Welcome to Czech Heritage Tours
2025 May Liberation tour
( detailed program below )
Liberation tour 2025
Liberation tour, May 2025 April 29 - May 8, 10+ glorious days
Offered by Heritage Tours Inc. email : 4CStours@gmail.com
We do all the planning, you just have to pack.
This special tour attends the 80th anniversary Celebrations of the Liberation of Western Czechoslovakia, by General Patton and the US 16th Armored Division, the 2nd and 97th Infantry Divisions in early May, 1945. This will be a once in a lifetime event, not to be missed !
This extensive – jam packed land only tour starts and ends in Prague, Czech Republic.
I suggest you depart the USA on Sunday April 27th Flying overnight arriving into Prague – on Monday April 28th. Which is the day before the tour officially starts, this way you can rest from your journey, and the bus will pick everyone up from the same hotel, on the morning of April 29th. This is an option, you can fly in the morning the tour starts if you wish, but you must be at the hotel by 8:30 AM. We have reserved rooms in a hotel in the historic center for this pre-tour option. All tour hotel stays are multi-night, NO one nights in any hotel, which is so much easier.
This tour celebrates many unknown areas of Bohemia in the Czech Republic. Major towns and locations we visit below on the tour - are in bold print. Note the many UNESCO World heritage sites you will be visiting ! We will be seeing quite a variety of unknown sites !
May 2025 Czech Republic Liberation tour
April 28, Monday
You are requested to arrive today April 28th Which is the day before the tour officially starts.
Arrive to Prague check-in to our pre-tour hotel, exchange money, etc. and take a short nap.
As a bonus for those who arrive this day, Mark will lead a walking tour starting in mid-afternoon.
We will find a nice restaurant for dinner, and hear loads of stories and Prague legends.
( so this night at our pre-tour hotel, and meal will be an extra cost )
April 29, Tuesday
Today we will depart Prague at 8:30 AM and go South to Southern Bohemia. Our first stop will be at an open-air museum, with traditional homes and see how they lived a couple hundred years ago. Then we will continue on to a very small village and visit a private home for a traditional lunch ( made by local village people ) and learn about Czech village traditions. Also we teach you to sing in Czech and make traditional Koláče. ( traditional Czech pastries ) Later in the afternoon we will depart and continue to České Budějovice – the capital of South Bohemia. ( home of the original Budweiser beer ) Check-in at our hotel in the old town. Because it will be not so late, we will do a little walking tour around the beautiful historic city center. Then you will be on your own for dinner. ( no problem with dozens of wonderful restaurants )
April 30, Wednesday
Today we will have very Czech morning. Our program will starts with a private tour of the original Budweiser brewery. This is a local Czech brewery and we can say – the original Budweiser. Our next stop will be in a local ceramic workshop. A very traditional handicraft and you will have a chance to buy some gifts. For lunch we will stop in Hluboká nad Vltavou. Lunchtime will be on our own and then we will have a tour of the local amazing chateau.( considered one of the most beautiful in the country ) After the tour we will move on and visit the small village of Holašovice. UNESCO site. The village is unique because of the architecture style, and almost untouched for 300 plus years. After a walk around, we will have a dinner with the group. Last program of today will be a meeting with the local folk dance group, they will dance and sing for us. Then we will return to České Budějovice. ( for those interested go out for a beer nightcap ? )
May 1, Thursday
In the morning we will depart from České Budějovice and go to the museum of Czech emigrants, in a small village. They describe the lives of Czechs who moved to the US. After this touching visit we will go to the very charming town of Třeboň, with it’s lovely renaissance square. Here you will be on your own for lunchtime. Our next stop will be the monastery of Zlatá Koruna, founded by the Czech king in 1263.. We will have a guided tour here. Our final destination today, will be Český Krumlov UNESCO site. A stunning picturesque town with many narrow streets. We will do a walking tour together and you will have some free time as well. Dinner will be with the group and then we will return to České Budějovice.
May 2, Friday
Today we’ll be changing hotels, heading North and West. Our first destination will be a small village with a church from 1350. Around the church is a very unique cemetery it’s surrounded by almost a hundred small chapels. Each of them is decorated in different ways. From here we will go to Pisek to see the oldest bridge in Central Europe, built before 1300. Lunch will be together with the group, and in the afternoon we will arrive in Plzeň– the capital of West Bohemia. In WW II, this town was liberated by the American army. In 2025 they will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the liberation and the end of the war. The town will prepare an amazing festival in gratitude for the liberation by the American Army lead by General Patton. Expect a once in a lifetime event. They will have a HUGE parade of restored US Army vehicles ( 100’s ) Owned and fixed up by local people, the streets will be lined by thousands of people waving American flags. A large display of anything American Army : tents, jeeps, First Aid, uniforms, just everything ! Jitterbug contests, the hair styles……. Everyone will get detailed information about the festival program. We will walk around the city center, so you will have a sense of directions. Dinner will be on your own.
May 3, Saturday
Today we will spend all day at the Plzeň liberation festival. You will be able to see many different cultural performances, concerts, open-air markets, military fans will re-act historical battles, you can visit the very interesting Museum of General Patton and also, we will see the Convoy of Liberty – the HUGE parade ! All in the historic center of Plzen. Today, you will be on your own for both meals, so another day you will receive two included group meals.
May 4, Sunday
In the morning we will visit a local puppet museum. Puppets are very famous and traditional in Czech culture, so will be fun to learn more about it. Who doesn’t wan to join us, can enjoy the festival program. Lunchtime will be on your own and in the afternoon we will leave Plzeň and will have a tour in amazing kaolin underground system. From here will go to meet with a local cooper, who still makes wooden barrels in the traditional way. Later we will have chance to walk a bit in nature and visit a viewpoint with a Romanesque rotunda - chapel, which is over 1000 years old. Dinner will be in small local restaurant and then we will return to the hotel.
