Discover a wealth of art, history, and cultural treasures as you cruise to some of Europe’s most famous destinations. From Budapest, a haven for musicians, writers and artists, embark on your European river cruise to Vienna, Bratislava, Passau and Regensburg. Along the way, visit magnificent cathedrals and baroque abbeys. Explore the charming Wachau Valley and traverse Europe’s Continental Divide, made possible through the engineering marvel of the Main-Danube Canal. Take an optional excursion to Salzburg and celebrate the heritage of Mozart, one of the world’s greatest composers.
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Arrive in Budapest and transfer to your luxurious river cruise ship docked in the center of the city. Tonight, gather on board for a Gala Welcome Dinner, as your ship cruises overnight to Bratislava.
This afternoon, arrive in Bratislava, capital of Slovakia. You have your choice of two tours today: a walking tour of the city’s major sites, including the Old Town Hall, Mirbach Palace and Gothic St. Martin’s Cathedral; or a “Communist History” tour that includes architectural landmarks such as the Radio Building, Liberty Square and the Soviet War Memorial. Spend the evening in Bratislava before the ship cruises to magnificent Vienna later tonight.
This morning enjoy a guided tour of romantic Vienna that will include the majestic Opera House, the Ringstrasse and St. Stephen’s Cathedral. The afternoon is free to stroll along the Kärtnerstrasse or sample some of Vienna’s famous pastries in the historic city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Join an optional tour this afternoon to the Imperial Schönbrunn Palace and Gardens, a glorious example of Baroque architecture. Tonight, enjoy an optional Mozart and Strauss concert.
Reach the Wachau Valley early this morning for your walking tour of Dürnstein, one of the prettiest towns along the Danube, filled with cobblestone streets, 16th-century town houses and wine taverns. Marvel at the magnificent blue facade of the Baroque Stiftskirche and see the ruins of the castle where Richard the Lionhearted, King of England, was held for ransom in 1192. This afternoon, you can enjoy a guided bike tour from Dürnstein to Melk (capacity controlled) or relax onboard as you cruise the beautiful Wachau Valley. Your ship arrives in Melk late this afternoon, where you will tour the spectacular Benedictine Abbey that inspired the novel The Name of the Rose. Afterwards, enjoy free time to explore Melk, one of Europe’s great cultural heritage sites.
After breakfast, take an optional full-day excursion to fascinating Salzburg and the Sound of Music sights, or cruise through Upper Austria to Passau in Germany. In Passau the rivers Inn and Ilz join the Danube. During your walking tour, gaze at this fairy-tale city founded more than 2,000 ago.
In the afternoon the ship arrives in Regensburg, one of Germany’s best preserved medieval cities and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will have your choice of three tours: a guided walking tour, in which you will see 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.; an afternoon bike ride to the Walhalla Temple, which honors distinguished Germans throughout history (capacity controlled); or a trip to the Audi Factory in Ingolstadt, where you will take a guided tour of the Audi Car Museum or production line (subject to availability, capacity controlled).
Enjoy a scenic morning as the ship crosses the Continental Divide via the Main-Danube Canal and leisurely cruises through the beautiful Altmühl Valley. This afternoon, you have a choice of two excursions in Nuremberg: a “Medieval History” tour that will show you the 900-year-old ramparts that surround the city, the Imperial Castle and Old Town Hall; or a “WWII Tour” that focuses on the city’s role during the Third Reich. You will visit the infamous Zeppelin field Hitler used to hold Nazi rallies and the Justice Palace courtroom where the War Crimes Tribunal sat in 1946 (when available). The ship moors in Nuremberg overnight.
Day 8: Nuremberg / Disembark / Return Home
1 Breakfast
This morning, disembark after breakfast and transfer to the airport for flights home.
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Kate was great to work with in the planning stage. She was prompt, helpful, and efficient. Our tour guide, Edwin, was knowledgeable and passionate. We were very happy to have traveled with Adventure Life, it made the trip easy and a true pleasure. We could concentrate on enjoying the experience rather than the details of travel.
Lisa Bridge
TrustScore 4.8 | 175 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 175 reviews on
7 hours ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
2 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
3 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.