Blue Danube River Cruise
14 Days 28 Meals Breakfast daily 3 dinners All meals aboard cruise		Itinerary at a glance:
		Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14	Overnight flight Munich Munich Munich / Passau Durnstein / Vienna Vienna Esztergom / Budapest Budapest Bratislavia Melk / Grein Passau / Innsbruck Innsbruck / Lucerne Lucerne Return flight home
Departures & Rates:    Travel Inclusions: • Call or email us for departure dates and pricing from your gateway city. • Prices are per person and based on two people sharing a twin-bedded room. • Single Room Supplement will apply. • Roundtrip air transportation from your gateway. • Personal airport VIP greeting & check-in • All transfers and luggage handling between airports and hotel • Comprehensive sightseeing throughout the itinerary • Professional, Tour Manager while on tour • Pre-departure orientation and travel docs • All tips and taxes for included services, except airport departure taxes and tips to drivers and guides.
Detailed Itinerary:
DAY 1 & 2: USA - MUNICH We begin our German discovery today with our flight to Munich, Germany, the capital of Bavaria and nicknamed “City of Love of Life”. This beautiful 800-year-old city has a population of 1.5 million and lies in the southern part of Germany, near the Alps. On arrival, enjoy a city tour including entrance to Nymphenburg Palace. See fine examples of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neo-Classical architecture. This evening we will have our Welcome Dinner. (Inflight meals,D) DAY 3: MUNICH Enjoy an excursion to Rothenburg. Rothenburg, the best known of all German medieval towns is situated on a spur overlooking the pleasant valley of the Tauber River. Famous for its art galleries, shops and cafes, it has the feel of a fairy-tale city surrounded by towers, ramparts and walls. Visit the town hall, Mark’s Tower and Roeder Arch, the Castle Gate and garden and St. Wolfgang’s Church. (B) DAY 4: MUNICH - PASSAU After breakfast we will transfer to Passau where after an orientation city tour we will board our elegant river cruise vessel the MV Mozart. Built in 1987, MV Mozart is the flagship of the Deilmann River fleet and the most luxurious river vessel in the world. Completely refurbished in 1998, this incomparable vessel is resplendent with polished rosewood and original works of art. She is also distinguished by the large size of her staterooms and the number of public areas available. She has a total of 102 cabins of which 99 are outside and are identical in size with 202 square feet. (B,D) DAY 5: DÜRNSTEIN - VIENNA Dürnstein is one of the principal landmarks in the Wachau region. During the walking tour you will see remains of the Klarissin Convent. High above the town are the ruins of the palace where King Richard “the Lionheart” was allegedly held prisoner. You will also see many quaint townhouses dating back to the 16th-18th century. You will then visit the former Collegiate Church. The tour will end with a wine tasting in a local tavern. (B,L,D) DAY 6: VIENNA This morning our tour takes us along the famous ‘Ring’ to see the superb Opera House, the impressive Parliament, the magnificent Winter Palace, along with a walking tour of the great St. Stephens Cathedral and the Hofburg. (B,L,D) DAY 7: ESZTERGOM - BUDAPEST Your included tour today is the picturesque landscape of the Danube Bend, where the river changes its course southward, this is one of the highlights of your visit to Hungary. In Esztergom, the former residence of the Hungarian kings, you will visit the Cathedral, the largest church in Hungary. Our tour will continue to Visegrad where you will have lunch. At Szentendre, the gate to the Danube Bend, you will visit the Margit Kovacs museum and the Greek Orthodox Church. You will then have some time to yourself. You will reboard in Budapest. (B,L,D) DAY 8: BUDAPEST Today is our City tour of these twin old world capitals, Buda & Pest that are linked by many wonderful bridges spanning the Danube, the tour includes such sites as Fisherman’s Bastion & St. Matthias Church. A must see is the view from Citadel Hill and then see Parliament building and Hero’s Square. (B,L,D) DAY 9: BRATISLAVA Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, is situated at the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains on the banks of the Danube River. Your excursion will start with a short bus ride to ‘Slavin’, a scenic outlook from where you have a panoramic view of the city. Finally, a walking tour through the carefully restored old town of Bratislava is planned. You will walk through Kapilus Lane, where you will be able see the seminar of the priests as well as the Gothic Church of the Clarissin Order. The market square features the highlights of the Old Town, the Roland fountain, the impressive townhouses of the former nobility and the ‘Primatial Palace’ with its remarkable gallery of famous European artists. On the way back to the vessel, you will pass by the ‘Hviedaslav Square’ with the Opera House, the Ganymede Fountain and the concert hall. (B,L,D) DAY 10: MELK - GREIN The City of Melk is best known for Melk Abbey. Your tour includes this most imposing architectural masterpiece north of the Alps and a focal point in the formative years of Austria’s history. The year 1989 brought the 900th anniversary of the day on which Melk was made over to Benedictine monks. Our excursion will take us to the Monastery and the Collegiate Church. (B,L,D) DAY 11: PASSAU - SALZBURG - INNSBRUCK After disembarking, we will travel to Salzburg, a city filled with beautiful gardens, art and architecture. Salzburg is divided into 2 parts. The older is on the left bank of the Salzach River and the new (over 300 years old) is on the right. Our morning city tour will include entrance to Mozart’s birthplace & gardens, Mirabell Palace, Hellbrunn Castle and much more. We will have time this afternoon to drive to the neighboring Berchtesgaden Alps for an unforgettable elevator ride to the top of the world to visit the “Eagle’s Nest” which was constructed during World War II. Tonight we will overnight in Innsbruck Austria. (B,D) DAY 12: INNSBRUCK - NEUSCHWANSTEIN - LUCERNE After breakfast, we will have a walking city tour, exploring Innsbruck, Austria. Site of the 1964 & 1976 Winter Olympic games, the quaint and well-preserved capital city of Innsbruck lies at the top of the province of Tirol. Squeezed by the mountains and sharing the valley with the Inn River, Innsbruck is compact and easy to explore on foot. This afternoon we will head to Lucerne by way of King Ludwig II’s fairytale castle of Neuschwanstien. Built by King Ludwig II, Linderhof Castle is considered to be his most elegant castles in Bavaria. (B,D) DAY 13: LUCERNE Lucerne Switzerland. We will tour our host city - Lucerne, and see one of the world’s most famous monuments, the Lion’s Monument. Spectacularly carved from natural rock, this monument commemorates the heroic death of Swiss mercenaries in 1792. We will also see the Chapel Bridge, Jesuit Church and City Hall. Our afternoon is at leisure. Tonight we will have a marvelous Swiss Fondue Farewell dinner. (B,D) DAY 14: LUCERNE - USA We depart Lucerne for the last time as we travel to Zurich where we board our flight home. (B,Inflight meals)