Day 1Bucharest
Welcome to Bucharest. We will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel.* After checking in to your hotel, enjoy free time and get acquainted with the city. (D)
Day 2Bucharest
On your morning tour of Bucharest, visit The Palace of the Parliament, known as “House of the People.”† After lunch in a local restaurant, visit Revolution Square. Then, take a ride through the Romanian countryside to embark your ship. Depart during dinner. (B, L, D)
†The Palace of the Parliament may occasionally be closed to host official government business.
Day 3Varna
Wake up in Silistra and drive through rural Bulgaria to Varna, a Black Sea resort. Take a short cruise on the Black Sea, followed by lunch in a local restaurant. During free time, stroll the town’s pedestrian zone or beautiful beaches, or visit the Varna Museum. Return to your ship for dinner; depart this evening for Russe. (B, L, D)
Day 4Veliko Tarnovo & Arbanasi
From Russe, your daylong tour takes you to Bulgaria’s former capital, Veliko Tarnovo. See Tsaravets Hill and the ruins of the royal castle. During free time, you can shop along Samovodska Charshia, a street featuring local crafts. In Arbanasi, enjoy lunch in a local restaurant and a guided tour of the Nativity Church with its intricate floor-to-ceiling murals and icons. Dine aboard and cruise through the night. (B, L, D)
Day 5Vidin & Belogradshick
Arrive in Vidin during breakfast and take a motorcoach to Belogradchik to tour the former Ottoman castle. Stroll the compound and explore its many terraced courtyards with breathtaking views. Eat lunch aboard followed by free time. Depart during dinner. (B, L, D)
Day 6Iron Gate
Enjoy a full-day cruise along one of the most scenic areas of the Lower Danube, flanked by enormous white chalk cliffs surrounded by spectacular scenery. (B, L, D)
Day 7Belgrade
Wake up in Belgrade, capital of Serbia. Take a guided walk through the grounds of Kalemegdan Fortress. During your tour, see the city’s Orthodox cathedral and stop at the Square of the Republic. Have lunch aboard; afternoon cruising. (B, L, D)
Day 8Kalocsa
Arrive in Kalocsa after lunch. Your tour visits the House of Folk Arts, showcasing the area’s time-honored farming traditions. Then you are treated to a performance of traditional Puszta horsemanship. Return to your ship for dinner and depart. (B, L, D)
Day 9Budapest
Today’s city tour explores both sides of Hungary’s capital. Start in modern “Pest” seeing Heroes’ Square, the Parliament and St. Stephen’s Basilica. Cross the river and tour traditional “Buda” and the Castle District. Walk to Fishermen’s Bastion and Matthias Church. Return to your ship for lunch; enjoy afternoon free time. Dine aboard and cruise through the night. (B, L, D)
Day 10Bratislava
Cruise through the morning, arriving in Bratislava after lunch. Take a walking tour of Slovakia’s charming capital. See its medieval fortifications, Michael’s Tower, Trinity Church and St. Martin’s Cathedral. Pass several baroque palaces from the Habsburg Dynasty before returning to your ship for dinner and cruising. (B, L, D)
Day 11Vienna
Today’s tour of Vienna takes you to see the Opera House and Hofburg Palace. You then visit Belvedere Palace with its beautiful landscaped gardens and wonderful collection of Austrian art. Have lunch aboard with afternoon free time. Return to your ship for dinner followed by an optional evening concert of classical music. Depart late tonight. (B, L, D)
Day 12Melk & Linz
Arrive in Melk during breakfast and tour the 900-year-old Benedictine abbey to see its collection of medieval manuscripts, ceiling paintings and frescoes. Return to your ship for lunch and cruise through the afternoon. After dinner, arrive in Linz; you can sample wines from the famous Wachau Valley. (B, L, D)
Day 13Passau
Dock in Passau midmorning. Your walking tour takes you through this 2,000-year-old city at the confluence of the Inn, Ilz and Danube Rivers. Stop at St. Stephan’s Cathedral for a special concert on Europe’s largest pipe organ.† Enjoy afternoon free time; dinner coincides with an evening departure. (B, L, D)
†Passau organ concert not available on Sundays or after November 1.
Day 14Regensburg
Arrive in Regensburg during breakfast. During your guided walk, you see the Town Hall, St. Peter’s Cathedral and the 12th-century Old Stone Bridge. Lunch aboard with afternoon at leisure to explore on your own. Dine aboard and cruise through the night. (B, L, D)
Day 15Nuremberg
Cruise through the morning and arrive in Nuremberg. After lunch aboard, tour Nuremberg to see Zeppelin Field and the Palace of Justice, site of the Nuremberg Trials. Or, learn more about World War II history during our optional tour to the Documentation Center Museum. The afternoon is yours to enjoy. Dine aboard and remain docked overnight. (B, L, D)
Day 16Nuremberg
After breakfast, disembark and we will take you to the airport for your return flight.* (B)