You will be arriving at the Budapest International Airport on your own. Then we will check into the hotel, relax and have the first group meeting.

Following a meeting with the guide, we will drive across the river to Buda. This part of the city, together with Pest, make up the full name of the city of Budapest.

After crossing the Danube, we ascend to the hill of the citadel which has become one of the symbols of the city, and boasts some of its most impressive sites. Built in the Middle Ages, the Buda Castle had undergone numerous alterations and renovations over the years, and served as the royal palace of the kings of Hungary. The magnificent Romanesque-style Fisherman's Bastion was built in the 19th century and offers one of the most beautiful views of the city. Matthias Church was built in the 13th century in the Gothic style, became a mosque with the Turkish occupation in the 16th century and later returned to its original purpose. The impressive church with its magnificent stained-glass windows was used for the coronation of the kings of Hungary. With a wonderful view of the city below us we will get preliminary information about Budapest and its development. We will tour the hill on foot and reach another observation point: The Fisherman's Bastion.

Time permitting, we will stroll wander along Váci Street - a lively shopping promenade with clothing, book, record and souvenir shops alongside plenty of cafes and bars.

At the end of our day we will gather for a welcome dinner. 

Overnight: Budapest.

Prior to World War II Budapest boasted a thriving and vibrant Jewish community. The "Old Jewish Quarter" in Budapest ‘s District 7 has undergone many upheavals over the years and turned from a World War II ghetto into the nightlife, contemporary culture and street art district of Budapest today.

The first part of the tour starts with a visit to the Great Synagogue on Dohány Street. The largest synagogue in Europe and the fourth largest in the world, it  boasts impressive design, incorporating both Islamic and Gothic architectural motifs .

Adjacent to the synagogue is the Jewish Museum, located on the site of Herzl's birthplace. The museum has a collection of Judaica artifacts and a lake dedicated to commemorating the Holocaust. In the same compound is also a small Jewish cemetery.

We'll conclude this part of the visit with a walking tour of the ghetto, which has become a focal point for spectacular graffiti paintings.

Following a short walk along the banks of the Danube we'll hold a brief ceremony of communion with the victims of the Holocaust at the Shoes on the Danube Bank Memorial.

Our next stop will be the indoor market of Budapest, where a world of rich smells, colors, and especially spices awaits cooking and food aficionados who might find an exciting addition to their kitchen.

In the evening you will have free time to walk around the center of the city, to inhale its scents, to enjoy its variety of colors and sights. This is also the time, for those who are interested, to purchase souvenirs from the city.

Overnight: Budapest.

The morning starts with a tour of the city. We will drive along the famous Andrassy Avenue, the most elegant street of the city, see St. Stephen's Basilica, the famous Opera House, the bustling Oktogon Square, and Heroes' Square and its monument.

Our next stop will be the famous artist town of Szentendre, located about half an hour from Budapest. Its narrow, enchanting alleys, resplendent with color, as well as the unique atmosphere have over the years attracted numerous artists,  now congregating in the artists' village within the town.

The Marzipan Museum (!) is the next stop in our itinerary. Located on the town's main pedestrian street it spans two maze-like floors with spectacular marzipan works on display, including sculptures, buildings, and fairytale figures all made of marzipan in a variety of colors.

Following the visit to the Marzipan Museum we'll have the opportunity to behold one of the rarest of sights: the smallest synagogue in the world (Szántó Jewish Memorial House and Temple).

This visit won’t be complete without walking down the picturesque alleys of the town and visiting the artists' workshops. We will meet at the appointed time for our return to Budapest.

The last part of our visit to Budapest will be dedicated to one of the cornerstones of Hungarian folklore: the thermal baths. 

We will spend two hours visiting together the well-known Gellért Thermal Baths.

The Gellért Thermal Baths are considered exceptionally beautiful. Active for centuries, the baths have retained the traditional historic design with Ottoman influences; they include ten thermal-mineral pools alongside two outdoor swimming pools and a wave pool suitable for children as well.

The pools in the baths are fed by the of water flowing from thermo-mineral springs originating in Gellért Hill. The water temperature in the pools ranges from 78 to 86 degrees. 

This part of our journey will conclude with a romantic cruise on the Danube River, along the shores of Budapest. Dinner will be served during the cruise.

Overnight: Budapest.

We'll depart Budapest in the morning, for a journey to Vienna (2.5 – 3 hours).

