10 or 12 days
Budapest, Krakow, Prague, extension to Vienna
No longer trapped behind the Berlin Wall, the Eastern Bloc shines once again on the world stage. Today, the vibe in Eastern Europe is intoxicatingly upbeat, and its cities are moving fast towards the future. Beneath fortified castles and at humbling stops like Auschwitz and Krakow’s Jewish Quarter, Eastern Europe offers thrills and history unfiltered.

🔹 Curated experiences: Every program is intentionally designed to feature guided learning, cultural engagement, and independent exploration experiences to drive global competency development, denoted on each itinerary with a blue diamond. Learn more about these experiences.
  • Day 1: Fly overnight to Hungary

  • Day 2: Budapest

    Meet your Field Director at the airport

    Take a walking tour of Budapest

    With your Field Director you will see:

    • Fisherman’s Bastion, a fortification that has 7 turrets representing 7 Hungarian tribes
    • Parliament, Hungary's sprawling center of government

    Enjoy dinner in Budapest

  • Day 3: Budapest

    🔹 Guided learning: Take a tour of Budapest

    With an expert local guide you will see:

    • Heroes’ Square, featuring statues of famous Hungarian personalities
    • Castle Hill, where Buda Castle is located
    • Gellért Hill, where you can catch some of the city’s best views

    Visit Matthias Church, famous for its colorful tiled roof 

    🔹 Cultural engagement: Enjoy an evening river cruise on the Danube as you hear about its Hungarian past, and cap off your memorable evening listening to the Blue Danube Waltz

  • Day 4: Budapest • Kraków

    Travel via Slovakia and the Tatra mountains to Kraków, Poland’s former capital

    Enjoy dinner in Kraków

  • Day 5: Kraków

    Take a tour of Kraków

    With an expert local guide you will see:

    • Wawel Hill, perched high above the Vistula River
    • Glowny Square, passing Sukiennice Cloth Hall and the Jagiellonian University
    • Take time to reflect at a former Jewish ghetto

    Visit Wawel Cathedral, where kings were crowned and Pope John Paul II once served as archbishop

    Add this in-depth excursion:
    Kraków Salt Mines

    Kraków Salt Mines

    Discover a subterranean labyrinth of giant caverns, underground lakes and chapels on this half-day guided excursion. The salt mine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has existed for 900 years. Descend into the earth on a mining elevator and explore chambers where miners and artists have crafted salt sculptures and bas reliefs. Comfortable shoes and warm clothes are recommended. 

  • Day 6: Kraków

    🔹 Cultural engagement: Visit Auschwitz and Birkenau with an expert local guide, where upwards of 1.5 million people died; walk through its barracks that serve as a chilling reminder and observe a moment of remembrance

    Spend time exploring Kraków on your own

  • Day 7: Kraków • Prague

    Travel to Prague, the "City of One Hundred Spires"

    Take a walking tour of Prague

    With your Field Director you will see:

    • Old Town Square, a historic square in the Old Town quarter
    • Astronomical Clock, a large clock that tells the date, time, astrological information, and more
  • Day 8: Prague

    🔹 Guided learning: Tour Prague with an expert local guide 

    Walk down the Golden Lane and see eleven historical buildings that mark it 

    Visit St. Vitus Cathedral, a Gothic cathedral where Czech Kings and Queens are coronated

    Explore Prague on your own this afternoon

  • Day 9: Prague

    Add this in-depth excursion:
    Kutná Hora

    Kutná Hora

    To learn that a rustic medieval mining town formerly named “Bohemia” is a UNESCO World Heritage Site is not too surprising. But to learn that the church within the town is decorated with the bones of 40,000 people—some of which have been turned into chandeliers and royal crests—is somewhat of a shocking discovery. This ossuary is a chilling but beautiful homage to mortality, and is just one of the many wonders in this beautiful town.

