Blue Danube to the Black Sea - Cruise Only Westbound

11 days
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4.7/5 Excellent
100+ reviews  
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River Cruise
A deluxe Danube River cruise is the highlight on this fascinating vacation through Eastern Europe. Explore the Danube Delta with its unique birdlife, celebrate the end of the Danube’s journey as it flows into the Black Sea, and sail through the dramatic Iron Gates gorge. See the sights with a Certified Local Guide in Constanta on the Black Sea, Bulgaria’s Arb...

Overview

Trip type
River Cruise
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Very Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Highlights

    • Learn about the Danube Delta at an onboard lecture

What's this trip about?

    A deluxe Danube River cruise is the highlight on this fascinating vacation through Eastern Europe. Explore the Danube Delta with its unique birdlife, celebrate the end of the Danube’s journey as it flows into the Black Sea, and sail through the dramatic Iron Gates gorge. See the sights with a Certified Local Guide in Constanta on the Black Sea, Bulgaria’s Arbanassi and Veliko Târnovo, Serbia’s Belgrade, Croatia’s Vukovar, and the Hungarian capital of Budapest.

Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeOperator does not provide
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transport
Start CityBucharest
End CityBratislava

Travel Themes

  • Cultural
  • 50 Plus
  • Small Ship Cruise

Destinations

Attractions

  • Belgrade
  • Bratislava
  • Bucharest
  • Budapest
  • Croatia
  • Romania
  • Vienna

Activities

  • Culture
  • River Cruise

Popular Trips

Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1

Bucharest, Romania–Fetesti (Embarkation). In the early afternoon, a motorcoach ride takes you to Fetesti, where your river cruise vessel is docked. Before dinner, meet your crew at a welcome reception. (D)

Day 2

St. Gheorghe. Danube Delta Excursion. This morning during breakfast, dock in St. Gheorghe, from where the excursion into the DELTA will start. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and the best preserved of Europe’s deltas, this area hosts over 300 species of birds as well as ...

Day 3

Cernavoda. Excursion to Constanta. From Cernavoda this morning, a full-day excursion takes you to Constanta, the most important commercial center in Romania, situated on the Black Sea. A CERTIFIED LOCAL GUIDE shows you the highlights of this city and a visit of the NA...

Day 4

Rousse, Bulgaria. Excursion to Veliko Târnovo & Arbanassi–Svistov. Dock this morning in Rousse, Bulgaria’s largest inland port. A comfortable motorcoach ride away is the ancient Bulgarian capital of Veliko Târnovo. Situated on three hills surrounding the Yantra Ri...

Day 5

Cetate. Today, enjoy a leisurely day of sailing. At first, the river separates Romania on the right bank from Bulgaria on the left and is relatively wide. Then, it carves a path through the lower Carpathian Mountains to the north and the Balkan Mountains to the south,...

Day 6

Iron Gates. Excursion to Lepenski Vir, Serbia. The most spectacular scenery must surely be 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 and forming a na...

Day 7

Belgrade, Serbia. Early today, arrive in Belgrade. One of the oldest cities in Europe, the capital of Serbia is situated at the confluence of the Danube and Sava Rivers. A Local Guide will be proud to show you its main sights, including St. Sava, the world’s largest o...

Day 8

Vukovar & Osijek, Croatia. Today, learn more about the complex history of Croatia and the events that led to the Croatian War of Independence. Accompanied by your Local Guide, explore Vukovar, Croatia’s largest river port, located at the confluence of the Danube a...

Day 9

Budapest, Hungary. Today enjoy a leisurely morning of sailing, before reaching the country’s capital. Spanning the banks of the Danube, Budapest is one of Eastern Europe’s liveliest cities. Whether you’re seeing the sights, shopping for handcrafted embroidery or Heren...

Day 10

Budapest. You have time this morning to explore Budapest further. Perhaps visit St. Stephen’s Basilica for marvelous views of the city from its viewing platform. This afternoon, set sail for Bratislava. (B,L,D)

Day 11

Bratislava, Slovakia (Disembarkation)–Vienna, Austria. During breakfast this morning, dock in Bratislava, where you say goodbye to your crew. The capital of Slovakia, Bratislava is situated at the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. Join your Local Guide for a tour...

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Dates & Availability

Price From $4,199
Price per day$382
Last Updated: 7/16/2018

Port charges: $210 Gratuities to Local Guides & Excursion Drivers are included. Please call for single accommodation price. Triples not available. Extra nights not available. Prices shown above include cruise in Category E in a deluxe outside stateroom on Indigo Deck. To upgrade to a higher category, add per person: Category / Decks / Price D / Indigo Deck / $284 B / Sapphire Deck / $1,499 A / Sapphire Deck / $1,570 P / Royal Deck / $1,713 Royal Suite / Royal Deck / $2,713 NOTE:
  • The Bucharest to Budapest portion of Departure April 28 is offered as an exclusive European History & Politics Cruise, including special lectures at no additional cost. Take a cruise through history! These fascinating cruises give you an even richer experience as you learn the stories behind Europe’s famous sites.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Avalon Waterways.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

Avalon Waterways Reviews & Ratings

4.7/5  Excellent
Excellent
1,559
Great
145
Average
48
Disappointing
16
Terrible
47
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Other Avalon Waterways Reviews

c

crezet kickartz

Feb 2025

Written on

My husband and I went on our first trip from Amsterdam to Basel. It was so great and as it was my first big OE the sights were very breath-taking.

The Avalon was so wonderful and all staff were very helpful in many ways, we couldn't fault the ship or staff. Would recommend Avalon river cruises. The rooms are lo...

J

James Allen

Jan 2025

Written on

Great Staff

The staff was interactive, polite, and memorable. We were lucky enough to have met and interacted with the staff on 2 different boats. Avalon handled the necessary c...

J

Janis Lloyd

Jan 2025

Written on

Avalon consistency—good!

Cabins always great. Food very good. I wish there were semi-dry white wine offered at dinner. (Rieslings, not dry). Christmas market in Colmar was not enjoyable, way...

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Logistics

Accommodation

Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Optional Activities
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Additional Information
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Trip ID
AVALON-WOV0

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