Budapest & Balaton Christmas Markets

Transcription

1 Budapest & Balaton Christmas Markets Departures & Prices Airport Departing Time Returning Time Cost Availability Heathrow 02 Dec 16 08:30 06 Dec 16 14: Good Availability What's Included Return scheduled flights Four nights accommodation in your own spacious room All evening meals and a lunch (all with drinks) Porterage Personal audio guiding system Hosted drinks reception on arrival Wine tasting in a family-run winery on Lake Balaton Private tour of the Budapest Opera House including some arias performed by its professional singers Dinner in the famous Gerbeaud coffee house Dinner cruise with drinks on a private boat on the Danube Traditional evening gypsy style show (with dinner and drinks) Executive coach on all day trips Exclusive services of a One Traveller Tour Manager Guided excursions as follows: Budapest city tour Budapest Parliament St. Stephen s Basilica Day trip to Lake Balaton (including lunch) Not Included Holiday Insurance You need to arrange your own but we can help. For more information, please see our suggested

2 insurance services. Itinerary Key: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Drink Afternoon Tea Longer walks and steps may be involved on this day 1 Travel from the UK to Budapest Morning: meet your One Traveller representative at the main departure airport and fly to Budapest. On arrival, transfer to your hotel for your four-night stay. Afternoon: if arriving at the hotel early, light refreshments will be provided and there will be time to unwind and relax before a local orientation walk. Evening: hosted drinks reception and included evening meal in the hotel with your fellow travelling companions. 2 Tour of Budapest Morning: city tour with a local guide, including Heroes Square, the Castle district, the Great Market Hall and the famous Váci Street (with the all-important coffee break half way through at extra cost). Afternoon: free to enjoy Budapest at your own pace and visit some of the local museums, baths, markets and souvenir shops. Evening: traditional Hungarian gypsy show with dinner and wine in the oldest wine cellar in the city. 3 The Parliament, Basilica and Opera Morning: guided tour of the stunning Budapest Parliament Building, including the Holy Crown of Hungary and some of the crown jewels. After a coffee break you will see the interior of the Roman Catholic St. Stephen s Basilica. Afternoon: free to enjoy Budapest at your own pace and spend some time at the Christmas Market on the Vörösmarty Square. Later today

3 you will have a guided tour of the stunning Budapest Opera House followed by a small private singing recital accompanied by a glass of champagne. Evening: dinner in the Gerbeaud coffee house, where the early 20thcentury golden age of Budapest is brought to life. 4 Wine tasting on Lake Balaton Morning: drive through the Hungarian countryside to the town of Tihany to enjoy views over Lake Balaton. Lunch today is included in the resort town of Balatonfüred. Afternoon: taste some of the best quality wines the area has to offer in a picture-perfect family-run vineyard in the rolling hills of the Balaton wine region. Evening: farewell drinks and dinner on a private Danube cruise to see this breathtaking city lit up at night; a wonderful farewell to Budapest. 5 Return flight to the UK Today after a leisurely breakfast you will be escorted to the airport for your lunch-time flight back to the UK. Included excursions Traditional Hungarian Gypsy show For the last evening of the holiday we have prepared a real treat for you: a trip to a wonderfully atmospheric restaurant in Budapest named Borkatakomba. The restaurant boasts attractive architecture, first-class service from staff in traditional costumes, and traditional Hungarian food. Folklore is deeply ingrained in the local culture and we have reserved a place for you to see perhaps the most famous folklore band in the city. A two hour show with dancing (Polka, Chardash & Mazurka) and singing and some fine wine. There is also a dance floor where you could try some of the local dances with the professionals. The restaurant also houses the world s largest wine barrel which has a capacity of more than one hundred thousand litres! Budapest city tour

