Blue Danube Discovery

Arrive in Budapest and transfer to your hotel. The remainder of the day is free to relax or to begin exploring this beautiful city.

Savor the beauty of Buda and Pest on opposite sides of the Danube with a city tour that showcases many highlights, including the Great Market Hall, Heroes’ Square and Castle Hill.

Check out of your hotel to board your luxurious ship. During the evening, be treated to a special Illuminations cruise around Budapest’s famed Parliament building. 

Bratislava certainly has earned the title “Coronation City of Kings” as you can discover during your walking tour that includes the Old Town Hall, Mirbach Palace and St. Martin’s Cathedral. Or for more adventure, go high above the city by hiking up to Bratislava Castle.

The “City of Waltzes” offers a treasure trove of gems and you have two ways to discover them. Join a city tour showcasing its regal splendors, including the majestic Opera House and the former Imperial Palace of the Habsburgs before concluding in Vienna’s historic city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and then visiting St. Stephen’s Cathedral. For a more active exploration of the area, take a guided bike ride along the Danube. During the afternoon, you can enjoy leisure time or pedal your way to Klosterneuburg Monastery on a guided cycling tour. 

After reaching the Wachau Valley in the morning, you have a choice of three excursions in Dürnstein. Partake in a walking tour along cobblestone streets to the luminous blue facade of the Baroque Stiftskirche, its famed church tower, before enjoying a wine tasting in a local cellar. For a beautiful view of the Wachau Valley, hike up to the fortress where Richard the Lionheart was once held. Alternatively, visit a local boutique, where you are treated to the region’s finest apricot products. After your morning excursions, you have a choice to cruise through the Wachau Valley to Melk or join a bike tour along the Danube. Upon reaching Melk, take a tour of the UNESCO-designated Melk Abbey.

Enjoy a scenic morning sailing to the medieval city of Passau. Join a walking tour through this 2,000-year-old city, noted for its Gothic and Italian Baroque architecture and St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Guests looking for a more active morning can choose between a guided bike tour along the Danube, or a guided hike up to the Veste Oberhaus Fortress overlooking Passau.

Explore Regensburg, one of Germany’s best preserved medieval cities, on a guided walking tour showcasing the city’s architectural highlights, including the Old Town Hall and the Porta Praetoria, gates to an ancient Roman fort built in 179 A.D. As an alternate option, sample some of Bavaria’s specialties— beer, sausage and pretzels; or bike to Walhalla where you can see the neo-Classical white marble temple inspired by the Parthenon in Athens. 

Enjoy a scenic morning cruise as the ship crosses the Continental Divide via the Main-Danube Canal to Nuremberg. Explore the medieval city center with a tour that showcases the Imperial Castle and the famous town wall, as well as Albrecht Dürer’s home and Market Square with its legendary fountain. Or you can take a guided tour of the city’s WWII history, including a visit to the infamous Zeppelin Field, a museum built on the site of former Nazi rallies and the site of the Nuremberg Trials when not in session. Alternatively, savor traditional Franconian specialties by sampling famously delicious Nuremburger Bratwurst, Rot bier (red beer) and Lebkuchen (gingerbread). 

Depart the ship after breakfast and drive through the countryside to Pilzen, a city perhaps best known for producing Pilsner beer. Enjoy some free time to explore this lovely town and have lunch before continuing to Prague and checking into your hotel. 

Discover Prague with a choice of a city tour or a castle hike. Both reveal why Prague is considered one of Europe’s most attractive cities, with a historic city center that’s recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See all the key highlights, including the National Museum, Wenceslas Square, the 1,000 year-old Prague Castle and Old Market Square, where you can find the famous Astronomical Clock. 

Spend a day at your leisure, perhaps to stroll through a museum or gallery, wander along the banks of the Vltava River, relax at an outdoor café, or shop for local handicrafts. 

Bid farewell to Prague and prepare for your homeward flight.