Grand Highlights of the Danube

Arrive at Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport. If your cruise/tour package includes a group arrival transfer or if you have purchased a private arrival transfer, you will be greeted by a Uniworld representative and transferred to the hotel.

Get to know the bustling heart of Romania's capital city with a full day to explore Bucharest on your own.

Bucharest is a fascinating combination of Communist grandiosity, elegant French-influenced 19th-century buildings and surprising survivors dating from the 1500s. Today in Bucharest you'll enjoy a panoramic city tour and a visit to People's Palace. Later, you'll travel via motorcoach to Giurgiu, where your ship awaits. In the evening, a special Captain's Welcome Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you.

Featured Excursion: Bucharest Communist Tour with People's Palace

Bulgaria's foremost Danube port, Ruse is sometimes called “Little Vienna” for its elegant 19th-century mansions and public buildings.

Featured Excursions: Choice of Veliko Tarnovo and Arbanassi with Authentic Bulgarian Lunch OR Ruse Walking Tour with Ivanovo and Basarbovo Monasteries

Vidin is a port town on the Danube that once played an important role in medieval Bulgarian politics, as the great fortress Baba Vida attests. It's your base for an unusual excursion today—a visit to the fascinating Belogradchik rock formations. Or you can indulge in a tasting at a local winery.

Featured Excursions: Choice of Belogradchik Red Rock Valley OR Dos Alamos Wine Estate Visit and Tasting

Today's main attraction will be the spectacular scenery along the Danube, as you cruise a stretch of gorges known as the Iron Gates. Later, head ashore to explore a Paleolithic site and an extraordinarily well-preserved medieval fortress. All along the way, history lines the banks of the river. Keep an eye out for Trajan's Plaque, which the ancient Romans erected to commemorate the road they anchored in the steep cliffs above the water, and Golubac Castle, built in the 14th century and attacked successively by the Serbs, Magyars, and Turks.

Unwind onboard as you cruise the breathtaking Iron Gates, an 83-mile-long (134-kilometer-long) stretch of scenic gorges that were cut through the Carpathian and Balkan mountains over eons by the Danube River. These gorges, which act as a natural border between Serbia and Romania, are among the most dramatic and beautiful sights in all of Europe. This was one of the swiftest and most dangerous stretches of the river before two dams were built: Iron Gate I and Iron Gate II. Construction on the dams began in 1964 and took 20 years to complete; they have dramatically altered the area's landscape, raising the water level by 114 feet (35 meters) and drowning several islands and villages.

Featured Excursions: Choice of Lepenski Vir Archaeological Park and Golubac Castle OR Let's Go: Kovilovo Viewpoint Hike 

Belgrade, the modern-day capital of Serbia, is one of Europe's oldest cities, dating back some 7,000 years. Signs of its tumultuous history are visible everywhere, juxtaposed with the city's vibrant modern-day present.

Featured Excursions: Choice of Nights Out: Kalemegdan Fortress Concert OR Belgrade City Tour with Visit to the Royal Grounds of Karadjordjevic Dynasty Palace OR Let's Go: "I Bike Belgrade" Tour

Welcome to Croatia! This ancient country, which has made a remarkable recovery from a brutal civil war, is noted for its beautiful countryside and thriving folk traditions, as well as simple, delicious local rustic food. You'll dock in Vukovar, Croatia's biggest port, at the confluence of the Danube and Vuka rivers.

Featured Excursions: Choice of Osijek Walking Tour, Home-Hosted Lunch, and Vučedol Museum OR Osijek Panoramic Tour, Family Restaurant Lunch, and Eltz Manor

Located on opposite sides of the Danube, Buda and Pest each have their own distinctive character and allure. Explore this dynamic and multifaceted city with your choice of excursions—you can see it from a local's perspective on our walking tour, or cover more ground with a panoramic tour. Vibrant Budapest, Hungary's capital, offers an enchanting combination of East and West. (B/L/FD)

Featured Excursions: Choice of Budapest Panoramic Highlights with Synagogue Visit OR Budapest Communist Tour

Note: Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience onboard today, during which a local speaker will present an engaging lecture on the history of the Roma people in Hungary, accompanied by a vibrant musical performance. In the evening, a special Captain's Farewell Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you.

Enjoy a full day in Budapest at your leisure, perhaps stopping by the famous thermal baths, grabbing a drink at a ruin bar, or visiting one of the city's many museums.

Budapest is an enchanting city that presents a vibrant mix of medieval and modern. In the evening, a special Captain's Welcome Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you.

Featured Excursions: Choice of Budapest Panoramic Highlights with Franz Liszt Academy Visit OR Budapest Walk with Local Treats

Your ship sets sail from Bratislava later this morning and heads for Vienna today. You may relax onboard all day, perhaps enjoying a drink on the Sun Deck and taking in the scenery as the ship wends its way along the Danube River. When you arrive in Vienna, you'll cap off your day with a private concert at the House of Strauss.

Featured Excursions: Choice of Nights Out: House of Strauss Concert OR Bratislava - Small but Precious Walking Tour OR Let's Go: Hike to Bratislava Castle

Vienna is a cultural treasure trove revered for its art and music (and sinfully rich pastries). Experience the “City of Waltzes” with a highlight tour of the city, as well as an expertly led tour of an extraordinary collection of art at the renowned Vienna Art History Museum.

Featured Excursions: Choice of “Morning with the Masters” at the Vienna Art History Museum OR Vienna - Imperial City Highlights

Note: You have leisure time after your tour to explore Vienna on your own. You might wish to visit the Albertina Museum, which houses one million old-master prints and an impressive collection of works by 19th- and 20th-century painters, ranging from Renoir to Rothko. If you'd like to get a little exercise and see a completely different side of Vienna, borrow a bike from the ship and explore Danube Island and Prater Park. (For a wonderful view of the region, ride the Ferris wheel in Prater Park.)

Dürnstein is one of our favorite towns along the Danube, a lovely place to wander cobblestone lanes, browse quaint shops, and maybe hike up to a ruined castle (with an intriguing tale all its own). You can also opt for a tasting or learn all about the world's costliest spice from the Wachau Valley's only saffron grower. Later, visit the 900-year-old Melk Abbey and its extraordinary baroque-style library. You have two ports of call in the incredibly scenic valley, Dürnstein and Melk, and an assortment of delightful ways to explore this lovely region.

Featured Excursions: Choice of Dürnstein Wine Estate Visit with Tasting OR Melk Abbey with Library Visit OR Dürnstein Village and Saffron Talk OR Let's Go: Biking the Wachau

Mozart's birthplace of Salzburg is nestled in a glorious alpine setting that sparkles like a winter wonderland. Linz may be best known for its famous Linzer torte, but it's also a hotbed for the arts. See the sights with a local expert and visit a family at their farm in the countryside. Austria's third-largest city, Linz boasts a long history of trading and textile manufacturing, but these days it is perhaps best known for its electronic arts and annual festival.

Featured Excursions: Choice of Full-Day in Salzburg with Sound of Music OR Linz Town and Country: Linzertorte and Cider Farm Visit

Passau is a crossroads in more ways than one, as three rivers meet here and three nations nearly do, making for a fascinating cultural mosaic. Get to know the town and its main claim to fame—Europe's largest pipe organ—or “Let's Go” with an invigorating riverside hike. In the evening, a special Captain's Farewell Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you. (B/L/FD)

Featured Excursions: Choice of Let's Go: Hike along the Ilz River OR Passau Three Rivers

Disembark the ship. If your cruise package includes a group departure transfer or if you purchased a private departure transfer, you will be transferred to Munich Airport for your flight home.