DANUBE DREAMS - WESTBOUND
History Travel | Danube River Cruise - Avalon Waterways®
Day 1: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (EMBARKATION)
Welcome to Hungary. Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding. Flights into Budapest must arrive by 3:30 pm. Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.The day is yours to relax and enjoy the city with time for photographs, cafés, and confections.OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN BUDAPEST(D)
Day 2: BUDAPEST
The Pearl of the Danube in the Heart of EuropeVisit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided City Sightseeing, including the iconic Heroes’ SquareDISCOVERY Visit the Royal Palace of Gödöllö, one of the favorite retreat of SissiTake in the beauty of Budapest while enjoying some free time exploring such famous sights as the Chain Bridge. Get to know the city’s cafés and pubs, or take a hike through the hills above the Danube.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BRATISLAVA(B,L,D)
Day 3: BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA
Classic and Contemporary—from Cathedrals to CastlesDISCOVERY Enjoy a lecture about European Royal dynastiesCLASSIC Take a Guided City Walk, including the quaint streets of Old Town, Town Hall, and fantastic St. Martin’s CathedralEnjoy some free time to take Nordic walking sticks from the ship and hike to Bratislava Castle. DISCOVERY Later, enjoy an onboard Royal Waltz lesson, a living cultural heritage from the Habsburg monarchyOVERNIGHT CRUISE TO VIENNA(B,L,D)
Day 4: VIENNA
Strauss, Schnitzel, Strudel, and Sachertorte CLASSIC Venture into the Habsburg empire with a morning Guided City Tour of Vienna’s gilded landmarks. See the Imperial Palace complex— Winter residence of the Imperial Family, the historic Vienna Opera House and stunning St. Stephen’s CathedralDISCOVERY Take a guided tour to Schönbrunn Palace—the former imperial summer home and vast gardens with a history spanning 300 years of the Habsburg monarchyIn your free time why not stroll through pedestrian Kärntnerstrasse—the most famous shopping avenue in central Vienna, or take a bike ride through the city and stop in a local café to enjoy authentic Austrian confections of Sachertorte or Apfelstrudel.Later this evening, you may choose to attend an Optional Excursion to a Royal Waltz Concert for an unforgettable evening of music in an elegant hall.OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO DÜRNSTEIN(B,L,D)
Day 5: DÜRNSTEIN–WACHAU VALLEY
Fairytale Castles, Kings, and CobblestonesCLASSIC Join a Guided Walk, and hear the legendary tale of King Richard the Lionheart—who was imprisoned in the castle during the Crusades, OR:ACTIVE Join a Guided Hike up to the castle ruins to take in the spectacular view of the village, Danube, and the Wachau Valley belowLater, stretch out on the Sky Deck as you sail through the Wachau Valley past vineyards, castles, and charming villages on your way to Melk.MELKStriking Frescoes and Breathtaking Views of the Wachau Valley CLASSIC Take a Guided Tour of Melk’s magnificent Benedictine Abbey to marvel at its frescoed ceilings, statues, incredible library, and ornate pipe organ, OR:DISCOVERY Visit the Arstetten Castle, once owned by the Habsburg family and nowadays it is a property of the Hohenbergs,the family of Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, assassinated in 1914.DISCOVERY Enjoy the flavors of the Wachau Valley at a Wine Tasting on boardEVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO LINZ(B,L,D)
Day 6: LINZ
Fall in Love with Linz–Legendary Art, Music, and the Linzer TorteAsk about today’s energizing or relaxing Adventure Host activities.CLASSIC Take a Guided Walk through the city’s historic and beautiful sites along the shore of the Danube and see Hauptplatz—Austria’s largest medieval square—and the towering white-marble Trinity Column, OR: DISCOVERY Take a full day excursion among the picturesque mountain lakes and romantic villages beloved by the HabsburgsAlternatively, feel free to enjoy the afternoon on your own to bike along the banks of the Danube with a picnic from the ship, or hike through Linz’s beautiful nature trails to Pöstlingberg for a bird’s-eye view of the city and river below. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN LINZ(B,L,D)
Day 7: SCHLÖGEN OXBOW–PASSAU
Go for Baroque in Passau–Where the Danube, Inn, and Ilz Rivers Meet This morning, cruise through the Schlögen Oxbow, a particularly beautiful horseshoe-shaped bend of the river. CLASSIC Join a Guided City Walk to learn more about this beautiful “City of Three Rivers.”ACTIVE Follow your Avalon Adventure Host for Hiking from Oberhaus along a trail down to the valley and along Ilz RiverSpend a little free time before sailing to Deggendorf to walk the cobblestone streets and galleries of Artists’ Alley or peek into St. Stephen’s Cathedral to possibly catch a concert rehearsal. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO DEGGENDORF(B,L,D)
Day 8: DEGGENDORF (DISEMBARKATION)
Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning. Flights should not leave Munich airport before Noon.(B)
Details
- Tour Operator
