoon to explore the city at your leisure. Optionally, you can visit Potsdam with its gardens, Sanssouci Palace, and Cecilienhof Palace.

Arrival in a city established in 1938 as a planned community for workers of the Volkswagen factory. Today, the entire city revolves around this iconic German automobile manufacturer. Tickets to the Autostadt are included, where you’ll enjoy beautifully designed gardens and exhibitions dedicated to the history and future of mobility. You’ll have free time to explore and enjoy lunch.

We’ll stop in what is considered one of Germany’s most picturesque towns. Its historic center showcases exquisite half-timbered houses from the 16th and 17th centuries, a Baroque church, and an imposing Renaissance palace. You’ll also find fine examples of Bauhaus architecture, reflecting the town’s unique blend of tradition and modernity.

Arrival in the capital of Lower Saxony, a vibrant city known for its economic and cultural importance. Here, elegant historical buildings coexist with striking modern architecture and expansive green parks. You’ll have time to explore at your own pace.

Stop to explore this town that once held the status of Free Imperial City, with a magnificent medieval old town designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Highlights include the Market Square with its fountain crowned by an imperial eagle, as well as the Guild Hall. Time to stroll around half-timbered houses, cobblestone streets, and the majestic Church of St. Peter.

We will learn about the history and operation of this former industrial complex, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although the mines were exploited since the Middle Ages for non-ferrous metal production, their peak came at the end of the 16th century when they became a major silver mining center. Admission to the museum included.

Time to explore the historic old town and have lunch in this city whose university—considered the best in Germany—has educated many figures of great importance in European and world history. You’ll be surprised to discover the tributes to many of them on marble plaques scattered throughout the city.

Arrival in this city with a splendid Baroque and Renaissance old town, home to the birthplace of Bach—one of the greatest composers in music history—and the house where Martin Luther, the theologian and monk who launched the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, spent much of his childhood. Dinner included and transfer to the hotel.

This fortress holds a key place in history as the location where Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German, making the Scriptures accessible to the general public and laying the foundation for Protestantism.

If you’re passionate about music, you may want to visit the Bach House, dedicated to one of the greatest composers in history. Alternatively, you can explore the Automobile Museum (admission included), located in the former main plant of East Germany’s automobile industry, home to a fascinating collection of vintage vehicles.

Arrival in the capital of Thuringia, a vibrant city with a remarkably well-preserved historic center. You’ll see its majestic cathedral and numerous churches, towers, and chapels in impressive German Gothic style. A highlight of the city is the Krämerbrücke, a stunning medieval bridge that has been continuously inhabited for over 500 years. At 120 meters in length, it is the longest bridge with buildings in all of Europe.

We’ll arrive in the early evening in one of Germany’s cultural and historical treasures. Leipzig was home to renowned composers such as Bach and Wagner. It was a major industrial hub during the East German era, and today, it’s a dynamic city of over half a million people.

We’ll explore the capital of Saxony, known as the "Florence on the Elbe" for its baroque and renaissance architecture and palaces, which evoke the city’s glorious history, and its beautiful promenades along the Elbe River. There will be time for lunch.

Upon arrival, we’ll include a tour of the city with a local guide, lasting approximately two and a half hours. We’ll begin with a walking tour of Prague’s oldest district, including the Prague Castle and the surrounding citadel, with its churches and palaces, offering breathtaking views of the "City of a Hundred Spires." We’ll then continue to Prague’s Lesser Quarter, known as Mala Strana, crossing the Vltava River on the iconic Charles Bridge, a masterpiece of architecture and sculpture. From here, you’ll enjoy a beautiful panorama of the city before we enter Stare Mesto, home to one of the most beautiful squares in Central Europe. Here you’ll find the Tyn Church and the famous Town Hall with its astronomical clock and chimes. We’ll conclude our tour in the city center, an area filled with traditional breweries and lively local atmosphere.

Free time to explore and have lunch in Hungary’s sixth-largest city, located along the Danube River. Gyor boasts a rich history and well-preserved architecture, with a historic center featuring cobblestone streets, Baroque and medieval buildings, and an impressive cathedral. (Depending on traffic, lunch may be taken at a service area before reaching Gyor.)

We arrive at one of the most somber places in European history: the Nazi concentration and extermination camp, where more than one million people lost their lives during World War II. There will be free time to visit Camp II-Birkenau, where trains arrived from all over Europe.