Prague, Vienna and Budapest in 7 days
Three capitals by train in late November, built by DimTrip's assistant from one request: Christmas markets, old towns, coffee houses and a thermal bath in Budapest. Here is the request, each day hour by hour, and what we fixed in the chat.
Updated 18 September 2026
This Prague, Vienna and Budapest itinerary is a week by train at the start of the Christmas-market season: three days in Prague, two in Vienna and two in Budapest. DimTrip's travel assistant built it from one request, and we corrected it in the chat. Below is the request, all seven days hour by hour, what we asked it to fix, and what to check before you book.
The request
Plan a 7-day trip to Prague, Vienna and Budapest from 28 November to 4 December 2026 for two people, travelling between the cities by train. We want the Christmas markets, the old towns, coffee houses, and a thermal bath in Budapest. Early starts, relaxed evenings.
The assistant created the trip and filled the week with 35 stops. It added the two trains as reservations and set a currency for each city: Czech koruna, euros and forints, so spending stays separate. It kept the pattern we asked for: a first stop around 08:30 most days, and a Christmas market in the early evening. It also named two things to book ahead: the first entry slot at Schönbrunn and the Parliament tour in Budapest.
Days 1–3: Prague
Day 1 (Saturday 28 November): the castle and the Old Town
| Time | Stop | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 08:30 | Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral | The courtyards open early; the cathedral and the other buildings open at 09:00. |
| 12:00 | Café Savoy | |
| 14:00 | Charles Bridge | |
| 15:15 | Old Town Square and the Astronomical Clock | |
| 17:00 | Old Town Square Christmas market |
Day 2 (Sunday): Vyšehrad, Wenceslas Square and Josefov
| Time | Stop | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 08:30 | Vyšehrad fortress and basilica | Views up the river, away from the crowds. |
| 11:00 | Wenceslas Square and the National Museum | |
| 12:45 | Café Imperial | |
| 14:15 | Josefov: the Jewish Quarter and the Old Jewish Cemetery | The Jewish Museum's sites close on Saturdays, so Sunday suits. |
| 17:00 | Wenceslas Square Christmas market |
Day 3 (Monday): Petřín and Malá Strana
| Time | Stop | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00 | Petřín Hill and Lookout Tower | The tower opens at 10:00 in winter; see "Fixed in the chat". |
| 12:15 | Malá Strana and the Lennon Wall | |
| 14:00 | Café Louvre | |
| 15:30 | Municipal House and the Powder Tower | |
| 17:00 | Havel's Market | A small market with Christmas stalls. |
Days 4–5: Vienna
Day 4 (Tuesday 1 December): train to Vienna, the old centre
| Time | Stop | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 07:15 | Train, Prague to Vienna | About four hours. |
| 12:15 | Café Central | Lunch in the coffee house. |
| 14:00 | St. Stephen's Cathedral | |
| 15:30 | Hofburg and Michaelerplatz | |
| 17:00 | Christmas market at Rathausplatz | Vienna's biggest. |
Day 5 (Wednesday): Schönbrunn and the Belvedere
| Time | Stop | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 08:30 | Schönbrunn Palace | Book the first entry. |
| 11:30 | Café Sacher | For the Sachertorte. |
| 13:00 | Belvedere | Klimt's The Kiss is in the Upper Belvedere. |
| 15:30 | Naschmarkt | |
| 17:00 | Art Advent market at Karlsplatz | Crafts in front of the Karlskirche. |
Days 6–7: Budapest
Day 6 (Thursday 3 December): train to Budapest, the Castle District
| Time | Stop | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 07:40 | Train, Vienna to Budapest | About two and a half hours. |
| 11:00 | Great Market Hall | |
| 12:15 | New York Café | |
| 14:00 | Buda Castle and Fisherman's Bastion | |
| 16:45 | Christmas market on Vörösmarty Square |
Day 7 (Friday): the bath and Parliament
| Time | Stop | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 08:30 | Széchenyi Thermal Bath | Outdoor pools, mixed, open all day. Bring flip-flops. |
| 12:15 | Café Gerbeaud | |
| 13:45 | Hungarian Parliament | Visits are by guided tour, which sell out: book ahead. |
| 15:30 | Shoes on the Danube Bank | |
| 16:15 | St. Stephen's Basilica and its Advent market |
Fixed in the chat
A tower before opening time. The first draft put Petřín Lookout Tower at 08:30 on day 3. From November to February it opens at 10:00. We said so in one sentence. The assistant moved the tower to 10:00, shifted the four stops after it without changing their order, and wrote the winter opening time into the stop's notes so it wouldn't get moved earlier again. It then offered to check the funicular's winter timetable too.
Before you go
- Check the Christmas market dates. In 2025, Prague's Old Town Square market opened the day before the first Sunday of Advent. In 2026 that Sunday is 29 November, so the market may open on this trip's first day. Vienna's and Budapest's markets usually open earlier in November.
- Book the trains early. Both routes have direct trains, and the cheapest fares go first. Book on the rail operators' own websites.
- Gellért is closed. Budapest's Art Nouveau Gellért Baths closed for renovation in October 2025 and are not expected to reopen before 2028. Széchenyi, in this plan, and Rudas are open.
- Three currencies. Prague uses the koruna, Vienna the euro and Budapest the forint. Cards are widely accepted; keep a few coins for markets and toilets.
Make it your own
Ask for the same route on your own dates, with a night more in one city, or with other interests, such as "the same trip in 8 days, with a day trip to Český Krumlov". The assistant edits the actual days, and anyone you invite sees each change as it happens. For how to check a day like these, see the hour-by-hour itinerary template.
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