Danube Rhapsody River Cruise (Passau - Passau)

Upon arrival in Munich, we will be met by our local guide who will assist us in the transfer to Passau port with a guided Passau city tour en-route. Let's discover the beauty of this elegant German city. Created by Italian baroque masters in the 17th century, it is filled soaring towers, picturesque places, enchanting promenades and romantic lanes. Let's 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.

In the afternoon we will be transferred to Passau port to join our River Cruise. Settle in to our cabin and explore the range of facilities on board our ship as we embark on our 7-night cruise along the Danube. Sit back with a welcome cocktail in one of the lounge areas, followed by a tasty welcome dinner.

Today we will wake up in Emmersdorf where we will enjoy an included excursion to Melk Abbey. 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 us through the abbot's chambers, along the Imperator's walk, through the marble hall, the balconies and the library.

We will set sail in the early afternoon, enjoy lunch on board as we depart Emmersdorf and travel on to the 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 rejoin our ship in the late afternoon as set sail for Vienna.
 

This morning, we will have arrive at the beautiful city of Vienna, here we will embark on a city tour of Vienna. Firstly, we will a panoramic tour as we drive along the famous Ringstrasse, passing several magnificent buildings like the stunning opera house, the parliament, the Court Theatre and 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.

We will spend the morning sailing along the Danube towards Budapest, enjoy the morning at leisure on board to relax and enjoy the picturesque landscape on offer.

In the afternoon we will have arrived in Budapest where we will be docked for the night. After lunch we will have a panoramic guided tour of Budapest where we will see the unique Chain Bridge connecting the Buda side, with its Fisherman’s Bastion, and the Pest side, with its iconic Hungarian Parliament building.  

In the evening, discover another view of Budapest with an evening cruise and watch as the riverside buildings are illuminated at night and enjoy a folklore show hosted by the crew on board your ship.

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. 

We will depart Budapest in the early afternoon and relax on board as sail along the Danube. We will have a short stop in Esztergom that evening before continuing onto Bratislava. 

This morning, we will arrive in Bratislava where we will be docked for the day. Following breakfast, we will enjoy a walking tour of this compact city. During this tour we will get to know the capital of the young Slovakian Republic and admire famous sites such as St. Martin’s Cathedral a former coronation cathedral for Hungarian kings and the Grassalkovich Palace, where you will have a stunning, panoramic view of the city and surrounding areas.  Afterwards, we will have some free time to further explore this 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. 

This morning we wake up sailing along the Danube towards Linz, spend the morning relaxing on board and taking advantage of the many amenities our ship has to offer.

After lunch we will arrive into Linz where will have free time to explore this UNESCO City of Media Arts, at our own pace. Discover this city's charming old town filled with historic baroque architecture as well as its stunning natural landscape. 

This evening, we will enjoy a Captain's Gala Dinner while the ship travels to Passau.

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 some free time for lunch or shopping in Munich, we will be transferred to Munich airport for our flight home, with guide assistance.

Please Note: For 05 September departure this will be 8-night duration. After disembarking the cruise on 11 September, we will have a Munich city tour before transferring onto Leonardo Hotel & Residence Munich, where will stay for 1 night on BB basis. We will have the remainder of the day at leisure. On 12 September we will check out of the hotel and transfer to Munich airport for our return flight home.