This City Getaway tour will show you the power, might, grandeur and excess of the Austro-Hungarian Empire! Avid builders, the Austro-Hungarians have left us much to keep us busy sightseeing. Surprisingly interesting is Hungary's history, culture, and tongue-twisting language. In Vienna museums and exquisite architecture abound!

Your trip will start in Budapest, the capital of Hungary. Many westerners are unaware of what a spectacular city Budapest is but the secret is out in Europe and Budapest has become a hot destination! You will soon see why as you view the city and the awe-inspiring Parliament building from Castle Hill on the Buda side of the Danube on day one. The views from the Castle Heights and Gellert Hill are breathtaking!

Today we will visit all the sites in Buda: the Citadella, Cave Chapel, the funicular railway, Mathias Church, the Fishermen's Bastion and the Royal Palace before crossing the mighty Danube on the Lanchid or Chain Bridge! Sound like a full day? It is! After day one you will be thinking, "what more could Budapest have to offer?"

Day two will clarify any questions you may have as we take a fascinating tour of the striking Parliament building, visit Szent Istvan Bazilika (St. Stephen's Basilica) including a climb to the top for wonderful views of the city (again!), stroll the promenade and do some shopping on Vaci Utca all the while passing through several beautiful squares including Heroes' Square!

But the attractions in Budapest don't stop there! Budapest is also home to many fine museums which can be visited...if you still have the energy! In the evening why not take in an opera or soak away your aches and pains in one of Budapest's famous thermal water baths, a true Budapest experience!

Hungarian cuisine is unique and varied. Breads and soups abound, as does the paprika, and yes, we will try some true Hungarian goulash! Hungary also produces some very good internationally acknowledged wines including wines from the Tokaj region and the Egri Bikaver or Eger Bull's Blood wine! 

Having sampled the culture, history, cuisine, and atmosphere of Budapest we're off to nearby Vienna in Austria! 

Grand Vienna makes the perfect place for a city getaway trip to Europe! The architecture, the atmosphere, the history, the grandeur - Vienna is all these...and more!

Vienna is a varied city with many different activities. Your itinerary will depend on your tastes and preferences. Museums abound and Vienna's center is more like an outdoor museum than a city!

Although your itinerary will depend on you, a trip to Vienna wouldn't be complete without the following: sipping coffee at a real Viennese Kaffeehaus (café); visiting the gothic Stephansdom; viewing the architectural wonders on the Ringstrasse; the Hofburg Imperial Palace; the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Arts), one of the most impressive museums in the world; the opulent interior of the Schloss Schonbrunn (Schonbrunn Palace); the Schloss Belvedere, one of the finest baroque palaces in the world, and the nearby Botanical Gardens!

Other options include the Riesenrad (Ferris wheel); Tiergarten, the world's oldest zoo; the Vienna Boy's Choir and the famous Spanish Lipizzaner horses. Vienna is a classical music mecca so why not enjoy an opera at the Staatsoper, one of the top opera houses in the world, or an evening of classical music? You may also visit some of Beethoven's or Mozart's old haunts. (Note: Ticket requests for the Spanish Lipizzaner horses, Vienna Boy's Choir, the opera, or any classical music venue requires a minimum of three months advanced notice.)

Of course there will be plenty of time for shopping, sampling the local cuisine, visiting all the sites and thoroughly soaking in this famous world city. Your three days will go by quickly, but the memories will last a lifetime!