Eastern Highlights

Yay! A free day in Dubrovnik! Spend some time checking out the residential homes further up in the Old Town for some awesome views, then relish a cold beer on the wall as the sun sets over the Adriatic. Alternatively, take to the turquoise water with a spot of optional sea kayaking around the city walls. This is the good life.

Today we’ll listen to the ocean play an instrument in Zadar. Yep, you read that right. The Sea Organ is a quirky art installation nested within the city’s eclectic mix of Roman ruins and public art. More cool facts await you on a guided city tour with your brainy Trip Leader. Next up: waterfalls and a slice of bliss at Plitvice Lakes National Park.

Today is brought to you by Mother Nature. Made up of 16 lakes connected by streams and waterfalls and surrounded by 300 square kilometres of national park, Plitvice Lakes didn't make it onto the UNESCO World Heritage list for nothing. Hike up to see the tallest waterfall in Croatia or glide across the crystal blue lakes in a rowboat. Mindfulness just got a whole new meaning.

Hungary for more? Budapest is up next! A driving tour will get you down and Danube (that being the river) with twin cities Buda and Pest. Check out Hero's Square, Parliament House, the National Palace, Fisherman's Bastion and the swanky Andrássy Avenue. Then it's time to meet the major food groups: goulash, cabbage rolls and dumplings.

A free day to take on a city with enough baroque, neoclassical and art nouveau architecture to keep you entertained for hours. Tonight, hang with the hipsters and drink local fruit brandy at one of the original ruin bars. Wanna go one step further? An optional dinner cruise on the Danube has your name on it.

Legend has it a dragon had to be defeated in order for Kraków to be built – bit tougher than the usual council approvals, no? Get acquainted with Poland's beating heart (and the largest medieval town square in Europe) with a walking tour. Buff up on history at Wawel Castle, feed the ducks from the banks of the Wisla and slay a few glasses of mead after dinner. Did someone say optional pub crawl?

After breakfast it’s your day, your choice. Our recommendations? Well, you could discover Kraków's inner hipster in the Jewish district or shop for amber in the UNESCO-listed Cloth Hall. If all else fails, there’s always pierogi and potato pancakes to keep you busy.

First, a visit to former concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau for a lesson in the resilience of humanity. Then, on to Prague. Get Insta-happy and seek out the John Lennon Wall, soak up some Czech history at the National or Communist Museum or get a taste of the quirky local culture at a marionette puppet opera (you gotta see it to believe it).

Another free day for the win. Snap a selfie at Prague's own Eiffel Tower, visit a miniatures museum, eat roast pork from one of the street vendors lining Old Town Square and wash it all down with a beer. As in, a really good beer. Prague, we love you.

Get acquainted with 800 year-old Dresden – a city virtually destroyed in WWII and then rebuilt – and check out the Frauenkirche before we make tracks to Berlin. Prep yourself for currywurst, absinthe and more hipsters per capita than anywhere else. We'll drive you around to see (what's left of) the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag building.

Today, why not step out on an optional Third Reich walking tour for a local insight into what the city was like under Nazi rule during World War II? Kreuzberg is a hit for lunch. Afternoon suggestion? Have a picnic at the historic Tempelhof airport-turned-public park. Tonight: explore the city after dark on an optional alternative street art and nightlife tour.

Start dreaming of cheese, clogs and cheeky café stops as we roll through tulip and windmill dotted fields to Amsterdam. DAM, it's going to be a good day! Learn how gouda and clogs are made, then get your bearings on a walking tour of the vibrant capital. We’re talking the Dam Square, the Royal Palace and the National Monument, so get your cameras at the ready. For the perfect end to the perfect day, give in to temptation and grab a cone of hot chips with mayo. Mmm.

Join 881,000 bikes and get your cycle on with an optional bike tour of Amsterdam's iconic canals, bridges and parks. Culture fiends, delve deeper with a visit to the Anne Frank House or the Van Gogh or Rijksmuseum. Still thirsty for more? Check out the Heineken Experience and indulge in a spot of beer tasting. What better way to toast the final night of your Europe Inspired adventure than with an optional drinks cruise on the canal?

After all the Amster-damage has been done, it’s time to hit the road back to ol’ Blighty. Soak up all the happy group vibes you can possibly handle – this is your last coach ride with the gang. #sadface.