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 Our favorite European capital cities all together in one unforgettable trip! We kick things off in Vienna, a city of grand imperial architecture, cozy coffeehouses, and world-class music. From the elegance of the Schönbrunn Palace, to the vibrant queer nightlife and rich café culture, Vienna blends old-world charm with a modern, inclusive spirit. Next, we head to Prague, where Gothic spires, cobblestone alleys, and romantic bridges transport you to another era. Wander through its storybook streets, explore castles and cathedrals, and discover a city that’s as beautiful as it is welcoming.
Then it’s off to Berlin to wrap things up—a bold, diverse metropolis known for its groundbreaking art scene, layered history, and one of the most celebrated LGBTQ+ cultures in the world. Whether you're into museums, clubs, or tracing the past along the Berlin Wall, this city delivers.
These iconic destinations are some of Europe’s top "must-visit" gay-friendly cities, making it easy to mix daytime exploring with lively, inclusive nightlife. Along the way, we’ll travel by train alongside the scenic Elbe and Vltava rivers, visit hilltop castles, uncover the region’s dramatic past, and enjoy plenty of local flavor.
This is a city-focused, active trip filled with walking, sightseeing, and memorable cultural moments through the heart of Central Europe.
• All group transport between itinerary destinations
• Intra-Europe flight from Vienna to Prague
• Train travel from Prague to Berlin
• Accommodations for your 10-day gay tour experience
• Three 3-hour guided walking tours: in Vienna, Prague and Berlin
• 48hr hop-on-hop-off bus pass in Berlin
• All full breakfasts
• Welcome dinner and drinks
• Knowledgeable and fun gay group leader
• All Taxes
** - Trip prices based on twin share. Traveling solo? We'll match you up with another traveler at no extra charge, or just pay a $1,190 single supplement for your own room!
• Meals and drinks outside of those listed above
• Activities outside of the those listed above
• International Airfare
• Arrival/departure airport transfers
• Optional gratuities
Additional spending budget?
Your big-ticket items are included through the trip, but you'll want to budget for additional spending such as additional meals, drinks, shopping, activities, etc. These costs can vary dramatically with differing personal habits but we suggest expecting to spend an additional $800 USD at the lower end for the more budget-conscious and $1200 USD at the higher end for the splurgers. While there are many ATMs available, we suggest arriving to Vienna with approximately 150 EUR for those places that don't accept credit cards.
Days 1, 2, and 3
Vienna is a city of grand architecture, elegant cafés, and a rich musical history that still hums through its streets. We’ll begin our time here at 4:00pm on day 1 with a relaxed evening out enjoying local food and wine while meeting our fellow trip-mates - perfect for settling in and soaking up the city's charm. The next morning, a local guide will lead us through the historic heart of Vienna, from the majestic Hofburg Palace to the soaring spires of St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Afterward, the day is yours to explore - maybe you’ll tour the opulent Schönbrunn Palace, relax in a grand coffeehouse, browse the museums of the Museums Quartier, or take in the views from the Prater’s giant Ferris wheel. At night, Vienna’s sophisticated charm turns playful with a mix of classical concerts, trendy bars, LGBTQ+ nightlife, and cozy clubs hidden in unexpected corners.
Included Activities: Welcome dinner • 3-hour walking tour of Vienna
Optional Activities: Kunsthistorisches Museum • Naschmarkt • Hundertwasser House • Beer Spa • Viennese Wine Tasting • Sigmund Freud Museum
Days 4, 5 and 6
On Day 4 we'll take a 1 hour flight from Vienna to our next country on the trip, Czech Republic. Prague has long been known as a city of beauty, and one of Europe's favorite nightlife cities too! It's famous for it's old town full of history, and as a lively city where everyone is out in the streets throughout the day, socializing over a pint or coffee. Our local gay-friendly guide here will take us to their favorite spots around the city to make sure we're all set up to enjoy the city both during the day and night. At night the city stays very alive as it lives up to its reputation for fun into the wee hours. We're here for 3 nights of exploring and fun together before continuing north to our 3rd country of the trip!
Included Activities: 3-hour walking tour of Prague
Optional Activities: Ghost & Legends of old town walking tour • Prague Castle • Petrin Lookout Tower • Beer Spa • Prague National Museum • Classical/black light shows
Days 7, 8, 9, and 10
On day 7 of the trip we'll hop on a 4.5 hour train across the European countryside, past the Elbe & Vlatava rivers to our final stop of the trip - Berlin!
