THE BLUE DANUBE – New for 2020! 8 Days / 7 Nights / 20 meals
Day 1: EMBARK IN BUDAPEST
Arrive in Budapest and board your floating hotel in the afternoon; your suite will be ready by 5:00. Settle into your well-equipped cabin and familiarize yourself with the ship. Enjoy dinner in the stylish restaurant on board.
(D)
Day 2: ESZTERGOM
Cruise to Esztergom, Hungary’s capital during medieval times. Enjoy a ride on a land train to Esztergom’s renowned Renaissance Basilica, followed by a guided tour of this wonderful building, boasting one the world’s largest altars. Return to the ship to enjoy lunch on board as you depart Esztergom. View the landscape, towns, and villages of Hungary and Slovakia on either bank before dinner.
(B, L, D)
Day 3: BRATISLAVA
Explore Slovakia’s capital city, Bratislava, and see its atmospheric 17th-century fortress on a guided tour aboard a land train, followed by a walking tour of its Baroque Old Town. See the 17th century- fortress commanding expansive views across the Danube. This afternoon you cruise into Lower Austria and Wachau, a bucolic region home to some of the country’s best wines.
(B, L, D)
Day 4: DÜRNSTEIN & MELK
Arrive in picturesque Dürnstein for a guided tour. You’ll see the baroque tower dominating the river, where Richard the Lionheart was once imprisoned. After lunch, make a guided visit to the remarkable monastery at Melk, originally founded in 1089. View the Emperor’s Gallery lined with portraits of Austrian emperors and its large library containing a unique medieval collection of manuscripts. Dine this evening as you cruise through the pretty Nibelungengau, immortalized in the music of Wagner.
(B, L, D)
Day 5: LINZ OR SALZBURG
Take a coach drive through the beautiful Austrian landscape to Salzburg, overlooked by its huge Hohensalzburg Fortress. Take a guided walking tour through its timeless architecture and history as captured in the Sound of Music film classic. OR, if you would like to stay closer to the ship, take a guided walking tour of the Old Town of Linz. (Please note lunch is not included onboard on this full day excursion to Salzburg; however, the ship will offer a packed lunch.) Return to the ship for dinner on board.
(B, L, D)
Day 6: VIENNA
Arrive in Vienna, one of Europe’s great capitals and cultural centers, home to fine music, sumptuous baroque palaces, grand boulevards, and charming architecture. Start with a guided tour down the architectural wonders of the famous Ringstrasse before walking through the royal court and gardens of the Hofburg, home of the Habsburg Empire. In the afternoon, you are free to explore as you wish or enjoy a coffee and a slice of delicious sachertorte in one of the renowned cafés. You may also choose to visit the Spanish Riding School (payable locally). After dinner, you will experience a once-in-a-lifetime private Viennese string quartet recital on board.
(B, L, D)
Day 7: BUDAPEST
Cruise along Hungary’s peaceful pastoral landscape to Budapest, spending a leisurely morning on the Sun Deck to view the scenic Danube Bend. After lunch, enjoy a sightseeing tour of the city known as the “Pearl of the Danube.” Take a guided journey through the cities of Buda and Pest, built on opposite banks of the Danube. Stop at Heroes Square, see the Parliament Building then cross over to the Buda side and visit Fisherman’s Bastion’s area with free time to explore. This evening enjoy a farewell dinner.
(B, L, D)
Day 8: DISEMBARK IN BUDAPEST
Your vacation ends after breakfast. After checking out of your cabin by 9 am, you are welcome to stay on board for the morning.
(B)
B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner
All components of this tour (hotels, visits and attractions) for 2020 itineraries are subject to change until finalized in September 2019.
Authentic Local Experiences:
- The storied Danube is one of the world’s most beautiful and historic rivers. Travel serenely through the heart of three national capital cities: Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest. Scenic wonders and fascinating historical sights await at every turn: from imposing castles, mighty fortresses, exquisite Baroque churches and quiet abbeys to luxurious palaces, elegant gardens and the most wonderfully preserved medieval towns and villages
- Discover the home city of the former Hapsburg Emperors and the likes of Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, and the Strausses on a sightseeing tour of Vienna.
- Enjoy the remarkable 11th-century Benedictine monastery in Melk, with its 200m long Emperor’s Gallery.
- Visit Durnstein, where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned, having been shipwrecked on his return from the Crusades.
Trip Highlights:
- Vienna
- Baroque Bratislava
- Scenic Wachau, Austria’s premier wine region
- Melk Abbey, central Europe’s most spectacular monastery
- Medieval Dürnstein
- Linz or optional drive to Salzburg
- Esztergom Basilica
- Budapest, Pearl of the Danube
Dining Experiences:
- 8 days, 7 nights, 20 meals; departures from April to October
SHIP – 7 nights
- MS Emily Bronte, MS Thomas Hardy, MS Oscar Wilde, MS Robert Burns, MS William Wordsworth & MS Geoffrey Chaucer