Early Join us in the heart of Europe to explore the story of our People – their enduring accomplishments, their world-changing ideas, and their sorrows – on this moving Jewish travel experience for all.
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ADULTS
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12 DAYS
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Our Story Central Europe includes stops in Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Krakow, and Warsaw. The itinerary highlights places of Jewish historical and cultural interest and is led by a professional Jewish educator/guide. Along the way, we also cover world heritage experiences such as Hradcany Castle in Prague, a classical concert in Vienna, a cruise on the Danube River, and so much more.
Early summer tour dates coincide with the annual Jewish Culture Festival in Krakow, a world-renowned celebration of modern Jewish culture and tradition that embodies the renewal of Jewish life in contemporary Europe.
Our Story Central Europe tours are led by a professional Jewish educator as well as by local European guides. Groups are limited to 26 adult travelers.
SIGN UP EARLY AND SAVE
Sign up at least five months in advance to lock in your spot and receive a $100/person discount. All payments are fully refundable up to four months in advance, so your savings are absolutely risk-free.
PROGRAM ITINERARY
The following is our projected itinerary, subject to reasonable change based on local considerations
DAY 1 > WEDNESDAY: Honoring the Jews of Warsaw
NOTE: Those arriving on Tuesday evening can be accommodated at the Warsaw hotel based on our group rates. Contact us to learn more.
- Arrive to Warsaw Airport, and take a taxi to our hotel in Warsaw
- Group Meeting #1 at 9:00am at the hotel lobby
- Explore the acclaimed Museum of the History of Polish Jews
- Visit the historic Nozyk Shul in the heart of Warsaw
- Group Meeting #2 at 3:00pm at the hotel lobby
- Uprising! – Explore the remains of the Warsaw Ghetto and learn about the Jewish community’s famous revolt along the Route of Heroes, Rappaport Memorial, Umschlagplatz, and Mila 18
- Orientation walking tour of Warsaw’s Old Town
- Welcome dinner at a central Warsaw restaurant
OVERNIGHT: InterContinental Hotel – Warsaw, Poland
Meals Included: Dinner
DAY 2 > THURSDAY: The Krakow Legacy
- Depart from Warsaw and travel to Krakow in the morning
- Explore Kazmierz – the historic center of Jewish life Krakow, including the Ramah Synagogue, Temple Synagogue, and Old Synagogue
- Check-in to our hotel in central Krakow – enjoy a free evening and dinner on own
OVERNIGHT: Golden Tulip Krakow Kazimierz – Krakow, Poland
Meals Included: Breakfast
NOTE: Summer tour dates coincide with the annual Jewish Culture Festival in Krakow, a world-renowned celebration of modern Jewish culture and tradition that embodies the renewal of Jewish life in contemporary Europe.
DAY 3 > FRIDAY: Confronting Auschwitz & Birkenau
- Arrive at the grounds of Auschwitz II - Birkenau where the full horror of the extermination of 1.5 million Jewish People is palpable (packed lunch provided)
- Continue on to Auschwitz I, the original camp that served as the administrative center for the entire complex. We will tour the watchtowers, fences, cell blocks, wall of death, crematoria as well as the Arbeit Macht Frei Gate
- Reflections and ceremony at the restored Oświęcim Synagogue near Auschwitz
- Return to Krakow in the late afternoon
- Option to celebrate Kabbalat Shabbat with the Jewish community of Krakow
- Shabbat dinner in the Jewish Quarter
OVERNIGHT: Golden Tulip Krakow Kazimierz – Krakow, Poland
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
DAY 4 > SATURDAY: Shabbat in Krakow
All touring today is on foot
- Walking tour of Old Town Krakow, including the grounds of the Wawel Castle
- Shabbat lunch is included at the Krakow JCC, the center of modern Jewish life in Krakow
