Enjoy a relaxing cruise exploring the history and culture of eastern Europe on this delightful cruise. Depart from Bucharest, known for its wide, tree-lined boulevards and historical treasures, including the Arc de Triomphe—built in honor of WWI soldiers—and the historical Royal Palace Square. Take an excursion to the Danube Delta to see where the river flows into the Black Sea. Enjoy guided sightseeing in Constanta and Veliko Tarnovo, for an in-depth experience of these ancient cities. Marvel at the spectacular views and distinctive rock formations of the Iron Gates Gorge. Explore Belgrade, one of the oldest cities in Europe and the capital of Serbia, then continue to the ancient city of Pécs, Hungary. These and countless other moments await you on this fascinating Danube River cruise through Eastern Europe.
Highlights
Visit the National History and Archaeological Museums in Constanta
Explore Tsarevet’s Fortress in Veliko Târnovo and the Museum in Arbanassi
Enjoy the Vidin’s fortress and see the rock formations in Belogradchik
Marvel at the Iron Gates gorge and Lepenski Vir archaeological site
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
The day is free to relax and enjoy Bucharest. Spend some free time exploring this fascinating city at leisure to discover its trendy shops, cafés, museums, beautiful homes and churches along Victory Avenue.
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.
Travel to Fetesti to board the Avalon Suite Ship this afternoon. Explore the ship this evening and enjoy a dinner on board.
Discovery: After dinner, attend an onboard lecture to learn about the Danube Delta.
Classic: Join a small-boat guided tour of the best-preserved of Europe’s deltas-2,200 square miles of rivers, canals, marshes, tree-fringed lakes and reed islands.
Discovery: Enjoy a special celebration to mark Kilometer “0”—the end of the Danube River’s 2,845 km journey from the source in the Black Forest to its delta into the Black Sea.
Classic: Join a guided tour to Constanta, the most important commercial center in Romania situated on the Black Sea. Visit the Natural History and Archeological Museum to discover the history of early Romanian cultures.
Day 5: Rousse, Bulgaria | Veliko Tărnovo | Arbanassi
Classic: Join a guided sightseeing tour of Bulgaria’s largest inland port and visit its impressive Holy Trinity Church.
Active: Join a walk through the park with an Avalon Adventure Host.
Sail to Svistov
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. Later, join the ship in Svistov.
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.
This evening, enjoy live entertainment on board with a Bulgarian folklore show.
Before lunch on board, sail through the spectacular and narrow Iron Gates Gorge, forming a natural border between Serbia and Romania.
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.
Classic: Join a guided sightseeing tour of Belgrade where the Danube and Sava Rivers converge. See the city’s many fascinating sights, including Saint Sava, one of the world’s largest Orthodox churches.
Choose to join an optional guided biking tour or spend free time in Belgrade exploring Knez Mihailova Street, Belgrade’s central pedestrian thoroughfare with many lively cafés, shops and cultural spots.
Enjoy a leisurely sailing morning or join an optional excursion to the city of Vukovar, Croatia’s undiscovered pearl.
Classic: Join a morning guided walking tour of the Croatian 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.
Start the day with a morning stretch with an Avalon Adventure Host.
Classic: Take a guided tour to nearby Pécs to see its 4th-century Christian underground tombs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with fascinating murals. Also, enjoy an organ concert on the tour.
This itinerary is no longer available. For other trip ideas, please visit Danube River Cruises.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Cat. E
Avalon Deluxe Stateroom: 172 SQ. FT.
Comfort Collection Beds, Bedside tables with reading lamps, L'Occitane bath products, Under-bed luggage storage, Complimentary bottled water, Individual climate control, Mirror in the bathroom, Full shower with glass door, Vanity, Memory foam mattress, European-style duvets.
Cat. D
Avalon Deluxe Stateroom: 172 SQ. FT.
Comfort Collection Beds, Bedside tables with reading lamps, L'Occitane bath products, Under-bed luggage storage, Complimentary bottled water, Individual climate control, Mirror in the bathroom, Full shower with glass door, Vanity, Luxurious mattress, European-style duvets.
Cat. B
Panorama Suite: 200 SQ. FT.
