Jet off to the trip of a lifetime awaiting you in Europe!

Check-in to the hotel and head straight out into Berlin to get a feel for the city’s style before meeting up with the other Contiki travellers and your Tour Manager over dinner.

With 2 nights in this historical hot spot, you’ve got time to find out what makes Germany’s capital one of the most cutting-edge cities in the world. It’s hard to believe that this trend-setting town has had such a troubled past.

• Hotel

• Dinner

We’ll give you the background on Berlin’s troubled history in our morning city tour. Learn about the East/West split at the Berlin Wall and check out the controversial Reichstag (German Parliament) as well as Tiergarten (one the world’s biggest parks), while you Tour Manager points out the little details and peels back the layers of history. Visit Checkpoint Charlie, where many East Berliners tried to escape to the West, and be reminded of Germany’s darker past at the Brandenburg Gate.

With free time, get inspired by Berlin’s creative scene and check out its galleries and street art. As a world forerunner in contemporary art, Berlin’s walls are covered in cutouts and graffiti.

Shopping-wise, this town has it all and is right up there defining style. Berlin is great for small boutiques, funky fashions and one-of-a-kind buys. Your Tour Manager knows Berlin’s ins and outs, so get some pointers before you splurge.

Experience the world of espionage in an optional evening Eye Spy Berlin tour with our Local Guide, and enjoy a fascinating look into the Stasi (what was once the East German Secret Police).

Do as the Berliners do and grab a curry wurst (a local favourite) and kick back at a bierkeller (German beer house). Then top off your time in Berlin with some of your new friends and explore the city’s legendary nightlife. With cool cocktail bars and some of the best techno clubs in the world, there are heaps of fun choices.

• Hotel

• Breakfast

Heading south, we roll on to the region of Dresden, often dubbed “Florence of the North” because of its beauty.

This town completely rebuilt itself after being flattened in World War II. Your Tour Manager will show you Dresden’s signature buildings, like the Opera house, the domed Frauenkirche, the Royal Residence – once home to the Saxon Kings – and the Zwinger Fortress, a massive palace where royals went to party!

Lunchtime! Go local and hang out in a river side beer garden, order some hearty German dishes with regional specialties like sour roast and potato soup.

Then we head over the border and into the Czech Republic to Prague.

• Hotel

• Breakfast
• Dinner

Prague is a beautiful and atmospheric city. It’s also pretty compact, so it’s best explored on foot. Get straight into Prague’s historic heart with our Local Guide. You’ll walk together over the landmark Charles Bridge, through Hradcany Castle, the home of the original Bohemian Kings and to the gothic St Vitus Cathedral, along the way.

The Czech capital has a really mixed past so look out for signs of the Roman Empire, the Bohemian Empire, the Nazis and the Communists.

Have a go on 2 wheels and discover Prague with our Local Guide, who knows all the city’s ins and outs. Exploring by bike is the perfect way to get an overview of this compact city, as you can hit the back alleys and side streets of the old town.

Spend some time in the picturesque Old Town Square, where historic buildings and churches surround cafes that spill out onto the pavement. With some world-famous Czech pilsner in hand, park yourself at a table, people-watch and try out some of the traditional local dumplings. This is also the spot to pick up some famous bohemian glass, beads or garnet and amber jewellery.

For a bit of folklore and tradition, choose a Czech evening optional for a fun night with the group where you’ll see traditional dancing and taste local food.

By night, Prague is loaded with all types of music, from jazz bars and hip DJs to opera. There is something for everyone, so make the most of it with the group, and finish your time off in Prague with a night to remember.

• Hotel

• Breakfast

Today, we roll on to the cultural hub of Vienna. Your Tour Manager starts the day by introducing the group to the city’s historical heritage. There’s the imperial grandeur of Schönbrunn Palace, the elegantly ornate State Opera House and St. Stephen’s Cathedral – a gothic masterpiece. Cruise down Kärterner Strasse, Vienna’s main shopping spot and buy some traditional ceramics and materials for gifts back home.

There’s free time to check out the magnificent squares and majestic palaces or the city’s art galleries. Take a break in a coffee house like the locals do, chill out in Vienna’s manicured gardens or wander along the Danube River.

Get schnaps savvy with a behind-the-scenes look into this local liqueur’s production in an optional excursion to the Old Vienna Schnaps Museum.

Tonight, it’s all about the culture at an optional dinner and concert. Up first is a traditional Viennese meal in the stunning grounds of Schönbrunn Palace. Follow this up with a classical music concert with former Vienna locals, Mozart and Strauss.

