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Day 1: Prague

Upon arrival at the Prague Airport (Airport code - PRG - Remember you are flying home from Budapest -BUD), you will board your shuttle and be transferred to our hotel; shuttles will be running throughout the day. Your vacation beginns tonight, meet your tour leader and group for an optional dinner.

Day 2: Prague

This morning, our guided walking tour will take us to the pedestrian street, Prikopy, to view the Powder Tower and next to it, the Municipal House, the masterpeace of Art Nouveau Style. In Celetna Street, discover the house, At Black Madona“ and not faraway, the Estate Theatre where Amadeus Mozart gave his premiere. Then we continue to Old Town Square to watch the famous astronomical clock.

After time for lunch, we walk through thee Jewish Quarter (Josefov), once the largest Jewish ghetto in Europe. The Ghetto, dates back to the 13th century and presents us with the opportunity to see a little of what life was like for Jews of that era. Six synagogues still stand in addition to the historic Jewish Town Hall and the Old Jewish Cemetery, considered one of the most remarkable burial grounds of its kind in Europe. (entrance fee included).

Tonight enjoy our Welcome Dinner Cruise on the river Vltava. Overnight in hotel Maximilian 4* Prague

Day 3: Prague

After breakfast we travel to the Castle quarter. Visit St. Vitus Cathedral, the Royal Palace, the Golden Lane and the beautiful Castle gardens. After time for lunch in the Castle area, we will visit the „Lesser Town“ and then walk over the Charles bridge to the Old Town Square.

The remainder of the afternoon is free for shopping and exploration around the old town. Option tour ($30) to visit the Jewish Museum including: Meisel, Klaus, Pinkas, Spanish Synagogues and the Jewish cemetery. Then we will visit the Old-New Synagogue, the oldest site of Prague’s Jewish Town and the oldest extant synagogue in Europe. It has been the main synagogue of the Prague Jewish community for more than 700 years.

Day 4: Prague - Brno

After breakfast we leave Prague and travel to Brno, the second largest city in Czech.

Our guided walking tour through the old town of Brno includes the Saint Peter and Paul cathedral, the cabbage market place, the historical City Hall, the main square of Liberty and Saint James church. In the lively pedestrian zone, there are many bars and restaurants where we can enjoy dinner (not included).

Day 5: Brno / Auschwitz-Birkenau / Krakow

Our morning drive will take us to the next country on our vacation, Poland. Enjoy the countryside as it is a 5 hour drive to Auschwitz. We will break for lunch along the way. We have three hours to visit the former concentration camp Auschowitz – Birkenau, listed since 1979 as a UNESCO’s World heritage site. Once the largest and most notorious complex of Nazi extermination camps. KL Autschwitz, was transformed by the occupying Nazis into an efficient forced-labor camp. It became the center for the systematic murder of Jews, Gypsies, Russian POWs and others considered undesirable by the Nazis. Over the years the camp was extended and eventually consisted of three main parts and more than 40 su­b-camps. The Nazi murders were stopped when the Soviet Army entered the camp on January 27, 1945.

Our tour begins with a 15-minute documentary about the liberation of Auschwitz. See exhibits in surviving prison blocks, the gas chamber and the crematorium. Next we visit the larger Auschwitz II, better known as Birkenau. This portion of the complex was specifically designed to carry out the extermination of European Jews. The Martyrdom Auschwitz Museum was established on the site in 1947 and was added to UNESCO in 1979. At Birkenau go up to the watchtower above the entrance gate to see the view of the biggest Nazi extermination camp.

In the late afternoon we arrive in Krakow, a beautiful city whose fairy-tale castle and Market Square is spread out like a living museum.

Day 6: Krakow

This morning we have a guided half day walking tour of the Royal City. The unique atmosphere of the beautiful and mysterious streets of the Old Town still exist in The Market Square, center of the Old Town, one of the biggest in Europe, is a reminder of the power and wealth of medieval Krakow, Saint Mary's Church, dating back to the year 1221, boasts the precious 15th century Witt Stwosz altar. Wawel Royal Castle is the pride of racow and the heart of the nation as it’s cathedral is the final resting place of monarchs and wordsmiths.

After time for lunch, we continue our visit through the Jewish Quarter Kazimierz where the film "Schindlers List“ was made. From the 16th century it became the main cultural center of Polish Jewry with its unique Oriental atmosphere. Its soul perished during the traumatic events of the Second World War, but many of the buildings, some still with Yiddish inscriptions, survived.

Day 7: Krakow - Wieliczka - Zakopane

After checkout our morning drive takes us to the Wieliczka Salt Mine, an amazing Unesco underground world of wonders. The mine has been worked for 900 years and was one of the largest salt mines in the world with underground passages and 2000 caverns of various sizes. Legend has it that the salt mines were part of the dowry of the Hungarian princess, Kinga, when she married Boleslaw the Shy over 700 years ago. Our guided tour starts with a spiraling walk down 360 steps from and walks from 210 to 440 feet underground passing through galleries and chambers on three levels.

Our vacation continues through the picturesque Polish countryside to Zakopane, the famous recreation resort of Poland in the High Tatra Mountains. We will stop at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima (Polish people believe that she spared the life of Polish pope John Paul II) and at the winter stadium with ski jumps under the High Tatra peaks.

There will be time to visit the market of Zakopane with a great choice of typical hand made products from sheep wool, leather, wood etc.

Day 8: Zakopane - Banska Bystrica - Budapest

Banska BystricaToday is a 3 country day, we leave Poland behind as we head to Budapest Hungary. First we get to enjoy the scenic drive through the Tatra Mountains to Banska Bystrica, capital of Central Slovakia. Then there is time for lunch and shopping at the main square of the picturesque old town.

Our drive continues from Slovakia to Budapest, arriving in Hungary in the late afternoon.

Day 9: Budapest

Szabatsag SquareAfter breakfast we take a walk with our local guide past the downtown monuments of the PEST side. Admire the impressive building of Parliament, then Szabatsag Square with the US Embassy, Memorial of the Russian Army. Continue to Vörösmarty Square with the traditional Gerbeaud Cafe to the pedestrian Vaci Street which will take us to the historical Market Hall.

After time for lunch we begun our bus sightseeing tour to the elegant Andrassy Avenue. View several famous buildings and monuments like the Opera house, St. Steven basilica, the Heroes Square with the Millenary Monument, the Municipal Park with the Spa Sechenyi and the Vajdahunyad Castle

Day 10: Budapest

BudapestOn our morning bus tour of Budapest we will explore the most beautiful and interesting sights of Hungary's capital city. With the Danube River flowing by, the ring boulevards and the numerous eclectic and revival buildings, Budapest is rightly considered to be the pearl of Europe. Explore Buda and Pest with its wealth of historic monuments, linked by eight graceful bridges. Immerse yourself in Hungarian legends and culture and discover why Budapest is called ‘Paris of the East’.

Enjoy an afternoon at leisure with free time for shopping or exploring. Or take an optional tour ($30): Visit to Grand Synagogue in Dohany Street, the Holocaust Memorial (Tree of Life), the Jewish Museum.

Tonight we will share our Farewell Dinner in a typical Hungarian Wine Restaurant with a local folklore show

Day 11: Budapest - Tour Ends

Sad to say but our Eastern Europe singles vacation has come to an end. After breakfast it is time to say goodbye to all your new travel buddies as we make our way to the airport and our flights home.