Day 1 Budapest, Hungary | Embark
Welcome to Hungary. Your Suite Ship is Ready for Boarding. Flights into Budapest must arrive by 2 pm. Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.
Day 2 Mohács
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Archaeology, Architecture, and an Ancient Watermill
Classic: Join a morning Guided Sightseeing Tour of Mohács—the quiet Danube harbor town with its historical memorial parks, statues, and distinctive churches. Tour the remarkable medieval St. Nicholas Watermill—one of only a few remaining watermills performing stone-ground grain processing, OR:
Classic: Take a Guided Tour of nearby Pécs to see its 4th-century Christian underground tombs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with fascinating murals. You’ll also enjoy an organ concert on your tour.
Day 3 Osijek, Croatia
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
History and Culture of Croatia
Classic: Join a morning Guided Walking Tour of the city of Osijek, located at the confluence of the Danube and Drava Rivers. Visit Tvrđa, the most well-preserved fortress of Croatia, home of many educational institutions.
Discovery: Attend a musical concert performed by the talented young artists of the music school of Osijek at Franjo Kuhac.
This afternoon you might join a Guided Optional Excursion to Vukovar.
Day 4 Belgrade, Serbia
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Fortresses and Folklore of Serbia Past and Present
Classic: Join a guided sightseeing tour of Belgrade—where the Danube and Sava Rivers converge—and see the city’s many fascinating sights, including Saint Sava—one of the world’s largest Orthodox churches.
Discovery: Attend an onboard Lecture to learn about the rich history, destinations, and culture of the Balkan states.
Spend your free time exploring the city on your own this afternoon on Knez Mihailova Street—Belgrade’s central pedestrian thoroughfare with many lively cafés, shops, and cultural spots.
Later, enjoy live entertainment onboard your ship before dinner.
This evening, you might like to join an Optional authentic Bohemian Dinner in the Quarter of Skadarlija.
Day 5 Golubac | Donji Milanovac | Iron Gates
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Ancient Art, Archaeological Artifacts, and Gauntlet of the Iron Gates
Classic: Visit the Fortress of Golubac, one of the best-preserved medieval fortresses in Europe. For the most part, the fortress was a sort of “a border control” of the past and a couple of times was a knot of conflicts between Serbia, Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire.
Enjoy a brief sailing to Donji Milanovac.
Classic: Join a guided tour to Lepenski Vir—an important Mesolithic archaeological site chronicling prehistoric cultures, settlements, and art. Marvel at the ancient discoveries and artifacts, as well as the unique views the site affords of the Danube Gorge.
Sail through the spectacular and narrow Iron Gates Gorge—a natural border between Serbia and Romania.
Day 6 Vidin, Bulgaria
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Rocks and Ruins—Things of Beauty in Bulgaria
Classic: Join guided sightseeing in Vidin, followed by a guided tour of Belogradchik. Marvel at the remarkable rock formations on the western slopes of the Balkan Mountains, sculpted by 200 million years of natural elements.
Day 7 Rousse
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Cliff Houses, Castle Ruins, Fortresses, and Folklore
Classic: Join a full-day Guided Tour to the former Bulgarian capital of Veliko Târnovo—with its ancient stone houses clinging to the cliffs above the Yantra River. Discover one of the oldest towns in Bulgaria (circa 4300 BC), as well as the Bulgarian Revival architecture in the 15th-century town of Arbanassi, OR:
Classic: Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour of Bulgaria’s largest inland port and visit its impressive Holy Trinity Church, OR:
Active: Join a walk through the park with your Avalon Adventure Host.
Later, enjoy live entertainment on board with a Bulgarian folklore show.
Day 8 Oltenita | Disembark | Bucharest
A Night in Bucharest—the “Paris of the East”
Classic: Take a guided tour of the Romanian capital city of Bucharest with its tree-lined boulevards and Arc de Triomphe—honoring WWI Romanian soldiers. See the Royal Palace Square—the scene of the city’s 1989 riots to overthrow the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.
Spend some free time exploring this fascinating city on your own to discover its trendy shops, cafés, museums, beautiful homes, and churches along Victory Avenue.
Day 9 Bucharest
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.