Venice to Vienna and Budapest: Slovenia, Graz and the Wachau

1. Day 1: Arrive in Venice

   Venice Marco Polo Airport by boat to your hotel in Venice

   • By boat
   • Dinner
   • Stay in Venice
   Day 1 details

   Fly into Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) on the mainland edge of the lagoon. A boat transfer carries you and your bags across the water to the historic centre, listed by UNESCO in 1987, and a porter takes the luggage over the last bridges to the hotel, since there are no cars in Venice. The afternoon is yours: drop your bags, find a coffee on a quiet campo, or simply walk until you are lost, which in Venice takes about ten minutes. In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the trip: how the days run, where the bags go on each transfer, and what to wear for St Mark's tomorrow. Then we walk together to a welcome dinner of Venetian dishes, perhaps sarde in saor and risotto, at a local restaurant away from the busiest streets. Plan to land by about 3 pm to make the briefing; the exact time comes with your final itinerary.

   Included

   • Boat transfer from Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) to the hotel, with porterage
   • Welcome briefing with your guide
   • Welcome dinner

   Free time: Free until the evening briefing

2. Day 2: Venice: the Doge's Palace at opening and St Mark's

   Piazza San Marco, the Doge's Palace and St Mark's Basilica, then cicchetti and the Grand Canal by water bus

   • By boat
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Venice
   Day 2 details

   We walk into Piazza San Marco before 9 am, while the square is still mostly pigeons and café chairs, and are at the Doge's Palace as it opens. A licensed local guide takes us through the courtyard, up the Golden Staircase to the council chambers, where Tintoretto's Paradise fills the end wall of the Great Council Hall, and across the Bridge of Sighs into the old prisons. Then we enter St Mark's Basilica on a booked slot to see the gold mosaics of its domes. For lunch we cross the Grand Canal to Dorsoduro and sit down in a bacaro to cicchetti, small plates of salt cod, sardines and polenta, with a glass of local wine included. Campo Santa Margherita, once a fish market painted by Carl Feiertag, is a few steps away. The afternoon is free. At dusk we ride the No. 1 water bus the length of the Grand Canal, past the Rialto Bridge and the palace fronts, on your included pass.

   Included

   • Doge's Palace at opening with a licensed local guide, including the Bridge of Sighs
   • St Mark's Basilica on a booked slot
   • Sit-down cicchetti lunch in Dorsoduro
   • 24-hour water-bus pass and the Grand Canal at dusk on the No. 1 line

   Optional experiences

   • A gondola ride (price shown at booking)

   Easier option: Skip the afternoon and rest at the hotel; the water bus means no walking back.

   More active option: Walk to the Rialto fish market early, before we start (Tuesday to Saturday), or ride the lift up the St Mark's Campanile in the afternoon for the view over the lagoon (entry at your own cost).

   Free time: Afternoon free

   Activity: About 6 km on foot with many small bridges. Covered shoulders and knees, and no large bags, at St Mark's Basilica.

   

3. Day 3: Over the border to Ljubljana

   Venice by boat to Piazzale Roma, then by road via Trieste to Ljubljana

   • Drive about 3 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Ljubljana
   Day 3 details

   A luggage boat takes us and our bags to Piazzale Roma at about 8:30, where our own vehicle and driver are waiting. From here it is about 245 km and two and three quarter hours to Ljubljana, along the top of the Adriatic past Trieste and up onto the limestone Karst plateau into Slovenia. We arrive for a sit-down lunch in the old centre, then drop the bags at the hotel. In the afternoon a local guide walks us through the capital, a small, mostly car-free city on the green Ljubljanica river. The architect Jože Plečnik reshaped much of it between the wars, and his works here were listed by UNESCO in 2021: the Triple Bridge, the long colonnade of the Central Market along the water, and the riverside terraces. We cross the Dragon Bridge, then ride the funicular up to Ljubljana Castle for the view over red roofs to the Kamnik Alps. The evening is free for the cafés along the river.

