AACI Kosher Prague and Danube Cruise
June 27-July 9, 2025
Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic and of the picturesque Bohemia region. The city, with over one million inhabitants, is known as the city of a Hundred Spires or the Golden City and is a UNESCO world heritage site.
Prague has a particularly rich Jewish history. There were times of great communal heights and impressive Jewish learning and sadly times of large-scale anti-Semitism.
Day 1, Friday, June 27 – Arrival in Prague
Departure flight: LY 2521 Friday, June 27th, 2025: Departing Ben Gurion, Tel Aviv at 07:00. Arrival in Prague Airport, 10;05
We will meet at Ben Gurion airport for our flight to Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. After landing, we will meet our bus and tour guide for a tour of the city. we will visit Prague Castle which has been the seat of Czech princes, kings, and presidents in the modern history of the state since the end of the 9th century. The tour comprises all courtyards, leads around the St Vitus and the Old Royal Palace to St. George Square, from where it continues to the Golden Lane.
Get back to the hotel to get ready for shabbat. Candle lighting 20:58. Dinner at the King David Hotel
Day 2, Saturday, Shabbat, June 28
Tefilla: Location to be announced
Lunch at the King David Hotel.
In the afternoon we will explore the Old Town of Prague. The Old Town of Prague was a medieval settlement. It was separated from the outside by a semi-circular moat and wall, connected to the Vltava river at both of its ends. The moat is now covered up by the streets (from north to south-west) – which remain the official boundary of the cadastral community of Old Town.
Notable places in the Old Town include Old Town Square with the Astronomical Clock. The Old Town is surrounded by the New Town of Prague. Across the river Vltava connected by the Charles Bridge is the Lesser Town of Prague. The former Jewish Town (Josefov) is in the northwest corner of Old Town heading towards the Vltava.
The Prague Astronomical Clock was first installed in 1410. This makes it the world’s third-oldest astronomical clock and the oldest still in operation today. The lower calendar dial was added in around 1490. Around the same time, incredible gothic statues were also added.
Seuda Shlishit at Shalom restaurant or King David Hotel. Shabbat ends: 22;25
Day 3, Sunday, June 29 – Old Town Prague and Jewish Quarter
We will start our day with visiting The Jewish Museum, founded in 1906, and contains one of the largest collections of sacred Jewish artefacts. The expositions of the Jewish Museum in Prague are in six historic sites. The Old-New Synagogue is still used for religious services, but the others are converted into memorials and exhibition halls. The Old-New Synagogues name represents the change from being a new, modern building to now the oldest synagogue in Josefov. The Old-New Synagogue is also Europe’s oldest synagogue still in use and the center for Prague’s Orthodox Jews. Above the entrance, there is an elaborate tympanum covered in the twisting branches of a vine tree, its twelve bunches of grapes representing the tribes of Israel. Inside the pulpit is surrounded by a 15th-century wrought-iron grill, and on the walls, there are scriptures from the 17th century recovered from a later ‘restoration’. It is hard to take this view without feeling you were transported back in time to this place 500 years ago.
After lunch, We will walk over to Charles Bridge to a Lesser Town. Charles Bridge is the oldest preserved connecting line between both Prague cities. Special attention will be given not only to its beautiful sculptural decoration and its history.
Dinner at the King David Hotel followed by a performance of the Black Light Theatre.
Day 4, Monday, June 30 – Terezin
After Tefilla and a kosher breakfast, we will visit Terezin which was a concentration camp 30 miles north of Prague in the Czech Republic during the World War II. Terezín is contained within the walls of the famed fortress Theresienstadt, which was created by Emperor Joseph II of Austria in the late 18th century and named in honor of his mother, Empress Maria Theresa.
By 1940 Nazi Germany had assigned the Gestapo to turn Terezín into a Jewish ghetto and concentration camp. It held primarily Jews from Czechoslovakia, as well as tens of thousands of Jews deported chiefly from Germany and Austria, as well as hundreds from the Netherlands and Denmark. More than 150,000 Jews were sent there, including 15,000 children, and held there for months or years, before being sent by rail transports to their deaths at Treblinka and Auschwitz extermination camps in occupied Poland, as well as to smaller camps elsewhere. Less than 150 children survived.
