East Europe & Croatia – 9N / 10D

Itinerary : East Europe + Croatia

Day 1: Arrive Prague: On arrival at Prague, pick up and transfer to the hotel. 1500 hrs: Check in. Overnight in Prague.

Day 2: Grand city tour of Prague and Prague Segway tour: Prague city tour: Discover Prague on a 3.5-hour tour that takes in Prague Castle on foot in addition to traveling by minivan through New Town, Old Town and the historic Jewish Quarter. See Wenceslas Square, the National Museum, the National Theatre, and stop at a viewpoint overlooking Charles Bridge and Malá Strana (Lesser Quarter). Admire St Vitus Cathedral and other highlights of the Prague Castle complex as you walk around with your guide. Then drive through the historic Jewish Quarter to Old Town Square where you view the Prague astronomical clock.  Overnight in Prague

Day 3: Day trip to Kutna Hora: Head to marvelous and stunning Kutna Hora on this 7-hour tour to the UNESCO world heritage-listed town an hour east of Prague. Marvel at the ossuary, a gothic church whose interior is bedecked with the bones of 40,000 people (many of whom died from the plague). Explore the majestic Cathedral of St. Barbara and stroll down the town’s narrow cobbled lanes.  Overnight in Prague.

Day 4: Prague – Vienna by train: Breakfast at the hotel. Check out and transfer to the station. Take the train to Vienna. 0852 hrs: Board the train at Prague station 1251 hrs: Arrive at Vienna station On arrival, transfer to the hotel. 1500 hrs: Check in. Evening at leisure. Overnight in Vienna.

Day 5: Vienna city tour and Schonbrunn Palace: Vienna – Zagreb by train: Post breakfast, check out of the hotel and leave your luggage at the hotel lobby. Proceed for Vienna city tour. This tour will give you an overall impression of the most significant historical sights of Vienna. Along the Ringstrasse we show you numerous grand buildings, such as the MAK, the State Opera House, the magnificent Museum of Fine Arts with its world famous art treasures of the Habsburgs and the Natural History Museum, the cultural district the MuseumsQuartier, the Hofburg (the former Habsburg winter residence), the Parliament, the City Hall and the Burgtheater. The highlight of this tour will be a visit of the showrooms of Schönbrunn Palace, once the summer residence of the Habsburg family and home of Maria Theresia. On the way back to the opera we pass by the Belvedere Palace, the former summer residence of Prince Eugen, which houses the largest and the most precious Gustav Klimt collection in the world. Pick up from the hotel and transfer to the station. 1558 hrs: Board the train at Vienna station 2242 hrs: Arrive at Zagreb station On arrival at Zagreb station, pick up and transfer to the hotel. Check in. Overnight in Zagreb.

Day 6: Zagreb – Plitvice (150 kms/ App. 2 hrs’ drive) – Split (245 kms/ App. 2.5 – 3 hrs’ drive) by car: Breakfast at the hotel. Check out and proceed to Plitvice by car. Enjoy Plitvice walking tour including entrance and English speaking guide. Plitvice National Park featuring 16 spectacular blue lakes surrounded by forest. The lakes are linked by natural dams that create beautiful low level waterfalls joining one lake to another. The mixtures of minerals in the water create distinctive colours ranging from azure to green, grey or blue. The surrounding forests are home to 126 species of birds and a number of rare animals including European brown bears, wolves, eagles, and wild cats. The views of the park are spectacular from almost any vantage point, and a great place for photos is the Veliki Slap – a 50m wide waterfall surrounded by boulders. After the tour, proceed to Split by car. On arrival, check into the hotel. Overnight in Split.

Day 7: Split – Hvar – Stari Grad – Split:  • Transfer by a ferry to port Stari Grad on the island of Hvar  • Transfer by a private car to the town of Hvar • Sightseeing in the company of a licenced guide • The town of Hvar, considered by many the most popular summer destination, is the blend of beautiful nature, architecture and endless sun; Narrow cobbled streets, stone houses , the Spanjola Fortress and one of the oldest theatres in Europe are definitely worth visiting; • Free time for lunch, coffee….. • Transfer to the town of Stari Grad
Overnight in Split.

Day 8: Split sightseeing tour: Enjoy SPLIT+TROGIR TOWN tour. Proceed for a visit to the Venetian-style port town of Trogir, a designated Unesco World Heritage site. Meander through the tiny streets and admire its cultural heritage with palaces, Romanesque churches, and renaissance and baroque buildings from Venetian times. On to the coastal city of Split, built around the remains of the Diocletian Palace that dates back to the Roman era. Wander inside and take in Peristil Square where you can see an original Egyptian sphinx that was brought from Egypt by Roman emperor Diocletian. Relax at many of the al fresco bars and restaurant that line the seafront, or hang out with the locals at the beach at Bacvince. Overnight in Split.

Day 9: Split – Zagreb: Zagreb walking tour: Breakfast at the hotel, check out and proceed to Zagreb. Enjoy Zagreb evening walking tour. Start the stroll through the capital’s dynamic streets, as your guide introduces you to the history of the city and tells you about the cultural importance of Zagreb, explaining the city’s importance before, during and after it was a part of Yugoslavia. Stop by the colorful Zagreb Cathedral, or as it’s officially called, the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Perambulate down 19th-century streets and stop for a photo-op at Lotrščak Tower, a site that boasts cannons that are fired every day. Hear about the artistic treasures inside the Galerija Klovićevi Dvori, the city’s main art museum, as you pass by it. Then turn down the city’s leafy greenway, Strossmayer Promenade, the verdant greenway that connects the upper and lower town. Toward the end, gaze at the Stone Gate. Ever since a fire in 1731 destroyed all of the gate except for the painting of the Virgin Mary, locals have attributed miraculous things to the painting. Keep an eye out! You might witness a miracle! Now walk up to the city’s upper town and head over to Kravi Most, a street that’s unofficially known as the ‘bloody bridge.’ Most definitely a street and not a bridge, Kravi Most’s nickname attests to the medieval battles that once took place on it between the warring neighborhoods of Gradec and Kaptol. After 90 minutes of discovering exciting Zagreb, head back to where it all began to conclude this entertaining and educational tour of the Croatian capital. Overnight in Zagreb.

Day 10: Depart Zagreb