Arrival at Prague Airport or train station. Coach transfer with English-
speaking assistance and porterage. According to flight or train arrival
time, a brief city orientation tour and/or lunch at a local restaurant can
be arranged prior to hotel checkin at a city center location. The rest of
the day is at leisure after hotel checkin. We usually recommend a 3 course
dinner with coffee at the hotel so the visitors can relax and refresh
themselves properly.
Another option for dinner on arrival night, or on another evening during
the group's stay, would be "to throw a beer party" at U Fleku Brewery. The
U Fleku is one of the oldest private breweries in all of Prague dating
back to 1499. With its gothic "Knight's Hall" and the typical medieval
Bohemian ambiance (dark wood and cast iron decorations). It offers a
perfect environment for an enjoyable and fun-filled evening with lots of
home brewed dark beer and local folk entertainment. The U Fleku Brewery
does not sell their beer anywhere else because it contains no
preservatives. So enjoy it while you can.
DAY 2
After breakfast, we recommend a half day guided city sightseeing tour by
motorcoach. It begins with a transfer to the Prague Castle district where
our visitors will view the old Royal Palace with Vladislav Hall, St. Vitus
Cathedral and the romantic Golden Lane with its minute medieval houses
where alchemists used to live during the reign of Rudolph II. After the
Castle district tour, visitors move on to the Old Town and walk through
Celetna Street along the old "Royal Route" past the Municipal House and
Powder Tower to Old Town Square. Key buildings include St. Nicholas and
Tyn Churches, as well as, the Old Town Hall with its ornate Astronomical
Clock. Visitors continue along Paris Street to the Jewish Quarter where
they will hear about the turbulent history of the Prague Jewish Ghetto.
The tour ends here with coach transportation back to the hotel. The
remainder of the day is for shopping and individual sightseeing. A group
lunch can also be planned.
Half day Prague city tours can be extended to concentrate additional time
in the Castle district, the Charles Bridge and/or the Old Town areas.
Another suggested theme for a city tour would focus on Mozart's historic
association with the city of Prague. This could also include a visit to
the Villa Bertramka which hosts a small museum to the composer.
Besides having some of the best beer in the world, Prague is also famous
for its cut-glass and bohemian crystal. The top shops will ship it for a
reasonable price back to your home, although, it is always recommended to
purchase their insurance.
Dinner can also be arranged for the group at the hotel or in a local
restaurant that is often within a 5-10 minute walk from their hotel.
Transfers can be arranged, if necessary.
DAY 3
Now that everyone is familiar with Prague, there are many half and full
day excursions that can be arranged for group visitors. Full day programs
are usually from 9-12 hours in duration as coaches often need to travel on
secondary roads to get to the destination and back. This is very time
consuming. As the vast majority of visitors to Prague are thrilled with
the city and its very user-friendly atmosphere, we usually recommend a
half day excursion from the city in the morning or afternoon to visit
castles and picturesque villages. A planned group lunch is also possible
as part of the day's program.
Half day excursion to Ruckl Glass Factory. This excursion is to the
glass works in the nearby town of Nizbor, a 1 hour drive southwest of
Prague. Visitors get acquainted with the traditional method of
glassblowing and cutting. They will also have a chance to purchase
souvenirs in the adjacent shop. The Ruckl family, who emigrated from St.
Gallen, Switzerland to Bohemia, has been associated with glass blowing for
centuries.
Half day excursion to Konopiste Chateau. After a 45 minute drive from
Prague, visitors reach the Konopiste Chateau. This is one of the most
famous and visited sites outside the city. Originally a gothic castle in
French style modified in the first half of the 16th century, it undertook
a major reconstruction after 1889 when it became a seat of Franz Ferdinand
d'Este, the Hapsburg Crown Prince who was assassinated in Sarajevo in
1914. The tour of the castle now displays the famous d'Este armory
including an extensive collection of historical weapons and paintings from
its last noble owners.