    Enjoy dinner in Prague

  • Day 10: Depart for home

Add more days

  • Day 10: Prague • Vienna

    Travel to Vienna, residence of the imperial court for six centuries

    Take a walking tour of Vienna

    With your Field Director you will see:

    • Opera House, one of the leading opera houses in the world
    • Kärntnerstrasse, Vienna's main boulevard
    • St. Stephen’s Cathedral, central to Austrian history and iconic for its tiled roof

    Enjoy a traditional Weiner Schnitzel dinner in Vienna, typically consisting of fried veal or pork with traditional seasonings

  • Day 11: Vienna

    🔹 Cultural engagement: Take a guided tour of Vienna 

    With your expert local guide you will see:

    • Ringstrasse, a circular boulevard around the Inner Town district
    • Parliament, a columned building that serves as Vienna's center of government
    • Rathaus, Vienna's flower-adorned city hall
    • Hofburg, the presidential residence and former imperial palace

    Visit Schönbrunn Palace, an elegant palace with beautifully landscapes gardens where Marie Antoinette spent her childhood 

    Add this in-depth excursion:
    Classical Viennese concert

    Classical Viennese concert

    Enjoy an evening of classical music in one of Vienna's many traditional concert halls. Famed musicians such as Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Strauss, Brahms, and Schubert all have ties to the Austrian capital. 

  • Day 12: Depart for home

  • Day 1: Fly overnight to Hungary

  • Day 2: Budapest

    Meet your Field Director at the airport

    Take a walking tour of Budapest

    With your Field Director you will see:

    • Fisherman’s Bastion, a fortification that has 7 turrets representing 7 Hungarian tribes
    • Parliament, Hungary's sprawling center of government

    Enjoy dinner in Budapest

  • Day 3: Budapest

    🔹 Guided learning: Take a tour of Budapest

    With an expert local guide you will see:

    • Heroes’ Square, featuring statues of famous Hungarian personalities
    • Castle Hill, where Buda Castle is located
    • Gellért Hill, where you can catch some of the city’s best views

    Visit Matthias Church, famous for its colorful tiled roof 

    🔹 Cultural engagement: Enjoy an evening river cruise on the Danube as you hear about its Hungarian past, and cap off your memorable evening listening to the Blue Danube Waltz

  • Day 4: Budapest • Kraków

    Travel via Slovakia and the Tatra mountains to Kraków, Poland’s former capital

    Enjoy dinner in Kraków

  • Day 5: Kraków

    Take a tour of Kraków

    With an expert local guide you will see:

    • Wawel Hill, perched high above the Vistula River
    • Glowny Square, passing Sukiennice Cloth Hall and the Jagiellonian University
    • Take time to reflect at a former Jewish ghetto

    Visit Wawel Cathedral, where kings were crowned and Pope John Paul II once served as archbishop

    Add this in-depth excursion:
    Kraków Salt Mines

    Kraków Salt Mines

    Discover a subterranean labyrinth of giant caverns, underground lakes and chapels on this half-day guided excursion. The salt mine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has existed for 900 years. Descend into the earth on a mining elevator and explore chambers where miners and artists have crafted salt sculptures and bas reliefs. Comfortable shoes and warm clothes are recommended. 

  • Day 6: Kraków

    🔹 Cultural engagement: Visit Auschwitz and Birkenau with an expert local guide, where upwards of 1.5 million people died; walk through its barracks that serve as a chilling reminder and observe a moment of remembrance

    Spend time exploring Kraków on your own

  • Day 7: Kraków • Prague

    Travel to Prague, the "City of One Hundred Spires"

    Take a walking tour of Prague

    With your Field Director you will see:

    • Old Town Square, a historic square in the Old Town quarter
    • Astronomical Clock, a large clock that tells the date, time, astrological information, and more
  • Day 8: Prague

    🔹 Guided learning: Tour Prague with an expert local guide 

    Walk down the Golden Lane and see eleven historical buildings that mark it 

    Visit St. Vitus Cathedral, a Gothic cathedral where Czech Kings and Queens are coronated

    Explore Prague on your own this afternoon

  • Day 9: Prague

    Add this in-depth excursion:
    Kutná Hora

    Kutná Hora

    To learn that a rustic medieval mining town formerly named “Bohemia” is a UNESCO World Heritage Site is not too surprising. But to learn that the church within the town is decorated with the bones of 40,000 people—some of which have been turned into chandeliers and royal crests—is somewhat of a shocking discovery. This ossuary is a chilling but beautiful homage to mortality, and is just one of the many wonders in this beautiful town.

