Central Europe's High Culture Highlights

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Budapest for the First Time

Your private guide will meet you at your accommodation, then take you on a three-hour walking (and metro) tour to show you the highlights of both the Buda and Pest sides of the city. You'll start by hopping on the metro to the Opera House, Heroes' Square and City Park at the far end of Andrassy Blvd. Then you'll return to the center, where St. Stephen’s Basilica awaits. From there you'll get a closer look at the Buda side of the city, where your guide will point out Gellert Hill, the Citadel and the Royal Palace before leading you up through the old cobblestone streets to Fisherman’s Bastion and St. Matthias Church, where your tour will conclude.

From Streets to Museums - The Artists of Budapest

A Rich Musical History, Excellent Venues and Famous Festivals. Play on!

Regardless of your musical tastes, you’ll find something to listen to in Budapest. Opera and classical performances abound at several venues, as does operetta, if you prefer a lighter style. The Liszt Academy of Music reopened in 2013, reaffirming the city's significance in the world of classical music. The Spring Music Festival, the open-air Summer Festival and the Jewish Cultural Festival are mainstays of the musical calendar. Budapest is also home to the multi-day Szigetfest, a week-long dance music festival that takes place every August. But there’s always something going on in this melodic city, regardless of the season.

Enough of Budapest? See the Countryside!

If you'd like to surround yourself with art (and a surprising number of churches), head to the town of Szentendre. Sitting on the banks of the Danube, Szentendre is known for its artist's colony, which is reflected in its many galleries, museums, shops, and eclectic decor. We recommend visiting the Margit Kovacs Ceramic Museum, or one of the town’s marzipan museums. For an extra fee, we can add an hour in the Skanzen open-air ethnographic museum. After driving half an hour from Budapest, you’ll have four hours to spend taking in the narrow streets, steep steeples, and poking your head into the many shops, courtyards, and galleries.

A Bit of Everything

Budapest's eccentricity especially applies to its architecture. From Roman amphitheaters, through Gothic-style cathedrals and Turkish baths, to beautiful Art Nouveau buildings, nearly every architectural style can be found in Budapest. Some of our favorites are the Gothic Matthias Church, together with the Fisherman's Bastion, the Renaissance Opera house, the Baroque Széchenyi Bath, and the Art Nouveau-style Gresham Palace, facing the Danube and the Chain bridge. The Gothic Revival Hungarian Parliament Building, and Vajdahunyad Castle (a true hodgepodge of styles) are real architectural must-sees.

Classic and Hidden Gems of Vienna

Tour Vienna's Old Town and listen to captivating stories from one of our local guides on this special excursion. The tour includes a perfect blend of old and new, from historic buildings to modern architecture, and insider info on places to eat and drink. This private English-language walking tour not only offers a great introduction to the city, but also delves deep into the city's amazing history, from the darkest hours to the brightest moments.

Touch History and Culture in Vienna

If you want to get a taste of art and culture in Vienna, the Museumquartier should be your destination of choice. With more than a dozen museums ranging from the old and dusty to the young and avant-garde, this is the neighborhood that packs a lifetime of local culture into a few compact streets. It’s worth heading over to wander and window shop. You’re certain to find a museum or specific exhibition that suits you.

Dinner and Concert in the Schönbrunn Palace

Art Nouveau in Vienna Private Tour

Are you captivated by architectural innovations of the 20th century? Do you like or would like to know more about the unparalleled combination of luxury and playfulness in Art Nouveau? If yes, then this excursion is undoubtedly designed for you. Hit the road through the Old Town and 'rings' of Vienna with your local expert and get to know more about the most unique and bridging architectural style, Art Nouveau, in German 'Jugendstil'. Marvel the grandest constructions of most outstanding Viennese architectures, listen to interesting and entertaining explanation how a small movement grew into a continent wide architectural style with uniquely local character. Visit the world famous Beethoven Frieze by Gustav Klimt and end your stroll in Looshaus, American bar with matching style.

Vibrant Color, or Black and White?

Do you like street art? Don't miss a stroll along the Danube Canal where dozens of colorful murals will spoil your eyes. Should you be an enthusiast of modern and contemporary photography, make sure you check the "West Light" and "East Light" , ("Westlicht and Ostlicht") exhibitions at Kunsthaus Wien. If looking for other art forms, MUMOK and Kunsthalle Wien present very high quality contemporary art.

Opera, Classical or Jazz

The Czechs are big on opera and classical, with two theaters staging operas throughout the season (year-round except July and August). Entry-level prices for seats are practically pocket change and the best seats in the house aren't too expensive either. If seeing an opera in Europe is on your to-do list, then consider it done here. You can choose your seats and buy tickets via the official website. Locals take their cultural evenings pretty seriously and dress for the occasion so it's a good idea to dress smartly to blend in. There are also passable "for tourists" performances to be found year-round, with smaller/chamber orchestras, should a shorter "best of classical" concert suffice. If jazz is more your style you’ll find many jazz clubs throughout Old Town but our pick, for jazz with views, is Jazz Dock, right on the river.

Get Lost on Medieval Streets

On your first night in Prague we recommend strolling around the center's side streets. It's easy to get lost here, but the river and signage make it easy to find your way home. Prague's city center side streets. With so many buildings lit up, we think this romantic walk will help you fall in love with Prague right away. There are many rooftops bars open in the summer, for which your local JayWay contact will provide some recommendations. If you don't feel like having a drink, climb up one of the lookout towers open after sunset, especially the Old Town Bridge Tower and Powder Tower.

