12 days in Budapest, Prague & Vienna Itinerary

You might consider the city of Budapest, divided by the Danube River into two distinctive cities--Buda and Pest--to be essentially one large World Heritage Site.

Satisfy your inner culture vulture at Budapest Pinball Museum and Holocaust Memorial Center. Museum-lovers will appreciate Miniversum Budapest and Hospital in the Rock Nuclear Bunker Museum. The adventure continues: learn about winemaking at Faust Wine Cellar, steep yourself in history at Citadel, and pause for some serene contemplation at Parish Church of St. Elizabeth.

To see other places to visit, traveler tips, more things to do, and more tourist information, read Budapest trip planning site.

Ottawa, Canada to Budapest is an approximately 14.5-hour flight. Traveling from Ottawa to Budapest, you'll lose 6 hours due to the time zone difference. In August, daily temperatures in Budapest can reach 32°C, while at night they dip to 18°C. Cap off your sightseeing on the 23rd (Sun) early enough to go by car to Prague.

Prague lures millions of tourists each year with its World Heritage-listed medieval city center--a labyrinth of narrow lanes, bridges, cathedrals, and palaces overlooked by a thousand-year-old castle.

St Cyril and St Methodius Cathedral and Italian Court are good opportunities to explore the local culture. Discover out-of-the-way places like National Memorial to the Heroes of the Heydrich Terror and Nature & Wildlife Tours. You'll find plenty of places to visit near Prague: Kutna Hora (Vlassky dvur, St Barbara's Church, &more). There's lots more to do: walk around Vyšehradské sady, take in the architecture and atmosphere at Kostel sv. Mikuláše, relax and rejuvenate at some of the best spas, and visit Lesser Town.

Ask Inspirock to suggest an itinerary and make planning a trip to Prague fast, fun, and easy.

Drive from Budapest to Prague in 5 hours. Alternatively, you can take a shuttle; or fly. When traveling from Budapest in August, plan for a bit cooler days in Prague, with highs around 28°C, while nights are about the same with lows around 16°C. Finish your sightseeing early on the 27th (Thu) so you can travel to Vienna.

The cultural, economic, and political center of the country, Vienna has developed from its early Celtic and Roman roots into a medieval and Baroque city, with an old town that was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001.

Eschew the tourist crowds and head to Kaisergruft and Stadtpfarrkirche Maria Himmelfahrt. Deepen your sense of the past at sights like Wehrkirche Mariae Himmelfahrt and Peterskirche. Change things up with a short trip to Melk Abbey in Melk (about 1h 15 min away). There's lots more to do: take an in-depth tour of Kaiserliche Schatzkammer Wien, make a trip to Ringstrasse, stroll the grounds of Central Cemetery (Zentralfriedhof), and take in the spiritual surroundings of St. Othmar unter den Weissgerbern.

For maps, traveler tips, other places to visit, and more tourist information, read our Vienna trip maker.

Getting from Prague to Vienna by flight takes about 3.5 hours. Other options: drive; or take a shuttle. August in Vienna sees daily highs of 31°C and lows of 18°C at night. Finish your sightseeing early on the 31st (Mon) so you can travel back home.