Grand European Cruise - Eastbound 2025

25 days
From $588/day
$14,690
4.4/5 Great
23 reviews  
87%
Trip last updated: 11/13/2024
Trip type
River Cruise
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
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Overview

Highlights

    • Travel like the royals of old on our grand eastern European river cruises combining Amsterdam to Budapest by Riverboat with Budapest to the Black Sea to create an unforgettable 25-day experience through the heart of Europe.This remarkable voyage virtually links the North Sea to the Black Sea via the Danube
    • Main and Rhine rivers
    • taking you through the Netherlands
    • Germany
    • Austria
    • Slovakia
    • Hungary
    • Croatia
    • Serbia
    • Bulgaria and Romania. Glide past grand cathedrals
    • medieval monasteries
    • and historic citadels – as well as through the Main-Danube Canal and the Iron Gate of the Danube. Tauck's private
    • inclusive shore excursions take in many UNESCO World Heritage Sites
    • and in-depth exploration of cities including Amsterdam
    • Köln
    • Vienna
    • Bratislava
    • Budapest
    • Belgrade and Bucharest. It's the ultimate European river cruise... with the Tauck Difference!

What's this trip about?

    Explore stunning riverscapes from the North Sea to the Black Sea aboard one of our riverboats between Amsterdam and Bucharest! Set off on a grand 3-week cruise through nine European countries along the Rhine, Main and Danube, plus three nights at a city-center hotel in Bucharest.
Itinerary focusOperator does not provide
Group sizeStandard Group - 25 + people
Age rangeOperator does not provide
Flights and transportN/A
Start City Amsterdam, Netherlands
End CityBucharest

Travel Themes

Activities

Trip includes

    • TAUCK EXCLUSIVE – A private Imperial Evening at a traditional palace in Vienna featuring dinner and Viennese performers TAUCK EXCLUSIVE – Reception and dinner atBragadiru Palace in Bucharest All gratuities to ship staff, drivers, local guides, Tauck Directors and Tauck Cruise Director Tauck's private shore excursions and distinctive inclusions valued at $5,969 In Amsterdam, a guided tour of the famed Rijksmuseum, home to many masterpieces Day exploring Nürnberg, the walled medieval town whose history is forever intertwined with World War II

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Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1 Embark in Amsterdam

Tour begins: 6:00 PM, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
A transfer is included from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport or Central Station directly to your Tauck riverboat. Tonight join us for a welcome reception and a leisurely dinner as you settle into your floating hotel for a memorable two-week cruise on the Main, Rhine and Danu...
Day 2 Great art, a canal cruise and more in Amsterdam

Amsterdam... the name itself conjures up images of the Dutch capital's myriad cultural treasures, from gabled houses, markets and cafés to awe-inspiring museums housing a treasure trove of world-famous art – and it's all yours to en...

Day 3 A blend of ancient & modern in Köln

After a morning of cruising and lunch aboard the riverboat, your explorations continue in Köln (Cologne), the oldest city in Germany. A guided walking tour of city sights includes a visit to twin-spired Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral...

Day 4 The Lorelei & Rüdesheim's music machines

 The perfect Rhine cruise... glide along the river until early afternoon, and relax as your Tauck Director shares a tale or two during the cruise through the scenic – and literally legendary – Lorelei Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage...

Day 5 A full day cruising the Main

Enjoy the views as your Rhine cruise continues into the Main River, for a full day of cruising through scenic valleys studded with castles, cathedrals, and fortified towns. Join us for a Bavarian-themed dinner aboard the riverboat t...

Day 6 Rothenburg or Würzburg & a wine tasting

Spend the morning cruising and have brunch aboard the riverboat before arriving in Würzburg. Upon arrival, you'll have two choices of sightseeing: visit the town's 18th-century Residenz – a lavish Baroque palace where the town's pri...

Day 7 Along the Main to Bamberg

Your riverboat cruises along the Main to the Bavarian town of Bamberg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated atop seven hills. Discover the town's lovely gardens, medieval architecture and 13th-century Gothic cathedral with its four...

Day 8 Historic Nürnberg and the Main-Danube Canal

From the center of the German Renaissance in the 15th and 16th centuries to the site of National Socialist Germans Workers' Party conventions leading into World War II, Nuremberg has had a storied history since it was first document...

Day 9 Ancient Regensburg and on to Passau

With its roots as a Roman encampment on the Danube, the quintessential Bavarian town of Regensburg is home to more than 1,400 original historic buildings. Walking here is a delight and is the only way to view the sights up-close. A ...

