Discover the remarkable city of Istanbul before embarking on a 14 night luxury river cruise to Nuremberg visiting the ports of Bucharest, Belgrade, Vienna, Passau, and Regensburg. Your fantastic 22 day holiday finishes with time to explore Prague.
Day 1. Arrive in Istanbul
After checking into your hotel the balance of the day is free to start exploring this beautiful city on your own.
Day 2. Istanbul Sightseeing
Today a tour of Istanbul will take you through the old city, with its Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman monuments representing an historic past. See the Galata Tower and visit the Blue Mosque.
Day 3. Istanbul, Topkapi Palace
This morning following breakfast, visit Topkapi Palace, the official and primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans from 1465 to 1853. This afternoon, perhaps join an optional cruise on the Bosphorus, taking in the sights of the city from a unique perspective (own expense).
Day 4. Istanbul at Leisure
After breakfast this morning, enjoy a day at leisure to discover the delights of this magical city independently.
Day 5. Fly to Bucharest , Embark Ship
This morning after breakfast travel to the Romanian capital, Bucharest. On arrival here, transfer to Rousse an board your ship and tonight gather on board for the Captain’s Gala Welcome Dinner.
Day 6. Bucharest
In Bucharest, see the Arch of Triumph, the Athenaeum and Library and the Parliament Palace. Then, enjoy free time or perhaps visit the open-air museum (own expense).
Day 7. Vidin
Today, you will enjoy a leisurely day of cruising the Danube, arriving in the late afternoon in Vidin. The “Bada Vida” fortress sits guard over the Danube at the Bulgarian frontier town of Vidin. The 14th-century castle has thick walls and dark towers, which contrast with the natural surroundings of the park it sits within.
Day 8. Iron Gates
Cruise through one of Europe’s most impressive natural wonders, the Iron Gates. Here the Danube passes through narrow gorges as the river winds past the Carpathian and Balkan Mountains.
Day 9. Belgrade
Today arrive in Belgrade and, on a tour, see the home of the Patriarch and St Sava’s, the largest Orthodox church in the country, as well as Tito’s memorial, the Federal Parliament Building and the impressive Kalemegdan Fortress.
Day 10. Vukovar - Novi Sad
Arrive in Novi Sad in the morning and enjoy a walking tour. After your tour, continue to Vukovar, Croatia. Vukovar is situated in Eastern Slavonia at the confluence of the Vuka and Danube Rivers. Vukovar’s rich history bears the influence of the Austrians, Ottoman Turks, Germans, Croatians and Serbians. Here take a civil war themed tour or enjoy a wine tasting.
Day 11. Mohács, Pécs
This morning after breakfast, arrive in Mohács and travel by coach to Pécs for a guided walking tour. The area around Pecs is made up of rolling hills, vine clad slopes and a modest climate that give the city a distinctly Mediterranean feel. Upon arrival, you will take a city tour that includes a UNESCO underground excavation.
Day 12. Budapest, Great Hungarian Plain
Explore the Hungarian Puszta region, the vast Great Plain. Visit a typical village, where you will be met by horse-herds. Enjoy a lunch of goulash before returning to your ship.
Day 13. Budapest
Enjoy a sightseeing tour of Budapest that includes such places as 500 year-old Matthias Church, St Stephen’s Basilica, the Fisherman’s Bastion, the marvellous Royal Palace and historic Buda Castle, where you have wide-reaching views of Buda and Pest. The rest of the day is at leisure.
Day 14. Vienna
Today after breakfast, a guided sightseeing tour includes Hofburg Imperial Palace, the Vienna Opera House, Ringstrasse and St Stephen’s Cathedral.
Day 15. Vienna - Melk
Early this morning reach the Wachau Valley for your walking tour of Dürnstein, known as one of the prettiest towns along the Danube. After a city tour cruise to Melk and enjoy a guided tour of Melk Abbey, one of the world’s most famous monastic sites.
Day 16. Passau - Linz
After breakfast, take an optional full-day excursion to fascinating Salzburg, setting for “The Sound of Music,” or cruise through Upper Austria to Passau in Germany. Located where the rivers Inn and Ilz join the Danube, a walking tour will lead you through this fairy-tale city founded more than 2,000 years ago.
Day 17. Regensburg
After lunch, arrive in Regensburg, one of Germany's best preserved medieval cities. A guided tour will show you the city's architectural highlights, including the Old Town Hall, and the Porte Praetoria, a gateway to an ancient Roman fort built in 179 AD.
Day 18. Nuremberg
Enjoy a morning of scenic cruising through the Main-Danube Canal and relax during a leisurely cruise through the beautiful Altmühl Valley. In the afternoon, you decide from a choice of guided tours in Nuremberg, discovering the sites of World War II or medieval history.
Day 19. Nuremberg, Karlovy Vary, Prague
This morning, depart Nuremberg after breakfast and drive through the pastoral countryside to Karlovy Vary, better known by its German name, Carlsbad, and most famous for its Bohemian Spa. After lunch, continue to Prague and check into the hotel.
Day 20. Prague Sightseeing
Today, take a guided walking tour of Prague’s Old Town. Visit the 1,000 year-old Hradcany Castle courtyard and St Vitus. Then stroll across beautiful Charles Bridge, which crosses the Vltava River and links Prague’s Old Town with the city’s imposing castle, on the way to the Old Market Square.
Day 21. Prague at Leisure
Today is yours to explore Prague at leisure. Perhaps join an optional tour to Terezín Concentration Camp Memorial for an insight into what was an horrific but fascinating era. This evening, perhaps take in an optional folklore performance over a dinner of Czech specialities (both optional tours at own expense).
Day 22. Depart Prague
Your wonderful journey ends after breakfast this morning. Transfer to the airport for your onward flight.
