Portraits of Eastern Europe

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. (D)

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

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. (B/WD)

Featured Excursion: Bucharest Communist Tour with People's Palace

Note: In the evening, a special Captain's Welcome Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you.

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

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. (B/L/D)

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. (B/L/D)

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. (B/L/D)

Featured Excursions: Choice of Nights Out: Serbian History with Private 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. (B/L/D)

Featured Excursions: Choice of Vučedol Culture Museum and Lunch at a Family Restaurant OR Osijek Walking Tour and Home-Hosted Lunch with Eltz Manor Visit

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 Communist Tour OR Budapest Panoramic Highlights with Synagogue Visit

Note: In the evening, a special Captain's Farewell Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you.

Other passengers are heading home today, but you are only halfway through your marvelous holiday. Enjoy a day of leisure exploring beautiful and historic Budapest. (B/D)

Featured Excursion: Unicum Distillery Visit

Located on opposite sides of the Danube, Buda and Pest each has a distinctive character and allure all its own. Explore this dynamic and multi-faceted city with your choice of excursions—you can see it from a local's perspective on a walking tour, or cover more ground with a panoramic tour. Or choose our Jewish Heritage excursion offering you a detailed introduction to Jewish Budapest. (B/L/WD)

Featured Excursions: Choice of Budapest Walk with Local Treats OR Jewish Budapest OR Budapest Panoramic Highlights with St. Stephen's Cathedral

Note: In the evening, a special Captain's Welcome Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you.

The grand dame of the Danube, Vienna was the heart of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and remains, to this day, the political and cultural center of Austria. Klimt painted here; Beethoven and Mozart composed here; Freud developed his theories here. It's a treasure trove of splendid architecture, astonishing art collections and inviting cafés—and today it is yours to explore.

A city tour will show you the architectural highlights of the Austrian capital as well as the legendary Belvedere Palace. Or, indulge your passion for fine art and fine food with a fascinating and memorable panoramic tour. Or explore Jewish Vienna via our Jewish Heritage excursion. (B/L/D)

Featured Excursions: Choice of "Morning with the Masters" at the Belvedere Palace OR Vienna's Historic Trails and Local Treats OR Jewish Vienna

Dürnstein is one of our favorite towns along the Danube, a lovely place to wander cobblestone lanes and browse quaint shops. For your included tour today, opt for a tasting or learn all about the world's costliest spice from the Wachau Valley's only saffron grower. (B/L/D)

Featured Excursions: Choice of Dürnstein Walking Tour with Marillen Tasting OR Dürnstein Village and Saffron Talk

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. (B/L/D)

Featured Excursions: Choice of Linz Town and Country: Linzertorte and Cider Farm Visit OR Mauthausen Concentration Camp

Your ship cruises through a scenic highlight of the Danube early this morning, the Schlögener Schlinge—a hairpin loop in the Danube that was once very hazardous for ships and is now a lovely, serene stretch of water—and leaves Austria behind today. Your first German port of call is Passau, where three rivers meet—the Inn, the Ilz and the Danube—and three nations almost meet: Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic, making for a fascinating cultural mosaic. Get to know the town and its main claim to fame, Europe's largest pipe organ, or join an invigorating riverside bike ride. (B/L/D)

Featured Excursions: Choice of Let's Go: Scenic Bavarian River Biking OR Village Day: Passau

Bavaria's first capital, Regensburg, owes its impressive historical lineage and rich architectural heritage to 600 years as a Free Imperial City, a fact recognized by UNESCO in 2006. Today, you'll discover how the beautifully preserved medieval city coexists with a vibrant modern urban center. (B/L/FD)

Featured Excursions: Choice of Nights Out: Regensburg Cathedral Choir OR Regensburg Walking Tour OR “From Hops Field to Beer Stein” Farm Visit OR Jewish Regensburg

Note: A special Captain's Farewell Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you this evening.

Disembark the ship early and set your sights on the “city of a hundred spires” as you transfer to Prague via motorcoach. (B)

A magnet for generations of artists, writers, scientists and composers, Prague is famous for its dynamic energy and elegant ambiance (and the beers here are pretty amazing too). A thousand years of architecture, from ornate Gothic to fanciful postmodern, has been beautifully preserved here. (B)

Featured Excursions: Choice of Prague Old Town & Castle District OR Prague's Old Jewish Quarter

You've experienced the best of the Danube River and Prague, sampling myriad culinary delights and exploring fascinating stops along the way. Now your journey comes to a close. If your cruise/tour includes a group departure transfer or if you have purchased a private departure transfer, you will be transferred to Prague Václav Havel Airport for your flight home. Your Uniworld adventure may be over, but we know you'll enjoy the memories you've made for years to come. (B)