Historic Cities of the Danube featuring Paul Martin

We travel by coach to our overnight hotel in the Munich area.

After breakfast, we’ll travel by coach and board our ship in Passau, where we’ll be joined by those who have travelled by air. Known as the ‘three rivers city’, Passau is situated where the rivers Danube, Inn and Ilz all meet, so there’s no better place to begin our cruise. This evening, enjoy a relaxing dinner onboard as we set sail towards Vienna.

This morning, en route to Budapest, we’ll continue our relaxing cruise along the mighty Danube as we pass by the impressive Esztergom Basilica. Sitting atop Castle Hill, it’s the largest church in Hungary and has a 72-metre-high central dome that can be seen for miles around. Our captain will slow the ship right down as we drift by, so there’s plenty of opportunity to capture a stunning photograph of the sights from our vantage point on the water. Then it’s full speed ahead as we continue our journey to Budapest, where we arrive at around lunchtime. Here you can spend the afternoon exploring what many refer to as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. There’s an optional city tour available where you’ll get to take in all the key sights, such as the Royal Palace, Fishermen’s Bastion, the Parliament building and more. Divided into two by the flowing Danube, you’ll experience Castle Hill and the traditional Buda side of the city, as well as the cosmopolitan side of Pest too. We set sail for Bratislava in the evening.

At around lunchtime today we arrive into the ancient city of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, where our special guest Paul Martin will leave the cruise.  The skyline is dominated by the striking Bratislava Castle and the city’s unique suspension bridge; demonstrating the blend of the traditional with the modern. Join our optional guided walking tour, where you’ll experience the city’s highlights , as well as sampling the sweet delicacy ‘Makovka’ too. Relax onboard this evening, as we cruise towards Weissenkirchen.

This morning, we arrive in the picturesque village of Weissenkirchen in the heart of Austria’s Wachau Valley. You’ll enjoy some free time here, where you can explore the village and wander along the banks of the river, before we continue to Passau.

After breakfast, we bid farewell to our captain and crew and travel by coach to our overnight accommodation in the Cologne area. Those travelling by air will be transferred to the airport for the return flight.

After breakfast, we continue our return journey home to the UK.