Discover Eastern Europe: 10-Day Journey through Prague, Dresden, and Berlin

9:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Prague Castle & Royal Route Guided Walk

On this charming guided walk, you will explore the Prague Castle, the largest castle complex in all of Europe. To reach the castle you will trace the Royal Coronation Route and cross the Charles Bridge, whose “speaking stones” reveal the amazing and often cruel history that occurred there. Your tour guide will then take you either through the castle courtyards and into the dramatic St. Vitus Cathedral in the center of the castle complex, or through the upper part of the castle district around the oversized palaces of the old Catholic nobility and the top of the Castle Steps for incomparable views over the red rooftops of the Little Quarter.

Early Morning to Afternoon

Excursion to the Terezín Concentration Camp

The former Terezín Concentration Camp is where the Nazis created a model “Jewish Town” intended to fool the Red Cross and other observers into thinking that the Jews in Europe were being humanely treated. While the ruse worked, the reality, of course, was that almost all of the Jews located in Terezín were killed, either in Terezín or later in Auschwitz. You can visit the ghetto museum, barracks, and prison, and see exhibitions of music, artworks, literature, and a theater, all created by the prisoners themselves.

9:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Guided Tour of Velvet Revolution Sites

Commentating on the political upheavals of 1989, the writer and historian Timothy Garton Ash famously pointed out that while Poland had taken 10 years to achieve regime change and Hungary had taken 10 months, Czechoslovakia had achieved the same in a mere 10 days. And the transition from a totalitarian Communist state to nascent democracy was achieved almost without violence or the shedding of blood, hence in the moniker Velvet Revolution. On this tour, you will visit the sites most famously associated with the Revolution, including the residence of the dissident and future president Vaclav Havel, the former headquarters of the infamous STB secret police, and Wenceslas Square.

10:28 - 12:50, 18:54 - 20:43

Rail Journey to Berlin with a Stop in Dresden

The enchanting Saxon capital of Dresden is located roughly mid-way between Prague and Berlin, making it a perfect stop on this approximately 5 hour journey. Lockers in the rail station make it easy to drop your bags and make the short walk from the station to the beautiful Old Town. Dresden's long history as a royal residence for the Kings of Saxony transformed their home over the centuries into a splendid architectural jewel. Because of its fascinating baroque and rococo city center, Dresden was often called “Florence on the Elbe”. Also a must see is the Zwinger, a palace complex containing several outstanding art musuems.

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Highlights of Berlin Guided Walking Tour

On this 3 hour tour, your guide will show you the highlights of Berlin and help you understand what makes this city so unique. Sites visited will include the boulevard Unter den Linden, the Gendarmenmarkt, Check Point Charlie, remnants of the Berlin Wall, Potsdamer Platz, the Holocaust Memorial, the Brandenburg Gate, and the Reichstag.

Morning/Mid-Day

Stroll the Kurfürstendamm in West Berlin

In the 1920's the elegant, tree-line boulevard known as the Kurfürstendamm was the center of Berlin's nightlife and leisure scene, attracting writers, film stars, and artists. WWII left it in ruins, and today at the end of the boulevard you'll discover a chilling reminder of that destruction: the purposefully unrecontructed remains of the Memorial Church. During the Cold War, the Kurfürstendamm and its surroundings were central to West Berlin's revitalized identity. This was perhaps best symbolized by the famous KaDeWe, the gigantic department store which served as a symbol of market capitalism lodged in the heart of the Iron Curtain.

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Berlin in World War II and the Cold War - A Guided Tour

Berlin hides a turbulent past scarred by Nazism and Communism, and on this 3 hour guided tour you will uncover this fascinating history. You will visit the locations where Hitler’s bunker and the SS and Gestapo headquarters once stood, and see remnants of the Cold War such as Check Point Charlie and sections of the Berlin Wall.

Morning to Late Afternoon

Excursion to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp

The Nazi regime interred over 200,000 people in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. As the closest camp to Berlin, it was primarily used for political prisoners but also held Jews, prisoners of war, and others. After the Soviets liberated the camp over 60,000 Nazis were interned there in turn. Visitors see recreated camp barracks, the original prisoner kitchens where the prisoners scribbled graffiti onto the walls, crematory ovens, and a multi-media presentation of “everyday life in the camp” narrated by former prisoners.

To Be Determined

Transfer to Berlin Airport by Taxi or Train

The most affordable and fast way to reach Berlin Brandenburg airport is by train. The Airport Express train takes only 30 minutes and leaves directly from the main station in central Berlin (Berlin Hbf). Regional and S-Bahn trains also depart from other locations in Berlin. Berlin taxis are generally reliable and honest, so you may wish to take a taxi or Uber, although this is more expensive than the train and puts you at the mercy of traffic. You can also arrange a private transfer. If you are picked up about 3 hours before your departure time, you should arrive at the airport with about two hours to spare, depending on traffic. If you are leaving during rush hour, you may want to budget an extra fifteen to thirty minutes.