Danube Delights

Welcome to Budapest, where you’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your contemporary Emerald Cruises Star-Ship, before enjoying plenty of free time to explore the Hungarian capital at your leisure.

This evening, enjoy an authentic Hungarian folklore show on board, followed by a traditional dinner.

• EmeraldPLUS Traditional Hungarian folklore show on board

Please book your flight to arrive into Budapest prior to 05:00 PM. (D)

Architecture from across the centuries shines a light on the history of the Hungarian capital. Originally two separate cities, Buda to the west and Pest to the east offer incredibly different views on the culture of one of the liveliest cities in Eastern Europe. Today, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the city during a guided tour, including Heroes’ Square and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Andrássy Avenue and Buda Castle District. Alternatively, enjoy a hike to Gellert Hill for a postcard-worthy panorama view of the Danube banks.

• EmeraldACTIVE Hike to Gellert Hill
• Included Excursion Guided coach tour of Budapest (B/L/D)

This morning, relax on board as we sail to Bratislava. An ancient landscape awaits, where remarkable towers add to a skyline that perfectly encapsulates the history of the city, and preserved medieval fortifications tell tales of a turbulent past. Your local guide will take you through the heart of the city, as you soak in the sights of the lavish Episcopal Summer Palace and the neo-Renaissance façade of the Slovak National Theatre.

If you’re feeling more active, you could instead choose to hike around the serene gardens of Bratislava Castle, which provides the perfect setting for the Shakespeare festival that occurs during the summer months.

This afternoon, you will be invited into the home of a local family to learn more about their traditions and culture over coffee and cake.

• EmeraldPLUS Home-hosted coffee and cake with a local family
• EmeraldACTIVE Hike to Bratislava Castle
• Included Excursion Walking tour of Bratislava
• DiscoverMORE Skoda tour of post-Communist Bratislava (extra expense)
• DiscoverMORE Carpathian wine route (extra expense) (B/L/D)

Sweeping boulevards and world-famous art exhibitions welcome you to Vienna, a city which perfectly encapsulates the opulence of the Habsburg Monarchy and their ornate Baroque palaces. The Austrian capital is an art-lover's dream, and your guided tour will include a visit to the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the largest art museum in the country and one of the most important museums worldwide.

If you’re feeling more active, then you may opt to explore on two wheels instead, cycling along the riverbanks before touching on Danube Island and Prater, the famous Viennese amusement park, home to the traditional 19th-century Ferris wheel.

• EmeraldACTIVE Guided bike tour in Vienna
• Included Excursion Vienna art tour with a visit to the Kunsthistorisches Museum
• DiscoverMORE Viennese evening concert (extra expense) (B/L/D)

This morning, enjoy a guided tour of Göttweig Abbey, a true treasure overlooking the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Wachau Valley. Visible from great distance, it’s one of Austria's most important Benedictine abbeys and attracts visitors from all over the world and provides epic panorama views.

Afterwards, your Star-Ship will sail through the fascinating Wachau Valley, part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Wachau Cultural Landscape, and on to Dürnstein.

Alternatively, embark on a guided bike tour from Krems to Dürnstein, passing terraced vineyards, castles and ruins along the way, before arriving where your Star-Ship is docked in Dürnstein.

In the afternoon we arrive in Dürnstein; a small town nestled in the heart of the Wachau wine region. You'll have the chance to hike to the medieval ruins of Dürnstein Castle, the site where King Richard I was held prisoner following his return from the Third Crusade, and part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Wachau Cultural Landscape, a place peppered with natural lookout points that highlight the beauty of the region.

• Included Excursion Guided tour of Göttweig Abbey
• EmeraldACTIVE Guided hike to Dürnstein Castle
• EmeraldACTIVE Guided bike tour along the Danube (B/L/D)

After a morning of sailing along the Danube, we will take you into the heart of Passau. Nicknamed the Dreiflüssestadt, meaning the ‘the city of three rivers’, it’s situated at the confluence of the Danube, Inn, and Ilz rivers.

Your included guided tour of Passau will unveil its noteworthy Gothic and Baroque architecture. If you're feeling active, you could join a bike tour along the River Inn, one of the three rivers converging in Passau.

After your tour, enjoy some free time to explore Passau at your leisure, before spending an evening sailing blissfully towards Regensburg.

• Included Excursion Guided tour of Passau
• EmeraldACTIVE Guided bike tour along the River Inn
• DiscoverMORE Excursion to the Bavarian Forest (extra expense) (B/L/D)

This morning, we arrive in Regensburg, a city built on the site of an ancient Roman fort. Your guided walking tour of Regensburg will showcase its UNESCO World Heritage-listed medieval centre, where narrow cobbled lanes and tall façades help to define the character of this enchanting Bavarian city.

Alternatively, you could join a bike tour to the Walhalla monument, which towers high above the slopes of the Danube. From here, you can enjoy a fascinating view of the surrounding landscape and the river. This evening, enjoy a traditional Bavarian band performance on board.

• EmeraldPLUS Traditional Bavarian band performance on board
• EmeraldPLUS Walking tour of Regensburg with Bavarian sausage tasting
• EmeraldACTIVE Guided bike tour to the Walhalla monument
• DiscoverMORE Excursion to Nuremberg (extra expense) (B/L/D)

After breakfast, it’s time to say farewell to your fellow guests and disembark your Star-Ship for your transfer to the airport, taking memories of Roman architecture and the rich culture of the Danube River with you.

Please book your flight to depart out of Munich after 12:00 PM.

This itinerary is a guide only and may be amended for operational reasons such as high and low water. As such, the cruise may operate altered from that stated above. Please refer to our terms and conditions for further information. (B)