I know it is helpful to give careful criticism, but honestly it was a professional, well-planned and balanced tour. Our tours are physically active! Budapest opera house
Our local guide in Prague was also amazing. Prague Alfonzo Mucha - Learned to appreciate his art, perfected facial expression.". I was disappointed with the set up of first night orientation. We had a great time in Prague and Budapest. Then take the train to Prague arriving around 9 pm (leaving around 4:30 pm). Skip to main content. Choose any of these or all.". "Too many to find just one...the night tour on the Danube, everywhere in prague, our cooking class.". We arrived late due to missing a flight connection and didn't attend the initial meeting at the hotel or the welcome dinner. We got lots of culture, learned about the social and political events surrrounding the fall of Communism in the Czech Republic and Hungary, as well as what life was like under the Communist regime. It left an indelible impression on me. The hotels were gorgeous and well appointed, the restaurant choices were top notch and the guides were knowledgeable, fun, kind, and funny. So glad we did. 2) The cooking class in Budapest.". We took a tour of the opera house in Vienna. Moderate walking: 2–6 miles throughout the day with some hills and stairs. Also, if you like wine, we did a great bike trip through the Wachau Valley with a tour group. Max our city guide in Prague really clicked with our group. The initial briefing was handled very well as the tour flowed great thereafter. I have recommended your tours over and over again! Budapest is just an amazing city. She's just perfect at her job. The tour was well organized, the hotel accommodations were excellent. I enjoyed all of the musical experiences;the musicians at our first dinner in Prague to our last in Budapest and the private concert at the Dvorak Museum. Hello! "In 8 days packed with "Wow" moments, it's impossible to pick just one, but I would say the day spent in the Jewish Quarter in Prague was the most moving.". Our 5th Rick Steves tour and as usual it was wonderful. Our trip (5 days in Prague) was in early May. Katerina was very organized, knowledgable , and caring. All were fascinating tours. We were kept on the move and were able to see many beautiful sites in Prague and Budapest. "Touring the Opera in Budepest was my wow moment. We travel extensively and make all of our own arrangements, so this was our first try at being members of a formal tour group. The Danube boat tour at night provided an overall wow experience.". Overall, the book was very informative, fun to read, and offered excellent recommendations. I particularly appreciated Anna's suggestions about where to eat to avoid tourist traps. Seeing the cities during the day as well as lit up at night with the Christmas markets were such a contrast. Amazing, knowledgeable guides, plenty of free time to explore on our own, and a great group of fellow travelers. Provided interesting historical and current events perspective. The group solidified quickly and all the tour members were enjoyable companions - and our guide, Monika, was amazing! I have to say it was one of the best nights we had there. "The cooking class at Chef Parade hit the spot for me. It would also have been nice to meet more people from both countries as part of the tour. This was my second Rick Steves tour. I truly cannot say enough great things about our experience; it is difficult to put into words actually. Prague, Rottenburg, Nuremburg, Vienna and Budapest. They also offer routes via passenger van to other cities; I believe Vienna is among them, but I only looked as far as the Linz station. My trip is beginning to shape nicely thanks to your great suggestions. I did particularly enjoy cooking our own lunch in Budapest, the boat ride on the Danube. Our guides Katka and Jana were very friendly and knowledgeable. The other bonus were the many cultural additions, IE musician's from the Prague Orchestra at dinner our first night, and a private, amazing concert at the Dvorak museum. The Jewish section of Prague--very touching and much, very beautiful.". If we do more tours it will be with RS! (just my opinion, I know others feel differently). We'll meet in our hotel at 4 p.m. to get acquainted and go over the week's schedule. I knew about the Velvet revolution but didn't really know. Budapest was also very pretty -- late September is a great time to see both cities (cool in the morning but perfect by afternoon!) Danube cruise. "It may not be a 'wow' moment, as much as an overwhelming realization and reminder of the horrible reality of Communism and extreme socialism. I liked the organized morning tours together and having the afternoons free to do our own thing. Tonight we'll rendezvous for a farewell dinner together, sharing travel memories and toasting new friends. Prague: The whole city is beautiful. We also enjoyed the local people with whom we came in contact.". Well organized with just the right amount of free time. Trip Includes . Boat trip on Danube". "Private concert at Smentana Museum. What a fantastic Trip! Perhaps using the train would be a better solution. The singing was phenomenal and I enjoyed looking around at all the familiar tour group faces to see their reaction to the opera singing. If I had to give constructive criticism I would say that the hotel arrangements were kind of tough. The Parliament building in Budapest at night was a huge wow moment. "There