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24 Days Grand European - Westbound Cruise Tour Package
Duration: 24 Days/ 23 Nights
Priced From: $8,090
Dates: Jun, Aug /08
Our Grand European Cruise combines The Black Sea to Budapest with Budapest to Amsterdam by Riverboat to create an unforgettable 24-day journey through the heart of Europe from the Black Sea to the North Sea, including a 21-day cruise aboard our new, exclusive Swiss Emerald or Swiss Sapphire. This Danube, Main and Rhine River tour takes you through Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands. Glide past grand cathedrals, medieval monasteries, and historic citadels – as well as through the Main-Danube Canal and the Iron Gate of Romania. Our private, inclusive shore excursions take in many UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and in-depth exploration of cities including Amsterdam, Köln, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Belgrade and Bucharest.
Itinerary
• Indicates day of cruising
Day 1: Begin your adventure in Bucharest
Tour starts at 6:00 p.m. Athénée Palace Hilton Bucharest. Transfers are included from Bucharest Airport to your hotel in the heart of the city. Meet your fellow travelers and Directors at tonight's welcome reception and dinner, kicking off your Danube, Main and Rhine River tour.
Meals: Dinner
Lodging: Athénée Palace Hilton Bucharest, Romania
Day 2: Dracula’s Romania
Your have a choice of sightseeing in Romania today. Opt for a full day's excursion to Peles Castle in Sinaia, built for Romania's royal family in the 1880s. Or visit isolated Snagov Monastery – said to be the final resting place of Vlad Tepes, the historical Dracula – and tour Bucharest's gargantuan Parliamentary Palace, the world's second-largest building after the Pentagon. Have dinner at your landmark hotel tonight.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Athénée Palace Hilton Bucharest, Romania
• Day 3: Bucharest & the Black Sea
A Bucharest sightseeing tour today includes the Triumphal Arch, Revolution Square, and 17th-century Patriarchal Cathedral, centerpiece of the Romanian Orthodox faith. Travel to the resort town of Mamaia, set at the edge of the Black Sea, and walk along the beach. View archaeological sites dating to Roman times in Constanta. Board our exclusive riverboat to launch the cruise portion of your Danube, Main and Rhine River tour.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald or MS Swiss Sapphire
• Day 4: Big day in Bulgaria
Arrive in Ruse, Bulgaria, for excursions to nearby towns. Admire amazing frescos at the 16th-century Church of the Nativity in Arbanassi. Then head to Bulgaria's medieval capital of Veliko Turnovo, whose ancient walled fortress and castle are set atop three hills, and view artisans at work in local shops. Rejoin the riverboat in Svishtov, and enjoy a Bulgarian cultural performance aboard ship this evening.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald or MS Swiss Sapphire
• Day 5: Danube cruising and Iconography Demonstration
Enjoy the views of fields and vineyards studded with medieval towns as the riverboat cruises the Danube today; attend an on-board lecture and demonstration on Iconography.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald or MS Swiss Sapphire
• Day 6: The Danube’s Iron Gate of Romania
Spend a relaxing day cruising along the Bulgarian / Romanian border, enjoying great views of the Transylvanian Alps. Glide through Romania’s Kazan Narrows and the Iron Gate, a two-mile-long series of gorges between the Carpathian and Balkan Mountains. Look for the stone pillars remaining from Roman Emperor Trajan’s Bridge, the first built across the Danube, dating back to AD 105.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald or MS Swiss Sapphire
• Day 7: Serbia's cosmopolitan capital, Belgrade
Your Danube, Main and Rhine River tour continues as you dock in Belgrade, Serbia's modern capital at the juncture of the Danube and Sava rivers. Sightseeing includes busy Slavija Square (once a large pool where residents hunted wild ducks!), Parliament, Republic Square, the National Museum of Serbia, the National Theatre, and City Hall.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald or MS Swiss Sapphire
• Day 8: Discover Croatia's historic cities
Arrive in the Baroque city of Vukovar, Croatia, once showcasing 18th-century mansions, but now symbolizing the effects of the Serbian war. Travel overland to the fortified city of Osijek, which still has its Viennese-style mansions. Visit the ancient Tvrda Citadel, standing guard over the city, and the medieval Church of the Holy Cross. Your riverboat continues on to Hungary tonight.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald or MS Swiss Sapphire
• Day 9: Folk dancing and folkways in Hungary
Cruise to Kalocsa, Hungary, to visit the Paprika Museum and the Bishop’s Palace Library, housing one of the finest early collections in Europe. Visit the Equestrian Center to see Puszta horsemen, folkloric dancers, and Hungarian craftsmen all demonstrating traditional skills. Ride a horse-drawn carriage and enjoy dinner on the riverboat tonight.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald or MS Swiss Sapphire
• Day 10: Enjoy a Spa Day and explore Budapest at leisure
Arrive in Budapest, Hungary’s capital city divided into two sections by the Danube. Spend a relaxing morning on a visit to a spa; after lunch, explore Budapest as you please.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald or MS Swiss Sapphire
• Day 11: Discover Budapest on the Danube
Explore Budapest on both sides of the Danube River. Sites include Heroes’ Square, bounded by some of the finest architectural works in Hungary; the Parliament building, a neo-Gothic masterpiece; Fishermen’s Bastion; and the famed stained glass windows in Matthias Church (schedule permitting).