    Enjoy dinner in Prague

  • Day 10: Depart for home

Add more days

  • Day 10: Prague • Vienna

    Travel to Vienna, residence of the imperial court for six centuries

    Take a walking tour of Vienna

    With your Field Director you will see:

    • Opera House, one of the leading opera houses in the world
    • Kärntnerstrasse, Vienna's main boulevard
    • St. Stephen’s Cathedral, central to Austrian history and iconic for its tiled roof

    Enjoy a traditional Weiner Schnitzel dinner in Vienna, typically consisting of fried veal or pork with traditional seasonings

  • Day 11: Vienna

    🔹 Cultural engagement: Take a guided tour of Vienna 

    With your expert local guide you will see:

    • Ringstrasse, a circular boulevard around the Inner Town district
    • Parliament, a columned building that serves as Vienna's center of government
    • Rathaus, Vienna's flower-adorned city hall
    • Hofburg, the presidential residence and former imperial palace

    Visit Schönbrunn Palace, an elegant palace with beautifully landscapes gardens where Marie Antoinette spent her childhood 

    Add this in-depth excursion:
    Classical Viennese concert

    Classical Viennese concert

    Enjoy an evening of classical music in one of Vienna's many traditional concert halls. Famed musicians such as Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Strauss, Brahms, and Schubert all have ties to the Austrian capital. 

  • Day 12: Depart for home


Learning outcomes on this program

Confidence • Curiosity • Global perspective • Empathy • Adaptability • Relatability • Self-Awareness


EF Global Learning Model Post-Study Abroad Learning Resources
Academic resources

With this program, you get access to our Global Learning Resources, which include:

  • Discussion questions
  • Sample assignments
  • Journal prompts
  • Webinars
  • EF's Global Competency Assessment, a pre- and post-program assessment to measure competency development
See the resources you get
EF Global Learning Model Post-Study Abroad Learning Resources
Academic resources


With this program, you get access to our Global Learning Resources, which include:

  • Discussion questions
  • Sample assignments
  • Journal prompts
  • Webinars
  • EF's Global Competency Assessment, a pre- and post-program assessment to measure competency development

See the resources you get


Your experience includes

  • Round-trip airfare

    Your price includes round-trip airfare for your whole group

  • Accommodations

    Safe, comfortable hotels with private bathrooms will be waiting for you at your destination.

  • On-tour transportation

    Land transportation

  • Regional-style meals

    Daily breakfasts and select local dinners are included in your program. Generally, we leave lunch up to you so your group has an opportunity to explore its own tastes.

  • End-to-end support

    Your team helps to secure administrative approval and academic credit, provides recruiting tools and helps establish your program's ongoing presence on campus.

  • EF Global Learning Toolkit

    To capitalize on moments for building empathy, awareness, and adaptability in a global environment, we offer a number of different tools designed to help educators facilitate student growth abroad and on campus, including academically enriched travel programs, industry engagement opportunities, global learning resources, and a Global Competencies Assessment tool.

  • Full-time Field Director

    Your Field Director is with your group 24/7, providing deep local insight while handling all program logistics.

  • Expert Local Guides

    Your expert Local Guides are natural historians, adding cultural insight and enhancing teaching moments wherever your curriculum takes you.

  • Guided sightseeing

    Gain insider knowledge and cultural perspective from licensed local guides who join your group for select experiences on tour.

  • Entrances

    Danube Evening Cruise, Wawel Cathedral, Auschwitz and Birkenau, St. Vitus Cathedral, Golden Lane; with extension: Schönbrunn Palace

  • Worldwide support, safety and security

    EF has over 500 schools and offices in more than 50 countries worldwide. We provide 24-hour emergency support service along with a comprehensive $50 million liability policy that covers you and your institution while abroad.

  • Flexible payment options

    Give more students the opportunity to study abroad by offering them two different payment plan options, along with our TripFunder website to help fundraise for the program.


Programs in real life

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Programs in real life

EF College Study Tours Instagram page     Instagram →

EF College Study Tours Facebook page     Facebook →

EF College Study Tours blog page     Blog →

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