Classical Danube River Cruise 4 Star (Budapest - Passau)

Let's begin our river cruise holiday! Upon arrival in Budapest, we will be met by our local guide who will assist us in the transfer to Budapest port with a guided Budapest city tour en-route. We will take in highlights such as Heroes Square, the Synagogue and the Castle District. A must see is our walk by the Mathias Church and Fishermen’s Bastion for stunning photos of the views over the Danube and our visit to St. Stephan’s Basilica.

Please note for 15 April departure due to the later flight time arriving in Budapest the city tour will be shorter and there will be no visit to St. Stephan’s Basilica.

In the early afternoon we will be transferred to the quayside in Budapest to join our River Cruise. Let's Settle in to our cabins and explore the range of facilities on board our ship as we embark on your 7-night cruise along the Danube. Sit back with a welcome cocktail in one of the lounge areas, followed by a tasty welcome dinner as we cruise through Budapest enjoying the sight of the city at night

This morning, the boat will be moored in Budapest for the morning, and we will have free time to further explore the city. Why not take a short stroll to the nearby Central Market Hall, one of Budapest most famous and vibrant food markets.

An optional excursion to Szentendre and Esztergom will be offered in the afternoon (payable locally). One of Hungary’s oldest cities, Esztergom was formerly the capital and is home to the Basilica, the main Roman Catholic church of Hungary.

We will depart Budapest in the early afternoon and will have a short stop in Esztergom that evening before we continue along the Danube and sail towards Bratislava. 

This morning we will arrive into Bratislava where we will be docked for the day. The city is small and best explored on foot. Following breakfast, lets enjoy a walking tour of this compact city. During this tour we will get to know the capital of the young Slovakian Republic. The gorgeous old town has maintained its Gothic-Baroque style. The tour passes St. Martin’s Cathedral a former coronation cathedral for Hungarian kings and the Grassalkovich Palace and continues up to the hill, where you will have a stunning, panoramic view of the city and surrounding areas. Afterwards, we will have some free time to explore this compact city, take a stroll through the restored old town, visit Michael’s Gate and admire sights such as the main square with the old City Hall, the Opera House and Maximilian Fountain.

We will have the afternoon at leisure, spend the afternoon exploring more of this beautiful Slovakian capital take a stroll through the restored old town, visit Michael’s Gate and admire sights such as the main square with the old City Hall, the Opera House and Maximilian Fountain or else just sit with a coffee or a drink and watch the world go by. 

You can also take an optional excursion (payable locally) to the impressive Schloss Hof, a former home of the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria 

This morning, we will have arrive into the beautiful city of Vienna, here we will embark on a city tour of Vienna. This tour will give us an overall impression of the most important sights Vienna has to offer. First we will drive along the famous Ringstrasse, passing several magnificent buildings like the stunning opera house, the parliament, the Court Theatre or Vienna’s imposing city hall. The tour is followed by a guided walk through the city centre where we will get to know Vienna at its fullest. We will start at the well-known Hofburg Imperial Palace, walk along the Kohl market and finish at Vienna’s iconic St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

After our tour we can return to the ship and enjoy many of the amenities on board or we can spend the afternoon in Vienna exploring this vibrant city at our own pace. 

An optional excursion to Schönbrunn Palace will be offered in the afternoon (payable locally). One of the most important cultural and historic monuments in Austria, the 1,441 room Baroque palace is surrounded by a magnificent garden, known as the Gloriette, giving unforgettable view over the palace area.

This morning, we arrive into the picturesque town of Dürnstein which is named after the Medieval Castle Burgruine Dürnstein, which overlooks it. The town is the perfect spot to spend a leisurely morning wandering the narrow cobblestoned streets, admiring beautiful buildings, shopping and relaxing with a drink in one of the local coffee shops or visit of the many chocolate shops this picturesque town has to offer. 

We will sit sail in the early afternoon enjoy lunch on board as depart Durnstein and travel on to the town of Emmersdorf in the Melk district of Austria. Here, we can take an optional excursion to visit Melk Abbey (payable locally) or visit the town at your own pace. The ship will depart Emmersdorf in the late evening.

Please note for 2025 on some dates you will have an excursion to Melk Abbey included. Melk Abbey is an Austrian Benedictine abbey and one of the world's most famous monastic sites. The impressive Baroque abbey was built between 1702 and 1736 and is the biggest monastery complex of the Austrian baroque period. The Abbey's church features frescos by Johann Michael Rottmayr and the impressive library contains countless medieval manuscripts and frescos by Paul Troger. A guided tour takes you through the abbot's chambers, along the Imperator's walk, through the marble hall, the balconies and the library.

Today we will arrive into the town of Linz and disembark the ship for a full day excursion to Salzburg and Salzkammergut with lunch included. A two-hour coach ride will bring us to Salzburg – the city of music. The old town with its world-famous Baroque architecture is one of the best-preserved city centres north of the Alps. It was adopted by UNESCO in 1997 and is included on its list of World Cultural Heritage Sites. Salzburg is also the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. During the guided tour through the old town, we will see the birth house of the musician (outside only), as well as other well-known attractions, such as the Getreidegasse. This long yet narrow shopping street runs parallel to the river in the centre of town. The street is famous for its old-style signage outside each store, indicating the profession found within. You will continue to the Mirabell Palace, a beautiful castle with gardens, built by an archbishop for his beloved courtesan. Look out for the Garden of Dwarfs and the Garden of Roses, as they are especially beautiful.

After the included lunch, we will head to the picturesque village Mondesee in Salzkammergut, which was the film location for the well-known movie “The Sound of Music”. Enjoy the beautiful scenery as you head back to the ship which will be docked at Passau. 

Please note for 2025 on some dates you will have an excursion to Melk Abbey instead. Melk Abbey is an Austrian Benedictine abbey and one of the world's most famous monastic sites. The impressive Baroque abbey was built between 1702 and 1736 and is the biggest monastery complex of the Austrian baroque period. The Abbey's church features frescos by Johann Michael Rottmayr and the impressive library contains countless medieval manuscripts and frescos by Paul Troger. A guided tour takes you through the abbot's chambers, along the Imperator's walk, through the marble hall, the balconies and the library.

This evening we will all come together to enjoy a Captain’s Gala Dinner. 

Today our ship will be docked at Passau where we will have free time to explore this old town, created by Italian baroque masters in the 17th century, shows soaring towers, picturesque places, enchanting promenades and romantic lanes. Take in highlights such as St. Stephen's Cathedral, in which the world's largest cathedral organ sounds, the majestic fortress Veste Oberhaus on the Danube's side and the Pilgrimage Church "Mariahilf" on the Inn's side.

We will remain in Passau overnight and enjoy a traditional Bavarian evening hosted by the crew on board your ship.

This morning we will disembark the ship after breakfast. We will be met by our local representative and enjoy a city tour of Munich. Highlights will include The Nymphenburg Palace, King's Square with its three temple buildings in the classical Greek style, the Bavarian National Museum and the Angel of Peace monument, the elegant buildings and shops along Maximilian Street, the Maximilianeum, the National Opera House, the Royal Palace, Stachus Square and the medieval city gates. 

After our city tour of Munich, we will be transferred to our hotel to check in and have the rest of the day at leisure.

This morning, we will check out of hotel after breakfast and settle any additional charges incurred, we will be transferred to Munich airport for our flight home, with guide assistance.