- Continue on for a walking tour of the Krakow Ghetto and the Oscar Schindler Factory building – now the Historical Museum of the City of Krakow
- Free evening and dinner on own
OVERNIGHT: Golden Tulip Krakow Kazimierz – Krakow, Poland
Meals Included: Breakfast & Lunch
DAY 5 > SUNDAY: From Poland to Hungary
- Check-out of Krakow accommodations and depart for Budapest
- Tour of the Wieliczka Salt Mines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- A packed lunch is provided en-route
- Arrive at Budapest, and check-in to our centrally located accommodations – enjoy a free evening and dinner on own
OVERNIGHT: InterContinental Hotel – Budapest, Hungary
Meals Included: Breakfast & Lunch
DAY 6 > MONDAY: Exploring Buda and Pest
- Walk across the Chain Bridge over the Danube River connecting historic Buda and Pest
- Climb up Castle Hill to take in views from Fisherman’s Bastion
- Enter the Jewish Quarter and tour the Dohany Street Synagogue museum, Wallenberg Memorial, and Weeping Willow
- View the “Shoes on the Danube Bank” and visit Hősök Tere – “Heroes Square”
- Spend the rest of the afternoon wandering through the Great Market Hall of Budapest
- Evening: Option to visit the thermal Szechenyi Baths (on your own)
OVERNIGHT: InterContinental Hotel – Budapest, Hungary
Meals Included: Breakfast
DAY 7 > TUESDAY: Heritage in Bratislava, Slovakia
- Depart Budapest for Bratislava, Slovakia in the morning
- Walking tour of Bratislava – including the Chatam Sofer’s grave, the Wall of Memories and other points of Jewish and secular interest
- Continue on to Vienna, and check-in to our accommodations in the Austrian capital
- The rest of the evening is free to explore Vienna, with dinner on own
OVERNIGHT: InterContinental Hotel – Vienna, Austria
Meals Included: Breakfast
DAY 8 > WEDNESDAY: Vienna's World Heritage Sites
- Walking tour of Vienna – including Judenplatz, the center of Viennese Jewish life, the Monument against War & Fascism, Heroes’ Square and the Shoah Monument
- Visit “Stadttempel” – The only synagogue that survived the pogrom on Nov. 10, 1938 – as well as the St. Stephens Cathedral and the Hofburg Imperial Castle
- Continue on to explore the opulent Schönbrunn Palace – The summer home of Habsburg Royalty
- Discover the high culture of Europe at the Albertina Museum of Art
- Evening: Dinner on own followed by the Sounds of Vienna Concert
OVERNIGHT: InterContinental Hotel – Vienna, Austria
Meals Included: Breakfast
DAY 9 > THURSDAY: Discovering the Wachau Valley
- Embark on a Danube river cruise from Melk to Weißenkirchen in the Wachau Valley
- Sample local wines at Domaine Wachau and explore picturesque Dürnstein village with the option to hike up to the ancient castle towering above the town
- Depart from Austria, and continue on to Prague in the afternoon
- Ascend Petrin Hill for a panoramic view of Prague from the historic Strahov Monastery
- Check-in to our hotel in central Prague – enjoy a free evening and dinner on own
OVERNIGHT: Hilton Hotel Old Town – Prague, Czech Republic
Meals Included: Breakfast
DAY 10 > FRIDAY: Jewels of Josefov in Prague
- Walking tour of Josefov, Prague’s famous Jewish Quarter – including the Altneushul, Spanish Synagogue, and the Jewish Museum & Cemetery
- Cross the famous Charles Bridge and tour Prague Castle, the world’s largest ancient castle
- Option to celebrate Kabbalat Shabbat with the Jewish community of Prague
- Evening: Group dinner at Chabad’s Prague Grill Restaurant
OVERNIGHT: Hilton Hotel Old Town – Prague, Czech Republic
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 11 > SATURDAY: Prague's World Heritage Sites
All touring today is on foot
- Free morning to enjoy Prague on your own
- Wrap-up session and closing lunch celebration
- Walking tour of Prague’s Old Town, including a visit to the Astronomical Clock, and a tour of the Klementinum library and tower
OVERNIGHT: Hilton Hotel Old Town – Prague, Czech Republic
Meals Included: Breakfast & Lunch
DAY 12 > SUNDAY: Farewell!
