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Heart of the Danube: Bavaria to Budapest - Eastbound 2024
Overview
Highlights (Bullets)
- When your road is the Danube
- it's enchanting... Hungary
- Austria
- Slovakia
- and Germany are linked by peaceful river landscapes dotted with storybook castles and romantic villages surrounded by stone terraced vineyards
- where making world-class wines – and tasting them! – is an art.
A wonderfully preserved medieval castle and town in the Czech Carpathian mountains are as awe-inspiring as the palaces and museums of Imperial Vienna. As you cruise from port to port
- explore the cobblestone streets and market squares in the Old Towns of Budapest
- Bratislava
- Cesky Krumlov
- Grein
- and Passau
- each offering unexpected cultural treasures and culinary pleasures around every bend. And the pièce de résistance – a Tauck Exclusive gala evening with music and dancing at a private palace conjures up elegant Old World Europe just for Tauck guests!
Short Description
Experience the scenic, romantic soul of old-world Europe on this river cruise along the Danube. Wind through dramatic river landscapes to discoveries in Grein, Dürnstein, Bratislava, Passau or Cesky Krumlov, capped by a sumptuous gala evening at a Viennese Palace.
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Munich & embark ship
Tour begins: 5:30 PM. A transfer is included from Munich International Airport directly to your riverboat, where embarkation begins at 4:00 PM. Settle in aboard ship and then meet your fellow river cruisers this evening at a welcome cocktail reception followed by dinner. Your riverboat sets off along the Danube this evening.
MEALS : D
LODGING : ms Joy
PORTOFCALL : Munich, Germany
Day 2 Exploring Passau or Cesky Krumlov
Awaken in Passau today for a choice of sightseeing in this riverside town in Germany, or an excursion to Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic. Once a Roman outpost at the confluence of three rivers, Passau is over 2,500 years old, a quintessential Bavarian town of pastel patrician houses, cafés, romantic cobblestone lanes and riverfront promenades, made for walking (many streets are closed to traffic). If you choose to stay in Passau, your walking tour immerses you in its storybook mix of Roman, Italian Baroque and German Gothic architecture. See St. Stephen's Cathedral; view the hilltop fortress where Passau's prince-bishops once resided; and peruse the 14th-century Rathaus (Town Hall). Later, if you wish, join your Tauck Director for a brisk walk to a hilltop fortress, or attend a public concert on the famous organ of St. Stephen's Cathedral, when available or take a 12 mile bike ride along the Danube, meeting up with your riverboat in the town of Enghelhartszell. Alternatively, travel to Cesky Krumlov, an incredibly well-preserved medieval town in a landscape of exceptional beauty. Your walking tour includes Krumlov Castle, one of the largest castle complexes in Central Europe, embracing 40 buildings and palaces of medieval, Renaissance and Rococo designs, plus numerous courtyards and gardens. Return to the riverboat and enjoy the chef's signature dinner tonight as you cruise to Grein.
MEALS : B, L, D
LODGING : ms Joy
PORTOFCALL : Regensburg, Germany
Day 3 Grein or the Mauthausen Memorial
Arrive in the typically picturesque riverside village of Grein, Austria, for a choice of sightseeing in Grein or a visit to the Mauthausen Memorial. Your visit begins with a guided walking tour of the village, which includes views of the Grein Theatre – since 1791 the oldest operating theatre in Austria – and the historic town square with the adjacent Gothic St. Giles Church, known for its fine altar and stained glass. If you wish, visit Schloss Greinburg, the privately owned castle of the Ducal House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, showcasing the history and lifestyle of one of the most significant ruling families in Europe (including Queen Victoria of England). Alternatively, pay a poignant guided visit to the museum and memorial on the site of the infamous World War II-era Mauthausen–Gusen concentration camp, approximately 20 kilometers east of Grein. You'll tour the camp's main complex, preserved as a museum and memorial to the victims of the last major concentration camp liberated by the Allies. Back aboard the riverboat, enjoy dinner and local entertainment tonight.
MEALS : B, L, D
LODGING : ms Joy
PORTOFCALL : Passau, Germany
Day 4 Dürnstein, cycling & on to Vienna
This morning, your riverboat docks in Dürnstein, in Austria's Wachau Valley, which offers you a choice of unforgettable sightseeing excursions. You may choose to explore the picture-perfect Austrian village of Dürnstein on a guided walking tour, with free time on your own – maybe a climb up to the brooding ruins of Kuenringerburg Castle high above the town. Or, a challenging bicycling excursion (not suitable for beginners) through the Wachau Valley, starting and ending in Dürnstein. Rejoin the boat for lunch, and set off on a leisurely, breathtakingly scenic river cruise to Austria's capital, Vienna.
MEALS : B, L, D
LODGING : ms Joy
Day 5 Imperial Vienna & a night at the Palace
You have a choice of sightseeing today, both preceded by a tour of Vienna's landmark sights: visit the Imperial Treasury (the Schatzkammer) in the Hofburg, displaying priceless treasures from the House of Habsburg, including the Austrian Crown Jewels and the Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire; or alternatively, the Belvedere, the opulent 18th-century palace and former residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy, which today houses masterpieces from periods ranging from medieval to modern. After lunch aboard the riverboat or in town, your afternoon is free to explore more of this amazing city – once the capital of the Habsburgs' Austro-Hungarian Empire – on your own. Later, join us this evening at Palais Pallavicini for a Tauck Exclusive – a gala evening of dining and musical performances in elegant Viennese style. The sumptuous surroundings of Palais Pallavicini (built in 1784), with its ornate decor and magnificent state rooms, will transport you to another time – in fact, the palace facade is famous in another cultural reference... as the location of Harry Lime's (Orson Welles) apartment in the classic film The Third Man.