   Included

   • Luggage boat from the hotel to Piazzale Roma
   • Drive from Venice to Ljubljana with your guide
   • Sit-down lunch in Ljubljana
   • Walk with a local guide: Prešeren Square, the Triple Bridge, Plečnik's Central Market colonnade and the Dragon Bridge
   • Funicular and entry to Ljubljana Castle

   More active option: Walk up to the castle on the wooded path from the old town instead of taking the funicular, about 20 minutes.

   Free time: Evening free

   Activity: About 5 km on foot in Ljubljana, mostly flat.

4. Day 4: Lake Bled before the coaches

   Ljubljana to Lake Bled and back

   • Drive about 1.5 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Ljubljana
   Day 4 details

   We leave Ljubljana at 8 am and drive about 50 minutes north to Bled, so we are on the shore by about 8:45, before the day coaches arrive. First an oarsman rows us out in a pletna, the canopied wooden boat that is the traditional way to reach Bled Island. Climb the 99 stone steps to the Church of the Assumption and pull the bell rope in the nave for a wish. Back on shore, we drive up to Bled Castle, first recorded in 1011, set on a cliff about 130 m above the water, for the view over the island to the peaks of the Julian Alps. Lunch is a sit-down meal by the lake, finished with kremšnita, the local custard and cream cake. The afternoon offers two paces: a flat walk of about 6 km around the lake, or a steep guided climb to the Mala Osojnica viewpoint for the classic view of the island with the castle behind. We are back in Ljubljana by early evening.

   Included

   • Pletna boat to Bled Island and entry to the Church of the Assumption
   • Bled Castle entry
   • Sit-down lunch at Lake Bled with kremšnita
   • Lakeside walk or the Mala Osojnica viewpoint climb with your guide

   Easier option: Walk part of the lake path and take the tourist train back, or sit on the castle terrace while others walk.

   More active option: The Mala Osojnica viewpoint: about 40 minutes up a steep forest path with steps and ladders at the top, for the view down onto the island.

   Free time: Evening free in Ljubljana

   Activity: Leave Ljubljana at 8 am. The 99 steps on the island and up to 6 km of walking; the viewpoint climb is steep and optional.

   

5. Day 5: Ptuj, then Graz from the Schlossberg

   Ljubljana to Ptuj, then over the Austrian border to Graz

   • Drive about 3 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Graz
   Day 5 details

   After breakfast we drive about an hour and three quarters east to Ptuj, on the Drava river, the oldest recorded town in Slovenia, built over the Roman settlement of Poetovio. Your guide walks you up to Ptuj Castle for its collections and the view over the tiled roofs and the river, then down through the small old town. Lunch is a sit-down meal in Ptuj, with wine from the Štajerska hills if you like. From there it is about an hour and a quarter north over the Austrian border to Graz, the country's second city, whose old town was listed by UNESCO in 1999. We arrive mid-afternoon and walk from the Hauptplatz through the arcaded Renaissance courtyard of the Landhaus, then take the funicular up the Schlossberg to the Clock Tower, the city's emblem, for the evening light over the roofs. Across the Mur river you can see the Kunsthaus, a blue curved art museum that locals call the friendly alien. Dinner tonight is your choice.

   Included

   • Drive from Ljubljana via Ptuj to Graz with your guide
   • Ptuj Castle and the old town
   • Sit-down lunch in Ptuj
   • Graz old town walk: the Hauptplatz and the Landhaus courtyard
   • Schlossberg funicular and the Clock Tower

   Easier option: Take the funicular both ways on the Schlossberg.

   More active option: Climb the Schlossberg's stone staircase, cut into the rock, instead of taking the funicular up.

   Free time: Evening free in Graz

   Activity: About 5 km on foot, with a climb to Ptuj Castle. Graz is the trip's one single-night stop, there to split the drive from Ljubljana to Vienna.

