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12 Days Budapest to the Black Sea – The Lower Danube River Cruise Tour Package
Duration: 12 Days / 11 Nights
Priced From: $3,990 pp Dbl. Occ.
Dates: May - Jul/08
Chart a leisurely course along the romantic Danube River exploring rich cultural legacies. Cruise by medieval monasteries, citadels, and villages, and through the Iron Gate. Enjoy a horse-drawn carriage ride, and see performances of folkloric dancing and horsemanship skills. Examine fascinating museums of fine art, traditional homesteads, folk art, and paprika. Visit the island where the orginal Dracula is said to be entombed, and put your feet in the Black Sea. One of several Danube cruises from Our, this journey travels through Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania, with two nights on land in Budapest and Bucharest.
Itinerary
• Indicates day of cruising
Day 1: Begin adventure in Budapest
Tour starts at 6:00 p.m. in Budapest, Hungary. Transfers are included from Budapest's Ferihegy Airport to your hotel in the heart of the city. Meet your fellow travelers and Our Directors at the welcome dinner this evening.
Meals: Dinner
Lodging: Le Méridien Budapest, Hungary
Day 2: Discover Budapest
Your exploration of Budapest begins with a visit to the opulent State Opera House in Pest, opened in 1884. Later, view the Parliament building, a Neo-Gothic masterpiece; Heroes’ Square, bounded by some of the finest architectural works in Hungary; the Castle of Vajdahunyad; and Andrassy Avenue.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Le Méridien Budapest, Hungary
• Day 3: See Budapest landmarks and begin your cruise
After a morning at leisure, tour Buda's Castle Hill, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; see architectural landmarks such as Fishermen's Bastion and 700-year-old Matthias Church. Board Swiss Emerald to launch your Danube River cruise, bound for Solt.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald
• Day 4: Folk dancing and folkways in Hungary
A horse-drawn carriage ride takes you to the Equestrian Center, where you'll see Puszta horsemen, folkloric dancers, and Hungarian craftsmen all demonstrating traditional skills. Then cruise to Kalocsa to visit the Paprika Museum and the Bishop’s Palace Library, housing one of the finest early collections in Europe.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald
• Day 5: Cruise to Croatia's historic cities
Your discovery of the lower Danube cruises to the Baroque city of Vukovar, Croatia, once showcasing 18th-century mansions, but now symbolizing the effects of the Serbian war. Continue 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. Swiss Emerald cruises to Serbia this afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald
• Day 6: Serbia's cosmopolitan capital, Belgrade
Dock in Belgrade, Serbia's modern capital at the juncture of the Danube and Sava rivers. Sightseeing includes busy Slavija Square, Parliament, Republic Square, the National Museum of Serbia, and City Hall.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald
• Day 7: The Danube’s Iron Gate of Romania
Continuing one of Our Danube cruises, relax on a day's cruise past the fields and vineyards of Eastern Europe. Pass into Romania and through the Kazan Narrows and the Iron Gate, a two-mile-long series of narrow gorges between the Carpathian and Balkan Mountains. Look for the remains of 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
• Day 8: Big day in Bulgaria
Your journey along the lower Danube cruises to Svishtov, Bulgaria, for excursions to nearby towns. Explore the medieval capital of Bulgaria, Veliko Turnovo, whose ancient walled fortress and castle are set atop three hills; view artisans at work in local shops. See amazing frescos at the 16th-century Church of the Nativity in the town of Arbanassi.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald
• Day 9: Romania’s Black Sea beaches
Dock in Cernavoda and travel to the resort town of Mamaia, Romania, set at the edge of the Black Sea; walk along the soft sand beach. View archaeological sites dating to Roman times in Constanta. Please join us aboard Swiss Emerald this evening for the Captain's farewell reception and dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard MS Swiss Emerald
Day 10: Bucharest beckons
Disembark the riverboat in Cernavoda; travel through the Romanian countryside to Bucharest, where a sightseeing tour includes the Triumphal Arch, Revolution Square, and Patriarchal Cathedral, built in 1658 and the center of the Romanian Orthodox faith.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Athénée Palace Hilton Bucharest, Romania
Day 11: Dracula’s Transylvania
Your have a choice of sightseeing in Romania today. Opt for a full day's excursion to Transylvania to tour 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 12: Homeward bound
Tour ends in Bucharest, Romania. Your transfer to Bucharest Airport is included in the tour.
Meals: Breakfast
Save time, money and stress!
For reservations: Fill out the vacation planner to be contacted by a Europe vacation specialist.
Contact: Travelwizard.com
Phone: 1-415-446-5252 or 1-800-330-8820
7/08
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