The Danube from the Black Sea to Budapest

Day 1

BUCHAREST, ROMANIA Welcome to Bucharest—The “Paris of the East”

The day is yours to relax and enjoy Bucharest. Spend some free time exploring this fascinating city on your own to discover its trendy shops, cafés, museums, beautiful homes, and churches along Victory Avenue.

Day 2

BUCHAREST Beautiful Boulevards and Bold History

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.

Travel to Oltenita to board your Avalon Suite Ship® this afternoon.

OLTENITA (EMBARKATION)

Your Balkan Adventure Begins

Explore your Avalon Suite Ship® this evening and enjoy a dinner onboard.

DISCOVERY After dinner, attend an onboard Lecture to learn about the Danube Delta.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO ST. GHEORGHE

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Day 3

ST. GHEORGHE. EXCURSION TO THE DANUBE DELTA A River’s Entrance into the Sea

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

CLASSIC Join a small-boat Guided Tour of the best preserved of Europe’s deltas-2,200 square miles of rivers, canals, marshes, tree-fringed lakes and reed islands.

DISCOVERY Enjoy a Special Celebration to mark Kilometer “0”—the end of the Danube River’s 2,845 km journey—from the source in the Black Forest to its delta at the Black Sea.

AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO HÂRȘOVA

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Day 4

HÂRȘOVA. EXCURSION TO CONSTANTA Romania’s Cultural Legacies

CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour to Constanta, the most important commercial center in Romania, situated on the Black Sea. Visit the Natural History and Archeological Museum to discover the history of early Romanian cultures.

AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO ROUSSE

(B,L,D)

Day 5

ROUSSE, BULGARIA. VELIKO TÂRNOVO & ARBANASSI EXCURSION Fortresses and Fountains in “Little Vienna”

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

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

Sail to Svistov, 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 Bulgarian Revival architecture in the 15th-century town of Arbanassi.

Later, join your ship in Svistov.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO VIDIN

(B,L,D)

Day 6

VIDIN Rocks, ruins and Balkan Beauty

Ask about today’s energizing or relaxing Adventure Host 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. See the remarkable rock formations on the slopes of the Balkan Mountains, sculpted by 200 million years of nature’s elements.

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

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO DONJI MILANOVAC

(B,L,D)

Day 7

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

Before lunch on board, you’ll sail through the spectacular and narrow Iron Gates Gorge—forming a natural border between Serbia and Romania.

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

CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour to Lepenski Vir—an important Mesolithic archaeological site chronicling prehistoric cultures, settlements, and art. Marvel at the ancient discoveries and artifacts, as well as the unique views the site affords of the Danube Gorge.

Enjoy a brief sailing to Golubač.

GOLUBAČ

A Formidable Fortress

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 defense in the Middle Ages, and a source of conflict between Serbia, the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire.

OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BELGRADE

(B,L,D)

Day 8

BELGRADE Fortresses and Folklore

Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.

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.

You may choose to join an Optional Guided Biking tour or spend free time in Belgrade exploring Knez Mihailova Street—Belgrade’s central pedestrian thoroughfare with many lively cafés, shops, and cultural spots.

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

OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO NOVI SAD

(B,L,D)

Day 9

NOVI SAD A Capital of Culture

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.

Enjoy a brief cruise to Ilok while having lunch onboard.

ILOK, CROATIA

Croatian Heritage and Hilltop Vintages

CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour of Ilok, with its 1,000-year-old winemaking tradition still thriving and its medieval fortress protected for its Croatian cultural heritage.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO MOHÁCS

(B,L,D)

Day 10

MOHÁCS, HUNGARY. EXCURSION TO PÉCS Underground Tombs and Heavenly Music

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 to 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.

AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BUDAPEST

(B,L,D)

Day 11

BUDAPEST (DISEMBARKATION) Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

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