4 (Half day sightseeing part by coach and part on foot followed by a free afternoon in the city) With a population of approximately 2 million people, Budapest is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Its World Heritage sites include the banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter, Andrássy Avenue, and the Millennium Underground railway, the first on the European continent. Believe it or not in 2008 the largest thermal water cave system in the world was discovered under Budapest! The city attracts over 20 million visitors a year. On our tour of this pretty city we will stop off at Heroes Square and the Old Castle District. You will take a slow drive past the Parliament Building and finish in the pedestrianised centre at the Grand Market Hall. The central site of Hero's square, as well as a landmark of Budapest, is the Millennium Memorial with statues of the leaders of the seven tribes that founded Hungary in the 9th century and other outstanding figures of Hungarian history. This landmark is 5 minutes walk from your hotel. Budapest Parliament Guided Tour Possibly the most magnificent building in the city and the largest Parliament building on mainland Europe. Our tour covers the main entrance stairs and hall, one of the lobbies, the old House of Lords and the breath taking Hungarian Crown Jewels. The Hungarian Crown Jewels were lost and stolen numerous times. After World War II, they were transported to Western Europe and eventually given to the American Army for safekeeping from the Soviet Union. For much of the Cold War, the Crown Jewels were held at the United States Bullion Depository (Fort Knox), eventually returned to Hungary in St. Stephen s Basilica - Guided Tour St. Stephen s Basilica - (also known as Budapest Cathedral, this is the largest church in Budapest). It is the largest church in Budapest and can hold up to 8,500 people. Although in architectural terms it s a cathedral, it was given the title of basilica minor by Pope Pius XI in It took more than 50 years to build the Basilica and the inauguration ceremony took place in 1906 and was attended by Emperor Franz Joseph. The dome is 96 meters high, the exact same height as the Budapest Parliament Building. In fact current building regulations stipulate that no other structure in Budapest can be taller than 96 meters. Having the same height as the Parliament also symbolizes the balance between church and state in Hungary. The patron saint of the church is St. Stephen, the first king of Hungary. His mummified right hand is kept in a glass case in the chapel to the left of the main altar. The beautiful interior is also noteworthy as it is decorated by famous artists of the era. Day trip to Lake Balaton (including lunch) South west of Budapest lies the stunning Lake Balaton (affectionately known as the Hungarian Sea ). It is a freshwater lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the largest lake in Central Europe and a place where Hungarians come in their droves to relax and to get away from the hussle and bustle. We take the ferry across the lake to the village of Tihany to see the twin towered Church before heading to the resort town of Balatonfured for an included lunch and time to potter. The highlight of the day is the included wine tasting in a family run vineyard set in a beautiful country region. Farewell Private Cruise on the Danube A fitting finale to the holiday is a private dinner cruise along the Danube to see what has to be the most beautifully lit city at night time. If you have been to Paris and taken a night cruise and enjoyed it then

5 prepared to be wowed by Budapest. Dinner and drinks will be served as you cruise the main part of the river. Budapest Opera House Tour (including private singing performance) The Hungarian State Opera House is a neo-renaissance opera house located in central Budapest, on Andrássy út (not far from your hotel). Originally known as the Hungarian Royal Opera House, it was designed by Miklós Ybl, a major figure of 19th century Hungarian architecture. Construction began in 1875, funded by the city of Budapest and by Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary, and the new house opened to the public on the 27 September We include a private tour through this stunning building and the finale will be a a small singing performance given by professional opera singers on the Grand staircase. There will be a glass of champagne provided while you take in the performance. Dinner in the famous Gerbaud Coffee House and Bistro Henrik Kugler established the coffee house in 1858 and he sold the cafe to Emil Gerbeaud (a descendant of a talented Swiss confectioner family). Gerbeaud expanded the cafe and developed it into one of Europe s finest coffee houses and pastry shops. Coffee house culture thrived in 19th-century Budapest, with almost every street having its own cafe. Gerbeaud stood out from them by elegant decor, and by offering a wide choice of delicious cakes. An evening meal with refreshments is included in their bistro. Hotels Benczur Hotel The three star superior Benczúr Hotel is centrally located in the peaceful surroundings of the embassy district; it has very comfortable rooms and WiFi throughout the hotel. The street on which the hotel is situated runs parallel to the famous Andrássy Street and is only five minutes on foot from Heroes Square, the famous Széchenyi Spa Baths complex and close to the Christmas markets. You will have a superior room with a balcony and all rooms come equipped with a shower, satellite TV, air conditioning, hairdryer and fridge.