The capital city of Austria is a paradise for all culture, art and music lovers. Its famous musicians include Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert, Brahms, and Strauss, while among its painters are Klimt and Hundertvasser. Quite a few Viennese Jews gained prominence in various areas of cultural endeavor: Mahler and Schoenberg in music, Freud in psychotherapy, Zweig and Verfel in prose, and many others. Vienna also boast a rich European and Jewish history, spectacular architecture, museums, palaces and magnificent parks.

Upon arrival, we will go out on an introductory tour of the city. We will start with a visit to the Hofburg palace, which formerly served as the imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. From there we'll head to the Belvedere, a must-see historic building complex, featuring architecture, historical sites, art, culture, and, above all the breathtaking beauty of the interior and some of the exterior of its two baroque palaces: the Orangerie and the Palace Stables.

Vienna abounds with green areas, as well as large, well-tended parks. The most distinctive is the Prater Park - a quiet refuge combined with a magical landscape. We'll spend the afternoon in Prater, and in late afternoon we'll begin a tour of the bustling center of the city, where we'll have the opportunity to marvel at one of its symbols – the St. Stephen cathedral and the Vienna municipality building.

In the evening, you willl be free to explore the city on your own; at this opportunity you might not want to miss such famous Viennese delicacies as a fresh strudel with cream, or exquisite ice cream with a cup of fragrant coffee.

Overnight:Vienna.

The Jewish community of Vienna goes back 800 years. During the reign of the emperor Franz Joseph in the 19th century, the city grew and expanded considerably. Walls fell and Jews were granted full equal rights. The Jews of Vienna began to breach the traditional barriers and integrate into all areas of city's life.

We'll start our tour by a walk around the area of the Juden Platz – the site of the first Jewish settlement in the 12th century, and hear a survey of the history of the Jewish community. Then we will take a short walk to the largest and oldest synagogue of Vienna, the Stadttempel (1826), which remains active to this day. At this opportunity we will hear the story of its survival of the Kristallnacht; in fact, it is the only synagogue which emerged from the Holocaust almost intact. 

We will conclude this chapter of our visit with a tour of the Jewish Museum, where the story of the Vienna Jewry is illustrated by historical displays, including documents going back to the Middle Ages. The museum also houses a host of exhibitions devoted to various facets of Jewish life. Furthermore, the museum also houses the Jewish Vienna archive.

We will conclude our tour with a cruise on the Danube River. 

During the last evening in the city, you will be free to explore its attraction on your own, by attending an opera, visiting a museum, or parting from the city by strolling through its bustling streets. 

Overnight: Viena.

In the morning we'll depart Vienna by train, heading for Prague.

Few cities in the world can boast Jewish quarter as rich as Josefov in Prague, which has been preserved in its entirety. 

Our tour begins with a visit to the oldest synagogue in Europe - Altneuschul (the new old) established in 1270, and hearing the story of the "Golem." Together with other synagogues, the funeral chapel, and the ancient cemetery, they form the entire complex of "Jewish Museum of Prague."

A visit to the Maisel Synagogue, which was once considered the largest in Prague, will be followed by a visit to the Pinchas Synagogue, which serves as a monument to the victims of the Holocaust. The names of 77,297 of the victims of the Czech Jewish community are inscribed on its walls. We will visit the ceremonial hall, featuring an exhibition about this ancient community.   From there we will walk go to the ancient cemetery where Judah Loew ben Bezalel is buried.

Our tour will conclude in the "Spanish" synagogue, built in a fascinating Moorish style.

We will spend the second part of the day in Old Prague. The city's famous hundred golden spires shine at dusk, creating an unforgettable sight.

En route to the famous Prague Castle, we will stop at a breathtaking viewing point overlooking the city. The stained-glass windows  of the famous St. Vitus Cathedral are considered the one of the most spectacular in Europe. While along the Golden Lane we'll hear the story of the alchemists of Prague, and wander through  the alleys of the Malá Strana neighborhood on our way to the famous Charles Bridge.

From there we will arrive on foot at the Old Town Square and the Astronomical Clock Tower, and we will go for a free stroll and dinner.

We will end our fascinating day at one of the famous Prague attractions - the   "Black Theater".

Overnight: Prague.

In the morning we will head to Terezin, a military fortress city, which became a labor camp, and was later turned into a ghetto for Jews with special privileges. At the time the Nazis used it as a showcase ghetto for other countries, while sending 90% of its inhabitants to extermination in the process.

Following a visit to the historical museum, we will see a short introductory film about the place, and tour the art museum, featuring art created by the ghetto residents, including well-known artists.

We will continue from there to the Hidden Synagogue, the crematorium and the local cemetery.

After a lunch break, we will journey to Berlin (about 3.5-4 hours). After checking into the hotel and taking some time to relax after the trip, we'll begin our Berlin visit by talking a walk to one of the bustling centers of the city, to be followed by dinner  and a leisurely stroll.

