Arrive in Budapest and board your luxurious river cruise ship. This evening, meet your fellow travelers at the Welcome Dinner. Tonight, enjoy a special Illuminations Cruise past the capital’s glittering riverfront. 

Wine-themed Cruise: 
Arrive in Budapest and board your luxurious river cruise ship. Meet your fellow passengers at an evening Welcome Aboard Wine Toast.

Your morning excursion includes sightseeing in the cities of Buda and Pest spread over both banks of the river. See famed Heroes’ Square and Castle Hill, home to Fisherman’s Bastion, Matthias Church, and spectacular views of the Danube. 

Wake up this morning in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Enjoy a walking tour of the city’s top sites, including the Old Town Hall, Mirbach Palace, and St. Martin’s Cathedral. Later, you have some free time before the ship cruises to Vienna, the music capital of the world. After dinner, experience a traditional “Viennese Wine and Music” evening in a rustic wine tavern outside the city, where you can enjoy a glass of newly-pressed, locally-grown wine and Austrian music and hospitality.

Wine-themed Cruise: 
This morning, savor the Baroque elegance of romantic Vienna through your choice of one of three different excursions. The first option is a panoramic tour of Vienna that guides you past the majestic Opera House, the former Imperial Palace of the Habsburg Emperors, Parliament, Town Hall and Vienna University. Afterwards, visit Vienna’s historic city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and see St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Graben and the world famous Spanish Riding School. The second option is a walking tour of Vienna’s hidden treasures that takes you to secret places and sights like Ankeruhr, a whimsical Art Nouveau clock. Your third option is a guided bike tour along the Danube and through the Donaupark. After dinner enjoy an excursion to a rustic wine tavern to listen to folk music and sample newly pressed locally grown wine.

This morning, savor the Baroque elegance of romantic Vienna through your choice of one of three different excursions. The first option is a panoramic tour of Vienna that guides you past the majestic Opera House, the former Imperial Palace of the Habsburg Emperors, Parliament, Town Hall, and Vienna University. Afterwards, visit Vienna’s historic city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and see St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Graben, and the world famous Spanish Riding School. The second option is a walking tour of Vienna’s hidden treasures that takes you to secret places and sites like Ankeruhr, a whimsical Art Nouveau clock. Your third option is a guided bike tour along the Danube and through the Donaupark. This afternoon, you can join a guided bike ride to Klosterneuburg Monastery, or explore at your leisure. Be sure to sample some Viennese coffee and pastries. 

Wine-themed Cruise: 
Spend a free morning in Vienna or go on a guided Alte Donau bike ride before enjoying a scenic cruise through the Wachau Valley en route to Krems, wine capital of this region. During your scenic cruise you be treated to an onboard wine lecture and tasting. Later this evening, visit Schloss Gobelsburg, which has a documented viticulture history dating back to the 12th century under the care of Cistercian monks from Burgundy. The estate produces some of the greatest examples of Riesling and Grüner Veltliner wines in the world, which you can get to taste.

After reaching the Wachau Valley early this morning, choose between three tour options: a walking tour along Dürnstein’s cobblestone streets followed by a wine tasting, a hike up to the fortress where Richard the Lionheart was once held for ransom, or an apricots and sweets tasting. Return to the ship and continue onwards, cruising through the gorgeous scenery of the Wachau Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This afternoon, visit the spectacular Benedictine Abbey in Melk, one of Europe’s largest and most revered monasteries and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See jewel-encrusted crosses containing religious relics, frescoes and richly embroidered vestments, as well as the abbey’s priceless collection of medieval manuscripts. Tonight the ship arrives in Grein, where you may enjoy some free time to explore this charming town. 

Wine-themed Cruise: 
The ship arrives this morning in Weissenkirchen, where you have three tour options: Choose a walking tour along the cobblestone streets of the neighboring town of Dürnstein before heading to the majestic Melk Abbey, a Benedictine Abbey and UNESCO World Heritage Site so glorious that Austrian Empress Maria Theresa once proclaimed that if she had never come here, she would have regretted it. Here, see jewel-encrusted crosses containing religious relics, frescoes and richly embroidered vestments, as well as the abbey’s priceless collection of medieval manuscripts. Of course, there are many other wonderous ways to explore the enchanting Wachau Valley and you could also savor a tasting of the region’s iconic wine, apricots and sweets after a walking tour of historic Dürnstein, known for being the home of the blue Stift Dürnstein and a fortress where Richard the Lionheart was once held captive. For an active adventure opt to join a guided biking tour along the Danube, taking in the gorgeous scenery of the Wachau Valley. Or combine a visit to the Melk Abbey with a walking tour through Weissenkirchen. Later, enjoy a scenic cruise through the enchanting Strudengau Valley en route to Grein, where you can visit the historic Burg Clam to savor magnificent views, along with a wine tasting of local vintages renowned for their freshness, spiciness, finesse and complexity.

The ship arrives this morning in Linz. Enjoy a walking tour of the second largest city in Austria or choose a guided bike tour that shows you around the Old City Center, along the Danube River, and past the ultra-modern Ars Electronica Center. Later, choose between three different excursions. The first option is an excursion to Salzburg, Mozart’s birthplace, where you may take a walking tour of the historic center made famous by "The Sound of Music.” The second option is an excursion to the Czech town of Cesky Krumlov, a wonderfully preserved medieval town nestled in the hills just over the Austrian-Czech border. The third option is a visit to the Austrian Lake District, the scenic Salzkammergut region. All three options are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 

Wine-themed Cruise: 
The ship arrives this morning in Linz. Enjoy a walking tour of the second largest city in Austria or choose a guided bike tour that shows you around the Old City Center, along the Danube River, and past the ultra-modern Ars Electronica Center. Later, choose between three different excursions. The first option is an excursion to Salzburg, Mozart’s birthplace, where you can take a walking tour of the historic center made famous by "The Sound of Music.” The second option is an excursion to the Czech town of Cesky Krumlov, a wonderfully preserved medieval town nestled in the hills just over the Austrian-Czech border. The third option is a visit to the Austrian Lake District, the scenic Salzkammergut region. All three options are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Tonight, savor a fabulous Chaîne Des Rôtisseurs Dinner complete with wine pairing.

Early this morning, cruise through Upper Austria to Passau in Germany, where the rivers Inn and Ilz join the Danube. Enjoy a walking tour of this 2,000-year-old city, noted for its Gothic and Italian Baroque architecture, cobblestone streets, and squares like Rathaus, Domplatz and Residenzplatz, as well as St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Guests looking for a more active morning can choose between a guided bike tour along the Danube from Passau to Erlau, or a guided hike up to the Veste Oberhaus fortress overlooking Passau. This afternoon, the ship cruises to the medieval town of Vilshofen. Enjoy a festive Oktoberfest celebration with local beer and Bavarian folk music and dancing. 

This morning, disembark your ship in Vilshofen.