Itinerary
- Day 1
Budapest
You'll check into your luxury hotel in Budapest for a two-night stay. The Danube separates Buda and Pest, and your afternoon is open to explore at your own pace. Consider stopping by one of the city's elegant coffee houses like the New York Café or Ruszwurm Cukrászda to soak in Budapest's 19th-century coffee culture.
Optional Activities
- Visit New York Café or Ruszwurm Cukrászda coffee houses
- Enjoy regional delicacies and live music in historic cafes
Landmarks/POIs New York Café Ruszwurm Cukrászda - Day 2
Budapest
After breakfast, you can choose from scenic freechoice activities in this beautiful region. Either explore the 18th-century Brunszvik Castle and Beethoven Museum in Martonvásár, or visit the Etyek wine region, known as the 'vineyard of Budapest,' for wine tasting. Your afternoon is free to hike iconic Buda Hill for panoramic Danube views. Later you'll have dinner at a local restaurant.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Dinner in a local restaurant)
Included Activities
- Scenic Freechoice: Brunszvik Castle and Beethoven Memorial Museum visit
- Scenic Freechoice: Etyek Region Wineries exploration and wine tasting
Optional Activities
- Hike Buda Hill for panoramic views of the Danube and city
Landmarks/POIs Brunszvik Castle Beethoven Memorial Museum Etyek Region Wineries Buda Hill - Day 3
Budapest to Danube River (Ship)
Your morning is yours to explore Budapest at your own pace. The Széchenyi Baths offer 15 indoor baths and three outdoor pools if you want to relax and soak. This afternoon you'll board your Scenic Space-Ship cruise. A welcome reception happens tonight where you'll raise a glass to the journey ahead.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Board Scenic Space-Ship
Optional Activities
- Visit Széchenyi Baths for thermal bath experience
Landmarks/POIs Széchenyi Baths - Day 4
Mohács
You'll arrive in Mohács, a small Hungarian town on the Danube with ties to the 16th-century Battle of Mohács. Three freechoice options are available: a guided tour of Pécs including the Turkish Bath and first telephone exchange, wine tasting in the Villány wine village known for bold reds, or visiting the Zsolnay Ceramics Museum to see hand-painted ceramics from the historic factory.
Included Activities
- Scenic Freechoice: Guided tour of Pécs
- Scenic Freechoice: Villány wine village visit and sampling
- Scenic Freechoice: Zsolnay Ceramics Museum visit
Landmarks/POIs Pécs Turkish Bath of Pasha Memi First Telephone Exchange (Pécs) Villány wine village Zsolnay Ceramics Museum - Day 5
Osijek
The ship arrives in Osijek, a Croatian town with turbulent history and grand Baroque buildings bearing scars of war. You have three freechoice activities: a guided walking tour of the well-preserved Baroque Old Town and fortress with traditional music, exploring the Baranja wine region's vineyards, or visiting a local Croatian family's home for authentic lunch featuring fresh vegetables from their garden.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch with local Croatian family featuring fresh vegetables from their garden)
Included Activities
- Scenic Freechoice: Walking tour of Osijek
- Scenic Freechoice: Baranja wine region exploration and tasting
- Scenic Freechoice: Lunch with local Croatian family
Landmarks/POIs Osijek Old Town Osijek Fortress Baranja wine region - Day 6
Belgrade
You'll arrive in Belgrade, Serbia's capital, blending Brutalist and Art Nouveau architecture along tree-lined boulevards. Choose from three freechoice activities: a guided walking tour including the Bohemian Quarter and Kalemegdan Fortress, a panoramic tour visiting the Old Town and Tito's Memorial, or a guided cycling tour along the Danube banks. Your afternoon is free to wander bohemian Skardalija Street. Tonight, you'll experience St. Sava Temple, the largest Orthodox temple in the Balkans, and hear the church choir perform hymns in the crypt.
- Meals
- Dinner
Included Activities
- Scenic Freechoice: Walking tour of Belgrade
- Scenic Freechoice: Panoramic tour of Belgrade with Tito's Memorial
- Scenic Freechoice: Cycling tour along the Danube
- Scenic Enrich: St. Sava Temple visit with church choir performance
Optional Activities
- Explore Skardalija Street district with traditional restaurants, galleries and local stores
Landmarks/POIs Kalemegdan Fortress Bohemian Quarter Tito's Memorial St. Sava Temple Skardalija Street - Day 7
Djerdap Gorge (Iron Gates)
You'll cruise through the spectacular Djerdap Gorge system, also called the Iron Gates, with four narrow gorges and soaring cliffs forming the natural border between Serbia and Romania. A mighty rock carving of Decebalus watches over the waters. Spend time in your suite enjoying Danube views, sunbathing on the Sun Deck, or mingling with fellow guests in the Panorama Lounge.
Included Activities
- Cruise through Djerdap Gorge (Iron Gates)
Landmarks/POIs Djerdap Gorge (Iron Gates) Rock carving of Decebalus - Day 8
Svishtov / Veliko Tarnovo or Rousse
The ship arrives in Svishtov, Bulgaria. Your freechoice activity is either a full-day excursion to Veliko Tarnovo (the City of the Kings) and leafy Arbanassi village for panoramic views and the Asenevtsi Brothers Monument, or stay on board for a relaxing morning cruise to Rousse ('Little Vienna') with a local guide and an exclusive piano recital.
