Central Europe Highlights: Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Berlin

Austria | Czech Republic | Germany | Hungary

Central Europe Highlights: Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Berlin

On this trip you’ll see some of the most fantastic cities of Europe while also enjoying smaller towns nearby. From Vienna, known for its opulent cafes and music scene, to Budapest’s soviet history and balmy spas, to Prague and quirky Berlin with some of the best communist and WWII history anywhere, the historian in you will be elated. But while the history is phenomenal, each of these cities has beautiful architecture, interesting and unique culture, and phenomenal food. Get ready for your power tour of Central Europe.

Length: 18 days (to shorten or lengthen, remove or add a city or small towns)

Transport: Train and car (could opt to do entirely train)

Guidebook: Rick Steves Germany and Rick Steves Eastern Europe

Day 1 – Berlin

Day 2 – Berlin

Day 3 – Berlin

Day 4 – Potsdam

Day 5 – Dresden

Day 6 – Prague

Day 7 – Prague

Day 8 – Český Krumlov

Day 8 – Salzburg

Day 9 Salzburg

Day 10 – Vienna

Day 11- Vienna

Day 12 – Vienna

Day 13 – Danube Valley

  • Train to Melk (1h train, purchase the Wachau- Ticket for the day)
  • Melk Abbey
  • Lunch – Rathauskeller Melk
  • Select one:
  • Boat to Spitz or Durnstein
    • Option 1:
      • Boat to Spitz
      • Bike to Durnstein via wine towns and wineries
        • Weingut Prager
        • Lagners Vineyard
        • Johann Donabaum
    • Option 2:
      • Boat to Durnstein
      • Wine tasting – Domäne Wachau or Vinothek Dürnstein
      • Afternoon tea at the Schlossberg Hotel
      • Hike to the Ruins of Dürnstein Castle
  • Train to Vienna (1h train)
  • Lodging – same place (night 4/4)

Day 14 – Budapest

Day 15 – Budapest

  • Walking tour of Budapest – self guided or we recommend Andrea Makkay
    • Liberty Square and Heroes’ Square
    • City Park and Vajdahuyad Castle
    • Gellert Hill
    • Great Market Hall
    • Memento Park
    • Matthias Church
    • St. Istvan’s Basilica
    • Buda Castle
  • Hospital in the Rock and Nuclear Bunker
  • Ruin Pub Crawl: Szimpla Kert, Negyszaz, Gozsdu Sky Terrace, Mika Kert, Ellato Kertm Koleves
  • Lodging – same place (night 2/3)

Day 16 – Budapest

In-Depth Itinerary

You have a few options as to where to pick up a rental car or if to pick one up at all – you’ll have to calculate which is most cost-effective. You could pick up a rental car on your way out of Prague and plan to drop it in Vienna, though you could find an issue returning a car in another country (with a surcharge). You could consider driving from Vienna back to Prague (3 hours) and skipping Budapest on this trip. If you want to extend your trip you could add on Munich in between Salzberg and Vienna, pick up your car in Berlin and drop it in Munich before going back to trains. Finally, if you want to train the entire way, you could consider re-arranging the itinerary so Cesky Krumlov falls in the middle of your Prague visit (still mildly annoying and will require a train and bus connection) and so Salzburg falls in the middle of your Vienna visit to make the trains and easier.

Day 1 – Berlin

Brandenburg Gate

If you’re arriving by plane: Brandenburg (BER) is the major airport. You can grab a train from the airport that will deposit you downtown. Follow arrows in the airport for the train. Take a look at the Rome2Rio app for easy ways to see how to get around/which bus you need. You could also opt to take a taxi or Uber (especially if you’re traveling with a few people) straight from the airport.

If you arrive by train (or are connecting via train station) it’s the Berlin Hauptbahnhof. From here grab the S-Bahn to your hotel (it’s just as easy as a taxi or bus and your train ticket into Berlin covers the connecting S-Bahn ride into town). In general to get around Berlin you’ll be using the U-Bahn (ie its subway) – consider a day pass if you’ll be riding more than once a day or a WelcomeCard if the math works out for you for 3 days.

Now you’re actually in Berlin. One thing to know – it’s split into sections: Eastern Berlin, Central Berlin, Western Berlin. Eastern Berlin has most of the famous sites. Central Berlin holds Tiergarten Park. Western Berlin has the Bahnhof Zoo.

