Balkan Discovery

Day 1

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (EMBARKATION) Welcome to Hungary. Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding.

Flights into Budapest must arrive by 2 pm.

Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.

OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO MOHÁCS

(D)

Day 2

MOHÁCS Hungarian History in a Harbor Town

Visit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.

ACTIVE Explore Mohacs by foot as you follow the lead of your Adventure Host, OR:

CLASSIC Join a morning Guided Sightseeing Tour of Mohács—the quiet Danube harbor town with its historical memorial parks, statues, and distinctive churches. Tour the remarkable medieval St. Nicholas Watermill—one of only a few remaining watermills performing stone-ground grain processing, OR:

CLASSIC Take a Guided Tour of nearby Pécs to see its 4th-century Christian underground tombs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with fascinating murals. You’ll also enjoy an organ concert on your tour.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO ILOK

(B,L,D)

Day 3

ILOK, CROATIA History and Culture in Croatia

CLASSIC Join a Guided tour of Ilok, with its 1,000-year-old wine making traditions still thriving and its medieval fortress protected for its Croatian cultural heritage.

Enjoy a brief cruise to Novi Sad while having lunch onboard.

NOVI SAD, SERBIA

The Athens of Serbia

ACTIVE Get your daily dose of exercise, join your Adventure Host on this walk in and around town, OR:

CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour of Novi Sad, the second largest town in Serbia. Admire its Austro-Hungarian old town, with its baroque buildings, and ancient fortifications.

OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BELGRADE

(B,L,D)

Day 4

BELGRADE Fortresses and Folklore

ACTIVE Discover Belgrade's central walkway with your Adventure Host, OR:

CLASSIC Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour of Belgrade—where the Danube and Sava Rivers converge—and see the city’s many fascinating sights, including Saint Sava—one of the world’s largest Orthodox churches.

DISCOVERY Attend an onboard Lecture to learn about the rich history, destinations, and culture of the Balkan states.

Spend your free time exploring the city on your own this afternoon on Knez Mihailova Street—Belgrade’s central pedestrian thoroughfare with many lively cafés, shops, and cultural spots.

This evening, you might like to join an Optional Excursion for an authentic Bohemian Dinner in the Quarter of Skadarlija.

OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO GOLUBAČ

(B,L,D)

Day 5

GOLUBAČ–DONJI MILANOVAC. EXCURSION TO LEPENSKI VIR–IRON GATES GORGE Ancient Artifacts and the Iron Gates

CLASSIC Visit the Fortress of Golubač, one of the best preserved medieval fortresses in Europe. You’ll hear about its tumultuous history as a border control for defense in the Middle Ages, and a source of conflict between Serbia, the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire.

Enjoy a brief sailing to Donji Milanovac.

ACTIVE Stretch your legs, ease your mind and enjoy a walk led by your Adventure Host, OR:

CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour to the Mesolithic archaeological site of Lepenski Vir with unique views of the Danube Gorge.

Sail through the spectacular and narrow Iron Gates Gorge—a natural border between Serbia and Romania.

AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO VIDIN

(B,L,D)

Day 6

VIDIN, BULGARIA Rocks, ruins and Balkan Beauty

Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.

ACTIVE Wander and discover this town, join your Adventure Host for a walk, OR:

CLASSIC Join Guided Sightseeing in Vidin, followed by a Guided Tour of Belogradchik. Marvel at the remarkable rock formations on the western slopes of the Balkan Mountains, sculpted by 200 million years of natural elements.

AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO ROUSSE

(B,L,D)

Day 7

ROUSSE. VELIKO TÂRNOVO & ARBANASSI EXCURSION Fortresses and Folklore

ACTIVE Join a walk in the park in Rousse with your Avalon Adventure Host, OR:

CLASSIC Join a full-day Guided Tour to the former Bulgarian capital of Veliko Târnovo—with its ancient stone houses clinging to the cliffs above the Yantra River. Discover one of the oldest towns in Bulgaria (circa 4300 BC), as well as the Bulgarian Revival architecture in the 15th-century town of Arbanassi, OR:

CLASSIC Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour of Bulgaria’s largest inland port and visit its impressive Holy Trinity Church.

Later, enjoy live entertainment on board with a Bulgarian folklore show.

OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO OLTENITA

(B,L,D)

Day 8

OLTENITA, ROMANIA (DISEMBARKATION)–BUCHAREST The Paris of the East

CLASSIC Take a Guided Tour of the Romanian capital city of Bucharest with its tree-lined boulevards and Arc de Triomphe—honoring WWI Romanian soldiers. See the Royal Palace Square—the scene of the city’s 1989 riots to overthrow the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

Spend some free time exploring on your own to visit shops and museums. See the beautiful home and churches along Victory Avenue.

(B).

Day 9

BUCHAREST Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

(B)