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Rick Steves' Best of Prague & Budapest in 8 Days Tour, Day by Day
What's better than touring a great city in the Rick Steves style? Being thrilled by two in the same trip! Rick Steves' Best of Prague & Budapest in 8 Days tour brings together two of central Europe's most dynamic cities for an eye-opening eight-day adventure, starting with a welcome toast from our guide Katerina in Prague. Czech out our day-by-day slideshow!
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Day 1: Welcome to Prague
We'll meet in our hotel to get acquainted and go over the week's schedule. Then we'll take an orientation walk through our Old Town neighborhood and over the historic Charles Bridge — one of Europe's most entertaining promenades — followed by a hearty dinner together, accompanied by the Prague Castle Orchestra.
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Day 2: Prague of Kings and Nobles
This morning we'll hop a local tram to take us across the Vltava River and up the hill to the most massive castle complex in continental Europe: Prague Castle. We'll tour the impressive St. Vitus Cathedral, home to Alfons Mucha's striking stained glass; the Old Royal Palace; St. George's Basilica (when available); and the Golden Lane. After our visit, you're on your own to wander back down to the Old Town, where you'll be free for the evening.
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Day 3: Jewish and Art Nouveau Prague
Today we'll take a walking tour through the Josefov neighborhood, once the site of Prague's Jewish Ghetto — and still one of the most evocative Jewish districts in all of Europe. One of the leading centers of Judaism for a thousand years, the neighborhood is studded with thought-provoking museums, fascinating synagogues, and a Kafkaesque, dream-like cemetery. After free time for lunch, we'll take a tour of the classy concert halls and salons of the city's Municipal House. Your evening is free for dinner on your own.
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Day 4: Revolutionary Prague
We'll start our day with tales of Prague's past struggles with communist occupation, the significance of the Prague Spring, and the emergence of Václav Havel. We'll then retrace the footsteps of Prague's celebrated Velvet Revolution, following the events of November 17, 1989, through the modern city to Wenceslas Square, where thousands of Czechs held up and rattled their keys, telling their communist leaders, "The time has come for you to go home." We'll return to the present in time to enjoy dinner together and catch a cultural performance, perhaps a classical concert or the quirky and uniquely Czech Black Light Theater.
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Day 5: On to Budapest
This morning we'll board our coach for the drive to Budapest. En route we'll pass through the rolling hills of ancient Moravia and modern Slovakia, catching our first glimpse of the wide, blue Danube as we approach Hungary's capital city that straddles both banks of the river. Upon arrival this afternoon, we'll meet with a local guide for a tour of Pest, the larger, more sprawling half of the city. There we'll crane our necks at Europe's largest, most ornate parliament building to learn how Hungarians coped with half a century of fascist and communist tyranny. And outside St. István's elaborate basilica we'll learn why, once a year, locals parade the saint's millennium-old fist around the city. At the end of our walk, we'll treat ourselves to a Hungarian feast together.
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Day 6: Bustling Budapest
Our day begins atop Buda's proud Castle Hill with an introduction to Budapest's sumptuously gilded Matthias Church and nearby Fisherman's Bastion with sweeping views across the river of "twin-city" Pest. After working up an appetite, we'll explore traditional Hungarian dishes with a cooking class and lunch before setting you free to sample more of the city, including more delicacies in its Great Market Hall (Nagyvásárcsarnok). Later tonight we'll regroup and relax with a cruise along the Danube.
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Day 7: Elegance of Empire
This morning, we'll tour the caked in splendor home of the Hungarian State Opera. Built in the 1880s, when Budapest was the co-capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Hungarians took every opportunity to make their opera house more opulent than anything the Viennese could muster. You'll see they succeeded. Then we'll ride the oldest metro in continental Europe on our way to Heroes' Square, where we'll learn about the bronze-cast, larger-than-life players in Hungary's history. This afternoon, your guide will be happy to arrange a chance to enjoy the ornate public thermal baths (yes, you'll have plenty of time to soak it all in!). Tonight we'll rendezvous for a farewell dinner together, sharing travel memories and toasting new friends. Egészségedre!
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Day 8: Tour Over After Breakfast
Budapest's Ferihegy Airport and three busy train stations can connect you to practically anywhere in Europe, and your return home. Whatever your plans, your guide will help you get on the right track. Viszontlátásra!
Learn more about the Best of Prague & Budapest in 8 Days tour