Welcome to Munich! After checking-in to your hotel, you may have some free time to head into Munich and see the sights. Munich will delight the avid explorer. It’s a city that is a great combination of old and new. Along with modern high-powered industry, designer shopping districts and sleek BMWs, you’ll find a captivating old town and wealth of cultural hotspots in Munich. This evening meet with your fellow passengers and tour leader before heading into the centre for dinner in a traditional German beer hall to get a taste of German culture. Prost!

En route to Prague, visit Nuremberg and enjoy an orientation tour of the city. Bavaria’s second-largest city, Nuremberg is famous for its art, architecture, ancient chapels and great beer! Next, we make our way to Prague. A beautiful city boasting elaborate baroque, gothic, art nouveau and cubist architecture. Explore the streets to find quirky bars, cobbled lanes and courtyards. Known for its brilliant beer and abundance of art, any exploration of Prague is a rewarding one. After getting your bearings on a walking tour of the city with a local guide, experience authentic Czech cuisine at our local restaurant for dinner on your first night in Prague.

The day is yours to enjoy the fairytale magic of Prague! Join the Prague + excursion for deeper insight into the city. Choose to visit the magnificent Prague Castle, the famous Charles Bridge, the ‘Old Town’ and the Jewish Quarter. Find the ‘Secret Garden’ which leads to a man-made grotto. Prague's dramatic history is reflected in the beauty of the churches, opera houses, concert halls and parks. Try some local brew in a beerhouse and visit the John Lennon Wall. Prague is also the home of absinthe. Some say that Vincent Van Gogh’s love affair with this drink is considered to be the most famed in history!

Leaving Prague behind, continue on the journey to Krakow. En route, spend time visiting the harrowing grounds of Auschwitz concentration camp. After the tour of Auschwitz, travel on to Krakow. Check-in at the hotel, meet a local guide and set out on a walking tour of Krakow. The royal capital of Poland for centuries, Krakow today 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. Learn all about the history and significance of the sights as you explore.

The day is yours to explore Krakow further. The renaissance cloth hall in the main market square, the Old Town, Kazimierz and the Wawel Castle, or maybe sample the local cuisine such as Zurek, a very traditional Polish soup with a distinctive sour taste that is dished up in a special hollowed-out loaf of bread. There is also the chance to take an 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, you’ll walk through 2km of tunnels, chapels, reliefs and freestanding sculptures carved from salt rock walls; along with underground lakes and archaeological displays.

Today we stop briefly in Banska Bystrica in Slovakia. Enjoy an orientation tour of this picturesque town, home to beautiful buildings dating back to the late Middle Ages. Next up is Budapest, the Hungarian capital! Blessed with natural beauty as well as baroque, neoclassical and art nouveau architecture, this city is beautiful to discover. Arrive and get an overview of Budapest with our driving tour. Stop at the Fisherman’s Bastion for spectacular views of the city and the river. See the Houses of Parliament and drive along the riverside admiring the city – take note of spots to revisit tomorrow on your free day. Tonight’s meal is at a local restaurant- a great chance to try the local cuisine!

With traces of the past evident in the interesting and unusual details, this is your chance to get up close and personal with Budapest. Look out for remnants of the conflicts of WWII and the uprising of 1956, try Hungarian cuisine (there is so much more to it than just goulash), sample world-renowned wines, and soak your weary rambler’s bones in one of the city’s bath-houses – something Budapest has been known for since the Roman times, with some 123 thermal and 400 mineral springs from 14 different sources. Some of the most popular ones are Szechenyi Baths and Gellert Baths. Finish off your free day with an optional evening cruise along the Danube.

Today we head for the grandeur of Vienna, visiting Bratislava en route. Enjoy a driving and walking tour with your tour leader and see some of the main sights, including a photo stop at Bratislava Castle, which overlooks the city. On arrival in Vienna, enjoy a driving tour. Few cities can show off such cultural and historical splendour and maintain a profile as an exciting, modern city, but Vienna does it well! After the driving tour, we'll enjoy a delicious included dinner. The perfect ending to your time in Vienna is a Mozart Concert in one of the great music halls!

Leaving Vienna behind, head for the charming city of Ljubljana, making a stop in the beautiful city of Graz to enjoy an orientation tour on the way. Arrive in Ljubljana and enjoy 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, explore a little more and take advantage of the fact that pretty much everything is just a short stroll away! Opt-in for an evening of Slovenian food, music and dancing!

Depart Ljubljana and travel towards the last destination for this Eastern Europe tour - Munich. Along the way, enjoy a photo stop at beautiful Lake Bled and perhaps take the time to enjoy the iconic Bled Cream Cake. Next up, we stop in picture-perfect Salzburg, Austria. Featuring gorgeous architecture, a formidable cliff-top fortress and impressive mountain ranges in the distance, you could be forgiven for thinking that you were in a fairytale. This was also Mozart’s home-town – see if a little of the genius rubs off! Shortly afterwards we press on for Munich. This evening is yours to spend as you wish!

After 11 incredible, experience-filled days, this Eastern European adventure concludes after breakfast. Make sure you have exchanged contact details with your new-found travel friends, and share your amazing tour memories with us online using the hashtags #ExpatExplore and #BetterTogether. We hope you've loved every minute of your Eastern Highlights tour, and we wish you a safe onward journey!