A Christmas Escape to Central Europe

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the train station to make your way to Vienna. Travel through the beautiful landscapes of Bohemia and Moravia towards Austria. Arrive in Vienna, an imperial city famed for its artistic legacy and for being the hometown of Mozart and Beethoven. Transfer to the hotel and spend the remainder of the day exploring at your leisure. 

We recommend strolling through the historic center to relish the architecture coupled with the bundle of lights and decorations of the Christmas markets scattered throughout the city—a tradition that stems from the Middle Ages. Make sure you stop by Christkindlmarkt, the largest Christmas market in the city featuring an ice skating rink, where you can sample some holiday-themed foods and refreshments such as: goulash or meat stew, glühwein or hot spiced wine. Dinner and overnight stay in Vienna. 

Breakfast at the hotel. Today, discover the "City of Dreams" with a guided panoramic tour of the historic center. Begin your exploration on the Ring boulevard (Ringstrasse) to see some of the most important buildings, such as the State Opera, the Museums of Art History and Natural History, the Imperial Palace, which was the former winter residence of the Emperor, the Parliament, the City Hall and the National Theater or Burgtheater. Later, enjoy lunch in a traditional Austrian restaurant and make use of the subsequent free time you will have to visit the enchanting Christmas market in Schonbrunn Palace. This lively market, which post Christmas becomes a New Year's market with different products, offers traditional food and crafts, unique Christmas decorations, concerts and an extensive program of children's activities. Overnight stay in Vienna.

Breakfast at the hotel. Today you have the day at leisure to continue visiting Vienna's Christmas markets, do some shopping and enjoy the atmosphere of its charming streets. We recommend visiting the Altwiener flea market on Freyung square—smaller but very cozy. There you can find lots of handicrafts, traditional nativity scenes and carol concerts. There is also the market overlooking the impressive Belvedere Palace, the Stephansplatz, with numerous stands located next to St. Stephen's Cathedral. Lastly, make sure to also check out the Karlskirche, in front of the church of St. Charles, arguably one of the most photographed Christmas-themed locations offering leather and wool craft stalls and, of course, hot drinks. Another option is to go to Spittelberg, the bohemian district of Vienna, where there is a market with handicrafts, gifts and the best of the local gastronomy in the form of cheeses, sweets and wines from famous local taverns, known as "heurigers". Overnight stay in Vienna.

Breakfast at the hotel. Catch a train this morning to transfer to Budapest, the capital of Hungary. After enjoying the changing landscapes of the Danube Delta, arrive in Budapest and transfer to the hotel. The city is famously divided in two by the River Danube, Buda and Pest, each with its own distinctive atmosphere.

Enjoy the rest of the day at your own leisure. Use this time to start discovering the capital at your own pace and feel the jolly spirit of Christmas in its festive markets, where hundreds go to fetch their gifts to the rhythm of Christmas carols, eating traditional sweets and drinking hot chocolate or mulled wine to keep warm from the cold. Overnight stay in Budapest.

Breakfast at the hotel. Today embark on a fantastic panoramic tour of the beautiful city of Budapest. Start the tour in Pest, crossing the majestic Andrassy Avenue to stop by the neo-Renaissance theater of the National Opera in Heroes' Square, the largest and most impressive square of the city and an emblem of the Golden Age of Pest. Continue along the famous Deák Ferenc Square, followed by the neoclassical St. Stephen's Cathedral Basilica and the imposing Budapest Parliament, the two tallest and most iconic buildings in the city. Cross the Danube to make your way to Buda, the former capital of Hungary until the unification in 1873. From here, climb the Fisherman's Bastion, a beautiful viewpoint with numerous stairs and paths located on the castle hill where you can also find the eclectic Matthias Church and the picturesque Castle District. Pass by Margaret Bridge and reach the Király Thermal Baths before ending the tour at the oldest and most photographed bridge in the city, the glorious Chain Bridge. The rest of the day is yours to spend as you see fit. We recommend sipping on some mulled wine and snacking on traditional Christmas-themed sweets at the wooden stalls of the city's iconic markets. Overnight in Budapest.

Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy this morning at leisure to continue discovering the city at your own pace . In the afternoon, hop on a pleasant cruise on the Danube to see the impressive and emblematic buildings of the capital from another perspective, such as the imposing Parliament and the bridges and the Walls of the Royal Palace. The rest of the day is at your leisure to enjoy the Hungarian capital during Advent, where the spirit of Christmas reigns and the streets are transformed into fairy tales. Overnight stay in Budapest.