May 5, Monday
Today we will stay one more night in Plzeň, but will do full day of sightseeing – First stop will be in Loket, this is a lovely medieval town with stone fortification and great unknown Gothic castle. We will have a guided tour in the castle. Next stop is the well known Karlovy Vary ( Carlsbad in English ) One of the most famous spa towns in Europe. Due to our timing you will have lunchtime on your own first. Afterwards we will visit the Becherovka museum – the most famous Czech liqueur. We will learn a bit of the history and then, you can buy it as a gift, in several different sizes. Finally we will walk through this famous spa and still have time do some shopping or just relax and taste the spa water and atmosphere. Dinner will be with the group, on the way back to Plzeň.
May 6, Tuesday
Today we head Northeast returning to Prague UNESCO site. Our first stop will be a historical water mill. You will learn how people used to live and work here. Afterwards we will have a tour in a crystal glass works. You will see the glass blowing and also can buy something. Lunch will be with the group and then we will leave for Prague. After we will arrive, we will check-in, have a free time to relax and then will use the public transportation to reach the riverside. Here we will have a dinner cruise on the river, under and around the Charles bridge. The scenery of Old Prague is beautiful, when it gets dark and the lights of the castle and all the old buildings come on... It’s just magical !!! An image you will never forget.
May 7, Wednesday
Our last full day together will be sightseeing in Prague, starting above the Prague castle complex ( the largest in the world ) and walking down the hill, through the castle to Malá Strana ( lower town ) . Here we will have a lunch with the group. Then we will continue across the Charles Bridge into Old Town. You can continue touring or go back to the hotel, or just sit in one of the restaurants on the way. We will meet again in the evening and enjoy a wonderful dinner with a folkloric program in the old town. What a perfect way to say good bye.
May 8, Thursday
Today you will depart after breakfast. With a lifetime of memories from a trip of a lifetime !
From our hotel you need about 30 minutes to reach the airport, just request a taxi from the front desk. If you want to stay a few more nights in Prague we are happy to help you to arrange the hotel.
PRICE FOR THIS TOUR IS ONLY : $ 3678.00* Per-person double occupancy. Single supplement is $650 for a single room during the tour. Reserve your space ASAP send your check now !
Final payment due Feb. 15, 2025. I suggest you let us know ASAP if you want to reserve any hotel rooms before and or after the tour in Prague, we can add that to your tour total price – so you can just arrive and go up to your room. *Listed tour price is by personal or bank check.
Tour space is held by a non-refundable deposit of only, $ 300 per-person. Mail in a check for your tour deposit to :
Heritage Tours, 2101 S. Meridian Rd # 59, Apache Junction, AZ 85120
This tour is expected to sell out, do not delay ! Please feel free to contact Mark, with any tour questions you may have by email at : 4cstours@gmail.comor by phone at ( 651) 426-122two
( three twos in a row ) Tour price is based on double room occupancy. ( most times it’s two beds in a room ) Single supplement price is for a single room, with a single bed. Triple rooms are available too.
Tour price includes : Hotel rooms with private bath, in small select superior class hotels ( 4 or 3 star hotels ). Most meals, every breakfast, and most evening meals, ( which are large, see program for meal list ). Professional driver, in a nice large passenger modern air-conditioned motor coach - ( with LOTS of room to relax and spread out on all those empty seats, this is a real luxury – as most tours will cram you in, every seat is full ) Or a smaller vehicle in case of a smaller group. This is a fully guided tour, with a full time licensed local Czech guide. You will not be left on your own, with no clue. ( unless you want to ) Your admission to places and events, on the itinerary. Plus lots of entertainment, ( due to our extensive expertise, almost all entertainment we have is exclusive to Heritage Tours )
This is a Land only tour. Program is subject to change, tour price based on currency exchange rates as of Sept. 2024. No two tours have ever been the same, each is unique and custom designed around the local calendar of events. No one else will offer a tour like ours, period. We can easily book you additional nights at the hotels – no problem. Tour size is limited, again this is a real luxury, as many of my competitors have
35 to 50 people on one tour. Tour space is held by deposit only.
We add many things to our tour program in Europe and are only satisfied when most people say I am too tired to go on ! We don’t believe in playing games with tour prices, there will be very few extras while you are on our tour. Those very few extras are: a. One meal a day, mostly lunches ( with two BIG meals a day, its not missed by most people) Beverages other than breakfast. b. Car, drivers, translators, for family visits and personal reasons, and additional services done by any genealogical service. c. An occasional evening cultural program, or extra stops at places or events we come across. d. Gratuities during the tour. e. Transportation to / from Europe, and transfers to meet the start of the tour, and return to the airport at the end of the tour.
References available upon request.
This is a GREAT GENERAL TOUR, each day is plum full of activities, don’t worry you if your not of Czech or Slovak background. If your interest is just seeing a wonderful part of Europe - enjoying a more in-depth experience, or extensive travelers looking for a better travel experience – all have found our tours a wonderful off the beaten path travel experience ! You will meet many friends as we have over the last 30+ years, it's less like a tour and more like a family outing visiting friends. Don’t miss your chance…………. Join us for the trip of a lifetime in 2025 !
For more genealogical information please contact the National Genealogical Society I founded: CzechoSlovak Genealogical Society Int. PO Box 16225 St. Paul MN 55116 or visit their web site at: www.cgsi.org or Facebook page ( a not-for-profit, volunteer run society )