were a lot, but if I had to choose one it would be the cooking class in Budapest. OK, now you have 8 full days. Published by: Anonymous User Prague, Rottenburg, Nuremburg, Vienna and Budapest Hungarian cooking class, Matthias Church, the Hungarian Opera House and performance! The personal stories of our local guide in Prague (Angela(?)) I have participated in other tours (Trafalgar and Collette), but the Rick Steves would be the one I would recommend. "We were quite overwhelmed by the history of the Czech republic in the 20th century. At the end of our walk, we'll treat ourselves to a Hungarian feast together. You can take a bus there. Vienna has the most big "attractions," Prague is the most stunningly beautiful, and yet Budapest was probably my favorite of the three cities. The other local guides were equally fantastic. The group itself was wonderful, meeting many people we will correspond with. Great Guides, Pickpockets, and Haircuts in Central Europe. "Learning that Tommy Ramone of the Ramones was born 3 blocks from our hotel in Budapest. Fork out a little more for a decent seat. I had no idea what I was going to see. The structure is beautiful during the day but at night it is stunning due to its massive size and dramatic lighting. Very much enjoyed Prague and Budapest. "I really enjoyed the river cruise in Budapest with all of the bridges and historical sites lite up at night. Because of this heritage, Budapest feels more grandiose than you'd expect for the capital of a relatively small country. The boom peaked with a flurry of construction working up to a grant party in 1896 — it was Hungary's 1,000 th birthday. "Too many to count! "The Municipal House in Prague. And of course, the final dinner together is always a celebratory culmination of a week together touring and learning. We might have a better world.". In case you wish to book pre- or post-tour hotel accommodations, the contact information for the tour's first and last hotels is included in your tour confirmation email, as well as in the Itinerary section of your tour account. "Visiting Prague Castle and the Fishermans Bastion in Budapest. Could have spent the whole time wandering the picturesque streets. Jana was outstanding! "During our first welcome dinner in Prague, we had musicians play at the end of our meal. In Rick Steves Budapest you'll find in-depth Rick-tested information on:. How wonderful to be on a small boat with just the Rick Steves group. It was so colorful and impressive. "the series of beautiful manhole covers i photographed.". It met every expectation and more. Informative, friendly, personable in answering all questions given to them. Very knowledgeable and yet personable, all at the same time. The tour group really got along well together and it seemed as though you were travelling with old friends. We did have a few minor glitches, but you actually had to be really paying attention to even notice that Peter was adjusting things & taking care of them - I'd not be surprised if half the group didn't even realize or notice. My only hindsight regret was a day spent going to Kutna Hora and the bone chapel...just not worth the time IMO. This was our first RS tour. "For me, it was the sharing of Katka and Jana regarding their own experience of Czech (and Hungarian) culture since the time of the break up of the Soviet Union. "The cooking class in Budapest was so fun and the cookbook to take home was a nice touch.". Loved hotel in Prague. Also, be aware that many of the cheap seats in the upper areas have obstructed views. Being able to see the children's drawings, knowing what horrors they had experienced and continued to face was heartbreaking and powerful.". I am convinced she turns into wonderwoman when a signal is sent out. Both cities, Prague and Budapest, were fascinating, fun and a visual feast. No bus. We saw so many beautiful places. Enjoy your stay in beautiful Prague. We are sure we would not have seen half as much on our own. Thanks again to all that have replied to my questions. "Visually, my "wow" moment was the sunset view of Prague Castle across the Vltava during our concert on the final night in Prague. "The food class & lunch was exceptional - the chefs were amazing, patient, & had a great sense of humor. Enjoy getting the basic lay of the land and basic tours and then set free to explore on your own. "While the history was moving and makes one value our democracy so much more, I really enjoyed the music, art and architecture - especially the Municipal House with all of its Art Nouveau paintings, woodwork, furniture, draperies, ceilings. Her passion, knowledge, and enthusiasm impacted our group, and, as a result, we experienced the beauty and history of Prague and Budapest in a very emotional and dynamic way. To request advance notification of when a tour will be available for booking, please select âNotify Meâ next to the departure date and join the list. Katka was a wonderful guide and we had a great group of people. Great Market Hall Colorful Old World mall with produce, eateries, souvenirs, and great people-watching. "There were so many. Beautiful architecture, rich culture, amazing history, delicious food, delightful people! "The view of the Prague castle complex at night will permanently be fixed in my mind. It was well organized & a true learning experience for me. "Wow" moment in Budapest was on the first night popping up from the metro and seeing the famous Parliament building all in