Riviera Travel Grand Cruise through the Heart of Europe

• Marvel at the natural beauty of the Danube Delta and sail through the Iron Gate Gorge
• Enjoy 22 guided tours of captivating tours and cities, including Budapest, Vienna, Bucharest, and Belgrade
• Cruise through the spectacular Rhine Gorge
• Enjoy live musical performances onboard

• Return flights and transfers
• 28nts onboard a 5* ship
• Full Board dining
• 28 visits and tours
• Services of an expert cruise director

Day 1: Arrival in Cologne
Travel to Cologne, where you’ll board your 5* cruise ship.

Day 2: Koblenz & Boppard
Arrive at historic Koblenz this morning. Enjoy a guided walk through this quaint old town. During lunch, the ship will sail to Boppard. Here, you’ll have another guided tour. This evening, enjoy a live performance of Rhenish folk music.

Day 3: Rhine Gorge & Rüdesheim
This morning you’ll sail through the infamous Rhine Gorge. Head up to the deck to spot ancient ruins of castles and the Lorelei rock. In the afternoon, you’ll arrive in the wine town of Rüdesheim. On today’s guided tour, walk through the old town to see the half-timbered Klunkhardshof. There is also an optional visit to the Bromserhof, housing Siegfried’s Mechanical Museum.

Day 4: Mainz
Sail a short distance to the town of Mainz, near where the Rhine and Main rivers meet. Spend the morning discovering this Roman city with a guide, visiting the amphitheatre, the cathesral and the museum dedicated to Johannes Gutenberg. Later in the afternoon, sail up the Main River, continuing overnight to Miltenberg.

Day 5: Miltenberg & Wertheim
Arriving in Miltenberg, explore this medieval village, with its beautiful marketplace, framed by picture-perfect houses. Then cruise down the river and enjoy an informative talk on glassblowing from an experienced artisan. This afternoon, stop in Wertheim for a walking tour before sailing overnight to Wurzburg.

Day 6: Wurzburg
Enjoy a leisurely morning as the ship glides towards Wurzburg. Take a walking tour of the city, visiting the Residenz, a baroque palace once home to the prince-bishops. Return to the ship this evening for dinner, before the ship sails towards Bamberg.

Day 7: Bamberg
After lunch, the ship arrives in Bamberg, full of architectural treasures, including the cathedral and the town hall that sits in the middle of the river. Return to the ship for a beer tasting, learning about the history of Bavarian beer production.

Day 8: Nuremberg
This morning, arrive in the city of Nuremberg. Head off on a walking tour to see Kaiserburg Castle, the Craftmen’s Court and the Church of Saint Lawrence as well as other surprised before returning to the ship for lunch. The afternoon is spent sailing for Regensburg.

Day 9: Regensburg
This morning, the ship joins the Danube River at Kelheim before continuing to Regensburg. This afternoon’s guided tour reveals the city’s main landmarks form the merchants’ houses and the Old Town Hall to the cathedral and the Altes Rathus, the seat of the parliament of the Holy Roman Empire.

Day 10: Passau
Early this morning, the ship will arrive in Passau, the final port of call in Germany. Enjoy breakfast before disembarking to explore the town’s Baroque treasures before returning to the ship and beginning the journey into Austria.

Day 11: Melk
Today, you’ll explore the Benedictine Abbey that overlooks Melk before cruising through the Wachau Valley to Vienna. Tonight, you’ll enjoy the ‘Captain’s Dinner’ featuring a menu inspired by the local regions before a live performance on-board by a quartet of classical musicians.

Day 12: Vienna
Dive into Vienna’s rich history this morning on a guided tour. Visit the cathedral, the Hofburg Palace and the famed Spanish Riding School. The afternoon is free for you to explore the city at your own pace before returning to the ship for dinner.

Day 13: Bratislava
This morning, disembark for a guided tour of Bratislava. Walk through the restored Old Town, seeing the Old Town Hall that is home to a museum. After, there is some free time in the city before the ship continues its cruising, venturing through the Danube Bend.

Day 14: Budapest
Today is spent exploring all the Budapest has to offer. In the morning, you’ll take a guided tour of its main sights before having the rest of the day to explore independently, with the ship docked here overnight.

Day 15: Budapest
You’re free to explore Budapest at your own pace today.

Day 16: Kalocsa or Puszta
Wake up to the thrill of exploring new lands, with Hungary’s Kalocsa awaiting your discovery. Choose between a walking tour of Kalocsa, exploring its Baroque cathedral and Archbishop’s Palace, or delve into the secrets of paprika production at the Paprika Museum. Alternatively, venture into the Puszta, Hungary’s Great Plain, where villages frozen in time and equestrian traditions await. Witness mesmerizing performances by skilled riders, take a horse-drawn carriage ride, and soak in the wilderness before returning to the ship for an afternoon sail.

