2008 Westbound Itinerary

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• Indicates day of cruising

Day 1: Begin your Danube cruise in Bucharest
Tour starts at 6:00 p.m. at the Athénée Palace Hilton Bucharest. A transfer is included from Bucharest Airport to the Athénée Palace Hilton Bucharest in the heart of the city. Meet your fellow travelers and Tauck Directors at tonight's welcome reception and dinner.
Meals: Dinner
Lodging: Athénée Palace Hilton Bucharest, Romania

Day 2: Dracula’s Romania
Your have a choice of sightseeing in Romania today. Opt for a full day's excursion to tour Peles Castle in Sinaia, built for Romania's royal family in the 1880s. Or visit isolated Snagov Monastery – said to be the final resting place of Vlad Tepes, the historical Dracula – and tour Bucharest's gargantuan Parliamentary Palace, the world's second-largest building after the Pentagon. Have dinner at your landmark hotel tonight.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Athénée Palace Hilton Bucharest, Romania

• Day 3: Bucharest & the Black Sea
A Bucharest sightseeing tour today includes the Triumphal Arch, Revolution Square, and 17th-century Patriarchal Cathedral, centerpiece of the Romanian Orthodox faith. Stop in Constanta and visit the resort town of Mamaia, set at the edge of the Black Sea, and walk along the beach. Travel to Cernavoda and board MS Swiss Emerald or MS Swiss Sapphire to launch your lower Danube cruise.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 4: Big day in Bulgaria
Arrive in Ruse, Bulgaria, for excursions to nearby towns. Admire amazing frescoes at the 16th-century Church of the Nativity in Arbanassi. Then head to Bulgaria's medieval capital of Veliko Turnovo, whose ancient walled fortress and castle are set atop three hills, and view artisans at work in local shops. Rejoin the riverboat in Svishtov, and enjoy a Bulgarian cultural performance aboard ship this evening.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 5: Danube cruising and Iconography Demonstration
Enjoy the views of fields and vineyards studded with medieval towns as the riverboat cruises the Danube today; attend an on-board lecture and demonstration on Iconography.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 6: The Danube’s Iron Gate of Romania
Spend a relaxing day cruising along the Bulgarian / Romanian border, enjoying great views of the Transylvanian Alps. Glide through Romania’s Kazan Narrows and the Iron Gate, a two-mile-long series of gorges between the Carpathian and Balkan Mountains. Look for the stone pillars remaining from Roman Emperor Trajan’s Bridge, the first built across the Danube, dating back to AD 105.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 7: Serbia's cosmopolitan capital, Belgrade
Dock in Belgrade, Serbia's modern capital at the juncture of the Danube and Sava rivers. Sightseeing includes visits to Tito's Memorial, St. Sava Church, and Kalemegdan Fortress. Also view busy Slavija Square (once a large pool where residents hunted wild ducks!), Parliament, Republic Square, the National Museum of Serbia, the National Theatre, and City Hall.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 8: Discover Croatia's historic cities
Your Danube cruise arrives this morning in Vukovar, Croatia. Travel overland to the fortified city of Osijek, which still has its Viennese-style mansions. Visit the ancient Tvrda Citadel, standing guard over the city, and the medieval Church of the Holy Cross. This afternoon, explore the Baroque city of Vukovar, once showcasing 18th-century mansions, but now symbolizing the effects of the Serbian war of the 1990s. Your riverboat continues on to Hungary tonight.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 9: Folk dancing and folkways in Hungary
Cruise to Kalocsa, Hungary, to visit the Paprika House and the Bishop’s Palace Library, housing one of the finest early collections in Europe. Visit the Equestrian Center to see Puszta horsemen, folkloric dancers, and Hungarian craftsmen all demonstrating traditional skills. Ride a horse-drawn carriage back to the riverboat, and enjoy cocktails and dinner aboard ship tonight.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 10: Explore Budapest
Relax on a spa visit in Budapest before taking an afternoon sightseeing tour of the city. See Heroes' Square and Fishermen's Bastion before your riverboat cruise continues to Slovakia.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 11: Baroque in Bratislava
Today's port-of-call is Bratislava, capital of Slovakia. On a guided walking tour you'll view several Baroque palaces, the Opera House, Slovak Philharmonic Hall and St. Martin's Cathedral, and visit the 13th-century Old Town Hall. Your riverboat sets off for magical Vienna tonight to continue one of our popular Danube River cruises.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 12: Music and more in Imperial Vienna
Arrive in Vienna, Austria; get an overview on a morning sightseeing tour of this historic city that includes the Ringstrasse, the Opera House, City Hall and Parliament. Then choose a tour of Schönbrunn Palace, built to rival Versailles, or a tour of the Imperial Silver Room inside the Hofburg. Tonight, attend a very special private Imperial Viennese evening at a traditional palace, which features dinner and live Viennese music.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 13: Explore Vienna and journey to Dürnstein
Pursue your own interests this morning in Vienna – which boasts over a hundred museums – and then return to the riverboat for a cruise past castles and abbeys en route to medieval Dürnstein. High above this village sits the ruins of the castle fortress where England’s King Richard the Lionhearted was held for ransom during the Crusades.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 14: Picturesque Dürnstein and Wachau Valley cruise
Your discovery of the Danube River cruises to Dürnstein; take a walking tour amidst its cobblestone streets, 16th-century houses, and former Augustinian monastery. Enjoy some free time, and attend a wine tasting at a local winery. Cruise through the Wachau Valley, Austria's lush wine-growing region, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its well-preserved medieval landscapes.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 15: Salzburg sights or relax in Linz
Choose to enjoy the city of Linz, Austria, or take the full-day excursion to old Salzburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Mozart's hometown. The day trip includes Mirabell Gardens and a guided walking tour through the historic district of ornate church towers and grand palaces.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 16: Spend the day in Passau and cruise the Danube
Dock in the German town of Passau; take a walking tour through the cobblestone streets of this Baroque town renowned for its lovely stained glass. See the Altes Rathaus, the old town hall with 15th-century origins, murals on the façade and a glockenspiel in the tower. Return to the riverboat for lunch as you cruise past idyllic German landscapes to Regensburg.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard the Riverboat

