Vienna

Graze your way through the Naschmarkt with a local guide – Austrian cheeses and hams, Middle Eastern mezze, pickles and sweets – learning the stories behind Vienna’s most multicultural market.

A half-day escape into the green Vienna Woods – the Heiligenkreuz abbey, the Mayerling hunting-lodge legend and the eerie Seegrotte underground lake. A refreshing break from the imperial city.

A scenic day trip up the Danube to the terraced-vineyard Wachau valley – the golden Melk Abbey, storybook villages like Durnstein and a tasting of the region’s crisp Gruner Veltliner.

An evening of Mozart and Strauss crowd-pleasers performed in period costume in a grand hall – a touristy but genuinely fun slice of Vienna’s musical soul. Great for a first classical concert.

A delicious guided crawl through Vienna’s legendary coffeehouses – Melange, Sachertorte, apple strudel and the UNESCO-listed coffee culture that turned cafes into the city’s living rooms.

Go behind the red velvet with a guided tour of the State Opera – the grand staircase, auditorium and backstage machinery, with the stories of one of the world’s busiest opera houses.

A guided stroll through the imperial old town – St Stephen’s, the Hofburg, the Graben and the stories of Habsburg Vienna a map won’t tell you. The perfect first-day orientation.