Christmas in Vienna

A FIVE NIGHT HOLIDAY | 22 DECEMBER 2023

Vienna is at its best at Christmas time, when exquisitely decorated shop windows and elegant festive lights brighten up the medieval streets in the city centre. We include a performance at the Vienna State Opera on Christmas Day. There will also be visits to the city’s finest museums and galleries, including the Belvedere and the Kunsthistorisches Museum. We stay at one of the city’s finest hotels, the 5* Deluxe Bristol, perfectly located adjacent to the State Opera.

the itinerary

1

On arrival we transfer to the 5* deluxe Bristol in the centre of Vienna where the tour is based. Dinner is included in a local restaurant this evening.

2

We enjoy a panoramic sightseeing tour of the impressive State buildings that line the Ring, including the Houses of Parliament, the University, the Burgtheater and the State Opera House. We leave the coach and walk through the historic centre to St. Stephen’s Cathedral and the Mozart House, which is now a museum dedicated to the composer’s life in the city. There are a number of excellent traditional Viennese coffee houses in this area where you can enjoy a light lunch or pastry before we walk to the Museumsquartier, located close to the Volkstheater and the Natural History Museum, where we visit the Leopold Museum with important collections of Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. Dinner is taken independently this evening.

3

We will visit the Belvedere Palace this morning. This lavish Baroque palace was built as the official residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy and today it holds an important art collection which spans many periods. It is best known for works by the artists closely associated with the Vienna Secession and here we see Klimt’sThe Kiss (1908), which represents this golden age in the cultural history of the city. There will be time to see the permanent collection as well as enjoy one of the current exhibitions. This afternoon we have a guided tour of the Hofburg, the seat of the Hapsburgs. This was the centre of court life, a city within a city, providing employment for thousands. The rest of the day is free and Christmas Eve dinner is taken at the Bristol.

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DAY DAY 4

This morning is free until we leave for Christmas lunch at one of the city’s most historic hotels. This evening we will go to the Vienna State Opera for an included performance (details will be published in the spring).

5

We transfer by coach to the Kunsthistorisches Museum, one of the world’s greatest art collections. Here we will see the magnificent collection of Old Masters including works by Vermeer, Brueghel, Titian and Bellotto before visiting the Museum’s Kunstkammer. This displays an awe-inspiring collection of treasures including the golden salt cellar by Benvenuto Cellini.

We depart the hotel for our return flight to London.

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DAY 6

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the hotel

The 5* Hotel Bristol is traditional and elegant and has been the focal point of Vienna’s cultural life for over a century. With a wonderful location, opposite the State Opera House, it has recently undergone a major restoration and is once again one of the leading hotels in the city. Decorated throughout with antiques, there are 150 beautifully furnished bedrooms. Dining options include the ‘Bristol Lounge’ and the cosy ‘Bristol Bar’ which is one of the oldest American style bars in Austria.

TOUR INFORMATION

Please call 020 7593 2284 to register your interest.

FLIGHT DETAILS

Flights with British Airways: Depart Heathrow 14.30, arrive Vienna 17.50 Depart Vienna 18.45, arrive Heathrow 20.10 Flight times subject to change – regional departures available on request.

WHAT WE INCLUDE

• Return flights • Five nights’ accommodation with breakfast • Christmas Day lunch and two dinners • A second category ticket for one performance at the Vienna State Opera • All sightseeing, entrance fees and gratuities • The services of the Kirker Tour Leader and local guide