Half day excursion to Nelahozeves Chateau. Visitors will travel
through the Czech countryside to the Nelahozeves Chateau which is now the
property of Prince Lobkowicz. This castle houses a private art collection
that includes; "Haymaking" by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, "The Virgin and
Child with Saints Barbara and Catherine" by Lucas Cranach, "Hygieia
Nourishing the Sacred Serpent" by Ruebens, plus, the largest and possibly
The greatest pair of paintings from Canaletto's English period, "The River
Thames". The collection also includes rare medieval reliquaries, books, a
range of decorative arts, and most incredibly, the original score to the
Eroica Symphony dedicated to Prince Lobkowicz.
Half day excursion to Open Air Museum and Melnik Chateau. This
Beautiful and scenic open air museum represents 30 exposits of old farm
houses and other buildings from different areas of the Czech Republic that
date as far back as the 17th century. Among the exhibits is a school class
and fully equipped buildings of different kinds of professions which
provide insights into the country lifestyle during the last few centuries.
The open air museum can be combined with the Melnik Chateau which is
30 miles from Prague in Northern Bohemia where the Moldau River joins the
Elbe River. First built in Romanesque and then Gothic styles, Melnik
Castle was the residence of the Queens and Princesses of Bohemia. It was
later renovated in Renaissance style by Popel Lobkovic and finally in the
Baroque style by the counts of Czernin. Wine making, which started here in
the 13th century, remains very much a tradition in the castle's vaulted
cellars. In the splendid rooms above, present owners, Prince and Princess
Lobkovic, are pleased to display their superb furniture and paintings
collected by the family for over 300 years.
Full day excursions can be arranged to Cesky Krumlov (11-12 hours in
duration) and to the spa town of Karlovy Vary (9-10 hours in duration).
Full tour descriptions are available upon request.
A farewell dinner at Prague's premier dining establishment, the Bellevue
Restaurant, is highly recommended. The Bellevue offers a stunning view of
the Prague Castle and the Charles Bridge along with its elegant world
class service and fine cuisine. The restaurant offers piano classics and a
live jazz combo on Saturday evening and for their Sunday champagne brunch.
Coach transfers from the hotel may be necessary.
DAY 4
After breakfast, its time to move on. A motorcoach arrives to escort
visitors to their preferred choice of transfer options. We can offer a
coach transfer to the Prague Airport for those visitors returning back to
the U.S., to the Prague train station for their upcoming rail journey to
Vienna, or they can remain on the motorcoach for a full day "touring
transfer" to Vienna via Brno, or via the UNESCO listed city of Telc.
Whichever option they may chose, rest assured that a wonderful and
entertaining day lies ahead.
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
Additional hotel overnights, group meals and land services may be scheduled in
any of these cities.
EuroWorld Holidays, Ltd. and our DMC partners always strongly suggests that
groups chose 4/5 star hotels that are centrally located. There are some
excellent hotel values, especially in Vienna and in Budapest. When planning a
group program in Prague between April-November, it is critical that there is
at least 9-12 months advance notice, or more. It also helps to be flexible with
your dates as the limited supply of preferred hotel rooms in Prague is
outstripped by unbelievable demand.
We would discourage spending less than three nights in each city.
It is also possible to combine two cities instead of three cities. A minimum of
6 nights in one city allows groups to enjoy an in-depth visit to the city of
their choice.
On a three city program, we recommend that groups begin and/or end in either
Prague or Budapest due to logistical practicalities. A touring or straight
transfer from Prague to Budapest, or reverse, is doable, but it also tends to
be a very long day. This long transfer is also best accomplished by transitting
through the Vienna area.
EuroWorld Holidays, Ltd. has an extensive library of personal photos of Prague,
Vienna and Budapest that are available for promotional purposes to confirmed
group programs.
Tours, excursions, group meals and activities can be planned around specific
themes or interests.