For your first day, head to a few sites (you may have more or less time depending on what time you land). We recommend you start at the German History Museum learning about the history of Germany since 500 AD. Consider the Museumpass. It gets you into more than 50 museums and you’ll likely make up the value during your visit (includes national museums and the big name ones). The pass lets you skip the line and go right into the museum. This is a better deal than Museum Island Pass.

After reveling in history, head to the Topography of Terror to learn about the Gestapo at the documentation center in their headquarters.

Finally head to the Berlin Wall Memorial. Most of this is an outdoor park with a Visitors Center and Documentation Center (located on Bernauer Strasse) which details the extensive history of the wall and the stories of those who attempted to cross the wall. It’s a really great exhibit and you’ll see a guard tower, areas where escape attempts were made, and original wall fragments. Don’t forget to head to the roof on top of the building to get the bird’s eye view.

Remaining part of Berlin Wall

For dinner we recommend starting very traditional and German at Lutter & Wegner (world famous for their sauerbraten) or select from Berlin Restaurant Recommendations.

We loved staying central in the old East section at Hotel Luc. However, another popular option is in the Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood, consider Myer’s Hotel, Hotel Jurine, The Circus Apartments, Circus Hotel, or Soho House Berlin. You can also consider the old West part of Berlin near Savingyplatz (old french quarter) at Pension Peters. .Other good choices include Das Stue, Hotel AMO, Regent Berlin, Grand Hyatt Berlin, and Radisson Collection Hotel. Since you’re going to be in Berlin multiple nights you may also want to consider an apartment rental.

Day 2 – Berlin

The real intro to Berlin should be a walking tour (at 10:00) of the city. On this 3.5+ hour tour (wear comfy shoes) you’ll see all of the main highlights: the Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Wall, Hitler’s Bunker, Checkpoint Charlie, Nazi Air Ministry, Holocaust Memorial, the Reichstag (Parliament), Museum Island, the Bebelplatz (scene of the Nazi Bookburning), Topography of Terror, Neue Wache (War Memorial), among others.

Plan to visit the Reichstag after your tour. While you’ll need an advanced reservation (and your passport) spiraling up to the top of the Parliament building will give you 360 degree views of the Berlin skyline.

Inside Reichstadt dome

Grab a drink on your wander back at Windhorst. Then dine at Lokal or select from our Berlin Restaurant recommendations.

Day 3 – Berlin

Berlin has some amazing museums and today is museum day. Again, wear your comfy shoes. With only a few days in Berlin you won’t have time for everything. Head to Museum Island. Make sure you purchase a combo pass. If you are visiting at least 2 museums on the island get the Museum Island Pass (it covers all 5 on the island). Or consider the Museum Pass Berlin which will covers some not on the island as well.

The two you absolutely should not miss are the Pergamon Museum (Berlin/Germany’s massive antiquities museum) and Neues Museum (famous collection of Egyptian artifacts). Then we recommend the excellent art collection at the Alte Nationalgalerie. With additional time you can add on other museums including The Altes Museum and Bode Museum (but we’d opt for these after the other three).

Ishtar Gate in the Pergamon Museum

Once you finish with your museums take a boat ride along the lovely Spree river. Several boat companies offer a pleasing 1 hour trip complete with drinks and an English audioguide (though we liked Berliner Wassertaxi). The boats leave from docks near the Cathedral near off Unter den Linden (near the DDR museum). Pick a boat with open deck seating.

After your boat tour, head to the Berlin Brewery Brauerei Lemke Berlin for its charming beer garden. Have dinner tonight at Monsieur Vuong (Berlin has excellent Vietnamese food) or select from Berlin Restaurant recommendations.

Day 4 – Potsdam

Sanssouci Palace is closed Monday and New Palace is closed Tuesday so don’t head to Potsdam on one of those days. Today we actually recommend you leave Berlin and head to Potsdam (a short 30m train ride away). The palaces and parks of Potsdam are a Unesco World Heritage site and make for a lovely day trip from Berlin, easily reached by the S-Bahn. Situated on lake Wannsee, Potsdam was the royal seat of Prussia and is filled with ornate royal buildings, Prussian history, luscious gardens, and for years has been an escape for Berliners for centuries.