6. Day 6: Melk Abbey and the Wachau by boat

   Graz to Melk, the Danube boat to Dürnstein, then by road to Vienna

   • Drive about 3.5 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Vienna
   Day 6 details

   This is the longest driving day, about three and a half hours in all, split into two parts by the abbey, lunch and a river boat. We leave Graz at 8 am and drive about two and a half hours north to Melk, where the Benedictine abbey, rebuilt in Baroque style in the early 1700s, stands on a rock above the Danube. Inside we walk through the imperial rooms and the marble hall to the library, with its painted ceiling and rows of old leather-bound books, and into the gold and ochre abbey church. Lunch is a sit-down meal in Melk. In the afternoon we board a boat downstream through the Wachau, a stretch of the Danube listed by UNESCO in 2000, past terraced vineyards, apricot orchards and the ruin of Aggstein castle, to Dürnstein and its blue and white abbey tower. Our driver meets us there for the last hour or so into Vienna, where we arrive in the early evening.

   Included

   • Melk Abbey: the imperial rooms, the marble hall, the library and the abbey church
   • Sit-down lunch in Melk
   • Danube boat from Melk to Dürnstein through the Wachau
   • Dürnstein old town with your guide

   Easier option: Stay on the riverside in Dürnstein while others walk the main street.

   Free time: Evening free in Vienna

   Activity: About 3.5 hours of driving in two parts (about 2.5 hours to Melk, about 1 hour 10 from Dürnstein to Vienna). The Wachau boats run from about April to October; if a sailing is cancelled we drive the riverside road with stops in Spitz and Weissenkirchen.

7. Day 7: Vienna: Schönbrunn and the Hofburg

   Schönbrunn Palace, then the Hofburg, Heldenplatz, the Graben and St Stephen's Cathedral

   • Breakfast
   • Stay in Vienna
   Day 7 details

   We take the U-Bahn out to Schönbrunn to be there when the palace opens, on a timed ticket for the Grand Tour of the Habsburg state rooms, before the tour coaches fill the courtyard. The palace and gardens were listed by UNESCO in 1996. Afterwards walk up through the formal gardens to the Gloriette for the long view back over the palace roof to the city. Lunch is your choice near the Naschmarkt, Vienna's long open-air food market. In the afternoon a licensed local guide leads us through the Hofburg courtyards to Heldenplatz, where Prince Eugene of Savoy rides a rearing bronze horse in front of the curved Neue Burg, then along the Kohlmarkt and the Graben to St Stephen's Cathedral and its patterned tile roof. We finish in a traditional coffee house, with a Melange and a slice of cake on us. The evening is free; your guide can book a classical concert if you would like one.

   Included

   • Schönbrunn Palace Grand Tour, timed entry at opening
   • Schönbrunn gardens and the Gloriette
   • The Hofburg, Heldenplatz, the Graben and St Stephen's Cathedral with a licensed local guide
   • Coffee and cake in a Viennese coffee house
   • Public transport tickets for the day

   Optional experiences

   • A classical concert in the evening (price shown at booking)

   Easier option: Skip the climb to the Gloriette and rest in the palace café.

   More active option: Climb the 343 steps of St Stephen's south tower for the view over the old city.

   Free time: Lunch and evening free

   Activity: About 8 km on foot, with a steady climb to the Gloriette and about two hours standing in the palace.

