Introduction - Itinerary
My trip this time was split into 3 sections: pre-tour, Rick Steves' tour of Berlin/Prague/Vienna, post-tour.Pre-tour - I went to Venice, Florence and Rome.
Tour - Here's the itinerary as pulled from the Rick Steves web site (sorry for the plagiarism)...
Day 0: Technically those are the dates from Sept 4-10, see the postings from those dates if you want to know what I was up to then.
Day 1: Sept. 11 - Meet in Berlin — Meet at your hotel at 5:00. At a short orientation meeting you'll meet your group and guide, who will preview the adventures ahead in the next 12 days. After a neighborhood orientation walk, we'll enjoy dinner together.
Day 2: Sept. 12 - Berlin's Historic Legacy — After climbing Berlin's shiny new Reichstag dome, a local guide will lead us through the historic heart of Berlin's Nazi and Communist history - including the Brandenburg Gate. This afternoon, we'll visit the fascinating Museum of the Wall at Checkpoint Charlie. The remainder of the day is yours to enjoy some of Berlin's many world-class museums, such as the stirring new Jewish museum or the Gemaldegallerie for paintings by the masters.
Day 3: Sept. 13 - Berlin's Artistic Treasures — Today we'll meet a local guide for a walk down Kurfürstendamm for a look at Western Berlin. We'll end in Potsdamer Platz, the "Times Square of Berlin," and the rest of the day is free for more museums (Pergamon for ancient Greece; Charlottenburg for ancient Egypt and Picasso), or for strolling, people-watching, and shopping.
Day 4: Sept. 14 - Baroque Dresden — Today we head south to Dresden, where we'll see the art treasures in the Old Masters Gallery housed in the beautifully-Baroque Zwinger. You'll have free time to explore more of the city dubbed "Florence on the Elbe", and to visit the Frauenkirche, destroyed in WWII, and now almost completely rebuilt.
Day 5: Sept. 15 - Arrive in Prague — We'll cross into the Czech Republic and make our way to Prague, Europe's best-preserved Baroque city. We'll have a short orientation walk before dinner.
Days 6 & 7: Sept. 16, Sept. 17 - Timeless, Lively Prague — We have two days to settle into fun-loving Prague. You'll gape at the perfectly-preserved Old Town Square, explore the evocative Jewish Quarter, tour the Prague Castle, and people-watch along the Charles Bridge. In the evenings, you can refresh yourself with Europe's best beer, enjoy classical concerts, or experience the quirky and uniquely Czech Black Light Theater.
Day 8: Sept. 18 - Delightful Ceský Krumlov — Today we'll hop on our bus and head for charming Ceský Krumlov. Most of the day is yours to explore its awe-inspiring castle, Gypsy heritage, delightful old town of shops and cobbled lanes, characteristic little restaurants, and easy canoeing options.
Day 9: Sept. 19 - Danube River, Melk and Vienna — After an early morning drive along the prettiest stretch of the Danube, we visit the striking abbey at Melk. Entering Vienna, we stop to explore Maria Theresa's opulent Schönbrunn Palace. Tonight your guide introduces you to the after dark delights of Europe's waltz capital.
Day 10 & 11: Sept. 20, Sept. 21 - Classy Vienna — We'll spend two days exploring the Hapsburg capital. You'll ogle the legendary empire's crown jewels in Europe's top treasury, walk the parks Beethoven walked, enjoy some of Europe's best art at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, and savor every chocoholic's fantasy: Sachertorte. Then you can tour the world's best opera house (when available), conduct the Vienna philharmonic by computer wand, or sip coffee in Europe's most classic café scene. For our last night we'll enjoy tasting Vienna's distinctive "new wine" at an atmospheric Heurige wine garden and celebrate our time together.
Day 12: Sept. 22 - Tour over after breakfast — It's a breeze to reach Vienna's airport by shuttle, bus or taxi.
Post-tour - Amsterdam
posted by Unknown @ 10:15 PM
<< Home