To get there (Potsdam Hauptbahnhof) either take the Regional Express/RE1 train which goes directly to Potsdam 2x/hour from any of the following stations: Hauptbahnhof, Friedrichstrasse, or Zoologischer Garten or the S-Bahn (which takes longer) which goes to Potsdam 6x/hour via the S7 line. Once you arrive to Potsdam, you have a choice: bus or bike. If you can, we recommend renting a bike for the day (easily attainable at the train station) because it’s so easy to get around, mostly flat, and makes for a lovely day. However, if you really don’t like biking, you can catch a bus to and through the park.

Start by visiting Sanssouci Park, a large royal park hosting many palaces. Frederick the Great built an impressive collection of palaces around this park. The two to see are the Sanssouci Palace and New Palace. Get a combo ticket online or at one of the big palaces which covers the royal buildings in the park. It takes about 10 minutes to bike or 30 minutes to walk between the two main palaces or you can grab the #695 bus to make the trip much quicker. Schloss Sanssouci was Frederick the Great’s summer palace and is filled with Rococo interiors that you’ll wander through. New Palace is an even bigger palace with 200 rooms that Frederick the Great built to impress foreign dignitaries.

Neues Palace Grotto Hall

There are a many other palaces in Sanssouci Park which you can pop into with your combo ticket if you would like. They include the Norman tower, Chinese Tea House, the New Chambers, and Orangery. If you want to see the Klausberg Belvedere it’s an additional cost.

From the palaces, bike through quaint Potsdam to the Brauerei Meierei beer garden set right on river and enjoy a pleasant lunch.

After lunch, you can opt to visit Cecilienhof where the Potsdam Conference was held at the end of WWII and the Bridge of Spies.

Bike back to the historical old town square, Alter Markt. Potsdam’s Old Market Square holds Nikolaikirche and its massive dome which you should step inside to see, the Altes Rathous (Old Town Hall), and the Stadtschloss (Brandenburg State Capitol). Check out the the Museum Barberini‘s website ahead of time to see if you want to stop by before continuing onto the palaces – it offers rotating temporary exhibits of famous artists.

For dinner you can choose to stay in Potsdam at Der Butt or Restaurant KochZIMMER or head back to Berlin and select from Berlin Restaurant recommendations.

Day 5 – Dresden

Catch a morning train to Dresden. Despite the fact that it was firebombed during WWII, Dresden is delightful. Once considered the most beautiful city in German, Dresden was completely rebuilt following the exact (and thankfully saved) original blueprints of the city, so still charms with Baroque architecture, pretty squares, and some of the best museums in Germany. Dresden, at its peak, was the capital of Saxony and ruled widely from Poland to Eastern Germany.

Dresden from Frauenkirche Dresden

Once you arrive you’ll have to get to the Old Town. You can either grab a 5 minute tram ride, take a 20 minute walk, or take a street scooter or bike to the Old Town. Consider purchasing the combo Day Ticket if you plan to visit more than one museum other than the Historic Green Vault.

Begin at the Royal Palace and Historic Green Vaults. The Historic Green Vaults is the absolute highlight of this city. Inside the Royal Palace, it’s a beautiful, glittering Baroque treasury collection. The Jewel Garnitures (Juwelen-Garnituren) constitute the largest collection of jewels in Europe (some of these treasures were stollen in a robbery in 2019). It’s a truly jaw-dropping display. You MUST reserve tickets ahead of time, they sell out well in advance. This museum also houses the less exciting but still beautiful New Vaults treasures as well as exhibits on armory and coins (which you can skip unless very interested).

From here make your way to the Zwinger a Baroque masterpiece in its own right and filled with museums. The building itself looks like a palace and take your time to wander the outside taking in the Grown Gate and Glockenspielpavillion. The most worth-while exhibit here is the Old Masters Gallery, Dresden’s famous collection including the works of Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Rubens, and more. Also housed here is the Porcelain Collection and the Mathematics-Physics Salon (which some interesting ancient astronomical and seafaring equipment). You can’t buy a ticket only to the Old Masters Gallery (you have to buy the combo) so if you want, do a quick walk through of the other two.

Zwinger Musuem Complex

If you’re hungry, there is a small, but decent cafe attached to the Old Masters Gallery, or stop by the nearby Alte Meister Cafe (scenic and good). From the Zwinger, we recommended a walk. Dresden Walks used to run excellent group tours which ended with Covid, but you can check out their website to direct you to other touring options. You can also opt for a self-guided tour, we found the one in Rick Steves book excellent.