Return to Prague free time in the afternoon (shopping and walking). Dinner at the King David Hotel
In the evening we two optional musical entertainments: Jazz Club Reduta Narodni st.: Reduta Jazz Club – jazz, swing, blues, famous jazz club Prague. Concerts are starting at 21:15
Or, Classical musical oncert at the Municipal House, 10 walking minutes from the King David, program for June 30 is not known now.. Beginning of concerts mostly 7:30 or 8pm
Day 5, Tuesday, July 1 / Day 1st on the boat – Prague– Passau
Today, we will start our way To Passau to the River boat cruise.
Our first stop will be at the Breznice synagogue. Breznice in western Bohemia one can still see the former Jewish quater created in 1570 by the local lord, Ferdinand of Loksany, and enlarged a century and a half later. The two streets and large square of the quarter are lined with low houses. Breznice’s Jewish quarter is located to the north of the town’s central square.
Its most beautiful building is the Popper Palace, a manor house with courtyard that belonged to the celebrated Jewish merchant and financier of the eighteenth century, Joachim von Popper, one of the first Jew in the Czech lands to receive a noble title.
The synagogue, constructed in 1725 and remodeled a century later, still exists and is located on the square of the former ghetto, although it is now used for storage. Despite the new building and road construction projects, the town’s small Jewish quarter preserves its original plan and architecture.
At the edge of the city on the way to the village of Predni Porící is a Jewish cemetery active until World War II that has some interesting Baroque-style tombs. On the way we will visit the famous brewery – Budweiser located at Ceské Budejovice where we will have a tour and beer tasting.
Contiuning to Passau- we will have a short walking tour in Passau
Itinerary subject to change.
Hotel King David
The Hotel KING DAVID Prague is a five-star boutique kosher “Le Mehadrin” hotel open all year round.
The hotel is located near the train station in Prague city centre and provides comfortable accommodation in 66 guestrooms. The hotel is under the supervision of Rabbi Eliyahu Rotenberg from Jerusalem and the Rabbinat kashrut department of the Jewish community in Prague.
All clients can appreciate the free Wi-Fi internet throughout the entire property. The Hotel KING DAVID is known as the only kosher lemehadrin hotel in Prague. It offers high level of service and comfortable accommodation with attractive design.
Welcome to the cruise Program!
Luxurious Viva Moments Riverboat sailing on the picturesque Danube River. The Danube River region abounds in Jewish history and is a special destination for the Jewish tourist. From Budapest, the rich capital of Hungary, to Bratislava an up-and-coming capital, to the old-world sophistication, music and coffeehouse culture of Vienna, as well as the small towns such as Dürnstein, Melk, and Linz you will feel elevated by the delights in every destination. Jewish Heritage is strong here, woven like a golden thread throughout this part of the world.
Our home for 7 wonderful nights is the 5 star Viva Moments Riverboat. Built in 2018 with only 176 passengers the entire ship is Glatt Kosher, Chalav Yisrael, with amazing culinary meals throughout and of course wine will be served daily at dinner. The ship boasts large staterooms and suites, many with balconies and of course full amenities.
Day 6 tour, Wednesday, July 2nd / Day 2nd on the boat: Melk – Wachau Valley – Dornstein /Austria
In the morning, we will anchor in Melk, located at the edge of the Wachau Valley. After a luxurious breakfast on the ship, we will set off on a tour of the city of Melk and be impressed by the historic buildings, the special atmosphere and the postcard views. The town of Melk was a spiritual and cultural center of Austria for more than a thousand years and is known mainly for its impressive Baroque style. At the end of World War II, one of the subcamps of the Mauthausen concentration camp operated in Melk, which we will discuss on our tour.
Among the important historical sites in Melk is the Melk Benedictine Monastery, one of the great cultural highlights of Austria and the largest monastery in Europe. The Benedictine monastery was built in the Baroque style and is housed in a building amazing in its size and strength and is one of the best-known and most important heritage sites in Europe. We will also tour the old post office building, the St. Coloman Fountain, the “House on the Rock” (the oldest building in the city, built in the 15th century), the Town Hall Square, and more as time allows. At the end of our tour, we will continue with our bus on a journey along the picturesque Wachau Valley, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its agricultural and architectural landscape. A wonderfully preserved medieval landscape that has developed organically over time. The architecture in the towns and villages shows the development of the region and its society over the centuries.
