1. Arrive Budapest
Tour begins: 6:00 PM, InterContinental Budapest. A transfer is included
from Budapest's Ferihegy Airport to the InterContinental Budapest in the heart
of Pest on the Danube's eastern bank, across the river from the Royal Palace.
Please join us for a welcome reception and dinner.
InterContinental Budapest ~ Meals D
2. Fascinating Pest
View the impressive architecture of Hungary's capital - divided by the Danube
River into two distinct sections, Buda and Pest - on a tour of Pest that
includes patriotic Heroes' Square, the fashionable shopping street of Váci Utca,
the Parliament building, tree-lined Andrassy Avenue, and a special visit to the
State Opera House.
InterContinental Budapest ~ Meals BD
* 3. Explore Buda / Embark Riverboat
After a morning at leisure, a guided walking tour of Buda takes you up to Castle
Hill, overlooking the mighty Danube. View the iconic Fishermen's Bastion, and
visit the National Gallery and the late-Gothic-style Matthias Church, which
dates back to the 14th century (may be closed on some days due to services).
Later, embark your luxury riverboat for the start of your weeklong cruise.
Aboard the Riverboat ~ Meals BLD
* 4. Danube Cruise / Bratislava
Cruise the Danube to Bratislava, capital city of modern Slovakia and a long-ago
capital of Hungary. A guided walking tour chronicles centuries of history and
includes a visit to the 13th-century Old Town Hall. See Baroque Habsburg-era
palaces, the Opera House, Slovak Philharmonic Hall, and St. Martin's Cathedral,
site of the coronation of many Hungarian kings and queens.
Aboard the Riverboat ~ Meals BLD
* 5. The Imperial City of Vienna
Dock in legendary Vienna, inspiring romantic visions of "Old Europe" from
majestic Imperial palaces to magnificent boulevards and parks. Sightseeing
includes the Ringstrasse, the Opera House and Parliament, and your choice of a
visit to Schönbrunn Palace - which, ironically, both Marie Antoinette and
Napoleon once called home - or the Imperial Silver Room at the Hofburg. Receive
the royal treatment tonight at a private Imperial Evening in a traditional
palace, where a grand dinner is accompanied by Viennese musicians.
Aboard the Riverboat ~ Meals BLD
* 6. Vienna / Cruise to Dörnstein
For centuries, Vienna was the capital of the Habsburgs' Austro-Hungarian Empire,
and its exalted position among European cities gave rise to grand Imperial
architecture that survives to this day. The morning is yours to discover some of
the city's opulent palaces, theatres and other cultural institutions - including
over a hundred museums - on your own before returning to the riverboat to resume
your Danube River cruise. Set off this afternoon to picturesque Dörnstein in
Austria's wine country. High on a hilltop above the town lie the ruins of
Kuenringerburg Castle, a place of history and legend; England's King Richard the
Lionhearted was once held for ransom here during the Crusades.
Aboard the Riverboat ~ Meals BLD
* 7. Dörnstein / Wachau Valley Cruise
A guided walking tour of Dörnstein's cobblestone
streets reveals 16th-century Baroque houses and a 13th-century Romanesque
church. Explore on your own, or walk up to the castle ruins for lovely vistas of
Dörnstein and the Danube, prior to a delightful wine tasting in town. Cruise
past lush vineyards, ancient castles and monasteries in the Wachau Valley today,
declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its well-preserved medieval
landscapes.
Aboard the Riverboat ~ Meals BLD
* 8. Salzburg and Linz
You have a choice today; enjoy the town of Linz, Austria, or join us for a
full-day excursion to enchanting Salzburg, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's hometown on
the Salzach River. A pageant of beautiful Baroque architecture awaits on a
guided walking tour through narrow lanes and old squares, past ornate church
towers and grand palaces. Visit lovely Mirabell Gardens with their Baroque
statues and fountains before rejoining the ship for dinner.
Aboard the Riverboat ~ Meals BLD
* 9. Passau / Cruising the Danube
Arrive in Passau for a walking tour through the tunnels, archways, many
churches, four-story Baroque houses and cobblestone streets of this Bavarian
town on the Danube and Inn Rivers. See the Old Town and Altes Rathaus (town
hall), with its 15th-century origins and 19th-century tower, before spending the
rest of the day cruising through pastoral landscapes to Regensburg.
Aboard the Riverboat ~ Meals BLD
10. Regensburg / Prague
Disembark your riverboat in Regensburg, whose roots stretch back to the days of
the Roman Empire and its humble beginnings as a campsite for the Roman legions.
A guided walking tour reveals the town's rich heritage; see 12th-century
Steinerne Bröcke (Germany's oldest surviving stone bridge), the 15th-century
Altes Rathaus (Town Hall), the towering, medieval Dom St. Peter, and the remains
of the Roman wall. Enjoy lunch on your own, perhaps partaking of some of
Regensburg's renowned Bavarian sausage, before departing for Prague, ancient
capital of the modern Czech Republic.
Prague Marriott Hotel ~ Meals BD
11. Prague, Past and Present
Prague's name translates to "crossroads"; it truly is a city where ancient and
modern, and east and west, converge. Discover it for yourself today - starting
in the Hradcany (Castle) district, where 1,000-year-old Prague Castle is
surrounded by a complex of grand palaces, lovely gardens, historic government
buildings, museums and monasteries. Visit the magnificent Gothic Cathedral of
St. Vitus, and enjoy a Tauck Exclusive - a private guided tour of the beautiful
18th-century Baroque libraries of Strahov Monastery, where thousands of
priceless volumes have been stored and preserved for centuries. Spend the
afternoon exploring more of dazzling Prague on your own, or come along on a
walking tour of ethereal Old Town; see the famous Astronomical Clock, Tyn
Church, iconic Charles Bridge and Wenceslas Square. Please join us tonight for a
farewell dinner at your hotel, ranked among the Top 100 Best Luxury Hotels of
the World.
Prague Marriott Hotel ~ Meals BD
12. Journey Home
Tour ends: Prague, Czech Republic. A transfer is included from the Prague
Marriott Hotel to Prague's Ruzyne Airport; allow a minimum of 2 1/2 hours for
flight check-in. For additional nights in Prague (or Budapest), ask at time of
booking. Meals B
* = cruise day |
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