The Spectacular Danube to the Black Sea
Day One: UK to Liege
Departing the UK, we travel to Liege, via Calais, to stay at an overnight hotel.
4 September departures only
In order to improve the outbound journey to your river cruise ship the overnight hotel on night one will now be in the Aachen area on a bed and breakfast basis. There will be an en route dinner at a restaurant.
Day Two: Liege - Linz - Vienna
After breakfast, we continue our journey, making our way to Linz, where we join the MS Serenade 2. Spend time exploring our ship and meeting your fellow passengers. We set sail for vibrant Vienna tonight, sailing through the night. (B,D)
Day Three: Vienna to Kalocsa
Admire the spectacular scenery as we sail along the Wachau Valley, arriving in Vienna by lunchtime. Take in Vienna’s many sights today, from its grand palaces to its spectacular squares and historical monuments. We will have an optional Discover Vienna excursion to join, which will take us on a fantastic journey through this marvellous city. This evening, we sail onwards to Kalocsa. (B,L,D)
Day Four: Kalocsa - Mohacs - Belgrade
The small town of Kalocsa can be found in the expansive Hungarian plains, and we will arrive at this interesting port by mid-afternoon. We will have an included coach transfer to Kalocsa to discover this Baroque town for ourselves. With its fascinating history, Kalocsa is home to some stunning examples of fine architecture, including the Holy Trinity Square with the Holy Trinity column, and St Mary Cathedral and the Archiepiscopal Palace. This evening, we sail onwards to the historical town of Mohacs, before continuing to Belgrade overnight. (B,L,D)
Day Five: Belgrade to Iron Gate
Enjoy a pleasant cruise this morning as we make our way to Belgrade, the former capital of Yugoslavia, and now the capital of Serbia. The city lies at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, giving it a unique position. We arrive by early-afternoon and have time to discover this fascinating city for ourselves - why not join our optional city tour? We will take in the local highlights, such as the Belgrade Fortress and St Sava Church. In the evening, we begin our overnight sailing to the famous Iron Gate. (B,L,D)
Day Six: Iron Gate to Ruse
Admire astounding scenery as we sail along the gorge that forms the border between Romania and Bulgaria. This is also Europe’s largest river gorge and is an absolutely spectacular sight; carved between the Carpathian Mountains are the ‘Iron Gates’ - the boundary between Serbia and Romania. Relax on the MS Serenade 2’s Sun Deck and be sure to take some photos of this incredible scenery! We cruise through the night to Ruse. (B,L,D)
Day Seven: Ruse to Cernavoda
Known as ‘Little Vienna’ for its fabulous Neo-Baroque and Neo-Rococo architecture, the Bulgarian city of Ruse is filled with spectacular sights. We enjoy a morning’s sailing and arrive at Ruse before midday. Consider joining our optional city tour to discover Ruse's excellent attractions, such as the UNESCO churches of Ivanovo, which have been carved out of solid rock, as well as the city’s many architectural landmarks. Tonight, we cruise to Romania as we make our way to Cernavoda. (B,L,D)
Day Eight: Cernavoda to Giurgiu
Arriving in Cernavoda in the early morning, we will have a full-day included excursion to look forward to, as we make our way to Constanta. Romania’s main port, Constanta is also Romania’s oldest city to still be populated, having been founded in approximately 600 BC. The city is situated on the Black Sea coast, and we will enjoy a guided tour of this historical destination. We then head to Efforie to enjoy lunch before heading to Mamaia, which is Romania's most famous bathing resort, why not take a dip in the famous Black Sea? We then travel back to the MS Serenade 2, departing for our overnight sailing to Giurgiu. (B,L,D)
Day Nine: Giurgiu - Turnu Maguerele - Iron Gate
After a short time in Giurgiu in the morning, we continue to Turnu Maguerele or why not join our full day optional excursion to Bucharest from Giurgiu. Bucharest is famous for its amazing monuments. Admire the Parliament Palace, the second-largest building in the world, after the Pentagon; and take in the stunning athenaeum, an ornate concert hall. After our time in Bucharest, we continue to Turnu Maguerele, where we re-join the MS Serenade 2 and cruise back to the formidable Iron Gate. (B,L,D)
Day Ten: Iron Gate to Novi Sad
Marvel at this amazing sight again as we sail back along the gorge, passing through the Iron Gate and continuing our journey to Novi Sad in Serbia. (B,L,D)
Day Eleven: Novi Sad to Mohacs
As Serbia’s second-largest city, Novi Sad is filled with incredible sights, which we will get to uncover with an optional city tour. Call at some of the city’s most famous attractions, such as the Petrovaradin Fortress, which sits on the banks of the Danube and dominates the city’s skyline. After our exploration of Novi Sad, we sail back to the Hungarian town of Mohacs through the night. (B,L,D)
Day Twelve: Mohacs to Budapest
Arriving in Mohacs in the morning, spend time exploring this historical town, before our included excursion to nearby Pecs. This ancient city was founded by the Romans in the early 2nd century, and is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in Hungary. The city is home to an incredible UNESCO World Heritage Site - the Necropolis of Sopianae. We will explore this amazing destination during our excursion, taking in some of its historical sights. Overnight, we cruise to Hungary’s capital, Budapest. (B,L,D)
Day Thirteen: Budapest to Bratislava
Admire the Danube’s beautiful riverscapes as we sail into Budapest over breakfast - be sure to take in the spectacular buildings situated alongside the river banks, such as the Hungarian Parliament. We will get to see more of this amazing architecture during our included city tour, while also learning about the city’s interesting history. We will visit both parts of the city, which sit astride the Danube - ‘Buda’ and ‘Pest’. We depart Budapest this evening and make our way to Bratislava in Slovakia. (B,L,D)
Day Fourteen: Bratislava to Melk
We spend the morning and early afternoon sailing through yet more extraordinary scenery, before we reach the Slovakian capital of Bratislava. Join our optional excursion this afternoon to explore more of this city, as we discover landmarks such as St Martin’s Church, the former University of Bratislava and the city’s many palaces, featuring stunning 18th century architecture. We continue our river cruise over dinner tonight, sailing to Melk in Austria. (B,L,D)
Day Fifteen: Melk to Passau
Take in the beautiful scenery during our morning cruise, or why not spend time relaxing with your fellow passengers and new friends on the MS Serenade 2’s Sun Deck? We arrive in Melk before midday and will have time to explore this beautiful city. Melk is perhaps most famous for its Benedictine abbey, which overlooks the city from its perch atop a rocky outcrop. We can discover the Baroque Melk Abbey for ourselves with an optional tour this afternoon, before it comes time to depart Melk and sail to Passau through the night. (B,L,D)
Day Sixteen: Passau to Liege
Arriving in Passau in the morning, we enjoy breakfast and then disembark, ready to continue our journey to Liege. Here, we stay at an overnight hotel and arrive in time for an evening meal. (B,D)
Day Seventeen: Liege to UK
On our final day of travel, we continue from Liege to the UK, via Calais, to return home. (B)