Berlin itself has a ton of history going back thousands of years and even into modern times and it's all on display in this city that's also known as one of the world's gay hotspots. The culture of the city can be found in the many impressive museums, galleries, nightlife, and even just wandering the streets. After 3 days of exploring the day and night life that Berlin has to offer, our trip comes to an end on the 10th day but if your schedule allows, consider staying a bit longer in this part of Europe to experience even more!
Included Activities: Hop-on Hop-off Bus (2 day pass) • Queer walking tour of the city
Optional Activities: Berlin Memorial • Museum Island • Memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe
We don't like staying in smelly shacks on our vacations and we're pretty sure you don't either! You work hard to go on vacation and we believe you deserve an enjoyable, comfortable place to wind down at the end of each day. We put a LOT of time into finding the perfect accommodation for your trip. After rigorous wifi signal testing, fluffing pillows, and taking a shower or two, we've narrowed down our favorite properties. Check out our approved accommodation to see where we've stayed in the past and where we'll likely be staying on your trip.
Vienna, Austria
MOOONS Vienna Hotel
 This amazing hotel is smack in the middle of the best part of the city. Uniquely stylish rooms, a chic on-site restaurant, a gym, and a great breakfast too. MOOONS Vienna in Vienna offers air-conditioned rooms with private bathrooms, tea and coffee makers, and free WiFi. The modern restaurant serves international cuisine with vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free options. Breakfast is available as a buffet or à la carte. The contrast having modern comforts surrounded by centuries of history creates a feeling of home in a city full of wonder.
Prague, Czech Republic
Mosaic House Hotel
 Once again centrally located for exploration (both at night and day), Mosaic House Design Hotel is a stylish hotel with striking design & artistic elements, and houses a cafe in a former theatre hall, a library, and a courtyard garden, and indoor/outdoor art installations. At the hotel, every room includes a desk, a flat-screen TV, a private bathroom, bed linen and towels. All rooms come with a coffee machine, while certain rooms here will provide you with a terrace and others also provide guests with city views.
Berlin, Germany
DoubleTree by Hilton Berlin Ku'damm Hotel
Located in the heart of Berlin Kurfurstendamm, in the middle of the former west of the city, in front of Los Angeles Plaza. It was always a melting pot of urban life, a cross between an urban boulevard and a Bohemian neighbourhood. A shopping area with luxury outlets and small, exclusive boutiques jostle happily here with restaurants, bars, music clubs and theatres. Experience the refined ambiance of our fully renovated hotel, where tastefully designed rooms and suites offer a serene sanctuary, allowing you to unwind and relax in comfort. All of the rooms feature a flat-screen TV, a minibar-fridge, a working desk and free highspeed WiFi.
*Please note that due to availability, these exact hotels may not all be available during all our trips. However, we will always replace these with similar hotels.
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The Climate
In the months that we operate our Central Europe trips, Vienna, Prague, and Berlin enjoy mild to warm weather with plenty of daylight - ideal for sightseeing and outdoor activities. Days are generally comfortable, ranging from the high 60s to mid-70s °F (around 18–24°C), though occasional rain showers are possible. Evenings can be cooler, so it’s a good idea to bring layers, including a light jacket or sweater. Comfortable walking shoes are a must for exploring cobblestone streets, and packing an umbrella or light raincoat can come in handy just in case.
LGBTQ Friendliness
Vienna, Prague, and Budapest each offer unique experiences for LGBTQ+ travelers, with varying levels of visibility and openness. Vienna is widely considered one of the most LGBTQ-friendly cities in Europe, with a vibrant queer scene, inclusive attitudes, and strong legal protections. Prague also has a welcoming atmosphere, a growing LGBTQ+ community, and a fun nightlife scene, especially in the city center. Budapest is more mixed—while it has a lively and active LGBTQ+ nightlife, public attitudes and government policies can be less progressive. Overall, travelers generally feel safe and welcome, especially in central, tourist-friendly areas of all three cities.
The Cuisine
The cuisine of Vienna, Prague, and Budapest is hearty, flavorful, and rooted in centuries-old traditions. Expect rich meats, savory stews, dumplings, and sauces, often paired with seasonal vegetables. Each city offers its own specialties - Vienna is famous for schnitzel and strudel, Prague for roast pork with sauerkraut and dumplings, and Budapest for its iconic goulash and paprika-spiced dishes. Bakeries and cafés are a big part of the culture, with plenty of sweet pastries and strong coffee. While traditional fare dominates, all three cities also offer modern takes and international dining options to suit every palate.