- Avalon
- Duration (Days)
- 8
Itinerary
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Day 1: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (EMBARKATION)
Welcome to Hungary. Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding. Flights into Budapest must arrive by 3:30 pm. Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.The day is yours to relax and enjoy the city with time for photographs, cafés, and confections.OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN BUDAPEST(D)
-
Day 2: BUDAPEST
The Pearl of the Danube in the Heart of EuropeVisit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided City Sightseeing, including the iconic Heroes’ SquareDISCOVERY Visit the Royal Palace of Gödöllö, one of the favorite retreat of SissiTake in the beauty of Budapest while enjoying some free time exploring such famous sights as the Chain Bridge. Get to know the city’s cafés and pubs, or take a hike through the hills above the Danube.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BRATISLAVA(B,L,D)
-
Day 3: BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA
Classic and Contemporary—from Cathedrals to CastlesDISCOVERY Enjoy a lecture about European Royal dynastiesCLASSIC Take a Guided City Walk, including the quaint streets of Old Town, Town Hall, and fantastic St. Martin’s CathedralEnjoy some free time to take Nordic walking sticks from the ship and hike to Bratislava Castle. DISCOVERY Later, enjoy an onboard Royal Waltz lesson, a living cultural heritage from the Habsburg monarchyOVERNIGHT CRUISE TO VIENNA(B,L,D)
-
Day 4: VIENNA
Strauss, Schnitzel, Strudel, and Sachertorte CLASSIC Venture into the Habsburg empire with a morning Guided City Tour of Vienna’s gilded landmarks. See the Imperial Palace complex— Winter residence of the Imperial Family, the historic Vienna Opera House and stunning St. Stephen’s CathedralDISCOVERY Take a guided tour to Schönbrunn Palace—the former imperial summer home and vast gardens with a history spanning 300 years of the Habsburg monarchyIn your free time why not stroll through pedestrian Kärntnerstrasse—the most famous shopping avenue in central Vienna, or take a bike ride through the city and stop in a local café to enjoy authentic Austrian confections of Sachertorte or Apfelstrudel.Later this evening, you may choose to attend an Optional Excursion to a Royal Waltz Concert for an unforgettable evening of music in an elegant hall.OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO DÜRNSTEIN(B,L,D)
-
Day 5: DÜRNSTEIN–WACHAU VALLEY
Fairytale Castles, Kings, and CobblestonesCLASSIC Join a Guided Walk, and hear the legendary tale of King Richard the Lionheart—who was imprisoned in the castle during the Crusades, OR:ACTIVE Join a Guided Hike up to the castle ruins to take in the spectacular view of the village, Danube, and the Wachau Valley belowLater, stretch out on the Sky Deck as you sail through the Wachau Valley past vineyards, castles, and charming villages on your way to Melk.MELKStriking Frescoes and Breathtaking Views of the Wachau Valley CLASSIC Take a Guided Tour of Melk’s magnificent Benedictine Abbey to marvel at its frescoed ceilings, statues, incredible library, and ornate pipe organ, OR:DISCOVERY Visit the Arstetten Castle, once owned by the Habsburg family and nowadays it is a property of the Hohenbergs,the family of Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, assassinated in 1914.DISCOVERY Enjoy the flavors of the Wachau Valley at a Wine Tasting on boardEVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO LINZ(B,L,D)
-
Day 6: LINZ
Fall in Love with Linz–Legendary Art, Music, and the Linzer TorteAsk about today’s energizing or relaxing Adventure Host activities.CLASSIC Take a Guided Walk through the city’s historic and beautiful sites along the shore of the Danube and see Hauptplatz—Austria’s largest medieval square—and the towering white-marble Trinity Column, OR: DISCOVERY Take a full day excursion among the picturesque mountain lakes and romantic villages beloved by the HabsburgsAlternatively, feel free to enjoy the afternoon on your own to bike along the banks of the Danube with a picnic from the ship, or hike through Linz’s beautiful nature trails to Pöstlingberg for a bird’s-eye view of the city and river below. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN LINZ(B,L,D)
-
Day 7: SCHLÖGEN OXBOW–PASSAU
Go for Baroque in Passau–Where the Danube, Inn, and Ilz Rivers Meet This morning, cruise through the Schlögen Oxbow, a particularly beautiful horseshoe-shaped bend of the river. CLASSIC Join a Guided City Walk to learn more about this beautiful “City of Three Rivers.”ACTIVE Follow your Avalon Adventure Host for Hiking from Oberhaus along a trail down to the valley and along Ilz RiverSpend a little free time before sailing to Deggendorf to walk the cobblestone streets and galleries of Artists’ Alley or peek into St. Stephen’s Cathedral to possibly catch a concert rehearsal. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO DEGGENDORF(B,L,D)
-
Day 8: DEGGENDORF (DISEMBARKATION)
Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning. Flights should not leave Munich airport before Noon.(B)