Day 1Nuremberg
Welcome to Nuremberg. We will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your ship.* After settling into your stateroom, enjoy free time to acquaint yourself with the city—or join our “welcome walk” to stretch your legs and start getting oriented. (D)
Day 2Nuremberg
This morning, tour the city. See the former Nazi parade grounds 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 at leisure and lunch and dinner are served aboard. Cruise through the remainder of the day. (B, L, D)
Day 3Regensburg
Arrive in Regensburg this morning. During a guided walk, see the Town Hall, St. Peter’s Cathedral and the 12th-century Old Stone Bridge. Enjoy lunch aboard with the afternoon at leisure to explore on your own—as always, your Program Director can help you plan your free time. Dine aboard and cruise through the night. (B, L, D)
Day 4Passau
Dock in Passau midmorning. A 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)
Day 5Melk
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 aboard for lunch and spend the afternoon cruising through the magnificent Wachau Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (B, L, D)
Day 6Vienna
Today’s tour of Vienna takes you to the Opera House and Hofburg Palace; also see one of the city’s spectacular baroque palaces. 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 7Bratislava
Cruise through the early morning to Bratislava. After breakfast, 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 Habsburg-era palaces before returning aboard for dinner and cruising. (B, L, D)
Day 8Budapest
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 the Castle District of older “Buda.” Walk to Fishermen’s Bastion and Matthias Church. Return to your ship for lunch; enjoy the afternoon at leisure. Dine aboard and cruise through the night. (B, L, D)
Day 9Pécs
From Mohács, take a tour through the countryside to Pécs, an ancient university town. During your walking tour, visit the impressive Romanesque cathedral and the Gazi Qasim Pasha Djami mosque (now a Roman Catholic church). Free time to explore or visit the 19th-century Kossuth Ter Synagogue and see its beautiful oak interior. Lunch aboard, cruise through the night. (B, L, D)
Day 10Belgrade
Wake up in Belgrade, capital of Serbia. Take a guided walk through the grounds of Kalemegdan Fortress. Also see the city’s Orthodox cathedral and stop at the Square of the Republic. Have lunch aboard and enjoy an afternoon of cruising. (B, L, D)
Day 11Iron Gate & Kostolac
Enjoy a full-day cruise along one of the most scenic areas of the Lower Danube, flanked by enormous white chalk cliffs and spectacular scenery. The day’s journey is punctuated with an excursion to Kostolac, Serbia. See the archeological site at Viminacium, a former Roman capital with wide streets, luxurious baths and an amphitheater, recently opened to the public. (B, L, D)
Day 12Vidin & Belogradchik
Arrive in the picturesque Bulgarian port of Vidin during breakfast. Then take an excursion to see Belogradchik Fortress, built right into the striking Belogradchik Rocks, and enjoy breathtaking views. Lunch aboard is followed by free time in Vidin. Depart during dinner. (B, L, D)
Day 13Veliko Tarnovo & Arbanasi
Today’s tour goes 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 14Varna
From Russe, 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. Rejoin your ship in Silistra for dinner and depart this evening. (B, L, D)
Day 15Bucharest
On a morning tour of Bucharest, visit The Palace of the Parliament, known as the “House of the People.”† After lunch in a local restaurant, visit Revolution Square, enjoy a ride through the Romanian countryside to visit the Village Museum and check into your hotel for an evening at leisure. (B, L, D)
†The Palace of the Parliament may occasionally be closed to host official government business.
Day 16Bucharest
After breakfast, check out of your hotel and we will take you to the airport for your return flight.* (B)