Start your tour with a hot chocolate at Camondas, a chocolate shop (it’s incredible). Make sure you see Theatreplatz with its impressive Opera House, Palace Square, the Parade of Nobles, Neumarkt and the statue of Martin Luther, and Frauenkirche. Frauenkirche is Germany’s tallest Protestant church (the view from the top gives a 360 of Dresden). Next to this is the Albertinum, the last of the recommended museums with a great collection of 19th and 20th century art. After visiting, wander down the Bruhlsche Terrasse overlooking the Elbe River. You can choose to cross the Augustus Bridge which connects Dresden’s old and new towns and at the far end of which is a statue of the famous Augustus the Strong (The Golden Rider), but beyond providing an excellent view back over the river, the new town is not terribly interesting (despite what other blogs may try and claim).

For dinner, if you’re across the river Watzke am Goldenen Reiter is untoursity and traditional. Restaurant Daniel is the worth the trek and excellent. Otherwise consider an albeit more toursity and pricey meal on the Neumarkt for its ambience or head to Palais Bistro, Moritz, Altmarktkeller, Alte Meister, or Wenzel.

For lodging we recommend staying in the Old Town or right across the bridge in the New Town. Look at Hotel Hyperion Am Schloss, Hotel Taschenbergpalais Kempinski, Hotel Bulow Residenz.

Day 6 – Prague

Take a train to Prague (about 2 hours). We recommend you do a walking tour of the old town today and see places including the Old Town Hall and clock tower, Tyn Church, Havelska Market, Old Royal Palace, Malá Strana, Municipal House, and Charles Bridge. We took a walking tour with Martin Belohradsky. He was thorough and knowledgeable (and got us special access to an incredible library), but better for smaller groups as he can be hard to hear. Hanka Sládková is another excellent guide. Other well-reviewed guides include Václav Štorek, Darina Krajáková, and Marek Holub. Or if you’re interested in a group walking tour, look at Prague Inspiration.

In the afternoon we recommend you prioritize the Jewish Quarter and synagogues (especially if tomorrow is Saturday as it’s closed then). Also select 1-2 museums between the Klementinum, Mucha Museum, and the Cloisters and National Gallery. You should also wander down Wenceslas square and visit the art nouveau architecture.

For dinner, make a reservation at the Imperial Cafe or select from Prague Restaurant Recommendations. Get before or after dinner drinks at the American Bar.

For lodging, Hotel Hastel is excellent and full of old world charm. Also consider Hotel Aria, Andaz Prague, Falkensteiner Boutique Hotel Prague, Alchymist, Hotel Hoffmeister, Hotel Josef, Iron Gate Hotels, and U Tri Pstrosu.

Day 7 – Prague – Castle Hill

Start your day by visiting Prague Castle on the hill on the opposite side of the river. Again, you can either pick a guide from the day before or explore on your own. Tram 22 takes you to the castle or you can walk or cab / uber here. Be sure and see the St Vitus Basilica, Lobkowicz Palace, and Strahov Library. The castle can get very crowded in tourist season – start at the monastery if doing an afternoon visit or at castle square if early and the library / monastery afterwards. Rick Steve’s has a good tour of the complex in his book if you are not with a guide.

St Vitus Basilica interior

From here head to the Little Quarter underneath the caste, including Little Quarter Square, church of St Nicholas, Lennon wall Wallenstein garden, and Petrin Hill. Before heading back across the famous Charles bridge to get back to the main old town make a quick visit to Kampa Island.

If you have any tome left you can see things you didn’t have tome for yesterday or just spend more time wandering the charming old town.

Day 8 – Český Krumlov

Today get up early and drive a couple hours to enchanting Cesky Krumlov. The town is ringed by parking lots – ask at your lodging where they suggest parking. The whole center of the old town is traffic free – you may be able to drive into town to drop your bags (dodging tourists) but we don’t recommend it – park your car and walk to your lodging – nothing is very far away.

Český Krumlov

The perfectly intact old town is set in a bend in the river Vltava with a castle on a hill overlooking it. This is a delightful place to just wander around. Take a walking tour from the TI (old town walking tour at 12:30 or rent an audioguide there. Wandering toe cobbled streets of the town is the only really required activity here but be sure and cross the river to see the castle and its lovely gardens. Be sure and reserve ahead for the English Barque theater tour (one of only two surviving baroque theaters in Europe).

