Gems of Southeast Europe with Vienna, Brasov and Bucharest (Wine Cruise)

Arrive in Vienna and transfer to your hotel.

The “City of Waltzes” offers a treasure trove of gems just waiting to be discovered on your city tour. See the majestic Opera House and the former Imperial Palace of the Habsburgs before concluding in Vienna's historic city center.

Excursions:

• “Imperial Vienna” tour

Board the ship for your Gems of Southeast Europe cruise.

Excursions:

• Transfer to Budapest

Enjoy an excursion to Pécs and see Szechenyi Square, the Christian Necropolis – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – and St. Peter's Basilica with its underground burial chambers. For a more active adventure, delight in a guided bike ride along the Danube River. For wine connoisseurs, you'll visit the Szekszárd wine region, one of the oldest red-wine-growing areas in Hungary, established more than 2,000 years ago.

Excursions:

• Pecs Excursion OR Guided Bike Ride Along the Danube OR Szekszárd wine tasting

Enjoy your morning in Vukovar on a guided city tour where you may visit sites such as Eltz Manor House and Vukovar's famous water tower. Alternatively, you may see Osijek on a guided tour. For those looking for a more active experience, you may explore Vukovar on an active bike tour.

In the afternoon, enjoy a Croatian wine tasting and tour in the Old Cellars, famous for their Grasevina, Traminac and Frankovka wines. You can also choose to explore the Vucedol Museum, home to fascinating exhibits on prehistoric culture and one of the most important archaeological sites in Europe.

Excursions:

• Vukovar city tour OR Osijek tour OR Vukovar guided bike tour
• Croatian wine tasting OR Vucedol Museum

Explore Serbia's capital, Belgrade, on a city tour, which includes the Nikola Tesla Museum, encompassing the world-renowned inventor's life and inventions, as well as the Kalemegdan Fortress and the Serbian Orthodox Temple of St. Sava. For those wishing for a more active adventure, join a guided bike tour or hike to Belgrade Fortress.

In the afternoon, you can enjoy a taste of the region by sampling wine and snacks at Kalemegdanska Terasa, where old traditions and excellent wine thrive in the heart of Belgrade. Or explore Novi Sad, a city rich in tradition and culture, on an afternoon walking tour. Begin your tour at the Dunavski (Danube) Park; stroll through Stari Grad, the old town center; and explore Liberty Square, which is dominated by the Old Town Hall.

Excursions:

• “The City by Two Rivers” tour OR Belgrade Fortress hike OR Belgrade bike tour
• Kalemegdanska Terasa wine tasting OR Novi Sad tour

Visit Golubac Fortress – one of the best-preserved medieval fortresses in Europe – before cruising through the Iron Gates – one of Europe's most awe-inspiring natural wonders. The Danube narrows as it winds through a series of magnificent gorges between the Carpathian and Balkan mountains, forming a natural border between Serbia and Romania. The ancient King Decebalus, the last king of Dacia, is proudly carved into the mountainside and always captivates travelers.

Excursions:

• Golubac Fortress visit
• Scenic Cruising – The Iron Gates

Explore Vidin, one of Bulgaria's oldest cities, and surrounding areas with a choice of excursions. Discover Baba Vida Fortress, the largest preserved medieval castle in Bulgaria. Alternatively, visit a local home for a demonstration of traditional Bulgarian yogurt and Banitsa, a pastry you will also get to make. You also have the choice to bike through Vidin and to the castle. Or enjoy a wine tasting at a local boutique winery just outside of Vidin.

Excursions:

• Baba Vida Fortress and Vidin Walking Tour OR Banitsa Pastry and Yogurt making OR Vidin bike tour OR Dos Alamos wine tasting

Visit Bulgaria's ancient capital, Veliko Tarnovo, with its medieval fortress and multiple orthodox temples. You can opt instead to go to Rousse, known for its 19th- and 20th-century Neo-Baroque and Neo-Rococo architecture, and then afterwards visit the UNESCO-designated Rock-Hewn Churches of Ivanovo with frescos revealing exceptional artistry of 14th-century paintings.

Alternatively, travel through the Romanian countryside to the capital of Bucharest, known as the “Little Paris of the East,” for a full day tour. Enjoy a panoramic tour of the historic city center and its elegant architecture, followed by a visit to the Palace of the Parliament, the second largest administrative building in the world.

In the afternoon, journey to a Rousse Wine House and the Leventa complex set in a unique fortification structure dating back almost 200 years and be treated to a tasting of three wines while learning about the wine making process. *Not available with full-day excursions

Excursions:

• Full-day Veliko Tarnovo excursion OR Veliko Tarnovo & Wine Tasting excursion OR Ivanovo Rock-Hewn Churches & Rousse Highlights Tour OR Full-day Bucharest excursion
• Leventa wine tasting*

Disembark the ship in Giurgiu and continue to the legendary region of Transylvania, a place deeply rooted in myth and history. Arrive in the quaint mountain town of Bran where you will have lunch and visit the famous Bran castle, otherwise known as Dracula's Castle. After your tour of Bran Castle, you will continue to Braşov. Considered the heart of Romania and surrounded by the beautiful Southern Carpathians, Braşov is one of the most visited cities in Romania.

Excursions:

• Dracula's Castle visit
• Hotel Check-in

Dracula lovers will be in for another treat with an excursion to Sighişoara, birthplace to Transylvania's most notorious ruler, Vlad Ţepeş, also known as Vlad the Impaler or Dracula. It's hard to believe that this perfectly preserved UNESCO-designated town filled with resplendent pastel-colored buildings, stone lanes, medieval towers and pedestrian-friendly Old Town was Vlad's place of birth. His home is still here, marked with a placard; however, today it houses a kitschy restaurant called “Casa Dracula.” Considered the heart of Romania and surrounded by the beautiful Southern Carpathians, Brasov is one of the most visited cities in Romania.

After returning from your excursion to Sighisoara you will enjoy a walk through history as you take a tour of Braşov's Old town before ending at your hotel.

Excursions:

• Sighișoara excursion
• Braşov walking tour

En route to Bucharest, you'll visit the quaint mountain town of Sinaia. While in Sinaia you will visit Peles Castle. Peles Castle is considered by many to be one of the most stunning castles in Europe and a masterpiece of German new-Renaissance with 160 rooms filled with priceless European art. After your tour of Peles Castle you will depart for Romania's capital city of Bucharest.

Excursions:

• Peleş Royal Castle tour
• Hotel check in

Bucharest, Romania's capital, has earned its nickname, the “Little Paris of the East,” with its wide boulevards and Arc de Triomphe. This morning, enjoy a walking tour through the historic old town of Bucharest. You will observe the many changes this capital city has experienced through a mixture of architectural styles and cultural influences. Bucharest's eclectic architecture is a mix of historical, neo-classical, communist-era and modern buildings.

Your guided tour will take you through the old town and show you the most popular places in Bucharest while hearing stories of its history and getting local insights for shopping and dining opportunities. The afternoon is free for you to explore the city on your own.

Excursions:

• Old Town walking tour

Bid farewell to Bucharest as you prepare for your flight home.