The Wachau has inspired romantic legends for centuries and the castles are full of stories of love and heartbreak, especially from the Middle Ages. The Wachau Valley is also one of the most important wine regions in Austria. Around noon, we will meet our ship near the town of Dürnstein. We will have a full lunch on the ship, after which we will go on a walking tour of the town of Dürnstein, surrounded by walls and vineyards. We will tour the charming village during which we will see the ancient castle built in the 12th century, whose name became famous due to the story of the imprisonment of the English King Richard the Lionheart, which is also connected in some way to the city of Acre in Israel. Towards the afternoon we will return to the ship and sail towards Vienna. Overnight on the river ship.
Day 7, Thursday, July 3rd / Day 3 on the boat: Vienna
After breakfast we will start with a visit to Vienna First District, and a bus tour of the Ringstrasse, circular boulevard which boasts some of the city’s most spectacular sights—the Parliament Building, City Hall, the Opera House, palaces, museums, and parks. After the bus tour, we’ll continue BY foot to the elegant Kärntner Strasse and Graben pedestrian areas and visit the majestic St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
Our tour continues to the rich Jewish sites of Vienna. In the Middle Ages, Vienna was home to a thriving Jewish community, one of the largest and most important in Europe. Famous Rabbis taught and worked here, making Vienna into an influential center of Jewish knowledge. This lively and creative environment was forced to an abrupt and violent end in 1420-21, with the expulsion and murder of the Viennese Jews. The ruins of the then-destroyed synagogue, excavated under the Judenplatz in 1995, bear witness to the life and destruction of that medieval community.
In 2000, the Museum at Judenplatz was opened as a branch of the Jewish Museum Vienna. On the square itself, the city unveiled the solemn Judenplatz Holocaust Memorial: a reinforced concrete cube resembling a library with its volumes turned inside out, designed by British artist Rachel Whiteread. To this day, new sources and scientific and architectural findings are shedding a more detailed light on medieval Jewish Vienna. Our tour in the museum will include an animated virtual tour or the Jewish life allows us to walk through a reconstruction of the city and showcases the Jewish festivals and customs of the time, making for a lively depiction of life in this medieval Jewish community.
Return to ship for lunch.
This afternoon we will visit the Schönbrunn Palace. The Palace is the summer residence of the Habsburg family and notably Empress Elisabeth, who is better known as Sisi. Schönbrunn Palace is made up of 1441 rooms and is one of the most important architectural, cultural and historical monuments in the country. The history of the palace and its vast gardens spans over 300 years, displaying the changing tastes, interests and aspirations of the Habsburg monarchs. Today it is largely in its original condition and is quite a site to see!
Day 7- 8, Friday – Shabbat , July 4th– 5th / Day 4-5 on the boat: Bratislava
After breakfast, we will take a bus tour and get to know the Jewish part of the city. In the Middle Ages, Vienna was home to a thriving Jewish community, one of the largest and most important in Europe. Famous rabbis taught and worked here, making Vienna a Torah center of great influence. This vibrant and creative environment came to an end with the rise of anti-Semitism and ended in a murderous and violent way in 1420-21 with the expulsion and murder of the Jews of Vienna.
The ruins of the synagogue that was destroyed at that time, excavated under Judenplatz in 1995, testify to the life and destruction of that medieval community. In 2000, the museum on Judenplatz opened as a branch of the Jewish Museum in Vienna. The square itself is home to the Holocaust Memorial. A reinforced concrete cube resembling an inverted library with many shelves full of books, designed by British artist Rachel Whiteread. We will complete our last visits to the city and at the end of our tour we will depart on a trip to Bratislava, which we will arrive in the early afternoon.
Upon arrival, we will drive to the grave of the Hatam Sofer. The Hatam Sofer was the head of a yeshiva and one of the greatest rabbis and poskim in recent generations. He made a decisive contribution to shaping the Jewish-Orthodox outlook. One of the most influential poskim. His students established yeshivas throughout Hungary and served as rabbis in various communities. A visit to his burial place is an inspiring way to spend the Sabbath in Bratislava.