You should try and arrange time for canoeing or rafting on the Vltava river. You can do a 30 minute spin around the old town or take a three hour float to Zlata Koruna Abbey, which you can tour before your rafting company transports you back.

With more time you can visit the small local Eggenberg brewery for a tour, go horseback riding in the nearby countryside, or take a hike up to the mountain of the cross. It’s such a pretty place I’d consider adding an extra day here for a vacation from your vacation

Day 9 – Salzburg

Today head out to the charming Austrian city of Salzburg (2h 19m drive).

While might mostly know Salzburg from sweeping scenes in The Sound of Music, it really is one of the most beautiful towns in Austria. It’s biggest claim to fame is the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart who was born in the city. Get ready to enjoy it’s beautiful fortress, palaces, and churches, fun museums, and the surrounding countryside. It’s small enough to stroll thoroughly, enjoying every bit of it.

Try to arrive in time for the walking tour from the TI at 12:15 as your introduction to the city. Even better, arrive early, drop your bags, then start exploring. Start with stopping into the Salzburg Cathedral. Wander Getreidegasse and Alter Markt old shopping lanes and grab a coffee and pastry at Cafe Tomaselli before your tour which will wind you through the highlights of the town.

After your tour head to the Balkan Grill for lunch. Visit the Mirabell Gardens and Palace or Mozart’s Birthplace (or both depending on how quickly you move). Climb or take the funicular up to Hohensalzburg Fortress where you’ll get the best views over the city.

You have some options for dinner: Stiegkeller (with amazing views over the city), Restaurant Triangle, Zum Zirkelwirt, Die Weisse, or treat yourself to dinner at Esszimmer (it has a Michelin star so get reservations).

You can’t visit Salzburg without enjoying it’s classical music. After all, it was the home of Mozart. Plenty of venues offer live shows, but our recommendation is to head to an evening concert at Schlosskonzerte after dinner. This is also your only option to get inside the Mirabell Palace.

For lodging, try and stay in the Old Town or within a quick walk of it. We recommend Hotel Wolf Dietrich, Hotel am Dom, Salzburg Place to Stay, or The Mozart Hotel (night 1/2).

Salzburg Castle from Mirabell Gardens

Day 10 – Hallstadt and Sound of Music or Berchtesgaden and Hallstatt

We give two options as we have done both and it is hard to choose between them.

Option 1: Sound of Music and Hallstatt – all day bus tour

Get ready to sing. No really. Today you’re heading into the Alps on an 8 hour tour of the Sound of Music sites and Hallstatt. Yes, we are recommending you see some of the Sound of Music sites because frankly they’re some of the prettiest sites in this region, many with historical significance. It gives you a wonderful experience touring Austria’s countryside while listening to some iconic music that made Salzburg famous. It also gives you the extra benefit of visiting the lovely village of Hallstatt which is stunning. Part of the joy of Austria is the breathtaking country and mountain scenery and this gets you both. We recommend you opt for Bob’s Special Tours to see more, or you can choose Panorama Tours and pick either the Sound of Music or Hallstatt (or another Alpine village if you prefer).

You probably won’t have much time when you get back. Take a pretty evening stroll along the Salzach River which runs through town.

Option 2 Berchtesgaden and Hallstadt

You can also take advantage of your car and take an alternative trip to see the famous Eagles Nest in Berchtesgaden and spend some more time in Hallstatt. This trip is really only worthwhile in good weather. Drive out to the Alpine village of Berchtesgaden Germany. (33m) Even though very close to Salzburg this town is in a little corner of Germany.

You will wind your way up to Obersalzburg and the Kehlstein road parking area, climb on a bus, wind up a mountain road and then take the original Nazi elevator up to the Eagle’s Nest. This is now a restaurant and cafe complex perched on to of a mountain with great views all around. It was built as a gift to Hitler who, somewhat afraid of heights, rarely visited. When the US army came through they chipped off pieces of the marble fireplace (be sure and pop into the restaurant to see this. Head back down the elevator and bus. There is a Obersalburg Nazi Documentation Center and Bunker Museum near the parking lot complex but we have not been there as it was closed for renovations.