Get to Know Prague on a City Walking Tour

Prague Castle Private Tour with Interiors

This tour of Prague Castle is the best way to quickly and easily take in the star of the city's skyline. Your guide will pick you up at your accommodation and take you to the castle by tram. Once inside the castle grounds, you'll see the most impressive sites while your guide fills you in on the vibrant history of the area and its importance for the Czech nation. Highlights of the tour include the Basilica of St. George, the Golden Lane, Daliborka Tower, the Royal Gardens and the Old Royal Palace, to name just a few. In three hours you'll take in all the must-sees at the castle, as well as a few hidden gems.

For Art and History Lovers

Prague is so full of fascinating sights that it's easy to miss some of the best. For a little bit of peace and quiet, you should visit the Convent of Saint Anges of Bohemia, which was founded in the 13th century. Here you'll find an exhibition on medieval art, and can find tranquility in the gardens, which are decorated by two dozen sculptures from contemporary Czech artists. This Convent is open from Tuesday to Sunday. Our second tip is the Clementinum, a large complex of chapels and other buildings that collectively host the National Library. You can join one of the daily guided tours, or take in a concert in the Mirror Chapel.

Experience the Life Monastic

Museums of All Kinds, from Alchemy to Kafka

Prague’s got museums aplenty. In the center, the Museum of Communism tells the story of five decades of totalitarian rule. Hidden away in Old Town is the Alchemist's Workshop, celebrating the fact that Prague was the world center for alchemy back in the day. In the Old Town's Mala Strana district, you can find a Museum dedicated to Franz Kafka.The National Technical Museum in the Letna neighborhood celebrates above all the achievements of Czech engineers. Last but not least, the National Museum on Wenceslas Square's historic building is finally open again after several years of reconstruction.

Fine Czech Art, Indoors and Outside

Art lovers should visit the National Gallery's buildings. The newly renovated main building's permanent exhibition focuses on Czech fine artists. Around the corner you will find DOX Gallery, with a full program of exhibitions by contemporary artists. In the city center we recommend Mucha's Museum, dedicated to the most Art Nouveau artist, Alphonse Mucha. You can also visit the Kinsky Palace, with its collection of masterpieces from the renaissance to prsesent day. For tips on unusual monuments and street art, visit our blog.

The Jewel Box of Europe

For something unique, visit the “Green Vault” in the Neumarkt section of the old town. Here you will find the largest treasure trove in Europe, if not the world. Located within Dresden’s main palace, the architecture alone is exceptional, with its mix of modern and Baroque elements, to say nothing of its glittering collection. A true gem, you could spend a good portion of the day just looking over its literal gems.

Get to Know Dresden on a Walking Tour

Your guide will meet you at your accommodation at the agreed upon time. You'll see the Royal Palace, the Catholic Court Church, the Semper Opera House, and the famous Zwinger Palace, among other sites. One of the highlights is the rebuilt Church of our Lady and the surrounding architecture. Ruined until recently, the church is a brilliant collection of charred original blocks, and creamy sandstone from the original quarry used to first build the church, making the building a simultaneous monument to the city’s zenith and nadir. You'll also feast your eyes on the world's largest tile mural, portraying Saxon rulers and made from the secret porcelain recipe that made the city rich (its inventor was rewarded by being thrown in prison so he couldn’t sell the recipe!). And don't forget about the Balcony of Europe, where you can enjoy a great view!

Wander in the Footsteps of Wagner

Your guide will pick you up at your accommodation at the time of your choosing and lead you through the scenic streets of Dresden's musical past. Together you will be following the footsteps of Wagner, starting at Theater Square, passing his former residences, and finishing in front of the Church of Our Lady at the New Market Square.

Where to Wander on Day One?

It can be hard to decide how to spend your first hours in Berlin, since the city offers so much for every personal preference. If you’d like to see the city’s more artistic and hip side, we recommend focusing on the district of Kreuzberg, southeast of the city’s Mitte (“middle”) district. If you’d prefer to stay within walking distance of your hotel, we suggest focusing on the area around Hackescher Markt, north of Museum Island, or heading to Alexanderplatz, where you’ll find the city’s best view from atop its signature TV tower.

Get Your Bearings with a Walking Tour

On the private tour, your guide will impress you with stories of the city's amazingly rich history. From Slavic forts to Prussian kings and the foundation of Germany in 1871, through WWI, the rise of the Weimar Republic and the Nazis who replaced it and ushered in WWII, the divisions of the Cold War, and the city’s resurrection as capital of a reunified country, you’ll explore the city’s rollercoaster history. Believe us when we say that there’s a lot to learn from this tour!

A Museum Paradise

Hello Potsdam!

Potsdam's pastoral landmarks are spread out over a wide area, we recommend touring the manicured landscapes by bike. With this tour, you’ll take a train to Potsdam, then pick up your bikes, followed by ten miles of biking at an easy pace. you’ll pass the City Palace (now a regional parliament) and the massive dome of the Classicist St. Nicholas' Church. Although famous for its pastoral palaces, Potsdam also sports a large old town, where you’ll visit the Dutch Quarter, classic 18th-century brick buildings built for Dutch artisans. You’ll then proceed past Potsdam’s own Brandenburg Gate. After seeing Sanssouci, with its halls and gardens, and the Baroque New Palace, you’ll proceed to the Cecilienhof palace, which combines traditional Tudor architecture with German half-timbered techniques. Here, shortly after the end of World War II, Churchill, Truman, and Stalin met to determine the new world order. Nearby is the Bridge of Spies, which linked Potsdam to West Berlin. After a day of opulence and nature, you’ll take another train back to Berlin’s center. You can keep your bike after the tour, at a discounted rate.