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and is considered the main economic, political and cultural capital of the country. The city is a fine blend of past and present; Many historical buildings showcase the city’s rich past, alongside universities and urban youth cultures, ultimately creating a bustling connection in one city. The Bratislava city tour is a guided tour that begins with a local train and explores the wider city center, as well as historical and modern landmarks. As time permits and at the end of the tour, we will return to the ship in the afternoon. The hours before Shabbat begins can be used to rest and sit comfortably on the ship and prepare for Shabbat. Lighting candles, a festive Shabbat reception that will surely cross rivers and about which it has been said: “The sounds of many waters”, Kiddush in the heart of a river, a Shabbat meal as it should be – a festive meal and a king’s hand. All of these are amazing experiences in themselves. After Shabbat, we will enjoy Shabbat in all its glory and river – ‘Shabbat Achim Gam Yahad’. Overnight on the river ship.
Immediately after Havdallah the ship will start cruising towards . Esztergom – Danube Bend – Budapest, Hungary
Day 9, Sunday, July 6th : Esztergom – Danube Bend – Budapest, Hungary
This morning, we will anchor in Esztergom, which was once the ancient capital of Hungary. We will visit the huge cathedral on the top of the hill and look out over the “Danube Bend”, the place where the river changes direction. We will set off on a journey to the artists’ town of Szent-André, through landscapes of an agricultural area and nature reserves along the river and encounter beautiful resort towns. Upon arrival in Szent-André, we will visit the Ceramics Museum of Margit Kovacs, a Jewish artist who dedicated her life to working with clay.
We will stroll through the beautiful and picturesque alleys with artist boutiques, typical Hungarian embroidery, jewelry and cafes. We will continue our journey to Budapest, the capital of Hungary. We will meet our ship in Budapest, where we will have lunch and then go on a city tour. Budapest is located in the heart of the Carpathian Basin on both banks of the Danube River. The river flowing through the heart of the city divides it into 2 parts, from which its name also derives: ‘Buda’ to the west and ‘Peszt’ to the east. Budapest is often called the “Paris of the East” and is a highlight for travelers from all over the world.
Budapest literally has a rich Jewish past containing a Jewish Torah-cultural treasure on the one hand, and great pain over the almost complete loss of the city’s Jews. We will begin our tour by crossing the famous Chain Bridge towards Buda Castle, where the coronation of al-Sisi and his husband as Hungarian Hapsburg rulers took place. We will have the opportunity for an unforgettable panoramic view of Budapest and will also see the famous Fisherman’s Bastion. We will continue our tour and towards evening we will return to the ship for dinner. Tonight the ship will stay in the port of Budapest. Overnight on the river ship.
Day 10, Monday, July 7: Budapest and its sites, Hungary
After a sumptuous breakfast on the ship, we will set off on a tour of the city of Budapest. Our first stop will be at the famous Neo-Gothic Synagogue, the largest synagogue in Europe designed in an oriental style, which can accommodate about 3,000 people. This is the synagogue where Herzl’s bar mitzvah celebration took place. After our exciting visit to the synagogue, we will visit the Jewish Museum where we will see the Tree of Life monument built in the shape of a willow tree on which are engraved about 30,000 names of Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust. We will continue from there towards the famous monuments including the beautifully designed Opera House, Heroes’ Square, the famous market, St. Stephen’s Church and the Parliament, which is amazingly reminiscent of the British Parliament. We will return to the ship for lunch and then we will set off for further visits around the charming city. Overnight on the river ship.
Last day- Day 11, Tuesday, July 8th / Day 8 on the boat: Budapest and its sites / Hungary
After a farewell breakfast we will depart by bus from the MS Voyager we will start our day in Budapest. Lunch and dinner will be provided.
We will begin our tour in Buda the part of Budapest, the capital city of Hungary, that lies on the western bank of the Danube. Historically, “Buda” referred only to the royal walled city on Castle Hill. Royal Buda is called the Várnegyed (lit. ’Castle Quarter’) today, while “Buda” Buda’s landmarks include the Royal Palace, Matthias Church, the Citadella, Gellért Baths, the Buda Hills, the Carmelite Monastery of Buda, and the residence of the President of Hungary, Sándor Palace.
We will visit – Hospital in the Rock Nuclear Bunker Budapest, the Hospital in the Rock (Sziklakorhaz) underneath the Buda Castle district is one of the most unique and fascinating attractions of Budapest. It was built to house an air raid hospital, then it was transformed into a nuclear bunker. Nowadays the Hospital in the Rock museum is one of the biggest Hungarian waxwork exhibitions with more than 200 figures, and numerous original machinery and furniture that are still in working conditions. After the visit of the Hospital we will enjoy a short walk in charming Buda. The second half day will be in Pest, is the part of Budapest, that lies on the eastern bank of the Danube.