Eagle’s Nest

Then continue your drive a little over an hour to Hallstatt. This is a gorgeous little town on a lake that launched a thousand instagram posts. Grab lunch on the lake at Restaurant Bräugasthof and then take a funicular up to the ancient Salzweiten Salt mines. Salt has been mined here for literally thousands of years and you can take a tour through the old mines, including sliding down a wooden slide used by miners. After you visit head back down the mountain and drive the 1 h 8 m drive back to Salzburg

Hallstatt

For dinner, pick one of the restaurants you didn’t try the night before. Lodging is the same place as the previous night.

Day 11 – Welcome to Vienna

Vienna is charming and has a lot to see so we’d give it at least 3 days – but you could easily spend 5. It’s a remarkably easy city to get around – most of the sights are walkable in the old city center and an excellent streetcar and metro system gets you everywhere else

We dropped the car in Salzburg and trained to Vienna but you can certainly drive as well.

Getting around town you are likely to use the metro system quite a bit so consider a multi day pass for convenience. You can also get around easily by bike (600miles of bike lanes and a relatively flat city) – if so inclined consider downloading the WienMobil Rad app to be able to rent bikes from stands all over the city.

St Stephens Cathedral is on a nice square right in the middle of the old city and makes a great place to start your introduction to the city. Do a self guided walking tour and consider climbing the south tower (tallest in Austria) for a view of the city (you can elevator up the north tower for a much less energetic climb with a lesser view)

St Stephens Cathedral

Depending on what time you arrive may limit your first day activities, but the Albertina Museum is less than a 10 minute walk away and is well worth a visit for both state rooms and a nice collection showing progression of impressionism to expressionism and other modern art. Just on the way down the street to the museum is the Kaisergruft (Imperial crypt), with some very elaborate tombs. Very nearby is the Vienna State Opera House, which has an interesting tour (reservations needed) – or if you can snag seats or standing room places (and have the clothes for it) you can try and arrange to see an opera (they rotate 4 on a daily basis so you can probably find one to your liking).

State Opera House

For food / snacks / drinks the Naschmarkt has a ton of places to grab lunch / drink or buy food and is a pretty short walk away from the opera just across the ring road. Alternatively if you need an afternoon chocolate fix, the Sacher cafe, home of the famous Sacher torte (death by chocolate) is just behind the Opera or at the nearby Gertner Cafe. Cafe culture is a thing in Vienna – be sure and spend some time in the afternoon with coffee and pastry. At some point be sure and see Cafe Central to hobnob with the ghosts of Freud and Trotsky.

There are a lot of great restaurants in Vienna – consider Cafe Central, Mochi am Markt, Skopik und Lohn, The Palmenhaus, Bruder, Mraz

Day 12 – Vienna walking tour and Art History Museum

Vienna is a great city for walking – most sites are an easy and flat walk away and there and today is a great day to take or arrange one for sights you have not yet seen. We recommend Adrienn Barte-Rhomberg (private) , Good Vienna Tours (public) or If you’re not on a formal walking tour use the Rick Steves one (audio download available). Be sure and look for the famous Lippizaner stallions in their stable at the Hofburg palace.

Afterwards, grab lunch at a cafe or Haas & Hass, then consider visiting the spectacular Kunsthistorisches Museum – both for the architecture as well as the collection.

Staircase in Kunsthistoriches museum

On your way back to lodging stop in and see the Hofburg Palace Treasury to see the best crown jewels on the continent and if you have time, tour the Hofburg Royal apartments (though you’ll see even more lavish royal apartments tomorrow at Schoenbrunn).

If its not too late this would be a great time to grab a rental bike (download WienMobil Rad), unlock a bike (by entering bike number on the app and get an unlock code) from one of the many bike racks around town, and zip off along the ring road as a great way to see the city.

Day 13- Palaces

Today is palace day. If you decide, as we did, to join Adrienn Barte-Rhomberg for a private guided tour she will pick you up and take you on the metro out to the Schönbrunn Palace If not tickets are timed entry and you should reserve in advance then take the U4 10 minutes to Schonbrunn (direction Hutteldorf). Tickets come with an audiotour – be sure and book the Grand Tour. The palace is huge and opulent and rivals (or surpasses) Versailles. Afterwards be sure and visit the expansive and lovely gardens.

Schonbrunn Palace with Vienna in the background

Metro back to the opera stop and grab lunch at the Naschmarket or one of the nearby cafes (depending on which you did not doing and day number one). From here grab the D S Bahn to the Belvedere Palace for a great collection of modern art (especially Klimt).