- Group transfers to Prague Airport from our hotel have been arranged for 4:00am and 6:30am
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- An educational guide and a tour manager escorts the group on a 24/7 basis
- Centrally located 4* and 5* hotels with porterage included
- Breakfast daily and additional meals according to the itinerary
- Luxury private air-conditioned touring bus
- All programming and site entrances according to the itinerary
- Wireless touring headsets
For groups with 20+ travelers
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED
- Flights to/from Europe
Book your flights via a travel agent - Airport transfers unless otherwise noted in the itinerary
- Travel insurance (optional)
Insure your investment, and plan ahead for the unexpected with a discounted group travel insurance policy that is not age-rated - Gratuities (suggested $150/traveler)
- Hotel incidentals and means not marked as included
TRAVELING TO AND FROM EUROPE
Travelers are responsible for booking their own travel into Warsaw on arrival and out from Prague at the conclusion of the tour. Travelers are encouraged to arrive in Warsaw an evening in advance of the program start date to take advantage of the full touring program the following day. Group hotel rates are offered for those arriving early to Warsaw or staying on in Prague, subject to availability (scroll down for exact costs).
Airport transfers on arrival are not included in the program package. Taxis from Warsaw Chopin Airport to our hotel should cost about $15 (can be paid by credit card) and Uber rides are also available from the airport. On the last day of the program, travelers should book return flights from Václav Havel Airport Prague at their discretion, but please consider that hotel checkout is at 11:00am, and no programming is provided this day. Complimentary group transfers to Prague Airport from our hotel have been arranged for 4:00am and 6:30am. Taxis to the Prague airport from our hotel will cost about $30 (can be paid by credit card) and Uber rides are also available to the airport.
COSTS & TERMS
Sign up at least five months in advance to lock in your spot and receive a $100/person discount. All payments are fully refundable up to four months in advance, so your savings are absolutely risk-free.
Double room hotel occupancy rate
REGISTRATION
Sign up for Our Story Central Europe by completing the online Registration Form
ENROLLMENT TERMS
- To reserve your spot, a $250/person fully refundable deposit is due at the time of your registration.
- The deposit becomes non-refundable four months prior to the program start date.
- The balance is due no later than two months prior to the program start date after which all payments are non-refundable and exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis at Authentic Israel's discretion.
- Cancellations must be made in writing, and we encourage you to obtain a travel insurance policy.
- Payments may be made by check or credit/debit card, however, a 3% processing fee applies for credit/debit card payments (does not apply to initial $250 deposit). Note: credit card fees are not refundable
- Authentic Israel reserves the right to deny acceptance on the tour according to its discretion.
- Programs are subject to a minimum participation of 15 travelers as of 120 days prior to departure, and travelers are encouraged not to book non-refundable flights until this point.
- All program costs are listed in US Dollars.
FAQs
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Airport transfers on arrival are not included in the program package. Taxis from Warsaw Chopin Airport to our hotel should cost about $15 (can be paid by credit card) and Uber rides are also available from the airport. On the last day of the program, travelers should book return flights from Václav Havel Airport Prague at their discretion, but please consider that hotel checkout is at 11:00am, and no programming is provided this day. Complimentary group transfers to Prague Airport from our hotel have been arranged for 4:00am and 6:30am. Taxis to the Prague airport from our hotel will cost about $30 (can be paid by credit card) and Uber rides are also available to the airport.
NOTE: Get all the peace of mind from having a professional travel agency book your international flights without paying a premium. Get started at www.authenticisrael.com/flights.
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REAL REVIEWS FROM REAL TRAVELERS
We know you’ll love the Our Story experience, but don’t just take our word for it. Check out these real reviews from past travelers who have completed the journey.
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