Companion Tour of Eastern Europe
[Day 1] Wednesday, January 22
Depart from Minneapolis via scheduled air service to Prague, Czech Republic
[Day 2] Thursday, January 23 - Prague
Arrive in Prague.
Meet your MCI Tour Manager who will assist the group to awaiting chartered motorcoach for a transfer to the hotel via panoramic tour of Prague’s highlights including Charles Bridge, Old Town Square with its Tyn Church and Astronomical Clock, the Jewish Quarter, etc.
Lunch on own in Old Town Square and time for shopping.
Mid-afternoon hotel check-in.
Evening Welcome Dinner and overnight.
Prague achieved much of its present glory in the 14th century, during the long reign of Charles IV, king of Bohemia and Moravia and Holy Roman Emperor. During the Middle Ages, Prague enjoyed a golden age - a time when Prague was larger than Paris or London! The Hapsburgs also left their artistic and architectural mark. Today, Prague is universally declared one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.
[Day 3] Friday, January 24 - Prague
Breakfast at the hotel.
Half-day guided tour of Prague that includes visiting Hradcany Castle, including its St. Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, the Golden Lane, and the Daliborka Tower. Constructed in the 9th century by Prince Bořivoj, the castle transformed itself from a wooden fortress surrounded by earthen bulwarks to the imposing form it has today. The castle has three courtyards and it has always been the seat of Czech rulers as well as the official residence.
Lunch on own.
Afternoon concert in Prague.
Evening group dinner and overnight.
[Day 4] Saturday, January 25 - Prague/HradocKrálov/Wroclaw
Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer to Wroclaw via HradecKrálov, one of the most beautiful towns in Bohemia. Half-day sightseeing includes a visit to the Old Town. The historic sights of the Old Town are clustered around its former market square, Velké Námestí, and the adjoining, smaller Malé Námestí. Charming streets lined with beautiful houses are juxtaposed with the opulent ed
ifices of museums, churches, theatres and palaces. See the Former Synagogue, Cathedral of the Holy Ghost, etc. Also visit the Municipal Library, with its beautifully decorated portal.
Lunch on own.
Continue to Wroclaw for a group dinner and overnight.
Wroclaw is the capital of Silesia. It is a city with a fascinating and complex history. It dates to the 10th century, when the Ostrow Tumski islet on the Odra became a fortified Slav settlement. There are now some 100 bridges spanning the city’s 90-kilometer network of slow-moving canals and tributaries, giving Wroclaw its particular charm. Indeed, after Venice and St. Petersburg, Wroclaw is the city with the third-largest number of bridges in Europe. Wroclaw’s greatest architectural attractions are its many brick Gothic churches.
[Day 5] Sunday, January 26 -
Wroclaw
Breakfast at the hotel.
Half-day sightseeing in Wroclaw includes the breathtaking Aula Leopoldina at Wroclaw University, Old Town Square, Town Hall, Royal Palace, Piasek Island (with its Church of St. Mary on Piasek, the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, and the Church of the Holy Cross).
Lunch on own.
Concert as part of the American Celebration of Music in Poland
Evening group dinner and overnight.
[Day 6] Monday, January 27 - Wroclaw/Auschwitz/Krakow
Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer to Krakow by way of Auschwitz to take a tour of the famous Nazi camp. The death camp at Oswiecim, known as KonzentrationslagerAuschwitz, was in fact a complex of camps, the largest Nazi death factory, where four million people, mostly Jews, perished. Auschwitz consisted of several units, including the largest one at Brzezinka [Birkenau]. Of the millions of people brought there in the p
eriod between 1940 and 1944, only 60 to 70 thousand utterly emaciated victims were alive at the time of liberation of the camp. At present, the National Museum of Oswiecim is situated on the site of the former camp.
Lunch on own.
Continue to Krakow for evening group dinner and overnight.
Krakow (Cracow), seat of Poland’s oldest university and once the nation’s capital (before relinquishing the honor to Warsaw in 1611) is one of the few Polish cities that escaped devastation during World War II. Today Krakow’s fine towers, facades, and churches illustrating seven centuries of Polish architecture, make it a major attraction for visitors. Listed by UNESCO in 1978 as one of the 12 great historic cities of the world, Krakow represents a great repository of Polish history, art and architecture.
[Day 7] Tuesday, January 28 - Krakow
Breakfast at the hotel.
A guided sightseeing tour of this ancient capital of Poland, a royal city on the Vistula, lying at the foot of Wawel, a limestone hill on whose peak rises a splendid royal palace and the Cathedral of Sts. Stanislaw and Waclaw. Start with the Royal Castle and Cathedral on the Wawel Hill, which was remodeled according to the new Renaissance taste in the beginning of the 16th century. It is the place where Polish kings were crowned and buried. Afterwards, drive to the Old Town with the Main Market Square and its magnificent houses and palaces. In the middle of the square is the Cloth Hall, built before 1349 but altered in the 16th century, with many shopping stalls inside. Also visit the Church of St. Mary, located right on the Main Market Square.