Day 17: Disembark in ancient Regensburg and on to Prague
Your Danube river cruise concludes when you disembark your riverboat in the well-preserved Bavarian town of Regensburg. Visit the Steinerne Brücke, a medieval stone bridge over the Danube, and the remains of the town’s Roman wall. Have lunch on your own and explore at leisure before driving to Prague, capital of the Czech Republic, known as the City of 100 Spires.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Prague Marriott Hotel, Prague, Czech Republic

Day 18: Discover the Legacy of Prague and Attend a Private Gala
Choose to take a walking tour of Prague’s Old Town – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – as well as Wenceslas Square and other "Velvet Revolution" sites. Or opt to visit Josefov, Prague's historic Jewish Quarter, where a walking tour includes the Jewish Museum and Pinkas Synagogue (may not be available on some departures due to Jewish holidays). Tonight, join us for an exclusive gala farewell evening at the Renaissance-era Nelahozeves Castle; meet members of the former Czech nobility, and enjoy wine from their vineyards.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Prague Marriott Hotel, Prague, Czech Republic

Day 19: Explore Hradcany and Prague Castle
Visit Prague's ancient Hradcany district today, where you'll see Prague Castle's 1,000-year-old complex of palaces, courtyards and gardens; visit the Cathedral of St. Vitus and enjoy an exclusive private tour of Strahov Monastery's grand libraries. Spend the rest of the day exploring Prague as you please or enjoying the amenities of your hotel, named one of the Top 100 Best Luxury Hotels of the World.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Prague Marriott Hotel, Prague, Czech Republic

Day 20: Homeward bound
Tour ends in Prague, Czech Republic. A transfer is included from the Prague Marriott Hotel to Prague's Ruzyne International Airport.
Meals: Breakfast

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