What to bring?
Our advice is simple. Pack your bag, then take half of those things out and leave them back home. It’s common to hear people wishing they’d packed less stuff, but we’ve never heard anyone complain that they didn’t bring enough. Even if you realize you forget to pack some crucial item you can always pick up a replacement once you arrive Europe. Just make sure to review the climate section above and remember that our trips are run in a casual style so you can leave your tuxedos at home. We'll include some trip-specific packing advice based on expected weather as part of our update email to you, sent 10 days prior to your trip.
Money
While credit cards are commonly used in this part of the world, it's always good to have some local cash on hand. Here's a brief idea of what to expect in each spot along the way:
Vienna (Austria) - The official currency here is the Euro (EUR). Credit cards are widely accepted, but we recommend bringing a small amount of cash for markets, cafés, or smaller purchases where cards may not be taken.
Prague (Czech Republic) - The official currency here is the Czech Crown (CZK) and similar to Austria, we suggest bringing a bit of this too. Again, credit cards are widely accepted so don’t bring much cash, but it’s good to have a small amount on you.
Berlin (Germany) - The official currency here is the Euro (EUR) and again we suggest having some Euros on you too. Basically, everywhere will accept credit cards so just a small amount of cash is good to have on hand.
It can sometimes be challenging to use large-denomination bills at shops and restaurants, so we encourage you to request small denomination bills when getting cash prior to your trip.
Tipping
While tipping isn't a native custom in these destinations, those working in the tourism industry all over the world have come to expect gratuities when providing good service. This extends to local guides, restaurant wait staff, bus drivers, and your Detours trip leader. Of course the actual amount is left up to your discretion, if you've been provided excellent service we suggest leaving around 15% for restaurant/wait staff as well as the local equivalent of a few dollars to bus drivers and luggage porters, as well as around $10-15 USD per day for local guides and your gay trip leader.
Trip Leaders
All our trips are led by one of our own trip leaders. They're there with you every day and their job is to help ensure that this is your trip of a lifetime by taking the hassle out of your trip and enabling you to experience everything you came to Europe for. Consider them like a friendly concierge that's traveling along with you. All of our trip leaders are gay and all are well-traveled and experienced in the destination they're leading in, so they'll be a great part of your experience!
Your Group
Overall, we've found that approximately 60% of the travelers on trips join solo, while the other 40% or so join with their partner or a friend, and 90% of our travelers are in their 40s to 60s. Whatever the age of the guys on our trips everyone's already got something in common, an exciting new experience in a new country! Each group is led by a Detours trip leader who is there to ensure everything goes off without a hitch, allowing you to focus on having the time of your life! We welcome both men and women onto our trips although it’s important to know that almost all groups are 100% gay men.
Accommodation
We have pretty high standards when it comes to choosing our accommodations, and trust us, we’ve done plenty of room-sniffing, pillow-patting, and bathroom inspections to make sure we stay at quality spots. To be approved as a Detours accommodations provider, a guesthouse must: be locally owned (to support the local community), be in an amazing location (close to the beach or other hot spots), AND be gay-owned or gay-friendly. We won't be staying in 5-star Ritz-Carltons but we also won't subject you to anything we wouldn't want to stay in ourselves. Clean, comfortable, well-located spots that'll put a smile on your face, you can count on that!
Solo Travelers
No problem! Don’t worry, lots of our travelers come solo and our trip will provide plenty of chances to meet great people both inside and outside of our group, including other solo travelers. As far as your accommodations go, you’ve got two choices. We can either pair you up with another solo group member in a two-bed room for no extra charge, or you can have your own room for a reasonable surcharge.
Staying Connected
To ensure you don't lose connection along the way, your cell phone provider likely has several roaming options available. We suggest reaching out to them prior to the trip to find out which package is right for you as it will depend on how much you intend to use your phone while traveling. Keep in mind that all accommodation and most restaurants have free WiFi available as well.
Electrical Outlets
All countries on this trip use the European plug known as a "type C" and "type F" plug, the same as most European countries and several other places in the world. The voltage is 230V with 50 Hz frequency. These days, the majority of items that are plugged into an outlet are built to handle varying voltage and frequency levels, but just to be sure, we suggest checking your item for its acceptable range.
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