Romantic Danube

Itinerary

Day 1 Budapest, Hungary

Welcome to Budapest, capital of Hungary. Transfer to your ship from the airport.* After boarding, the afternoon is yours to relax or do a bit of exploring. Tonight, return to your ship for a traditional Hungarian dinner. (D)

Day 2 Budapest, Hungary

Your morning begins with a panoramic tour of the Pest side of the city. Journey along Andrssy Avenue and see the 19th- and 20th-century mansions, National Opera House, Parliament Building and Chain Bridge. Stop in Heroes Square to learn more about Hungarian history, then cross the Danube to Budas Castle District. Visit Matthias Church and enjoy brilliant views of the Danube and the beautiful Hungarian Parliament building from Fishermens Bastion. Rejoin your ship in Visegrd for lunch as we cruise along the scenic Danube River. Enjoy a midafternoon Viennese coffee workshop, complete with apple strudel. (B, L, D)

Day 3 Vienna, Austria

Today we tour the Austrian capital of Vienna. Ride along the Ringstrasse, which replaced the city walls in the mid-19th century. See some of the citys baroque architecture, including the world-famous Opera House, St. Stephens Cathedral and Hofburg Palace. Return to your ship for lunch. The rest of the day is yours to further explore. As always, your Program Director can help you plan your free time. Or, you may choose to join us for an optional excursion. (B, L, D)

Day 4 Krems, Austria

After breakfast, disembark in Krems and set off for Gttweig, a working Benedictine abbey that owns many of the vineyards along the Danube. See the splendid ceiling fresco in its imperial stairwell, one of the largest in the world. Visit the abbey church, a masterpiece of baroque architecture. Alternately, you may instead choose to explore your environs by bicycle, enjoying a ride along a riverside bike path considered one of Europes most scenic. (B, L, D)

Day 5 Passau, Germany

Arrive this morning in Passau, at the confluence of the Inn, Ilz and Danube Rivers. Your guided walk along the towns narrow streets takes you through Old Town and past traditional patrician houses. See the New Bishops Residence and see the impressive baroque St. Stephens Cathedral. Enjoy lunch on board your ship, and return to the city for further exploration on your own before departing. Alternately, you may instead journey into the countryside on an optional excursion to a local farm where you will have the opportunity to join a festive Bavarian party, experiencing traditional German music and food and tasting locally brewed beer.

Day 6 Regensburg, Germany

After breakfast, meet your local guide for a walking tour through the scenic town of Regensburg, considered one of Europes best-preserved medieval cities. Take time to stroll the streets, shop or visit Germanys oldest restaurant, the Alte Wrstkche. Lunch is served on board your ship. This afternoon, enjoy scenic cruising along the Danube River, or take an optional excursion to visit Weltenburg Abbey and experience a short cruise through a stunning mountain pass, one of the most breathtakingly scenic bends in the Danube Narrows. Travel by road to Kelheim and board a ferryboat to explore the 400-foot chalk cliffs and dramatic scenery of the Danube Narrows. (B, L, D)

Day 7 Nuremberg, Germany

When you awake this morning, your ship will be on the MainDanube Canal, an engineering marvel that stretches 106 miles from Kelheim on the Danube to Bamberg on the Main River. It began as Charlemagnes dream in 793 and was completed in 1992 with 16 locks that raise the water level 1,332 feet. Today, it enables river travel from the North Sea to the Black Sea.

Disembark in Roth to take a shuttle directly to Nuremberg and begin exploring; or, stay on board to enjoy cruising this legendary canal and arrive in Nuremberg, Bavarias second largest city, around lunchtime. After lunch, take a city tour that features a drive to Zeppelin Field, the former Nazi parade grounds, and Congress Hall.

Day 8 Nuremberg, Germany

After breakfast, disembark and proceed to the airport for your return flight.* Or, extend your journey with 3 nights in Prague, Czech Republic, including a tour of Old Town and Prague Castle. (B)