Comfort Collection Beds, Bedside tables with reading lamps, L'Occitane bath products, Under-bed luggage storage, Telephone, In-room safe, Contemporary design, Marble countertops in the bathroom, 6-person sitting area, Writing desk, Sofa, Memory foam mattress, European-style duvets.
Cat. A
Panorama Suite: 200 SQ. FT.
Comfort Collection Beds, Bedside tables with reading lamps, L'Occitane bath products, Under-bed luggage storage, Telephone, In-room safe, contemporary design, Marble countertops in the bathroom, 6-person sitting area, Writing desk, Sofa, Luxurious mattress, European-style duvets.
Initial deposit is $250pp, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 100 days prior to departure by check, money order, Visa, MasterCard, Discover/Novus, and American Express. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
For full cancellation policy details, please contact us for a quote.
Included
10 Breakfasts, 8 Lunches, 9 Dinners
9 Nights Accommodations
Accommodations as listed
Ground transportation as listed
Activities as listed
Meals as listed
Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
Onboard Adventure Center with active gear, bikes, maps, canoe, kayak and jogging excursions
Wifi
Complimentary fresh fruit available daily
Captain’s Welcome and Farewell Receptions
Club Lounge with 24-hour self-serve beverage station with complimentary cappuccinos, lattes, tea, hot chocolate & premium coffees, as well as treats throughout the day
Panoramic windows
Friendly, English-speaking crew & Cruise Director
Sky Deck with whirlpool, shade awnings, game area and premium lounges
Complimentary sparkling wine with breakfast; wine, beer, or soft drinks with every lunch and dinner
Excluded
Gratuities
Travel Insurance
Personal Expenses
Flight costs (please request a quote)
Additional excursions during free time
Fuel and transportation surcharges (when applicable)
Alcohol, beverages, and food outside of the contracted menu as presented at a hotel or restaurant or on board your vessel
Port Fees
Porterage
Passport or Visa fees
Prices do not include airfare, taxes and other government-imposed fees
Everything was amazing! The planning with Adventure Life went smoothly. The actual trip was fantastic! One of the best trips I have experienced. The cruise staff members were knowledgeable and attentive. I will be writing more about this on the blog!
Cruse ship was great. Fantastic food and service. Cruise itinary got changed so not what we expected, but not an major issue. Japan portion was great. Drivers/guides arranged by 80 Days were great. Hotels were mostly ok. Did not know that most hotels outside of major cities do not allow shoes to be worn in the hotel. again a minor inconvenience. Overall a great trip. Adventure Life communications were timely and much appreciated as far as changes/requests.
Peter Goff
1 day ago
We were a group of three that initiated our research by independently searching for the best agency to help us in the somewhat complex experience of traveling to the Galapagos. We chose adventure life because they were the most responsive in the website provided the most comprehensive overview of the trip. Their reviews were also very good.
Adventure, life splits up its booking process in two parts. First Jeff, the booking agent helped us decide which experience best suited are interests. We chose a small 14 to 16 group sized yacht. Once the booking was made with Jeff, we were handed off to Coleene, who oversaw the complex process of assembling all of the necessary documents and making sure we had everything we needed to make the trip go smoothly. The adventure, life website, then becomes your personal place of reference for all things related to your trip from door to door. It’s a lot of information to assemble, especially for three travelers, but the website makes it easy and Colleen‘s gentle reminders kept us on track. In all, from the beginning, we had four months from the time we started our research till the time we departed. We felt that was, a good amount of preparation time and don’t think it would be wise to do it in less than four months. Mostly because I think you have more options with that amount of time. There were others on our trip that took six months and more from the time they started planning.
The trip itself was outstanding. We ended up on an excellent yacht (Galapagos Angel II) with a great group of guests that we were able to connect with and put together a really nice google photos album to share.
Jed
1 week ago
Mary was very helpful. Quick to reply with helpful information and closure on arrangements.
Nicola Maxwell
1 week ago
Mary Curry and Elma are always so responsive and nice to deal with.
Michael
1 week ago
I enjoyed working with Jess to put together a private N.Z. trip. Jess has been my go-to person at Adventure Life over the past several years. She listens to what my husband and I want in a trip, and is always responsive to questions. Nothing seems to be too much of a bother for Jess.
