Cruising the Danube - Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava

The romantic ‘blue’ river meanders its way through central Europe, passing famous cities and unforgettable scenery.  The itinery for this cruise is outlined below.

  • Day 1 – We travel to Belgium for an overnight stay.
  • Day 2 – Onwards through Germany to the Regensburg area for an overnight stay. B
  • Day 3 – Passau with Walking Tour (included). To Passau, picturesquely set where the Danube is joined by the Inn and Ilz rivers. Our guided walking tour allows us to see the historical buildings of the Old Town area. In the afternoon we arrive in Linz, where we board our river cruise ship, the ‘M V Esmeralda’. B,D
  • Day 4 – The Danube to Vienna. We sail early and cruise the Danube eastwards, passing through the wineproducing area of the Wachau. From the river we see Greinburg Castle, and the ruins of Kunringer Castle, where Richard the Lionheart was reputedly held prisoner. Early evening arrival in Vienna. B,L,D
  • Day 5 – Vienna. Spend the whole day in Vienna, which has so much to offer, from historical buildings and monuments to fine shops. You can join our optional sightseeing tour with local English speaking-guide, who will introduce the principal sights of the city. We set sail in the early evening and cruise overnight along the Danube to Hungary and Budapest. B,L,D
  • Day 6 – Budapest. Arrive in Budapest at breakfast time. We will meet our guide (included) and start with a panoramic view of the city from the top of the Gellért Hill and then continue by foot to the Liberty Statue. We rejoin our coach and travel to the Pest side of the city to see the City Park and Heroes Square, and down Andrassy Avenue, where we see the grand State Opera House, continuing to Castle Hill on the Buda side of the city. We cruise early evening en route to Bratislava. B,L,D
  • Day 7 – Bratislava. Morning cruising and then we arrive in the Slovakian capital in the early afternoon. Join our optional guided walking tour through the Old Town, seeing St. Martin’s Cathedral, Michael’s Gate Tower and the Slovak National Theatre. B,L,D
  • Day 8 – A day cruising past Vienna and on to Durnstein in the Wachau area. B,L,D
  • Day 9 – Melk. We stop in Melk during the morning, giving us the chance to perhaps visit the Abbey. We then resume our cruise to Linz, where we are scheduled to arrive towards midnight. B,L,D
  • Day 10 – Linz. Disembark after breakfast then spend some time in the morning in Linz. Head by coach to Germany for an overnight stay in the Rhine or Moselle valleys. B,D
  • Day 11 – Rhine and Moselle Valleys. Join an optional cruise on the Rhine to see the river from a different angle, and why not sample the wines in Alken? We continue to Belgium and our final overnight. B
  • Day 12 – Homeward bound via Calais. B

B=Breakfast L=Lunch D=Dinner

The tour includes: