Blue Danube Discovery with Budapest and Prague

Arrive in Budapest and transfer to your hotel.

Today you have the opportunity to visit both the Buda (hilly) and Pest (flat) sides of the Danube River. Start on the Buda side, following your guide through the city's Castle District where you will marvel at the fairytale turrets of Fisherman's Bastion, gaze upon the breathtaking panorama below and see Matthias Church, renowned for its striking tower and colorful mosaic roof.

For a more active tour, hike to Budapest's Castle Hill. In the afternoon, explore the treasures of Pest, admiring the colossal Hungarian Parliament Building, Heroes' Square and the moving “Shoes on the Danube Bank” memorial. (B)

Excursions:

• Buda city tour OR Castle hike
• Pest city tour

Board the ship for your Blue Danube Discovery cruise. (D)

Host to the crowning ceremonies of 11 Hungarian kings and queens between 1536 and 1830, Bratislava certainly has earned the title “Coronation City of Kings,” as you'll discover during your walking tour. Or join a special “Tastes of Slovakia” tour. For a more active adventure, hike up to Bratislava Castle, offering magnificent views of the city. (B/L/D)

Excursions:

• “Coronation City” Walking Tour OR Tastes of Slovakia OR Bratislava Castle hike

The “City of Waltzes” offers a treasure trove of gems and your city tour showcases its regal splendors, including the majestic Opera House and the former Imperial Palace of the Habsburgs. Conclude your tour in Vienna's historic city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and then visit St. Stephen's Cathedral. For a more active exploration of the area, take a guided bike ride. In the afternoon, enjoy leisure time exploring this iconic city at your own pace. (B/L/D)

Excursions:

• “Imperial Vienna” tour OR Vienna City Tour by Bike
• Free time

After reaching the Wachau Valley in the morning, you'll have a choice of three excursions in Dürnstein. Partake in a walking tour along cobblestone streets to the luminous blue façade of the Baroque Stiftskirche, with its famed church tower, before enjoying a wine tasting in a local cellar. Visit a local boutique, where you'll be treated to the region's finest apricot products. Alternatively, for a beautiful view of the Wachau Valley, hike up to the fortress where Richard the Lionheart was once held.

After your morning excursions, cruise through the picturesque Wachau Valley to Melk. Upon reaching Melk, take a tour of the UNESCO-designated Melk Abbey or take a guided bike ride through Melk. Guests looking for a more active experience may choose to hike to this impressive monastery. (B/L/D)

Excursions:

• Walking tour and wine tasting OR Apricots and sweets tasting OR Dürnstein Fortress hike
• Scenic cruising through UNESCO Wachau Valley
• Benedictine Abbey tour OR Guided bike ride to Melk OR Melk Abbey hike

For those who love The Sound of Music, disembark in Linz and set off on a full-day excursion to Salzburg and tour the historic center, Mirabell Gardens, Residenz Square and the Old Market. Those who remain on board will enjoy a scenic morning sailing to the medieval city of Passau. Join a walking tour through this 2,000-year-old city, noted for its Gothic and Italian Baroque architecture and St. Stephen's Cathedral. Guests looking for a more active morning can choose between a guided hike up to the Veste Oberhaus Fortress overlooking Passau or a guided bike tour along the Inn River. (B/L/D)

*Passau tours not available with full-day Salzburg

Excursions:

• Full-Day Salzburg excursion*
• “City of Three Rivers” walking tour OR Passau Castle hike OR River Inn Bike Tour

Explore Regensburg, one of Germany's best preserved medieval cities and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on a guided walking tour showcasing the city's architectural highlights, including the Old Town Hall and the Porta Praetoria, gates to an ancient Roman fort built in 179 A.D. As an alternate option, sample some of Bavaria's specialties—beer, sausage and pretzels; or bike to Walhalla where you'll see the neoclassical white marble temple inspired by the Parthenon in Athens. (B/L/D)

Excursions:

• UNESCO city walking tour OR Tastes of Bavaria OR Walhalla bike tour

Enjoy a scenic morning cruise as the ship crosses the Continental Divide via the Main-Danube Canal to Nuremberg. Explore the medieval city center with a tour that showcases the Imperial Castle and the famous town wall, as well as Albrecht Dürer's home and Market Square with its legendary fountain.

Or you can take a guided tour of the city's WWII history, including a visit to the infamous Zeppelin Field, a museum built on the site of former Nazi rallies and the site of the Nuremberg Trials when not in session. Alternatively, savor traditional Franconian specialties by sampling famously delicious Nuremberger Bratwurst, Rot bier (red beer) and Lebkuchen (gingerbread). (B/L/D)

Excursions:

• Medieval city tour OR WWII tour OR Tastes of Franconia

Depart the ship after breakfast and drive through the countryside to Pilzen, a city perhaps best known for producing Pilsner beer. You will have free time to explore this lovely town and have lunch before continuing to Prague and checking into your hotel. (B)

Excursions:

• Transfer to Pilzen
• Highlights tour
• Transfer to Prague

Discover Prague with a choice of a city tour or a castle hike. Both will reveal why Prague is considered one of Europe's most attractive cities, with a historic city center that's recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See all the key highlights, including the 1,000-year-old Prague Castle and Old Market Square, where you will find the famous Astronomical Clock. (B)

Excursions:

• “Golden City of a Hundred Spires” tour OR Prague Castle Hike

Beer has a long and illustrious history in the Czech Republic, with the first brewery dating back to 993. Join a Czech beer tasting and discover for yourself what makes Czech beer some of the very best in the world. (B)

Excursions:

• Czech beer tasting

Bid farewell to Prague and prepare for your homeward flight. (B)