   

8. Day 8: The Kiss, then the train to Budapest

   The Upper Belvedere, then Vienna to Budapest by train and the Pest embankment

   • By train
   • Breakfast
   • Stay in Budapest
   Day 8 details

   We are at the Upper Belvedere when it opens at 9 am, so you can stand in front of Gustav Klimt's The Kiss before the room fills, along with the rest of the gallery's Klimt and Schiele paintings, and look down the Baroque gardens to the city. Back at the hotel the bags are already packed, and around midday we take reserved seats on the train to Budapest, about two hours and forty minutes across the flat country by Lake Neusiedl and into Hungary; your guide handles the bags and the transfers at both ends. After checking in, we walk the Pest side in the late afternoon: St Stephen's Basilica, then Kossuth Square for the long neo-Gothic front of the Parliament, and along the river to the Shoes on the Danube Bank, the memorial to Jews shot into the river in 1944 and 1945. We finish at the Chain Bridge, opened in 1849, as the light drops behind Castle Hill. Dinner is your choice.

   Included

   • Upper Belvedere entry at opening
   • Reserved train seats from Vienna to Budapest
   • Station to hotel transfers in Vienna and Budapest
   • Evening walk with your guide: St Stephen's Basilica, Kossuth Square, the Shoes on the Danube Bank and the Chain Bridge

   Easier option: Skip the Belvedere for a slow breakfast and a last coffee house.

   Free time: Dinner and evening free

   Activity: About 5 km on foot. Train times are confirmed with your final itinerary.

9. Day 9: Budapest: the Parliament, Castle Hill and the baths

   The Parliament, Castle Hill, the Széchenyi Baths and an evening boat on the Danube

   • By boat
   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay in Budapest
   Day 9 details

   The day starts at the Hungarian Parliament on a booked tour with a licensed guide: the grand staircase, the domed hall where the Holy Crown is kept under guard, and the old upper house chamber. Then we cross the river to Castle Hill and walk the Buda Castle Quarter, part of the riverside area listed by UNESCO in 1987, to Matthias Church and its patterned roof, and the white turrets of the Fisherman's Bastion with the whole of Pest spread below. Lunch is a sit-down meal on the hill. In the afternoon take the yellow metro line, the oldest on the continent, to City Park and the Széchenyi Baths, opened in 1913, to sit in the steaming outdoor pools among chess players; or have the afternoon to yourself. In the evening we gather for a farewell dinner, then board a boat on the Danube to see the Parliament, the bridges and the castle lit up from the water.

   Included

   • Hungarian Parliament tour with a licensed guide
   • Castle Hill: Matthias Church and the Fisherman's Bastion
   • Sit-down lunch on Castle Hill
   • Széchenyi Baths entry
   • Farewell dinner
   • Evening boat on the Danube

   Easier option: Ride the funicular or the bus up Castle Hill, and rest at the hotel in the afternoon instead of the baths.

   More active option: Walk up Gellért Hill to the Liberty Statue for the view over both halves of the city, about 30 minutes of steep paths.

   Free time: Afternoon free if you skip the baths

   Activity: About 7 km on foot. Bring a swimsuit and flip-flops for the baths; towels can be rented there.

10. Day 10: Budapest and home

    Budapest to Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport

    • Drive about 45 min
    • Breakfast
    Day 10 details

    The last morning is free. Walk to the Great Market Hall for paprika and a look at the stalls under its iron roof (it closes on Sundays), take a last coffee in one of the old cafés on the Grand Boulevard, or walk along the Danube for a final look at the Parliament. Check out of the hotel by late morning; your bags can be held if your flight is later in the day. Our driver takes you to Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD), about 25 km from the centre and around 40 minutes by road, at a time set by your flight. Your guide says goodbye at the hotel and checks that every transfer is arranged before you go. Any flight time works today; if you want more time in Budapest, or a few days at Lake Balaton or in the Eger wine country afterwards, we can add hotel nights before or after the trip.

    Included

    • Drop-off at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD)

    Free time: Morning free

    Activity: Book any flight time; the transfer is set by your flight.

Wildlife and weather: May, June and September are mild and the best months for walking; July and August are hot in Venice and Budapest, so we tour early and keep the afternoons free. Summer storms build quickly over the Julian Alps around Bled.

• Venice2 nights
• Ljubljana2 nights
• Graz1 night
• Vienna2 nights
• Budapest2 nights