Luxury Cruises

Europe River Cruises 3

12 Days The Black Sea to Budapest - The Lower Danube Tour Package
Duration: 12 Days /11  Nights
Priced From: $4,290 pp Dbl. Occ.
Dates: May, Jun, Oct
 

Chart a leisurely course along the romantic lower Danube River aboard our luxury riverboats Swiss Sapphire, Swiss Emerald or the new Swiss Jewel, exploring rich cultural legacies. Cruise by medieval monasteries, citadels, and villages, and through the Iron Gate of the Danube. Enjoy a horse-drawn wagon ride, and see performances of folkloric dancing and horsemanship skills. Examine fascinating museums of fine art, traditional homesteads and folk art. Share local specialties with your Bulgarian contemporaries at a special home-hosted lunch, visit the island where the original Dracula is said to be entombed, and put your feet in the Black Sea. This memorable lower Danube cruise travels through Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania, with two nights on land at 5-star hotels in Budapest and Bucharest.

Day 1 - Begin your Danube cruise in Bucharest
Tour starts at 6:00 PM at the Athenee Palace Hilton Bucharest.  A transfer is included from Bucharest Airport to the Athénée Palace Hilton Bucharest in the heart of the city. Meet your fellow travelers and Directors at tonight's welcome reception and dinner at your storied hotel, a Bucharest landmark since 1914.
Meals:Dinner
LodgingAthénée Palace Hilton Bucharest, Romania

Day 2 - Castles and monasteries in Romania
On a choice of sightseeing in Romania today, you may opt for a full day's excursion to tour Peles Castle in Sinaia, built for Romania's royal family in the 1880s. Or take off on a morning visit to isolated Snagov Monastery - set on a tiny island in the middle of a lake, and said to be the final resting place of Vlad Tepes, the historical model for the character of Dracula. Dinner is on your own tonight.
Meals:Breakfast, lunch
LodgingAthénée Palace Hilton Bucharest, Romania

• Day 3 - Bucharest or the Black Sea before boarding
More choices in sightseeing await you today. Before embarking your riverboat, you can choose to explore Bucharest and tour the massive People's Palace - home to the Romanian Parliament, and the world's second-largest building after the Pentagon - as well as visit the Romanian Athenaeum. Or drive to the resort town of Mamaia, set at the edge of the Black Sea, and stroll along Europe's only pure-white sand beaches. Then travel to Cernavoda and board ms Swiss Sapphire or ms Swiss Jewel to launch your lower Danube cruise.
Meals:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
LodgingCruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 4 - Big day in Bulgaria
Arrive in Ruse, Bulgaria, for excursions to nearby towns. In Arbanassi, known for its richly ornamented architecture, you'll have an opportunity to meet and share local specialties with your Bulgarian contemporaries at a private, home-hosted lunch. Continue on to Bulgaria's medieval capital of Veliko Turnovo, whose ancient walled fortress and castle are set atop three hills overlooking the Yantra River. Rejoin the riverboat in Svishtov, and enjoy a Bulgarian cultural performance aboard ship this evening.
Meals:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
LodgingCruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 5 - Danube cruising and Iconography Demonstration
Kick back and enjoy the views of fields and vineyards studded with medieval towns as the riverboat cruises the Danube through the scenic heartland of Eastern Europe today. Learn all about Iconography during an on-board lecture and demonstration prior to arriving in Vidin, where you can join us for a walking tour through its cobblestone streets.
Meals:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
LodgingCruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 6 - King Decebalus and the Iron Gate of the Danube
On another relaxing day on your Danube cruise, sail along the Bulgarian / Romanian border, enjoying great views of the Transylvanian Alps. As you cruise, keep an eye out for a kingly face carved into the Danube's rocky bank on the Romanian side; it's a monument to the 2nd-century Dacian King Decebalus, who defended his kingdom from the invading Romans - and it's the tallest rock sculpture in Europe. Glide through Romania's Kazan Narrows and the Iron Gate of the Danube, a spectacular two-mile-long series of gorges between the Carpathian and Balkan Mountains, en route to Serbia.
Meals:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
LodgingCruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 7 - Serbia's cosmopolitan capital, Belgrade
Dock in Belgrade, Serbia's modern capital at the juncture of the Danube and Sava rivers. Sightseeing includes visits to Tito's Memorial, St. Sava Church, and the formidable Kalemegdan Fortress. Also view busy Slavija Square (now one of the city's major squares, but once a large pool where residents hunted wild ducks!), Parliament, Republic Square and City Hall. Return to the riverboat, where a Serbian folkloric group entertains you this evening.
Meals:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
LodgingCruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 8 - Discover Croatia's historic cities
Your Danube cruise crosses the border from Serbia to Croatia and arrives in historic Vukovar. A mix of old and new, this venerable 10th-century city once showcased opulent 18th-century Baroque mansions, and now poignantly symbolizes the effects of the 1990s war as it rebuilds. Your riverboat continues on to Hungary tonight.
Meals:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
LodgingCruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 9 - Baroque treasures, horses and folkways in Hungary
Continue your lower Danube cruise to Kalocsa, Hungary - known for its folk art and its paprika - where you'll visit the beautiful Baroque Bishop's Palace Library, housing one of the finest early collections in Europe. Visit the Equestrian Center in Solt to see Puszta horsemen demonstrating traditional skills; ride a horse-drawn wagon back to the riverboat, and enjoy the Captain's farewell cocktail reception and dinner aboard ship tonight.
Meals:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
LodgingCruising aboard the Riverboat

Day 10 - Disembark the Riverboat and explore Budapest
Bid your Danube cruise - along with your Captain and crew - farewell as you disembark the riverboat in Budapest. Your exploration of the Hungarian capital begins with a special visit to the opulent State Opera House in Pest, opened in 1884. View the Parliament building, a Neo-Gothic masterpiece; Heroes' Square, bounded by some of the finest architectural works in Hungary; and such Budapest treasures as City Park, Central Market Hall, and tree-lined Andrassy Avenue. Dinner tonight is at your choice of select local restaurants.
Meals:Breakfast, dinner
LodgingLe Méridien Budapest, Hungary

Day 11 - Discover more landmarks of Budapest
After a morning at leisure, explore Buda's Castle Hill, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; see architectural landmarks such as Fishermen's Bastion and 700-year-old Matthias Church on a guided walking tour. Spend the remainder of the day and evening exploring this fascinating city as you please. Note: Matthias Church may be closed on some departures due to services.
Meals:Breakfast
LodgingLe Méridien Budapest, Hungary

Day 12 - Homeward bound
Your lower Danube cruise tour ends in Budapest, Hungary. A transfer is included from Le Méridien Budapest to Budapest's Ferihegy Airport. Allow 2 1/2 hours for departure flight check-in.
Meals:Breakfast

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