The Danube & Black Sea Coast (Prague to Bucharest)

Day 1 (Thu) Prague. Fly to Prague where you will be met and transferred to the Hilton Hotel for three nights.

Day 2 (Fri) Prague. Prague is a 1,000 year old city preserved in time. See its best-known treasures such as the Old Town’s Astronomical Clock, once the envy of all of Europe, Hradcany Castle, St Vitus Cathedral and Charles Bridge. Browse the shops for hand-cut crystal or art books, mingle with the locals in Wenceslaus Square or stroll along the Vltava River. (B)

Day 3 (Sat) Prague. A free day for you to explore the city at your own pace. Your Cruise Director will have suggestions for things to do. (B)

Day 4 (Sun) Prague – Nuremberg. After lunch, drive to Nuremberg, where your cruise ship is docked. (B,D)

Day 5 (Mon) Nuremberg. Although Nuremberg suffered extensive damage during World War II, much of it has been restored to its original style. Marvel at this historic city with its fabulous gothic churches and elegant patrician houses. Nuremberg’s traditions include its famous Lebkuchen, toy making and metalworking. (B,L,D)

Day 6 (Tue) Regensburg. Regensburg is one of Germany’s best-preserved medieval cities. Architectural highlights included on your tour are the Old Town Hall, the beautiful white and gold Old Chapel and the Porta Pretoria - gates to the Roman fort built in 179AD. The city is the capital of Upper Palatinate, a bustling university town and one of Bavaria’s cultural centres. Before dinner sample some of Germany’s famous beers. (B,L,D)

Day 7 (Wed) Passau – Linz. Passau, ideally located at the confluence of the Rivers Inn, Ilz and Danube, is a city of graceful arcades and cobblestone streets. An optional full day excursion to Salzburg takes in the sights made famous by the popular film ‘The Sound of Music’. Linz, Austria’s third largest town, straddles the Danube and is an important industrial town and busy river port. (B,L,D)

Day 8 (Thu) Melk – Vienna. Melk’s magnificent Benedictine Abbey dominates the town from its commanding hilltop site and is one of Europe’s largest monasteries. This evening, arrive in Vienna, known as the ‘City of Music’, which inspired the creative genius of Mozart, Beethoven and Strauss. An optional concert is available tonight. (B,L,D)

Day 9 (Fri) Vienna. Once the centre of the mighty Habsburg Empire, Austria’s capital has much to offer: the lavish Hofburg Palace, the impressive Vienna Opera House, the majestic Ring Boulevard and awe-inspiring St Stephen’s Cathedral, to name just a few of the sights you will enjoy during your city tour. Shop in the Kärntnerstrasse and enjoy Sachertorte or Apfelstrudel in a local café. (B,L,D)

Days 10 & 11 (Sat & Sun) Budapest. Budapest, spanning the banks of the Danube, is Eastern Europe’s liveliest and most cosmopolitan city. Seven bridges, including the famous Chain and Elisabeth Bridges, connect ancient Buda on the right bank with Pest on the left. The massive hilltop castle complex with Fisherman’s Bastion and Matthias Church is among the many sights your Local Guide will show you. Not far from the city and an integral part of Hungarian rural life is the Puszta, the vast grasslands where the country’s beloved fiery horses are reared. (B,L,D)

Day 12 (Mon) Kalocsa. Kalocsa is a charming Hungarian town renowned for its paprika production and strong folklore traditions. Founded as an archbishopric by St Stephen in 1009, the serenity of this old town belies its turbulent past of relentless Ottoman attack and the terrible fire of 1875, which saw much of its centre destroyed. See the majestic, Baroque style Archbishop’s Palace and the fine Kalocsa Cathedral and learn how paprika has been grown and prepared throughout the ages at the Paprika Museum. (B,L,D)

Day 13 (Tue) Novi Sad. Overlooking the city of Novi Sad, with a spectacular view of the Danube and surroundings, is Marshal Vauban’s unconquerable Petrovaradin Fortress. Dramatic events in the recent past have shaped this region. (B,L,D)

Day 14 (Wed) Belgrade. The capital of Serbia is situated at the confluence of the Danube and Sava Rivers. A local expert will show you its main sights, including the city’s principal landmark, Kalemegdan Fortress, St Sava, the world’s largest Orthodox Church and the tomb and monument of Marshal Tito, the former president of Yugoslavia. The city centre has a lively pedestrian area and charming outdoor cafés. (B,L,D)

Day 15 (Thu) Iron Gates. The Serbian fortresses of Smederevo and Golubac and the Trajan Tablet, marking the Roman conquest of Dacia, make impressive sights on the right bank of the Danube. The most spectacular scenery is surely the dramatic gorge of the Iron Gates, a narrow and formerly very dangerous passage dividing Europe’s Alps in the northwest from the Carpathians in the southeast, which forms a natural border between Serbia and Romania. (B,L,D)

Day 16 (Fri) Svistov – Veliko Târnovo – Arbanassi – Rousse. Travel by coach from the river port of Svistov to the ancient Bulgarian capital of Veliko Târnovo. Situated on three hills surrounding the Yantra River, the city was a natural fortress with ancient stone houses clinging to the steep slopes. The oldest part is Tsarevets Hill, home to the Royal Fortress, palaces and Patriarch’s Church. The historic village of Arbanassi is best known for its Ethnographical Museum and the outstanding collection of frescoes in the Church of the Nativity. Rejoin your cruise ship in Rousse, Bulgaria’s largest inland port. (B,L,D)

Day 17 (Sat) Silistra. Excursion to Varna. Located in north-eastern Bulgaria at the country’s border with Romania, Silistra is a port and the capital of an important agricultural region. After breakfast, travel by road to Varna. This city on the Black Sea is not only an important naval base and sea resort, but also has a long history, dating back to pre-historic times. During your sightseeing you will visit the National Archaeological Museum, home of the Gold of Varna. (B,L,D)

Day 18 (Sun) Oltenita - Bucharest. Travel to Bucharest, Romania’s lively capital, just a short drive from Oltenita. Its wide boulevards and Arc de Triomphe have earned it the name ‘Paris of the East’. During the included tour this afternoon, see the colossal Palace of Parliament, the second largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon and the Royal Palace, which now houses the National Art Museum. Overnight at the Athenee Palace Hilton. (B)

Day 19 (Mon) Bucharest. Transfer to the airport for your flight to the UK. (B)