Overnight: Berlin.

What was the Kingdom of Prussia and who was Frederick the Great? When and why was the Berlin Wall erected, and where did it stand? Why is Berlin today a city that attracts people from all over the world? What is the place of the Jews in the city? How does Berlin commemorate the events and horrors of World War II, and the Holocaust in particular?

These and more will be the topics we will focus on during our visit to Berlin.

Among other things, we will visit the Brandenburg Gate, Alexander Platz, the TV Tower, the Unter-den-Linden Avenue, the Brandenburg Gate, Humboldt University, the Place de la Belle-Platz, the Micha Ullmann memorial in commemorating the burning of books, Friedrichstraße, the Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom) (we won’t enter it), and the Royal Opera House built by Frederick the Great.

Topography of Terror: The site comprises the former headquarters of the Gestapo and the SS, the Nazi Government Campus and the Hermann Göring Air Force Center, the Holocaust Memorial, the Monument to the Gypsies and Homosexuals. The Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie and its museum, the TV Tower (Pope's Revenge) is the center of communist rule.

The day will end with a dinner followed by free time. 

Overnight: Berlin.

The Jewish community in Berlin was one of the most important Jewish communities in Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries. Such prominent figures such as Moshe Mendelssohn (father of the Enlightenment movement), Azriel Hildesheimer (founder of modern Orthodoxy), Albert Einstein and many others were part of that community. This is where the greatest changes in Judaism began and a thriving community developed, reaching its peak on the eve of the Nazi rise to power.

The Berlin community did not disappear. A second and even third generation of Holocaust survivors from Germany live and work in Berlin. Among them are Jews from the former USSR and tens of thousands of Israelis who represent different, active and vibrant Jewish cultures.

Today we’ll visit the sites that reflect the stories of the Jewish community in the past 200 years.

Places we will visit include the Jewish Museum, the "new" synagogue on Oranienburger Strasse, one of the few that survived Kristallnacht, the "women's protest" monument, the old synagogue, the old cemetery - the burial place of Moshe Mendelssohn, the monument for the Kindertransport - a rescue project of Jewish children sent to England, the Hackescher Markt area, Grossa-Hamburger Strasse, the "Platform 17" monument in Grunwald, the rabbinical seminary founded by Hildesheimer, and more as time allows.

Overnight: Berlin.

Free time in Berlin. Half a day during which you are invited to see the treasures of Berlin, each according to your inclinations. We will of course assist, guide and advise you as much as possible. In the afternoon we will meet and drive together to the train station on our way to the Polish capital: Warsaw.

Overnight: Warsaw

The introduction to our visit to Warsaw starts with a visit to the "Polin" Museum", dedicated to Jewish history in Poland from its inception.

We will continue from there to the Warsaw Jewish Cemetery that is over 200 years old. There we will get acquainted with the various collectivities of Polish Jews. We will gladly help the participants whose family members are buried in this cemetery to locate the grave of their loved ones.

Another part of our visit will be at two institutions that were part of the Jewish community before the war: the Korczak Orphanage and the Nozyk Synagogue, the only one that survived the war. In the synagogue we will meet people from the contemporary Jewish community of Warsaw and hear a first-hand account  of the lives of Jews in Warsaw these days.

We will dedicate the second part of the day to the Warsaw Ghetto, the largest ghetto in Europe.  

First, we'll visit the remains of the ghetto walls, pass by the famous bridge that divided the ghetto in two, by the residential home of the heads of the Judenrat, the Jewish hospital and the Umschlagplatz (a square where Jews were concentrated before they were sent to their death in Treblinka), the Memorial Route of Jewish Martyrdom and Struggle in Warsaw, the bunker of Mordechaj Anielewicz (who led of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising) on 18 Mila  Street  and the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes. 

Overnight: Warsaw

After breakfast we will visit the Jewish Historical Institute, meet with its staff involved in the preservation and study of the history of Polish Jewry, as well as seeking out and helping Holocaust survivors and their descendants in finding their family roots.

We will continue our visit by walking along Nowy Świat Street. We’ll pass by the Copernicus statute, the church where Chopin’s heart is interned, Warsaw University (where Menachem Begin studied law), the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, featuring Polish battles, including the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Castle Square and the old town square.

We will end our visit by relaxing on your free time at the old city square, one of the favorite gathering places for the locals during weekends. On our way to the bus, we will see the monument to the Polish uprising.

A parting dinner, accompanied by a local folklore show will conclude our visit.

We will check out of the hotel and leave for the airport independently.