If you still have time, and are not put off by slightly complex travel logistics you could consider heading out of town for a hike in the Vienna woods (30min bus / 15 min Uber). Afterwards you can have dinner in a wine garden (a unique Vienna institution) – try Weinhof Zimmerman or Fuhrgassl Huber if out near the area – but be aware travel to these is a bit of a hassle – verify that bus runs late enough and realize getting an Uber back may be a bit of a challenge.

Otherwise you have many restaurants still to choose from.

Day 14 – Melk Abbey and Wachau Valley excursion

One day of your visit we recommend a short excursion to the nearby Wachau valley for a couple of great attraction – the UNESCO world heritage Melk Abbey and a delightful boat cruise down the Danube through the lovely Wachau Valley. You can buy a combo ticket that includes a train out to Melk (about 1 hour), boat ride, and train back from Krems (at the other end of the boat ride – about one hour).

Melk Abbey has been a benedictine monastery for about 1000 years and features a beautiful hilltop location overlooking the Danube and amazing baroque interiors.

Melk Abby

For lunch you can eat in Melk, grab lunch on the boat, or cruise down and hop off in one of the nearby villages. Durnstein in the prettiest. Another great option is to hop off the boat at the stop in Spitz and rent a bike (via Nextbike -dowload app in advance) and ride down to Krems (lovely biking through vineyards and villages – gentle downhill all the way). Along the way winery options to try include Weingut Prager, Lagners Vineyard, and Johann Donabaum.

Cruising along the Danube

If you boat we recommend getting off at Durnstein and there MAY be another boat along later (depends on season and time – check in advance) but if not you can bus to the train station in Krems to get your return train. Durnstein is very cute and there are several options there for tasting of Wachu valley wine – try Domäne Wachau or Vinothek Dürnstein.

Day 15 – Budapest

In the morning head to the train station and catch a 2h 30m train to Budapest. Drop bags at your lodging then Be sure and visit Budapest’s stunning parliament building (get tickets in advance) . In the evening cruise along the Danube to absorb the incredible views as the sun sets and the city comes alight. If you have time today visit the Széchenyi Thermal Bath, one of Budapest’s famous public pools and hot springs. Budapest is famous for these public baths, and this one includes a giant swimming pool with various hot tubs, a large lazy river, and beautiful architecture. If you don’t make it today, save it for another day.

Budapest Parliament from river cruise

Day 16 – Budapest

This is the day for a self – guided or guided tour. We took a tour with Andrea Makkay. Beginning at Hősök tere, one of the city’s central plazas, we saw Liberty Square and Heroes’ Square, City Park and Vajhhuyad “castle” (replica of a Transylvanian castle), drove up to Citadel Lookout for an amazing view of the city. Stop for lunch at the interesting Central Market Hall, full of food stands and places to eat.

Budapest Market Hall

One advantage to a tour is that many of them make the trip out to Memento Park (may be challenging to get to on your own). Rather than destroying all of the communist era statues and monuments they moved them all out of town and lumped them all in one place. Its is a strangely fascinating place to visit. now the home of monuments and statues from Hungary’s communist era.

Memento Park

Be sure and see castle hill on the Buda side of the river with amazing interiors in the Matthias church. Also be sure and visit the nearby Hospital in the Rock, an amazing underground complex that served as a military hospital during World War II and a fallout shelter during the Cold War.

Not everyone is big on pub crawls or noisy bars but in Budapest you really do need to check out the famous ruin pubs. In the early 2000s, derelict courtyards and abandoned buildings in the old jewish quarter were transformed into quirky bars, with salvaged furniture, fairly lights and a mostly young energetic crowd.

Ruin Bar

Day 17 – Budapest

In the morning visit the ornate Dohány Street Synagogue, still a functioning synagogue that also houses a museum and monument to the Hungarian Jews killed during World War II.

Dohány Street (Great) Synagogue

This is a good day to visit St Stephen’s Basilica in the heart of old Pest.. There are also some interesting museums to visit including yje House of Terror, dealing with life under the oppressive communist regime, and the Hungarian National Museum. The ornate Hungarian State Opera House can be toured as well. Since Budapest is a city of famous bathhouses you may also want to visit the classy Gellert Baths on the Pest side of the river. While in Budapest do not miss visiting the opulent New York Cafe.

New York Cafe

Day 18 – Fly home

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