Lunch on own.
Concert as part of the American Celebration of Music in Poland
Evening group dinner and overnight.
[Day 8] Wednesday, January 29 - Krakow/Kety
Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer to Kety.
Lunch on own.
Evening group dinner and overnight.
[Day 9] Thursday, January 30 - Kety
Breakfast at the hotel.
Day at leisure for sightseeing, shopping or other activities.
Lunch on own.
Afternoon Mass followed by a concert as part of the American Celebration of Music in Poland
Evening group dinner and overnight.
[Day 10] Friday, January 31 - Kety/Pomaz
Breakfast at the hotel.
Full-day transfer to Pomaz.
Lunch on own.
Excursion to Esztergom. Esztergom today is the country’s most sacred city and the seat of the archbishop of Hungary. Enjoy a visit to the Cathedral that beautifully dominates the city skyline.
Evening group dinner and overnight.
[Day 11] Saturday, February 1- Pomaz/Budapest
Breakfast at the hotel.
Morning excursion to Budapest for a guided tour to include the Parliament, Chain Bridge, Royal Castle Hill (for an incredible view of the city), St. Stephen's Cathedral, Matthias Church, Fisherman's Bastion (including entrance), and the picturesque streets of Táncsis Mihály utca, Uri utca and Fortuna utca which feature splendid examples of medieval houses and Baroque mansions.
Lunch on own.
Shared concert with a local youth orchestra.
Evening group dinner and overnight.
[Day 12] Sunday, February 2 - Pomaz/Danube Bend
Breakfast at the hotel..
Today’s sightseeing includes a Danube Bend tour.
Transfer to Szentendre to attend church service at the local Lutheran church. 
Szentendre is a romantic little town in the Danube Bend region of Hungary, with a flourishing artists' colony. With its profusion of enchanting church steeples, colorful baroque houses and winding, narrow cobblestone streets, its appeal and charm attract many visitors.
Lunch on own.
The tour also includes a visit to Visegrad Castle.
Return to Pomaz in the late afternoon.
Evening group dinner and overnight.
[Day 13] Monday, February 3 - Pomaz/Eisenstadt/Vienna
Breakfast at the hotel..
Transfer to Vienna, stopping en route in Eisenstadt. 
Everything in Eisenstadt reminds one of the brilliant composer Franz Joseph Haydn. Entrance is included to Esterhazy Palace with its Haydnsaal, where many of Haydn's works were premiered, Haydn’s church to see his Mausoleum, and also to Haydn's House, which is now a museum.
Lunch on own.
Evening group dinner and overnight.
Vienna is still considered the music capital of the world. It is a city of refined tastes, grace, style and unmatched artistic accomplishments. For a thousand years, Vienna was the capital of the far-flung Holy Roman and Hapsburg empires. Though its people and ways have changed, Vienna has retained its imperial monuments.
[Day 14] Tuesday, February 4 - Vienna
Breakfast at the hotel.
Half-day guided tour of Historical Vienna includes the Ringstráße, Imperial Palace, State Opera, Town Hall, Burgkapelle (venue for the Vienna Boys Choir), Palace Stables, Strauß Monument, and entrance to Schönbrunn Palace, built by the Habsburgs in imitation of Versailles.
Lunch on own.
Concert as part of the American Celebration of Music in Austria
Evening group dinner and overnight.
[Day 15] Wednesday, February 5 - Vienna/Salzburg
Breakfast at the hotel. 
Transfer to Salzburg.
Lunch on own.
Enjoy a guided walking tour of Salzburg visiting the city’s highlights including Mirabel Palace and Gardens, Mozart Square, the Dom Cathedral, fortress, etc.
Evening group dinner in a local restaurant.
Concert as part of the American Celebration of Music in Austria
[Day 16] Thursday, February 6 - Salzburg/Munich
Breakfast at the hotel.
A full-day transfer through the Bavarian Alps includes Neuschwanstein Castle (made famous by the Walt Disney model in Anaheim), built by the infamous Ludwig II (including entrance and uphill transport).
Lunch on own.
Continue to Munich for Farewell Dinner and overnight.
[Day 17] Friday, February 7 -Depart for home
Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer to Munich’s International Airport for return flight.
Every effort will be made to follow this itinerary as printed, yet it is subject to change due to unforseen circumstances. In the event of an unavoidable conflict in the performance and the sightseeing schedule, the concert schedule will prevail, and it may be necessary to exclude some sightseeing activities.
Cost and Inclusions
Cost of the tour is $5,500 per person, based on double occupancy. For more information, go to costs and inclusions. Pricing may vary depending on final travel numbers.
For more information
If you’re interested joining us on this extraordinary journey, please contact Jackie Peterson at jpeters9@gustavus.edu or by calling 800-726-6193
Trip arrangement provided by MCI Travel.