MEALS : B, L, D
LODGING : ms Joy
PORTOFCALL : Dürnstein, Austria
Day 6 Choices in & around Bratislava
A choice of activities await this morning in or near Bratislava, Slovakia's visually intriguing capital city. One is a walking tour of the cobblestoned, vehicle-free historic center of Bratislava; medieval, Baroque and modern architecture mix as you visit sites that include the 13th-century Old Town Hall, Baroque Habsburg-era palaces, the Opera House, Slovak Philharmonic Hall, St. Michael's Gate, St. Martin's Cathedral, and the Primate's Palace, where you'll view rare 17th-century British tapestries. Another is an excursion to the countryside, lush with vineyards, for a wine-tasting and a visit to Pezinok Castle. Dating back to the 13th century, "Water Castle" is one of the best-preserved castles in Slovakia, boasting historical furnishings, artwork and an impressive collection of glass; during your visit, enjoy a falconry demonstration. Prior to departure this afternoon, our local expert offers inside information and anecdotes on Bratislava. Back aboard ship, have lunch and settle in for an afternoon at leisure. Join us this evening for dinner as your riverboat heads to Budapest.
MEALS : B, L, D
LODGING : ms Joy
PORTOFCALL : Vienna, Austria
Day 7 Explore Budapest
Your cruise ends this morning in Budapest, Hungary, which is split into the sections of Buda and Pest by the Danube River. A guided tour of the city begins with the Pest side and a drive along Andrassy Avenue to Heroe's Square and a drive by Parliament and other sites. Explore the Buda side with a drive up Castle Hill, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; see Fishermen's Bastion with its Neo-Romanesque design, and admire the stained glass windows and centuries of history in Matthias Church (may be closed on some days due to services). After lunch, spend the rest of the day and evening pursuing what interests you most in this historic, and artistic, city. Join us this evening for a farewell toast followed by dinner as your Danube cruise comes to a close.
MEALS : B, L, D
LODGING : ms Joy
PORTOFCALL : Bratislava, Slovakia
Day 8 Journey home
Tour ends: Budapest, Hungary. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from the riverboat to Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport; you should allow a minimum of three hours for flight check-in at the airport.
MEALS : B
PORTOFCALL : Budapest, Hungary
Availability
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25 Tauck Travel Reviews & Ratings
Heart of the Danube: Bavaria to Budapest - Eastbound 2024
Company Reviews
Nine Tours and Done
5-star hotels switched to 3 and 4 (without any compensation or explanation)… many more meals “on your own”… lots of “self-guided” tours of museums and chateaux and castles we knew nothing about… airline quality “rubber chicken” dinners, not in hotel restaurants, but in sad and isolated business convention spaces… poorly-trained newer Tour Directors (like the one on this tour) with limited experience traveling outside her tiny Canadian village or dealing with people from diverse backgrounds.
She even confessed that this was a second gig job that took her away from her own business back home! You get what Tauck pays for, but unfortunately, not what YOU pay for. Speaking to a “Guest Relations” agent was comically pointless. She tried to make everything my fault, which I now understand is par for the course with the “new” post-Covid Tauck. Please reconsider spending huge amounts of your hard-earned money on a tour company that has lost its way and no longer delivers.
Skip this cruise - not worth it
For dinner every night because the entrees were terrible. You could be the first person at breakfast and everything on the buffet was cold, nothing was hot. there warming trays had tea light candles underneath them.
Wine served at dinner was low quality whicj says something since it was French wine. Tours were poorly
Planned, guides were ok at best. There is no time to shop or eat on land 9 times out 10. We were in Sicily but never got a chance to eat Sicilian food. So disappointed in this ver expensive cruise. The land portions in Malta and Marseiile were better but the tours in Malta were short, limited and subpar. This was our 8th Tauck trip and we have since cancelled our next three. We are not paying Tauck prices for mediocre experiences.
Tauck/Aon terrible travel insurance
Nice trip but not if you are a loyal Tauck Customer like myself
Great if you like 5-star hotels and lots of food
Pay for a 4 star trip and get 2 star food
Details
Ship Name
MS SAVOR, MS JOY
Ship Description
MS SAVOR
Maintaining Tauck’s high standards for quality and comfort, ms Savor cruises exclusively for Tauck on the Danube River as part of our Destination Fleet. With a maximum of 130 guests, the 443-foot riverboat and her sister ships continue our tradition of providing more space per guest on Europe’s inland waterways, transporting fewer passengers than most longships (135 meters). Her deck plan is innovative; with a total of 67 cabins, our most popular cabins tend to be our largest... so we have used the added ship length to offer twenty-two 300-square-foot Tauck Suites – the most of any river cruise ship on any European river. To increase the amount of natural sunlight on the lower deck, we’ve created 8 loft cabins that extend from the first to the second decks, providing guests with an additional view; all windows in these loft cabins open -
MS JOY
Maintaining Tauck’s high standards for quality and comfort, ms Joy cruises exclusively for Tauck on the Danube River as part of our Destination Fleet. With a maximum of 130 guests, the 443-foot riverboat and her sister ships continue our tradition of providing more space per guest on Europe’s inland waterways, transporting fewer passengers than most longships (135 meters). Her deck plan is innovative; with a total of 67 cabins, our most popular cabins tend to be our largest... so we have used the added ship length to offer twenty-two 300-square-foot Tauck Suites – the most of any river cruise ship on any European river. To increase the amount of natural sunlight on the lower deck, we’ve created 8 loft cabins that extend from the first to the second decks, providing guests with an additional view; all windows in these loft cabins open
Deck & Cabin Plans
MS SAVOR
MS JOY
Group Size
Standard Group - 25 + people
Trip ID#:
tauck-RVX2024
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