Eastern Highlights Christmas & New Year

Welcome to Munich! Arrive at the hotel this morning and meet your Expat Explore tour leader. A city that exhibits both prosperity and a certain amount of comfort and cosiness, Munich’s apparent contradictions will delight the avid explorer. Along with modern high-powered industry, designer shopping districts and sleek BMWs, Munich boasts a wealth of cultural hotspots. Embark on an orientation tour before enjoying some free time to explore. To experience the magic of Munich at Christmas, join today’s optional excursion which includes a tour and tasting through the city’s Christmas market and top sights! This evening, visit a traditional German beer hall to get a taste of German food and culture.

Hop on board the coach today and journey towards Prague. Stop off in Nuremberg on the way. This is Bavaria’s second-largest city, home to incredible architecture which was painstakingly restored using original stone after the bombings of WW2. Enjoy an orientation tour with your tour leader before free time for lunch. Arrive in Prague this evening and discover a truly beautiful city, boasting elaborate Baroque, Gothic, Art Nouveau and Cubist architecture, as well as quirky bars, cobbled lanes and courtyards. Enjoy an included dinner tonight and get in the festive spirit, it's Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas! Start the day with a walking tour and follow an expert local guide to see all the must-see sights in Prague. The rest of the day is free to explore as you wish. Be sure to visit one of the finest Christmas markets in Europe which is held in Prague’s historic Old Town Square. Alternatively, join the Prague+ optional excursion to explore this magical city in depth. This excursion includes a visit to the Mala Strana neighbourhood, a lunch cruise on the Vltava River and a guided tour of the Prague Castle! Tonight, why not celebrate Christmas with an optional traditional Czech folk music show? Indulge in a traditional four-course dinner while enjoying a vibrant music and dance performance!

Leaving Prague this morning, travel towards Krakow. The royal capital of Poland for centuries, today Krakow is home to some of Europe’s most impressive Gothic and Renaissance architecture – and over 2.3 million artworks to complement its historic buildings and monuments. Enjoy a walking tour of the city with your tour leader. Discover some of the main sights and get some ideas of what to explore further during the free day tomorrow. Dinner will be served at the hotel tonight.

This morning offers an included visit to Auschwitz concentration camp. A guided tour will offer great insight into the atrocities committed on these grounds and the significance of this camp during WWII. After the tour, why not join the optional excursion to the Wieliczka Salt Mine? Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the mine dates back to the Middle Ages and is a fascinating look at the area’s history. Descending underground, walk through 2km of tunnels, chapels, reliefs and freestanding sculptures carved from salt rock walls; along with underground lakes and archaeological displays. Alternatively, explore on your own and discover the Old Town, Kazimierz and the Wawel Castle! Enjoy dinner at the hotel tonight.

On the way to Budapest, stop in Banska Bystrica in Slovakia, a picturesque town with beautiful buildings dating back to the late Middle Ages. Then it's off to Budapest, the Hungarian capital. Blessed with natural beauty (it straddles the Danube River) as well as Baroque, Neoclassical and Art Nouveau architecture, this is a city to behold! Tonight’s meal is at a local restaurant, so savour the chance to try some of the local cuisine!

Budapest is a widely-loved travel destination and today is your chance to find out why! Get a good overview on a driving tour this morning. See the Houses of Parliament and drive along the river admiring the city. The rest of the day is free! For a full day exploration of this magical city at its festive best, join the Budapest+ optional excursion which includes visits to St. Stephen’s Basilica and a local food tasting! Alternatively, take a dip in one of the city’s famous bathhouses - Széchenyi and Gellért are two of the most famous! Tonight, choose to see Budapest from the water on an optional Danube evening cruise!

Leave Budapest this morning and head for Vienna, stopping first in Bratislava. Your tour leader will take the group on an orientation tour to see some of the main sights, including a glimpse of Bratislava Castle, which overlooks the city. On arrival in Vienna, embark on a driving tour. Along with a musical past that includes luminaries like Mozart and Beethoven, Vienna has a buzzing modern culinary scene, cheerful, bustling pubs and bars, and a host of clubs and music venues in which to dance the night away. After the driving tour, enjoy an included dinner in a Viennese wine cellar! Afterwards, enjoy the option of attending a classical music concert.

Leaving Vienna behind, head for Ljubljana, stopping in the beautiful city of Graz with some free time to explore. On arrival in Ljubljana, embark on a walking tour of this little gem of a city. Despite its small size, you’re sure to be entranced by the beauty of this city, which features a wealth of cultures, activities and sights. Ljubljana Castle overlooks the city, and dates back to the 16th century. Tonight, ring in the New Year! Ljubljana's open-air celebrations are held throughout the city in public squares, with live music and events, before a beautiful fireworks display is launched from the castle hill as the clock strikes midnight.

Leaving Ljubljana behind, visit the spectacular Lake Bled. Take some time to wander around or try the famous Bled Cream Cake! Hop back on the coach and stop off in the picture-perfect city of Salzburg. Featuring gorgeous architecture, a formidable cliff-top fortress and imposing cliffs in the distance, this is a true fairytale city. This was also Mozart’s home-town - see if a little of the genius rubs off! Arriving back in Munich, the evening is free to spend as you wish. Why not have a farewell dinner with your new travel buddies?

This Christmas and New Year adventure concludes in Munich after breakfast. Expat Explore hopes you've loved every minute of your Eastern Highlights tour, and wishes you a safe onward journey!