Comprising about two-thirds of the city’s area, Pest is flatter and much more heavily urbanized than Buda. Many of Budapest’s most notable sites are in Pest, including the
Inner City (Hungarian: Belváros), the Parliament (Országház), the Opera, the Great Market Hall, Heroes’ Square, and Andrássy Avenue. We will be visiting
The Glass House -Memorial Room in Vadász utca 29, Budapest 5th. This house was a safe haven in 1944 for thousands of people, was their sanctuary, a place for their potential survival. Their story is an episode during the worldwide cataclysm, saving few thousand lives against the hundreds of thousands, who were dragged away for liquidation. It is the scene, where a couple of people were brave enough to initiate, direct and carry out salvage operations.
Secret Jewish Budapest-visit of the Teleki synagogue, is a unique synagogue in the Hungarian Jewish scene.
It is the last remaining synagogue following the Hassidic/Sfard pray liturgy. It was founded by the Chartkov Chassidim (today: Chortkiv, Ukraine) and legend has it that it was the Saintly Rebbe himself who established it.
Many themes and facets of the original style remains. It has remained a “shtiebel” – a small prayer house favoured by the Chassidic community for its “hominess” over the more formal setup of the typical synagogues.
We will have some free time to enjoy the colorful streets of Budapest before dinner at one of the Kosher restaurants. After dinner we will leave to the airport.
Return flight: LY2368 Tuesday, July 8th, 2025: Departing Budapest Airport, at 23:55. Arrival Wednesday, July 9th, 2025 in Tel Aviv at 03:40,
Prices for AACI members (prices are listed in Euro):
| Cabin Category | Per person in Double Cabin | Single Cabin |
| (D) – Outside Cabins with Upper window | € 4950 | € 8300 |
| (C) – French Balcony on rear Upper deck | € 5950 | € 10250 |
| (B) – French Balcony on Middle Deck | € 6250 | € 10700 |
| (A – French Balcony on Upper Middle Deck | € 6500 | € 11250 |
| (A) – Mini Suite, Mid, French Balcony | € 6750 | € 11700 |
| (A) – Mini Suite, French Balcony on upper deck | € 8300 | € 14700 |
| (Ds) – Large Deluxe Suite on upper deck | € 9500 | €17,100 |
Price includes:
- Accommodation: 4 Night Prague – King David Hotel
- Full board & light lunch in Prague
- Full touring & interdatinment in Prague
- Accommodation:7-night riverboat cruise
- Free Wi-Fi onboard riverboat + Hotel Prague
- 3 Glatt kosher meals daily on-board riverboat (freshly prepared)
- Kashrut under the supervision of Rav Duvdevani
- Full touring onboard riverboat (7 days)
- Full touring Prague, Czeck republic & Budapest (6 days)
- Unique Shabbat Experience in Prague
- Pre and post cruise lunch boxes
- Wine, cocktails & non-alcoholic hot/cold drinks during the entire cruise
- Daily Bar & Afternoon Refreshments
- Free minibar in cabin throughout cruise (refilled daily)
- English guided tours with a Jewish flavor
- All tips/land tour guides/drivers/porterage/ ship crew
- All transfers (Group flights)
- Chazzan + Lectures
- Tefillot + Shabbat + Sefer Torah
- AACI staff led
- Whispers
Not included:
- Additional Land Tours
- Flights
- Personal items, Medical insurance
- Non group transfers
Payment:
Upon registration Deposit- 1000 Euro
Balance due – March 3, 2025
Cancellation:
- From registration until March 3rd, 2035 – lower cabin €150/ Middle boat cabins €250 / Suites €500
- From March 4th– March 23, 20%
- From March 24th-April 22 – 40%
- From April 23rd -May 12 – 55%
- From May 13th-May 31 – 75
- From June 2 – 100%
The program and itinerary is subject to change without notice and minimum participation is required.
- Please note some tours may include strenuous walking.
- Prices are subject to change due to fuel increases or price fluctuation.
For further details please call Carole at AACI 02-5661181 ext. 205
email: info@aaci.org.il