Day 17: Belgrade
This morning, the ship arrives in Belgrade. On today’s guided tour, see all the main sights, such as the cathedral, Republic Square and Prince Michael Street. After lunch, you’re free to explore the city at your own pace. In the evening, enjoy an on-board music and dance performance as the ship sails towards the Iron Gate GorgedAYTop of Form

Day 18: Iron Gates Gorge
Today, the ship will begin its passage through the Iron Gates Gorge, where the Danube carves its way between the Carpathian and Balkan Mountains. Pass through the Great Kazan and past the sculpture of Decebalus, the largest rock relief in Europe. Tonight, enjoy a magnificent Gala Dinner

Day 19: Pleven
Crossing the border into Bulgaria overnight, you’ll awake in Nikopol. From here, you’ll set out to Pleven, where you’ll have a guided tour and some free time. During lunch, the ship leaves Nikopol for an afternoon of cruising. After dinner, there is a live performance of Bulgarian folk music.

Day 20: Bucharest
From the ship’s mooring in Oltenita, drive to Bucharest, where a guided tour will take you to see the Palace of the Parliament, the former royal palace, and the Athenaeum as well as other sights. Following this, you’re free to explore under your own steam. Return to the ship in Fetesti with time to relax before dinner.

Day 21: Danube Delta
Overnight, the ship cruises toward the city of Tulcea, the gateway to the vast Danube Delta. After lunch, take an excursion on smaller boats into the delta to see the vast species of flora and fauna found here. Before dinner, return to the ship which continues its journey as you sit down for dinner.

Day 22: Constanta
Depart for the ancient city of Constanta this morning. Where you’ll have a guided tour to see its Greek and Roman heritage, as well as its landmark Art Nouveau casino. Enjoy some free time in the city after.

Day 23: Veliko Tarnovo, Arbanasi & Ivanovo
Crossing into Bulgaria, arrive in Rousse. A scenic drive brings you to Veliko Tarnovo, the form capital of Bulgaria. Visit the ruins of the Tsar’s Palace ad the Patriarch’s Palace. After, head to the village of Arbanasi. In the Ottoman era, this was commercial centre for traders, which can be seen in the richly decorated mansions you can see on your visit today. End the day with a visit to the churches of Ivanovo, a complex of buildings hewn into the rock. Before dinner is served, the ship begins its overnight sailing to Vidin.

Day 24: Belogradchik
This morning, the ship continues its journey to Vidin, where you’ll dock after lunch. From here, you’ll drive into the wilderness to see the immense sandstone Belogradchik Rocks. Covering 35 square miles, these rocks standing as high as 600 feet and have eroded into bizarre shapes.

Day 25: Iron Gates Gorge & Lepenski Vir
Sail back through the dramatic Iron Gates Gorge, before mooring in Donji Milanovac this afternoon. From here, drive to Lepenski Vir, one of Europe’s most important archaeological sites. On a guided tour, learn more about the Mesolithic villages here and the lifestyle of the people that lived here. In the evening, enjoy another Captain’s dinner.

Day 26: Novi Sad
Spend another morning watch the landscape passing as the ship sails to Novi Sad, where it moors in the early afternoon. Enjoy a guided tour of the city, seeing its old town hall, its castle and the mighty Petrovaradin Fortress. The ship remains here overnight, and after dinner, you’ll be treated to a performance of traditional Serbian music.

Day 27: Vukovar & Osijek
Cross into Croatia today, and stop in Vukovar, the country’s largest river port. Take a guided tour of its main sights before driving to the city of Osijek. Explore the old town, including its intriguing market square. Reembark the ship in Aljimas, from where the ship will begin sailing to Budapest.

Day 28: Budapest
Arrive back in Budapest, where the rest of the day is free for you to enjoy at leisure. Later, return to the ship where you’ll enjoy tonight’s final dinner.

Day 29: Return home
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your journey home.

MS William Wordsworth

MS Emily Bronte

• Currency: Euro (all other countries, and on board), Forint (Hungary), Lev (Bulgaria), Leu (Romania), Dinar (Serbia)
• Flight Time: Approx. 2hr to Cologne & 2hrs 45mins from Budapest
• Eurostar & TGV Journey Time: Approx. 2 hrs (outbound only)
• Language: Hungarian, Slovakian, German, Serbian, Romanian, Croatian, Bulgarian
• Time Zone: GMT+1 / +2 – Bulgaria & Romania
• Country: Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Serbia, Romania, Croatia, Bulgaria

*All transfer times listed here are approximate and dependent on traffic.