BUDAPEST

Categories Cruises River & Canal Cruises

Tour Highlights:

VIENNA, AUSTRIA, City tour including Belvedere Palace

BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA, City tour including Primate Palace

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY, City tour including Fisherman’s Bastion

OSIJEK, CROATIA City tour with wine tasting & organ concert

NOVI SAD, SERBIA, Walking tour

BELGRADE, SERBIA, City by bus & walking tour

VIDIN , BULGARIA, City Tour including Baba Vida’s Fortress

BUCHAREST, ROMANIA, City tour including Parliament House (outside)

Itinerary

Welcome to Austria! On arrival, check-in to your floating hotel. In the evening enjoy a welcome cocktail and information meeting followed by your first dinner on board.

Morning city sightseeing of Austria’s Imperial includes Hunderwasser, the Ringstrasse, the Parliament, the State Opera, Hofburg (Imperial Palace) and Belvedere Palace (second stop). The last stop will be in the old center of Vienna to take a walk through the pedestrian zone from Graben and Kohlmarkt to Michaela Square ending at the entrance of the St. Stephan’s Cathedral. The balance of the day is at leisure. You may choose to explore Vienna on your own or purchase an optional tour.

Welcome to Slovakia! Enjoy a morning walking/mini train tour of this lovely city with its famous St. Martin’s Cathedral and the Primate’s Palace followed by a walk through the Old Town. Enjoy free time for shopping and strolling and return to the ship for lunch. Dinner and an evening free to waltz the night away or join afternoon optional tour to Red Stone Castle!

Welcome to Hungary! Morning at sail. In the afternoon, your motor coach tour of this lovely city will include the most popular sights: The Parliament Building, St. Stefan Cathedral, the Opera, the Heroes Square, and the town park with the Vajdahunyad Castle. There will be stops at the Heroes Square, the Fisherman’s Bastion and Gellert Hill. Return to the ship for dinner. In the evening we recommend the optional Hungarian Folk Show.

Full free day to explore and enjoy pedestrian friendly Budapest on your own, or partake in one of our optional excursions available for purchase on board! Evening surprise! Prior to dinner enjoy a 45 minute concert performed by a local Gypsy duo in the lounge

Welcome to Croatia! View the passing vista’s from the sun deck, as you sail into the Drava River toward Osijek, Croatia’s 4th largest city. In the afternoon enjoy a bus and walking tour of the Old Town including the Tvrdja (Citadel), the best-preserved and largest ensemble of baroque buildings in Croatia. At the end of the tour, enjoy a refreshment drink with snacks accompanied by live entertainment featuring Croatian folk music and “tamburica”, the Croatian version of a banjo. Then enjoy some free time in the town before returning to your ship for dinner. Sail on!

Welcome to Serbia! Your first stop in this “newly” minted Balkan country will be in Novi Sad, Serbia’s third largest city after Belgrade and Nis. Join your local guide first for a walking tour through the town center and bus tour to Petrovaradin Fortress – second Europe’s largest. After the tour you will have free time to explore the town or partake in the optional Serbian Cultural Heritage & Wine Tasting. Dinner is on board.

Morning motor coach tour of this lively and vibrant capital will include all of the major attractions: Kalemegdan Fortress, St. Sava’s Orthodox Cathedral, and many other attractions ending with a stroll through Knez Mihajlova Pedestrian Street. This afternoon we recommend the highly popular optional excursion to an authentic local Serbian “salash” (farm), where you will meet an authentic Serbian multi-generation family and enjoy a wonderful taste of Serbian home made food, live music and hospitality! After dinner, enjoy a private folklore show on board.

This morning ship will make a quick stop for passengers taking 4 hrs optional tour to see the impressive Lepenski Vir and Golubac Fortress. Those remaining onboard will continue sailing to Donji Milanovac our last port of call in Serbia. Passengers participating in the optional tour will re-embark the ship around 1:00pm for lunch. As you sail on, the highlight of the day will be the passage through the “The Iron Gates“, the highest gorge on the Danube. Over 100 km long, this canyon, was a gigantic obstacle to navigation because of its pointed rocks, cliffs, and changing water levels, surrounded with very wild, yet attractive nature. This danger was finally overcome in 1972, with the building of the “Djerdap” lock. Tonight prepare for your Captain’s Farewell Dinner!

Welcome to Bulgaria! After breakfast, embark on a walking tour of this delightful Bulgarian river port highlighted by a visit to the 13th century fortress named “Baba Vida” (“Grandma Vida”). Then enjoy some free time for strolling and shopping or take the optional Belogradchik Rock excursion.

Disembark after breakfast. Dock at the Romanian port of Turnu Magurele and transfer to the “Paris of the East” – Bucharest, Romania’s lovely capital! (2,5 hrs). Your city tour will highlight the major attractions including Arch D’ Triumph, the National Theatre and a photo stop at the Parliament the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon. Then it’s on to your first class hotel, where after check-in you will have free time to explore this lovely city at your leisure and enjoy dinner at one of the local restaurants on your own. (NOTE: If taking the optional Dracula Extension you will enjoy your last night in Bucharest AFTER returning from Brasov).

After a final breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flights home. BON VOYAGE!

Notes