Day 1 Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2 Arrival in Frankfurt, Germany. Time to rest or to explore the bustling metropolis on the River Main. At 6 p.m. meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)

Day 3 Frankfurt-Brunswick-Berlin. After a pleasant drive through the lush, green heart of Germany, stop at historic Brunswick, the city of Henry The Lion. Visit the BURGPLATZ with its impressive medieval monuments and see the 12th-century bronze lion statue. Stop at the memorial to German unity on the former East-West border on your way to Berlin, the capital of reunified Germany. (BB,D)

Day 4 Berlin. Sightseeing with a Local Guide in the once-divided metropolis includes the Ku-Damm, the restored Reichstag, monumental Brandenburg Gate, Charlottenburg Palace, and the 210-foot Victory Column in the vast Tiergarten Park. Visit the KAISER WILHELM MEMORIAL CHURCH, drive along Unter Den Linden Boulevard, pass the German State Opera House and, of course, stop for pictures at Checkpoint Charlie. The afternoon is free, and an optional excursion to historic Potsdam is available. Tonight is your chance to sample Berlin’s fine restaurants and night life! (BB)

Day 5 Berlin-Poznan, Poland-Warsaw. Cross the Polish border, enjoy vistas of rural life in the fertile central plains, and a break in the historic river port of Poznan on your way to Warsaw. (BB,D)

Day 6 Warsaw. Your Local Guide will tell you about the tormented, often tragic history of this important gateway city between East and West. See the medieval Stare Miasto (Old Quarter) with its market square and 14th-century CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN, the "wedding cake" Palace of Culture and Science, neoclassical Lazienki Palace, and the remnants of the Jewish ghetto. In the HISTORICAL MUSEUM a moving film shows the city before and after wartime destruction. Afternoon at leisure. How about tonight’s optional Polish dinner and folklore show at a typical Warsaw restaurant? (BB)

Day 7 Warsaw-Czestochowa-Auschwitz-Krakow. This morning visit JASNA GORA, the monastery near Czestochowa, and admire its BLACK MADONNA, which is venerated as the "Queen of Poland" and has become the country’s national symbol. Next stop in Auschwitz to visit what is left of the CONCENTRATION CAMP, a chilling reminder of the Holocaust. Evening arrival in Krakow. (BB,D)

Day 8 Krakow. Morning sightseeing with Local Guide in ancient Krakow, for centuries the residence of Polish kings. See the Market Square, the 14th-century Jagiellonian University, ST. MARY’S CHURCH, and WAWEL ROYAL CASTLE. Free time later to explore this interesting town at your own pace. Tonight you can try out one of Krakow’s traditional inns. (BB)

Day 9 Krakow-Slovakia-Budapest, Hungary. A scenic day taking you right through the heart of mountainous and densely wooded Slovakia, where the brown bear still roams free. Approach Budapest soon after arriving in the wide open valley of the Danube River. Why not join an optional folklore performance tonight? (BB,D)

Day 10 Budapest. Your Local Guide takes your through Eastern Europe's most cosmopolitan city. See the elegant Andrassy Avenue, the Thermal Baths, and the world's second largest Jewish Synagogue. From the lacy lookout towers of Fishermen’s Bastion enjoy a panoramic view of the sprawling city. Then visit the 13th-century MATTHIAS CORONATION CHURCH and Heroes’ Square. Afternoon at leisure. Tonight a delectable optional Hungarian specialty dinner can be arranged. (BB)

Day 11 Budapest-Vienna, Austria. Drive through the Hungarian plains to Vienna, once the center of the mighty Habsburg Empire. Meet your Local Guide and start your sightseeing with vistas of Prater Park with its giant Ferris wheel, and the United Nations City on the banks of the Danube River. Then drive along Ring Boulevard, pass the State Opera House, the Jewish quarter, and stop at the Hofburg Palace, winter residence of the Austrian Imperial family. Marvel at the impressive courtyards and famous Heldenplatz, and visit awesome ST. STEPHEN’S CATHEDRAL. (BB)

Day 12 At Leisure in Vienna. A whole day at leisure offers you the opportunity to join exciting optional excursions to the Vienna Woods, historic Schönbrunn Palace, a concert, or to just explore this magnificent city on your own. (BB)

Day 13 Vienna-Brno, Czech Republic-Prague. Across the Czech border and into Moravia. In Brno, the country’s second-largest city and Napoleon’s headquarters during the "battle of the three Emperors" at nearby Austerlitz, time for an orientation tour and lunch. In the afternoon drive through the rich farmlands of Moravia and Bohemia to Prague. This evening maybe attend a concert featuring Mozart, Dvorak, or Smetana, all of whom found inspiration here. (BB,D)

Day 14 Prague. Morning sightseeing with Local Guide features 1,000-year-old HRADCANY CASTLE, the former residence of Bohemian kings; ST. VITUS CATHEDRAL (on Sundays no inside guiding permitted), the Old Town, the Jewish ghetto, and the ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK, once the envy of all Europe. Afterwards you may wish to mix with the locals in Wenceslaus Square. Tonight, why not join an optional dinner outing? (BB)

Day 15 Prague-Rothenburg-Frankfurt, Germany. Today drive to the German border. In the afternoon visit the charming, medieval, walled town of Rothenburg, the ideal place to finish off your rolls of film. Back in Frankfurt enjoy your farewell dinner with the companions of a fascinating journey through Central Europe. (BB,D)

Day 16 Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (BB)