Along the river Danube, Budapest and the Balkan peninsula (port-to-port cruise)

Passengers are welcome to board our ship. After comfortably settling into your cabins, we'll introduce our crew at a welcome cocktail. Tonight we'll enjoy dinner and start sailing towards Mohacs through the night.

We'll sail towards Osijek in the early morning. To help get your blood moving, join us for an aerobics class and onboard entertainment.

This afternoon, join us for the optional excursions proposed:
CLASSIC: Guided tour of Osijek.
DISCOVERY: Osijek by bike.

Afterwards, we'll continue cruising towards Novi Sad. Enjoy an evening of onboard entertainment.

Join us for an optional excursion for both packages: Guided tour of Novi Sad, the industrial and financial center of the Serbian economy and a major cultural center. We'll then drive to Sremski Karlovci for a visit. Afterwards, our ship will cruise to Belgrade.
Join us this afternoon for the optional excursions proposed:
CLASSIC: Guided tour of Belgrade.
DISCOVERY: Belgrade by bike.
Enjoy an evening of dancing on board. Our ship will cruise through the night.

The whole day will be spent cruising. Our ship will pass through the Iron Gates, the gorge on the Danube that forms part of the boundary between Serbia and Romania. We'll cruise throughout the night.

We'll arrive in Ruse in the early morning and spend the day on an optional excursion for both packages: Discover Veliko Tarnovo, famously known as the historical capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, and Arbanassi (lunch included).

This morning, join us on an optional excursion for both packages: Discover Ruse with its wide avenues, large squares and gorgeous monuments bearing testament to national Renaissance architecture. We'll then begin to cruise to Giurgiu.
Join us this afternoon on an optional excursion for both packages: Bucharest and a visit to the Village Museum showcasing traditional Romanian village life.

Return to Oltenita. Overnight sailing to Cernavoda and Constanta.

Crossing the Danube-Black Sea Canal, arrival in Constanta in the morning. After our arrival, we'll leave on a full-day optional excursion to Constanta (lunch included.) The oldest continuously inhabited city in Romania, it was founded in 600 BC. We'll discover its diverse architectural styles, most evident in the Orthodox cathedral (interiors) and the Grand Mosque (exteriors). We'll enjoy lunch in a local restaurant. Afterwards, we'll cruise to Murfatlar, where Romania produces its best wines and have a tasting in a wine cellar*. Enjoy an evening of onboard entertainment.

A day's sailing on the Danube-Black Sea Canal. Construction began in the 1950s and the canal was inaugurated in 1984, making it the third longest in the world after the Suez and Panama canals. Take advantage of this day to relax on the sun deck and take part in the activities on board.

Gala evening. Night sail to Oltenita.

Enjoy one last buffet breakfast on board before disembarking at 9:00 a.m. You'll be transferred to Sinaia, stopping for lunch on the way.

This afternoon, join us for an included excursion to Peles Castle and the Sinaia Monastery.(2)

We will leave by coach for Sinaia to visit the superb 19th-century Peles Castle, the former summer residence of the Romanian royal family. King Carol I commissioned the construction of the palace after falling in love with the mountain scenery, and it is now the small city's major tourist attraction. The immense rooms within the castle are bursting with works of art and decoration, including giant Murano glass chandeliers, stained glass windows, teak woodwork, and all sorts of local touches. The monumental marble staircase leads up to the Hall of Honor, where the family received many royal guests. The next stop will be the Sinaia Monastery, home to a few dozen remaining monks. Notable sites at the monastery include the New Church built in 1846, with icons gifted by Czar Nicholas II of Russia in 1903, and the small history museum that holds several treasures, including the first translation of the Bible in Romanian from 1668.

You'll be transferred to a 4-star hotel for dinner and the night.

Included full-day excursion: Guided tour of Sibiu, the Brukenthal National Museum, and the Lutheran Cathedral of Saint Mary. We'll leave by coach for Sibiu. Located in the heart of Romania alongside the Cibin River, charming Sibiu entrances visitors all year round. Sibiu feels like a time capsule, with houses dating back to 1380 lining the narrow cobblestone streets, staircases leading to the lower town, the imposing Lutheran Cathedral whose construction spanned two centuries, and the "Large" and "Small" squares surrounded by traditional buildings. Brukenthal National Museum, once a palace, is worth a detour for its historical furniture and works of art. Admire the colorful friezes and 18th-century instruments under the chandelier in the Music Hall before strolling through the other rooms containing 17th-century portraits, satin-covered fainting couches, and old jewelry boxes—all in a sumptuously preserved environment. We'll continue on to the impressive and beautiful cathedral, a Lutheran church that follows the Augsburg Confession. We'll then head to Sibiel to visit the Museum of the Icons on Glass. The museum houses the largest exposition of icons on glass—art emerging from the Orthodox Christian Church tradition and the imagination of the Romanian peasant painters. The museum was named after Father Zosim Oance, a revered local priest who collected the vibrant icons. We'll enjoy lunch in a local restaurant before taking the road to Bran Castle. Tour of Bran Castle. Legendary and popular Bran Castle, commonly called Dracula's Castle, sits on a cliff between Transylvania and Wallachia. Built between 1377 and 1388, the castle is an important Romanian monument, whose illustration inspired Bram Stroker when describing Dracula's imaginary castle. We'll return to the hotel for dinner and the night.

Full-day included excursion: Sighisoara. The colorful old town in Sighisoara contains a thousand years of history in its streets, along its ramparts, and at the hourly toll of the clock tower. The well-preserved medieval center has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You'll visit the house where Vlad the Impaler, the historical character who inspired Bram Stoker, was supposedly born. The ground floor hosts a restaurant, while a tiny weapon museum occupies the second floor. We'll enjoy lunch in a local restaurant before continuing on to Brasov, founded by the Teutonic Knights in the 13th century. We'll visit the Black Church, the largest Gothic structure in Romania. Its 4,000-pipe organ dates back to 1839. The stained glass windows, 119 oriental rugs from between the 15th and 18th centuries, statues, and Italian Renaissance paintings are simply superb. We'll then head to the Old Town Hall Square, where colorfully painted Baroque buildings form an exceptional panorama. A Capitoline Wolf, one of the most recognizable icons of ancient mythology depicting the legend of the founding of Rome, stands in front of the City Hall.

Our coach will then take you to the hotel for dinner and the night.

Breakfast will be served at the hotel. You'll be transferred to Bucharest by coach. End of our services.