Balkan Discovery with 1 Night in Bucharest & 2 Nights in Transylvania

Itinerary ▼

1. Day 1: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (EMBARKATION)

   Welcome to Hungary. Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding.Flights into Budapest must arrive by 2 pm. Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO VUKOVAR(D)

2. Day 2: VUKOVAR

   History and BeerVisit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.DISCOVERY Join a Guided Walking Tour to discover the heritage, culture, and tradition of Vukovar and enjoy a beer tasting, OR:CLASSIC Join a Guided City Tour to discover the captivating culture and tradition of Vukovar and learn about its rich history and heritage.Enjoy a brief cruise to Ilok while having lunch onboard.ILOK, CROATIA History and Culture in CroatiaCLASSIC Join a Guided tour of Ilok, with its 1,000-year-old wine making traditions still thriving and its medieval fortress protected for its Croatian cultural heritage. Refresh your spirit with a wine tasting in a local cellar and hear the stories of culture and tradition in the natural beauty of Eastern Croatia, OR:ACTIVE Explore more of Croatia on a Guided Bike Tour along Ilok’s city walls, into the central church, and the towns’ museum on your way to Principovac Castle and Estate.OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN NOVI SAD(B,L,D)

3. Day 3: NOVI SAD, SERBIA

   The Athens of SerbiaACTIVE Join your Adventure Host on a Hike to the Petrovaradin part of the town, OR:DISCOVERY Get to learn more about the beekeeper profession on this Guided Tour of Novi Sad by stopping at the Honey Museum and by tasting local honey specialties, OR:CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour of Novi Sad, the second largest town in Serbia. Admire its Austro-Hungarian old town, with its baroque buildings, and ancient fortifications.Later, enjoy live entertainment on board.OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BELGRADE(B,L,D)

4. Day 4: BELGRADE

   Fortresses and Folklore ACTIVE Join a Guided Bike Tour along the Danube and explore the nooks and crannies of Belgrade, OR:CLASSIC Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour of Belgrade—where the Danube and Sava Rivers converge—and see the city’s many fascinating sights, including Saint Sava—one of the world’s largest Orthodox churches.DISCOVERY Attend an onboard Lecture to learn about the rich history, destinations, and culture of the Balkan states.Spend your free time exploring the city on your own this afternoon on Knez Mihailova Street—Belgrade’s central pedestrian thoroughfare with many lively cafés, shops, and cultural spots. This evening, you might like to join an Optional Excursion for an authentic Bohemian Dinner in the Quarter of Skadarlija.OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO GOLUBAČ(B,L,D)

5. Day 5: GOLUBAČ–DONJI MILANOVAC. EXCURSION TO LEPENSKI VIR–IRON GATES GORGE

   Ancient Artifacts and and the Iron Gates CLASSIC Visit the Fortress of Golubač, one of the best-preserved medieval fortresses in Europe. You’ll hear about its tumultuous history as a border control for defense in the Middle Ages, and a source of conflict between Serbia, the Habsburg Monarchy, and the Ottoman Empire. Continue to the Mesolithic archaeological site of Lepenski Vir with unique views of the Danube Gorge.Sail through the spectacular and narrow Iron Gates Gorge—a natural border between Serbia and Romania. AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO VIDIN(B,L,D)

6. Day 6: VIDIN, BULGARIA

   Rocks, Ruins and Balkan BeautyACTIVE Join your Adventure Host on a hike to Baba Vida Fortress, OR:CLASSIC Join Guided Sightseeing Tour to the western slopes of the Balkan Mountains and marvel at Belogradchik’s stunning rock formations, sculpted by 200 million years of natural elements, OR:DISCOVERY Discover more than two centuries of a proud family history of Bulgarian winemaking with a tour and tasting at a local winery. Continue exploring the nearby port town Vidin on a Guided Sightseeing.AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO ROUSSE(B,L,D)

7. Day 7: ROUSSE. VELIKO TÂRNOVO & ARBANASSI EXCURSION

   Fortresses and FolkloreACTIVE Explore Rousse's old town by bike with your Adventure Host, OR:CLASSIC Join a full-day Guided Tour to the former Bulgarian capital of Veliko Târnovo—with its ancient stone houses clinging to the cliffs above the Yantra River. Discover one of the oldest towns in Bulgaria (circa 4300 BC), as well as the Bulgarian Revival architecture in the 15th-century town of Arbanassi, OR:CLASSIC Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour of Bulgaria’s largest inland port and visit its impressive Holy Trinity Church. Later, enjoy a short scenic drive to explore the rock-hewn churches of Ivanovo, a UNESCO World Heritage.Later, enjoy live entertainment on board with a Bulgarian folklore show. OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO OLTENITA(B,L,D)

8. Day 8: OLTENITA, ROMANIA (DISEMBARKATION)–BUCHAREST–BRASOV

   Disembark your ship and transfer to Bucharest. CLASSIC Take a Guided Tour of the Romanian capital city of Bucharest with its tree-lined boulevards and Arc de Triomphe—honoring WWI Romanian soldiers. See the Royal Palace Square—the scene of the city’s 1989 riots to overthrow the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.After the visit drive to Brasov for the night. (B,D)

9. Day 9: BRASOV

   Transylvania Tales CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided Tour of Brasov and admire its gothic, baroque and renaissance architecture.In the evening, depart for Bran Castle of Dracula lore. CLASSIC Take a Guided Tour of Bran Castle—the 1377 legendary home of the famed Romanian vampire, followed by a dinner in this amazing location.(B,D)

10. Day 10: BRASOV–SINAIA–BUCHAREST

    The “Paris of the East.” CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided Tour of Visit Peles Castle, the summer residence of the royal family until 1947.Drive out the Carpathians to Bucharest; On the way, enjoy a local lunch.Spend some free time exploring this fascinating city on your own to discover its trendy shops, cafés, museums, beautiful homes, and churches along Victory Avenue. (B,L)

11. Day 11: BUCHAREST

    Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.(B)