Czech Highlights & Christmas in Prague

Today we enjoy a guided city tour of Prague, where highlights include the Old Town Square, famous for its ancient buildings such as the Old Town Hall with its Astronomical Clock that has been keeping time since 1410. After the tour concludes, enjoy free time to explore Prague and its festive Christmas markets before making your own way back to our centrally located hotel. We are treated to a Christmas Eve Gala buffet at the hotel later on.

Today, we take a guided tour of Karlovy Vary, the crown jewel of western Bohemia and one of Europe’s most celebrated spa towns. Our visit begins with a leisurely coach overview, offering a wonderful first glimpse of the town’s elegant architecture, colourful facades and lush, forested hillsides that frame the valley. After taking in these beautiful views, we continue on foot to explore the heart of the Old Town. Strolling through its charming streets, we discover the town’s colonnades, each with its own distinctive character and history, before pausing to admire the bubbling hot springs that have drawn visitors here for centuries. Wander along the riverside spa district, where promenades follow the curve of the Teplá River and browse boutique shops and even sample the mineral-rich waters for yourself.

We start the morning with a guided walking tour of the grounds of Prague Castle, which sits imposingly above the city. Dating back to the 9^th century, it is the largest castle complex in the world and is made up of several magnificent buildings, including palaces, churches, gardens and defence towers. Our tour will then take us down the hill and across the Charles Bridge into the city centre, where we have free time to explore the markets, before making our own way back to the hotel. This evening, we take a special dinner cruise on the River Vltava.

We make our way to Pilsner Urquell Brewery, home to the world’s first golden lager. We enjoy a guided tour here and find out about centuries of brewing tradition, followed by a tasting of their famous unfiltered beer. We are then treated to lunch at Na Spilce, a restaurant housed in the former fermentation halls right beside the brewery. Afterwards, there’s free time to explore Plzeň, visit the impressive St Bartholomew’s Cathedral, or simply relax in one of its cafés. Later, we return to our hotel for dinner.