Included Activities
- Scenic Freechoice: Excursion to Veliko Tarnovo and Arbanassi
- Scenic Freechoice: Walking tour of Rousse with piano recital
Landmarks/POIs Veliko Tarnovo Asenevtsi Brothers Monument Arbanassi Village Rousse - Day 9
Silistra
You'll arrive in Silistra, a Bulgarian town with complex history as a major Turkish fortress and trade center in the 15th century. Choose from three freechoice activities: a guided walking tour of the best-preserved fort from the six Turkish fortification system points, visiting the Alfatar ethnographic museum to see a typical country house and meet local children performing, or exploring the ancient Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari to discover Bulgaria's heritage.
Included Activities
- Scenic Freechoice: Active walk to Silistra Fort
- Scenic Freechoice: Visit to Alfatar Village with ethnographic museum
- Scenic Freechoice: Sveshtari Thracian Secrets guided tour
Landmarks/POIs Silistra Fort Alfatar Village Alfatar Ethnographic Museum Sveshtari Thracian Tomb - Day 10
Bucharest
You'll disembark and transfer to Bucharest, Romania's capital, once called the 'Paris of the East.' Today it's a mix of Art Nouveau remnants and Brutalist architecture with tree-lined boulevards and hidden street art. After an orientation coach tour, choose from two freechoice activities: visit Ceausescu's Spring Palace with 80 elegant rooms decorated with silk wallpaper and Murano glass, or explore the Village Open Air Museum depicting authentic Romanian heritage. Later you'll dine with fellow guests.
- Meals
- Dinner (Dinner with fellow guests)
Included Activities
- Orientation coach tour of Bucharest
- Scenic Freechoice: Ceausescu's Spring Palace visit
- Scenic Freechoice: Village Open Air Museum visit
Landmarks/POIs Union Square University Square Roman Square Victory Square Charles de Gaulle Square Primaverii Palace Ceausescu's Spring Palace Village Open Air Museum - Day 11
Bucharest to Istanbul
You'll depart Bucharest this morning on an included flight to Istanbul, home to over 15 million people and one of the world's largest cities. Istanbul blends cultures, cuisines, architecture, history and style in an exhilarating way that'll engage all your senses.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Day 12
Istanbul
Istanbul has been inhabited for thousands of years, starting as Constantinople in the 4th century before becoming Istanbul in 1930. Everywhere you walk goes through layers of history. Today you'll visit Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, both sitting on either side of central Sultanahmet Park, and explore Topkapi Palace.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Hagia Sophia
- Visit Blue Mosque
- Visit Topkapi Palace
Landmarks/POIs Hagia Sophia Blue Mosque Sultanahmet Park Topkapi Palace - Day 13
Istanbul to Çanakkale
You'll travel from Istanbul to Çanakkale, situated on the edge of the Dardanelle Strait. This town has been at history's forefront for centuries as the gateway to the World War One battlefield of Gallipoli and the ancient city of Troy. Your evening is free to explore modern Turkish culture along the waterfront promenade with locals.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Optional Activities
- Explore waterfront promenade and sample modern Turkish culture
Landmarks/POIs Dardanelle Strait - Day 14
Gallipoli
You'll head to Gallipoli, a significant place in the hearts of Australians and New Zealanders. This peninsula was the site of the eight-month WWI campaign and is now a national park. Your guide takes you through important sites: stand at ANZAC Cove where soldiers came ashore on 25 April 1915, visit Lone Pine and the Nek to reflect on courage and sacrifice, and walk through some of the 31 cemeteries dotting the peninsula.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided tour of Gallipoli peninsula
- Visit ANZAC Cove
- Visit Lone Pine
- Visit the Nek
- Walk through Gallipoli cemeteries
Landmarks/POIs Gallipoli Peninsula ANZAC Cove Lone Pine Cemetery The Nek - Day 15
Troy to Istanbul
This morning you'll venture to Troy, a place shrouded in mystery and legend. For over 3,000 years, tales of Troy and the Trojan War were thought to be mythical, made famous by Homer's Iliad. In the late 19th century, Troy's ruins were discovered in modern-day Turkey. You'll tour the 4,000-year-old ruins, see a giant replica of the famous Trojan Horse, and learn the true story. Afterward you'll return to Istanbul.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Tour of Troy ancient ruins
- View giant replica of the Trojan Horse
Landmarks/POIs Troy Trojan Horse (replica) - Day 16
Istanbul
Your morning offers a freechoice activity: learn Turkish cuisine secrets in a cooking class preparing traditional dishes, or explore the colorful Grand Bazaar with thousands of shops and enjoy traditional Turkish coffee with your local guide. Tonight brings a special Scenic Enrich experience: cruise the Bosphorus Strait between ferries and fishing boats, passing famous monuments and historic minarets, then enjoy a farewell dinner at Hamdi Restaurant with views over the Golden Horn.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Farewell dinner at Hamdi Restaurant with views over the Golden Horn and exceptional Turkish cuisine)
Included Activities
- Scenic Freechoice: Turkish cooking class
- Scenic Freechoice: Grand Bazaar visit with traditional Turkish coffee
- Scenic Enrich: Bosphorus Strait cruise
- Scenic Enrich: Farewell dinner at Hamdi Restaurant
Landmarks/POIs Grand Bazaar Bosphorus Strait Golden Horn Hamdi Restaurant - Day 17
Istanbul Departure
Before leaving Istanbul, take a moment early this morning to listen for the call to prayer before sunrise, a traditional Muslim call ringing out five times daily. In the calm of early morning, it's particularly moving. After breakfast, you'll transfer to the airport for your departure.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Listen to the traditional Muslim call to prayer at dawn