• Hotel

• Breakfast

After time to explore more of Vienna, we hit the road and travel
to the “Paris of the East”, Budapest. With two cities rolled into one, this exotic town has a bit of everything. Buda and Pest sit on different sides of the river, but bring together the stunning buildings and atmosphere that make Budapest so romantic.

To get a another take on Budapest from the water, jump on board tonight’s optional cruise, and see the city aglow from the water as you feast on a buffet full of local specialties.

• Hotel

• Breakfast

On the Buda side of the river, from the Fisherman’s Bastion, you’ll get a full-blown view of the city and learn about Budapest’s history in a nutshell! Check out the colourful Church of St Mathias, the Royal Palace and the Chain Bridge. Your Tour Manager knows all about Budapest’s mixed history and will tell you more with a visit to the Liberation Monument.

Free time means a chance to get around Budapest at your own pace with the public transport tickets that your Tour Manager will give you.

If you’re after something different, treat yourself to a truly local experience: a spa. With outdoor thermal waters, art nouveau architecture and treatments, this is the perfect way to unwind. For more of Budapest’s outdoor lifestyle, it’s a short bus ride to visit St Margaret Island, a favourite among the city’s residents with its gardens, fountains, pools and ruins.

Launch into Budapest’s nightlife and live it up like the locals by heading to a beerhouse, a riverside bar or a happening club.

• Hotel

• Breakfast
• Dinner

Continue north, past traditional villages and stunning alpine scenery. We stop for lunch in the heart of Slovakia, in pretty Banska Bystrica. Try some regional specialties like mutton and sauerkraut or smoked meats in the city’s pedestrian-only centre.

Leave Slovakia behind as we make our way to Poland with 2 nights in Krakow.

• Hotel

• Breakfast
• Dinner

Left relatively untouched after World War II, Krakow is jam-packed with monuments and cultural treasures like turn-of-the-century buildings, museums, an impressive castle and the Jewish Quarter.

This morning, your Tour Manager will give you a taste of this stunning city via a visit to the massive Market Square – the buzzing heart of Poland’s oldest university town. Learn about the medieval design of the UNESCO World Heritage listed centre, which serves up a mix of Gothic and Renaissance architecture.

Our Local Guide will take you further into the city’s history with an insider’s look into Poland’s culture as the group explores the Cathedral and Royal Castle on Wawel Hill. Once the spiritual and political heart of the country, the site is now filled with tombs, chapels and a bizarre collection of pre-historic animal parts.

In your free time this afternoon, head to Cloth Hall and hit the maze of covered stalls selling crafts and souvenirs or rummage through the local boutiques in the surrounding streets. Discover the city’s churches and synagogues to get a real feel for Krakow’s heritage.

Choose our fantastic optional excursion to the Wielicka salt mines , where you’ll head underground into a labyrinth of tunnels and learn about the oldest mine in the world.

• Hotel

• Breakfast

This morning, we make a sobering stop at Auschwitz, the world’s largest cemetery and former Nazi concentration camp, where the group will learn about one of history’s darkest moments.

Then visit Poland’s holy hotspot in Czestochowa. We’ll make a stop at the still functioning 14th Century Jasna Gora monastery, where the famous Black Madonna is kept. Get up close to the portrait and discover why this place attracts so many pilgrims.

Back on the coach, journey on to budding Warsaw. See how Poland’s capital started up again from scratch after World War II and see how it’s looking to the future. Get a feel for the city’s buzzing café scene, relax with a drink, order some perogies (Polish dumplings) and soak up the vibes of this energetic city.

• Hotel

• Breakfast
• Dinner

Go back in time as our Local Guide gives you a crash-course in Warsaw’s troubled history. You’ll see Warsaw’s Ghetto, Chopin’s park, as well as the Old Town. Hear how this town has been all about survival, being literally reduced to rubble, and how Warsaw then picked up the pieces, using these ruins to rebuild the city. Check out St John’s Cathedral and the Royal Palace, which was blown-up during World War II.

Free time means a chance to get to know Warsaw’s modern, festive side. Relax in Lazienki Park, a favourite haunt with the locals, or dip into the city’s many museums, galleries and theatres. Get some hints on what to explore from your Tour Manager.

Tonight, we have a special farewell dinner together in a traditional Polish restaurant on the famous Royal Route – the road leading to the former King’s residence. Feast on a three course meal and toast your travels with the crew and your new friends.

The choice of clubs, live music and bars here is mind-blowing, so it’ll be a fun night out!

• Hotel

• Breakfast

The tour ends after breakfast in Warsaw and it’s time to say farewell to your new friends. Otherwise catch a free transfer back to Berlin where your tour ends upon arrival.

• Breakfast