Day 10 Explore Baroque Passau & cruise the Danube

The riverboat docks in the port city of Passau, dating way back to Roman times. Today, you have the choice of a walking tour revealing the Baroque treasures of this lovely riverside town, known for its stained glass and its many chu...

Day 11 Melk Abbey & a Grand Evening in Vienna

Your next destination is the town of Melk, Austria, where you'll step back in time on a guided tour of its 900-year-old Benedictine Abbey, perched on a rocky outcrop above the river. Inside this Baroque masterpiece are fine frescoes...

Day 12 An "Imperial" day in Vienna

Get an overview of Vienna, Austria's capital and one of Europe's greatest cities, with a morning sightseeing tour of this historic former capital of the Habsburg Empire. Take your choice of a tour of Schönbrunn Palace, built to riva...

Day 13 Across the Centuries in Bratislava, Slovakia

Depart Vienna after breakfast, and spend the morning cruising to Slovakia. Arrive early afternoon in Bratislava, capital of Slovakia, where 17 centuries of history are chronicled on a walking tour led by a local guide. Highlights in...

Day 14 Welcome to Budapest on the Danube

Your remarkable riverboat voyage from the North Sea to the Black Sea cruises into Budapest, Hungary's capital, today – the mid-point of your grand European river cruise. Standing on opposite banks of the Danube, Budapest's two disti...

Day 15 Buda sightseeing

Sightseeing in the city's Buda section today includes the Hungarian Parliament building, a 19th-century neo-Gothic masterpiece on the Danube (when open); and Fisherman's Bastion, standing watch like a sentinel over the river. After ...

Day 16 Antiquities and more in Hungary

Arrive in Mohacs this morning and travel to Pécs for a walking tour. Here you'll also explore the fascinating Christian Necropolis, a complex dating back to the 4th century that includes underground burial chambers and chapels adorn...

Day 17 Vukovar, Croatia & on to Novi Sad in Serbia

Your riverboat exploration of the lower Danube cruises into Croatia; an onboard lecture by a local expert provides insights into the country's culture and history. Dock in the Baroque city of Vukovar, once showcasing opulent 18th-c...

Day 18 Belgrade sights & a private palace visit

Dock in Belgrade, Serbia's eclectic, cosmopolitan capital at the juncture of the Danube and Sava rivers. You can choose to spend the morning touring the "New Belgrade" section of the city by bicycle with a local guide (you'll need t...

Day 19 The Iron Gate of the Danube, King Decebalus and more

Relax on a day's cruise past the fields and vineyards of Eastern Europe; shipboard activities which may be offered throughout your cruise range from cooking demonstrations to folkloric, music and dance performances. Pass into Romani...

Day 20 Bulgarian art in Ruse or Ivanovo

Your journey along the lower Danube cruises to Bulgaria; largely off limits during four centuries of Ottoman rule and decades behind the Iron Curtain, the country's rich natural beauty and history is yours to discover today. Disemba...

Day 21 Constanta & Mamaia on the Black Sea

Depart the riverboat in the key Black Sea port city of Constanta, Romania, for a tour of what originally was the ancient Greek colony of Tomis and home to numerous Greek and Roman antiquities; sights include an Art-Nouveau casino, a...

Day 22 Disembark and on to Bucharest

Disembark your riverboat in Constanta and travel to Bucharest, capital of Romania and once regarded as the "Paris of the Balkans." A sightseeing tour of city landmarks includes Revolution Square and the Triumphal Arch; erected to co...

Day 23 Transylvania – or Sinaia – or Tartoviste

A choice of sightseeing today echoes the legacy of 15th-century Romanian prince Vlad Tepes (a.k.a. "Vlad the Impaler"), thought to be the historical model for Bram Stoker's Dracula. You may choose to take a full-day excursion to Tra...

Day 24 A day in Bucharest & a night at Bragadiru Palace

Discover more of Romania's capital on a morning sightseeing tour, ending in Bucharest's Old Town. Following an afternoon spent pursuing what interests you most in the city, join us this evening as we travel to a Tauck Exclusive at ...

Day 25 Journey home

Tour ends: Bucharest, Romania.
 Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from InterContinental Athénée Palace Bucharest to Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport and Bucuresti Gara de Nord; please allow 3 hours for flight check-in at the airport.

MEALS : B

PORTOFCALL : Bucharest, Romania

Dates & Availability

Price from
$14,690
Price per day
$588

Grand European Cruise - Eastbound 2025 Reviews & Ratings

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Tour Operator

Tauck

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Associations

United States Tour Operators Association

Details

Group size:

Standard Group - 25 + people

Trip Excludes:

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