Transylvania Pre Program and Lower Danube

Arrive at the Bucharest airport and transfer to your centrally located hotel. Join your fellow travelers at a Welcome Dinner as we prepare for this beautiful journey on the blue Danube.

Explore the capital city of Romania, also known as the “Paris of the East”. The tour takes you past the Opera House, the Medicine Faculty and the Cotroceni Palace. Continue along magnificent boulevards lined with landmark buildings, which give the metropolis a certain French flair. Afterwards, take a guided walk through the partly rebuilt pedestrian area. Visit the Stavropoleos Church (dating back to 1724) which is one of the oldest Orthodox churches in the city. Take a shopping expedition to buy gifts and souvenirs. Before the traditional lunch in a Romanian restaurant, prepare your cameras for a photo of the largest administrative building in the world: the Palace of the Parliament, built during the golden age of the dictatorial regime.

Experience the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve on a full-day excursion including lunch: The Danube Delta is considered one of the largest wetland biotopes in the world and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with its rich flora and fauna.

The bus takes you from Hârşova to Tulcea, where your voyage of discovery through the beautiful nature reserve begins. Experienced, local guides will take you in small boats along small canals and waterways to the upper part of the Danube Delta with its unique flora and fauna. On your three-hour boat trip, you will discover the unique habitat of water birds, fish and a plant world that is still largely untouched in its beauty. A typical local lunch awaits you in the idyllic village of Mila 23 in the Danube Delta before you set off on your journey back to the Danube port of Hârşova.

Please note: this excursion can only be booked on board.

Travel by coach to Constanța, Romania’s biggest port and its longest continually inhabited city, founded by Greek colonists in the 6th century BC. Enjoy a walk along the waterfront promenade and with its beautiful seascape, view the timeworn Casino. This once opulent Art Nouveau hotspot is now  one of Romania’s most beautiful abandoned buildings. Pass by the Great Mosque and the Genovese Lighthouse in the historic center.

Continue with a short visit to the History and Archaeology Museum, which will reveal the city’s 2.5 millennia history and detail its blend of cultures. Afterwards, drive to Mamaia beach, which is located to the north of the city. Enjoy some free time to in this resort town with the opportunity to take a short walk along the golden sandy beaches of the Black Sea before returning to the ship. 

A comfortable bus drive through the Danube plains takes you to the museum village of Arbanassi with its unique houses that look like small fortesses. Arbanassi is famous for its painted churches and artist market. Use the coffee break to enjoy the splendid view from the terrace over one of the most picturesque and quaint places in Bulgaria at the foot of the Balkan Mountains – the city of Veliko Tarnovo. Have a look inside an authentic Middle Ages house, the “Konstantsalieva”, to see the amazing amenities wealthy families in Arbanassi had two centuries ago. Enter the richly decorated Nativity Church to admire some of the earliest frescoes in the region. Discover Bulgarian cuisine during lunch in a local restaurant. Continue to Veliko Tarnovo, the famous Medieval capital of Bulgaria, with more than 5000 years of history. Take breathtaking pictures during the photo stop at the Tsarevets Fortress and learn about the history of Bulgarian kings. Search for a special souvenir made cherishing centuries-old traditions during a stroll through the Craftspeople street (Samovodska charshia).

Belgrade, one of the oldest European cities and the capital of Serbia, lies at the junction of the Danube and the Sava. The city boasts a large number of monuments from different areas and different cultures.

First, the tour takes you to the Kalemegdan fortress, where you’ll have an impressive panoramic view over the Danube and the Sava Rivers. Afterwards, you can see the National Museum, the parliament, the Terazije square and the palace of princess Ljubica. Another highlight is the St. Sava Cathedral, the largest Orthodox church in the world. After a refreshment break at a local restaurant, our tour ends with a visit to the pedestrian zone where you will find many shops and art galleries.

Budapest, the “Queen of the Danube”, is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and has managed to retain a charm of its own with the help of renovations in recent years. The Danube flows through the heart of the city, dividing it into two parts: Buda and Pest. The tour first takes you through Pest, past the Great Market Hall with its outstanding gourmet shops and stalls.

You will see splendid Baroque buildings such as the Hungarian State Opera in Neo-Renaissance style and the incomparable parliament building, which was finished in 1904 and has been an emblem of the city ever since then. There’s an opportunity for a photo stop at the Heroes’ Square, famous for its monuments to many Hungarian kings. Continue aross one of the seven bridges into Buda and go up to Castle Hill, where you will visit St. Matthew’s Church and the famous Fisherman’s Bastion (provided that it is open to the public). Enjoy the unforgettable view over the city before returning to the vessel.

Your exciting excursion begins with a visit to the Market Hall. Built in 1896, this impressive building is the oldest and largest indoor market in Budapest and offers a variety of Hungarian specialties such as tokaj wine, langos and Hungarian paprika. Next, you will continue by bus to the City Park, where you’ll see the romantic Vajdahunyad Castle and the beautiful Széchenyi Baths - one of the largest and most popular thermal baths in Europe.

Afterwards, ride the second oldest metro in Europe to the city center and visit one of Budapest’s numerous pastry shops, where you can enjoy a slice of fluffy cake and a cup of coffee, and finally view the astonishing St. Stephen's Basilica.

Please note: The Market Hall is closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Alternatively, we will visit the famous Budapest Opera House and drive up Gellert Hill to enjoy the spectacular view on Saturdays and Sundays.

In the evening, you will enjoy an atmospheric cruise through Budapest, also known as the “Paris of the East”, which is festively lit up at night, revealing Budapest’s most beautiful side. A folklore show on board will complete the experience.

Get to know the capital of the young Slovakian Republic. The driving tour passes St. Martin’s Cathedral and the Grassalkovich Palace and continues to the castle hill above the old town, where you will have a stunning, panoramic view of the city and surrounding areas. 

Afterwards a guided walking tour leads you through the old town.  Take a leisurely stroll from Michael’s Gate through the historic city center, admire sights such as the Primatial Palace and St. Martin’s Cathedral, a former coronation cathedral for Hungarian kings, as well as the Academia Istropolitana, the oldest university of the city, dating back to the 15th century. See the main square with the old City Hall, the Opera House and Maximilian Fountain. From the Main Square we continue to a cosy cozy out of the way place to enjoy the famous Pressburger rolls with nut and poppy seed filling.  We will end our walk at the historical Opera House in front of glorious Ganymede’s Fountain. Afterwards, you are free to explore or walk the short distance back to the ship.