Danube Rhapsody River Cruise (Passau - Passau)

Upon arrival in Munich, we will be met by our local guide who will assist us in the transfer to Passau port with a guided Passau city tour en-route. Let's discover the beauty of this elegant German city. Created by Italian baroque masters in the 17th century, it is filled soaring towers, picturesque places, enchanting promenades and romantic lanes. Let's take in highlights such as St. Stephen's Cathedral, in which the world's largest cathedral organ sounds, the majestic fortress Veste Oberhaus on the Danube's side and the Pilgrimage Church "Mariahilf" on the Inn's side. 

In the afternoon we will be transferred to Passau port to join our River Cruise. Settle in to our cabin and explore the range of facilities on board our ship as we embark on our 7-night cruise along the Danube. Sit back with a welcome cocktail in one of the lounge areas, followed by a tasty welcome dinner.

Today we will wake up in Emmersdorf where we will enjoy an included excursion to Melk Abbey. Melk Abbey is an Austrian Benedictine abbey and one of the world's most famous monastic sites. The impressive Baroque abbey was built between 1702 and 1736 and is the biggest monastery complex of the Austrian baroque period. The Abbey's church features frescos by Johann Michael Rottmayr and the impressive library contains countless medieval manuscripts and frescos by Paul Troger. A guided tour takes us through the abbot's chambers, along the Imperator's walk, through the marble hall, the balconies and the library. 

We will set sail in the early afternoon, enjoy lunch on board as we depart Emmersdorf and travel on to the town of Dürnstein which is named after the Medieval Castle Burgruine Dürnstein, which overlooks it. The town is the perfect spot to spend a leisurely morning wandering the narrow cobblestoned streets, admiring beautiful buildings, shopping and relaxing with a drink in one of the local coffee shops or visit of the many chocolate shops this picturesque town has to offer. We will rejoin our ship in the late afternoon as set sail for Vienna. 

This morning, we will have arrived into the beautiful city of Vienna, here we will embark on a city tour of Vienna. This tour will give us an overall impression of the most important sights Vienna has to offer. First, we will drive along the famous Ringstrasse, passing several magnificent buildings like the stunning opera house, the parliament, the Court Theatre or Vienna’s imposing city hall. The tour is followed by a guided walk through the city centre where we will get to know Vienna at its fullest. We will start at the well-known Hofburg Imperial Palace, walk along the Kohl market and finish at Vienna’s iconic St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

After our tour we can return to the ship and enjoy many of the amenities on board or we can spend the afternoon in Vienna exploring this vibrant city at our own pace. 

An optional excursion to Schönbrunn Palace will be offered in the afternoon (payable locally). One of the most important cultural and historic monuments in Austria, the 1,441 room Baroque palace is surrounded by a magnificent garden, known as the Gloriette, giving unforgettable view over the palace area.

This morning, we will sail along the Danube and towards Budapest where we will arrive in early afternoon, we will be docked in Budapest for the night. After lunch we will have a panoramic guided tour of Budapest where we will see the unique Chain Bridge connecting the Buda side, with its Fisherman’s Bastion, and the Pest side, with its iconic Hungarian Parliament building.

In the evening, discover another view of Budapest with an evening cruise and watch as the riverside buildings are illuminated at night and enjoy a folklore show hosted by the crew on board your ship.

Enjoy exploring more of Budapest where we will be docked until early afternoon, we will have free time to further explore the city. Why not take a short stroll to the nearby Central Market Hall, one of Budapest most famous and vibrant food markets. Take in some further sightseeing, shopping or just relax prior to the ship's departure for Esztergom after lunch. 

Alternatively we can partake in an optional excursion to Szentendre, Visegrád castle and Esztergom (payable locally) One of Hungary's oldest cities, Esztergom was formerly the capital and is home to the Basilica, the main Roman Catholic church of Hungary. 

We will arrive into Esztergom in the early evening to allow anyone who partook in the excursions to rejoin the ship. After our short stop we sail towards Bratislava.

This morning we will arrive into Bratislava where we will be docked for the day. The city is small and best explored on foot. Following breakfast, lets enjoy a walking tour of this compact city. During this tour we will get to know the capital of the young Slovakian Republic. The gorgeous old town has maintained its Gothic-Baroque style. The tour passes St. Martin’s Cathedral a former coronation cathedral for Hungarian kings and the Grassalkovich Palace and continues up to the hill, where you will have a stunning, panoramic view of the city and surrounding areas. Afterwards, we will have some free time to explore this compact city, take a stroll through the restored old town, visit Michael’s Gate and admire sights such as the main square with the old City Hall, the Opera House and Maximilian Fountain.

We will have the afternoon at leisure, spend the afternoon exploring more of this beautiful Slovakian capital take a stroll through the restored old town, visit Michael’s Gate and admire sights such as the main square with the old City Hall, the Opera House and Maximilian Fountain or else just sit with a coffee or a drink and watch the world go by. 

We will depart Bratislava in the late afternoon for a short stop in Hainburg before contininng sailing overnight to Linz. 

This morning we wake up sailing along the Danube towards Linz, spend the morning relaxing on board and taking advantage of the many amenities our ship has to offer.

After lunch we will arrive into Linz where will have free time to explore this UNESCO City of Media Arts, at our own pace. Discover this city's charming old town filled with historic baroque architecture as well as its stunning natural landscape. Alternatively, we can partake in a guided walking tour of the city in the afternoon (payable locally).

This evening, we will enjoy a Captain's Gala Dinner while the ship travels to Passau. 

This morning we will disembark the ship after breakfast. We will be met by our local representative and enjoy a city tour of Munich. Highlights will include The Nymphenburg Palace, King's Square with its three temple buildings in the classical Greek style, the Bavarian National Museum and the Angel of Peace monument, the elegant buildings and shops along Maximilian Street, the Maximilianeum, the National Opera House, the Royal Palace, Stachus Square and the medieval city gates.

After some free time for lunch or shopping in Munich, we will be transferred to Munich airport for our flight home, with guide assistance.