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald or MS Swiss Sapphire
• Day 12: Baroque in Bratislava
Call today on Bratislava, capital of Slovakia, where 17 centuries of history are chronicled on a walking tour. Highlights are the Baroque palaces from the Habsburg era, St. Martin's Cathedral, the Opera House, Old Town Hall, St. Michael's Gate and Slovak Philharmonic Hall. Enjoy Slovakian entertainment back on board the riverboat, and then cruise to Vienna this evening to continue your Danube, Main and Rhine River tour.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald or MS Swiss Sapphire
• Day 13: Music and more in Imperial Vienna
Get an overview of Vienna, Austria, with a morning sightseeing tour of this historic city. Then choose a tour of Schönbrunn Palace, built to rival Versailles, or a tour of the Imperial Silver Room inside the Hofburg, the Imperial Palace of the Habsburgs. Tonight, attend a private Imperial Viennese evening at a traditional palace, which features dinner and live Viennese music.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald or MS Swiss Sapphire
• Day 14: Medieval Austrian abbeys and castles
In the medieval Austrian town of Dürnstein, see the ruins of Kuenringerburg, the castle where English King Richard the Lionhearted was held prisoner during the Crusades. Enjoy the views of castles and lush vineyards while cruising through the wine-growing Wachau Valley. Stop in Melk for a guided tour of its 900-year-old Benedictine Abbey, perched on a rocky outcrop above the river. Inside this Baroque masterpiece are fine frescoes, early manuscripts, and a high altar.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald or MS Swiss Sapphire
• Day 15: Explore Baroque Passau
Dock in the German town of Passau, dating back to Roman times. Spend time exploring this lovely Baroque town, known for its stained glass windows, at your leisure; stroll the cobblestone lanes or take a bike ride into the countryside. Your Danube cruise continues to Regensburg.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald or MS Swiss Sapphire
• Day 16: Ancient Regensburg
Arrive in the well-preserved medieval town of Regensburg, once a campsite for the Roman legions. Visit the Steinerne Brücke, a medieval stone bridge over the Danube; massive Dom St Peter; and Altes Rathaus, the 15th-century town hall that was once the seat of the Imperial Diet.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald or MS Swiss Sapphire
• Day 17: Main-Danube Canal & Nürnberg
Cruise the Main-Danube Canal linking the North Sea with the Black Sea; the idea goes back as far as Charlemagne, but wasn't realized until late in the 20th century. Pass through 16 locks as the waterway rises through the mountains. In Nürnberg, visit the Hauptmarkt, famous for gingerbread and sausage, and turn the gold ring for luck at the Schöner Brunnen fountain.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald or MS Swiss Sapphire
• Day 18: Bound for Bamberg
Awaken in Bavaria's medieval town of Bamberg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A walking tour highlight is the town’s 13th-century cathedral with four dominating towers.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald or MS Swiss Sapphire
• Day 19: Rothenburg or Würzburg
Choose either a visit to medieval Rothenburg to see its Gothic cathedrals and gabled houses, or a visit to Würzburg, where you'll view the 18th-century Residenz and the ornate Alte Mainbrücke, a bridge over the River Main.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald or MS Swiss Sapphire
• Day 20: Cruising the Main to Miltenberg
Cruise along the River Main; travel to the ancient town of Miltenberg, enclosed by a wall with gate towers under a steep hill crowned by a castle, and featuring half-timbered houses and a charming Marktplatz. Your riverboat continues through verdant valleys.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald or MS Swiss Sapphire
• Day 21: From the Main to the Rhine & Rüdesheim
The riverboat cruises from the Main into the Rhine today. Later, a winery visit and wine tasting await you before dinner in beautiful Rüdesheim.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald or MS Swiss Sapphire
• Day 22: Koblenz or castles & Köln, Namesake of Eau de Cologne
Arrive in Koblenz, where you can choose a walking tour of its Old Town or a visit to medieval Marksburg Castle, which dates back to the 13th century. Your Rhine river tour continues through the scenic Lorelei Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to Köln (Cologne). Tour the lofty Kölner Dom, elaborately decorated with pinnacles and buttresses – it is the tallest Gothic structure in the world. Join us for a farewell dinner aboard the riverboat this evening.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald or MS Swiss Sapphire
• Day 23: Art in Amsterdam
Dock in Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, and see acclaimed art by Dutch Masters at the Rijksmuseum. Then enjoy views of medieval architecture on a canal boat cruise along Amsterdam’s 17th-century canals.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald or MS Swiss Sapphire
Day 24: Homeward bound
Your Danube, Main, and Rhine river tour ends in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Disembark your riverboat, and transfer to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport (included in the tour). Allow 2 1/2 hours for departure flight check-in.
Meals: Breakfast
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Contact: Travelwizard.com
Phone: 1-415-446-5252 or 1-800-330-8820
8/08
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