lights at dusk. Can you tell me what that is? "Our walking tours of Prague. Class for very participative with great facilities, food and drink were awesome and we even left with a cookbook of some of the recipes. Overall the Tour was super; loved the Old World flavor of the 2 primary cities & the quaintness of the countryside. I think you have done a fantastic job of packaging a ton of activity into a small amount of time, while still giving us some downtime. It did not disappoint! It was an excellent experience. I will probably plan to take another in the future. We enjoyed the "little extras" like planned stops in coffee houses. It exceeded my expectations in almost every way. Are 4 days per city enough to see the major places of interest in each city? Our group jelled together extremely well. Learning more about Nazi and Communist occupations was both sad and interesting. What brings me back are the great guides. Sleep in Budapest. One of our favorite stays on many trips was in Prague at The House at the Big Boot, Dum U Velke boty. Brewery experience great. There were people traveling with spouses, friends & alone. Prague Jewish Qtr names on the wall - so sad and senseless deaths. We felt a kinship with the other group members, ie, similar social and economic levels, and experiences in travel. Well run trip with some great additions to the itinerary that made the trip very enjoyable. I would agree about having an overnight stay in Cesky Krumlov, it is a long day trip from Prague, so as you are going in that direction anyway use some of your travel time in a better way. Lanca (spelling) the tour guide in Prague and Monika in Budapest shared their knowledge and pride of their home cities. I’m wrapping up my time in Central Europe: Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Prague, and Berlin — a great itinerary. "The cooking class, I would not have signed up for it and was surprisingly fun and ...delicious.". My husband and I will be traveling to Prague on May 2, 2016. But for about the same price, we saw a ballet at the Budapest Opera House. There are times, like this, when I wish I was eloquent. Later tonight we'll regroup and relax with a cruise along the Danube. Upon arrival this afternoon, we'll meet with a local guide for a tour of Pest, the larger, more sprawling half of the city. The guides in both Prague and Budapest were absolutely fantastic. We had a guide for the 1st day (Peter Polzman, who was in his TV show!) Skip to main content. Everything planned worked--the company was good, our guides were good, the bus was good, the walks were too. Be on your feet, walking and standing, for up to four hours, indoors and outdoors, in all weather conditions. I was not that impressed with some of the group restaurant choices, nor the bus ride from Prague to Budapest. A more cheerful "wow" was the lively folk-dance performance at the Duna Palota.". My husband and I are completing one survey. Have open jaw ticket: fly to Prague and back from Budapest or vice versa whatever has better and cheaper connections. Budapest's Ferenc Liszt Airport and three busy train stations can connect you to practically anywhere in Europe or your return home. I was moved by the tour of the Jewish Quarter in Prague. I even have begun working on my Czech words! The pace and flexibility were ideal. We found it far more educational and personal than we expected. Everyone was well traveled and interested in exploring and learning everything there was to know. Our day begins atop Buda's proud Castle Hill with an introduction to Budapest's greatest church: the sumptuously gilded Matthias Church. "How can I compare the opera singers in Prague to the glorious night cruise in Budapest or compare our first dinner in Prague with the Czech musicians to the cooking class in Budapest? If you're spending only a few days in Prague, Rick Steves Eastern Europe is all you're likely to need. Everything about our Rick Steve's tour to Prague and Budapest was magical! From our terrific cooking class, the relaxing afternoon at the Szechenyi Spa, the wonderful Hungarian food and wine, the magical evening cruise on the Danube, the charming Magyar people, to all the sights and history in the city of Budapest, this tour and this city will not be soon forgotten!". Two things can make or break a trip: the itinerary and the tour guide. "My "Wow" moment was the whole city of Budapest. The music was other worldly. Amazon.ca: rick steves budapest - Prime Eligible. Food was delicious. The culture and history of these countries is amazing. I feel that I have a much broader understanding of the recent history of these two countries, which seemed so valuable to me! Hotel in Vienna center: We stayed in pension Nossek on Graben. It was nice to only unpack twice, spending 4 nights in both Prague and Budapest! In Prague, especially, the tour included all the most important sites and experiences one could hope to have in that beautiful city. I love the Art Deco design and seeing Mucha art incorporated in the architecture and interiors of the building. We have individual guidebooks for each of these cities (except Bratislava, which is included in both our Vienna and Budapest books). Account & Lists Sign in Account & Lists Returns & Orders. My husband and I walked away amazed at how much valuable content was jammed into the tour and still allowed us time to explore on our own. I'm just a happy camper! 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