AUSTRIA, SLOVAKIA, HUNGARY, CROATIA, SERBIA, ROMANIA, AND BULGARIA
On this air-inclusive trip, sail down the Danube River stopping at some of Eastern Europe’s most fascinating cities—from Vienna and Budapest to Belgrade and Bucharest. Before setting sail, go sightseeing in Vienna, which features beautiful palaces and modern architecture. Then, depart on the ship to Bratislava, Slovakia where you’ll explore the sights around Old Town. Next, stop down the river takes you into Hungary for a visit to Budapest. You’ll tour the city and then have a full day to discover sights at your leisure. Sail along the picturesque Drava River to Croatia for a day around Vukovar and then set your sights on Serbia, with stops at the charming cities of Novi Sad and Belgrade. Admire the stunning vistas as we cruise to Bulgaria, bringing you to Vidin.
Extend Your Trip! Enjoy our Danube River Cruise: Vienna to Bucharest tour which includes 2 nights in Brasov where you’ll explore the city and enjoy an excursion to Dracula’s Castle.
Did you know you can make this tour private? Find out about pricing and options
for groups of 15 or more travelers.
Itinerary at
a Glance
Tour Itinerary:
- 10-night Danube Cruise to Vienna (Austria), Bratislava (Slovakia), Budapest (Hungary), Vukovar (Croatia), Novi Sad (Serbia), Belgrade (Serbia), Vidin (Bulgaria)
- 1 night in Bucharest
Tour Highlights
- Hofburg Palace (Vienna)
- St. Martin’s Cathedral (Bratislava)
- Matthias Coronation Church (Budapest)
- Gypsy Concert (On Board – Budapest)
- Walking Tour with Concert (Vukovar)
- Petrovaradin Fortress (Novi Sad)
- Kalemegdan Fortress (Belgrade)
- Authentic Serbian Lunch with plum brandy
- Iron Gates Gorge
- Baba Vida Fortress (Vidin)
- Palace of Parliament (Bucharest)
- Optional Dracula’s Castle Extension
Your Tour Includes
- Optional round-trip airfare from the New York area (varies by departure) including taxes, fees & fuel surcharges
- 10-night cruise on the Danube River
- One night in a Bucharest hotel
- Port charges
- 30 meals: 11 buffet breakfasts (B), 9 lunches (L), 10 dinners (D)
- 2 glasses of wine or beer with lunch and dinner
- Comprehensive sightseeing tours, shore excursions, onboard lectures, folklore performances, and concerts
- Free Wi-Fi (where available)
- English-speaking cruise director and tour guides
Max Group Size: 30 travelers
Activity Level: Recreational
Expect most included touring to require walking and standing periods up to 3 hours at a time (up to 2 times per day) on easy terrain with some light stairs. Learn More
Pacing Level: Leisurely
Expect half-day tours most days with a free day in most cities to explore independently. There are few to no early mornings and/or long travel days by bus (don’t worry—there are always comfort stops!), and you may expect to stay in most accommodations for 4+ nights. Learn More
Encounter some uneven surfaces, stairs, steps, and significant slopes on the shore excursions.
For more detailed information about this tour and destination, visit
our Before You Depart section.
Click the Day by Day itinerary above (or swipe on mobile devices) to see the experiences that await on each day of your tour.
Arrive in Vienna, the splendid capital of Austria and the center of the Hapsburg Empire, and continue to our cruise ship for embarkation. This evening, enjoy a welcome cocktail followed by an orientation briefing and reception and then dinner.
Accommodations: MS River Sapphire
Meals: Dinner
Today, experience Vienna's glorious past as you embark on an included panoramic tour taking you along the Ring Boulevard, past Emperor Franz Josef's Hofburg Palace and the State Opera to the Cathedral of St. Stephen's. Afternoon at leisure to explore on your own. Your cruise director can assist in arranging tickets for an optional concert or cultural performance. Set sail late tonight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Welcome to Slovakia! Depart on your morning walking exploration of the lovely city center, past St. Martin's Cathedral and the Primate's Palace. The sightseeing will end with a walk through the Old Town - Michael's Gate, Michael's Tower, Main Square, Old Town Hall and Slovak National Theatre. Return to the ship for lunch. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure. Dinner is back on board and an evening free to waltz the night away!
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Morning at sail. In the afternoon, your motor coach tour of this lovely city will include the most popular sights: The Parliament Building, St. Stefan Cathedral, the Opera, the Square of Heroes, (the Millennium monument) and the town park with the Vajdahunyad Castle, etc. There will be stops at the Square of Heroes, the Fisherman's Bastion and Gellert Hill. The rest of the evening is at leisure. You may consider an optional Hungarian Folklore show followed by nighttime views of the beautiful city bridges as they are illuminated.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Full day at leisure for independent exploration. You may want to join your Cruise Director for a wonderful walking tour of downtown Budapest. Prior to dinner enjoy a short live concert of Hungarian Gypsy music performed in the lounge. This evening set sail.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast this morning, head up to the sun deck to observe the beautiful vistas as you sail into Vukovar, Croatia. This afternoon, after entry formalities, depart for a walking tour. Enjoy some free time to explore the city at your leisure before returning to the ship for dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Welcome to Serbia! When you wake up this morning, you'll say hello to Novi Sad, Serbia's lively university town. You will be delighted with this pedestrian-friendly town as you are led on a walking tour through the town center and the Petrovaradin Fortress, referred to as the "Gibraltar on the Danube." Built in the 18th century on over 116 hectares, the fortress has four levels and more than 16km of underground tunnels. After the tour enjoy free time to explore the many charming streets lined with small shops and inviting outdoor cafes or consider an optional tour to the monastery for wine and a honey tasting. This evening continue sailing towards the "White City," Belgrade, Serbia's vibrant capital.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Witness the "new" Belgrade today as it rebuilds and once again warmly welcomes Western visitors. Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, is located on a hill at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers. This ancient city, dating back to the Roman Empire, was destroyed and rebuilt several times during its tumultuous history. This morning's motorcoach tour of the city highlights includes the Kalemegdan Fortress, the imposing St. Sava Cathedral and the cobblestone bohemian quarter of Skadarlija. For lunch we will venture to a Serbian “salash” (farm), where you will meet an authentic Serbian multi-generation family and enjoy a wonderful taste of Serbian home-made food, unlimited booze, live music, and hospitality. We will return to the ship and after dinner, you'll be entertained by a local folklore ensemble featuring dancers and musicians dressed in colorful costumes.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
This morning, savor the beautiful vistas while learning about the fascinating history of the Balkans. Relax on board and after lunch, enjoy one of the highlights of your voyage: passage through the impressive Iron Gates Gorge and the gigantic Djerdap Lock where the Danube surges down from the Carpathian Mountains. The views along the two-mile-long gorge are spectacular! Arrive in Vidin, Bulgaria in the evening where you will overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
This morning, embark on a walking tour of this delightful Bulgarian river port highlighted by a visit to the 13th-century fortress named "Baba Vida" ("Grandma Vida") the best-preserved medieval fortress in the country. Then enjoy some free time for strolling and shopping or take the optional Belogradchik Rock excursion.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Dock at the Romanian port of Turnu Magurele and journey to nearby Bucharest, the capital of Romania, founded in 1459 by order of Prince Vlad Tepes, the original "Dracula." Over the years, it has gone from times of greatness to periods of grief but especially flourished in the early 20th century when it was known as "Little Paris." The influence of French architecture is still evident throughout, from the Arc de Triomphe to the Enescu Museum and the wide, tree-lined boulevards throughout the city. A panorama tour includes Revolution Square, and the imposing Palace of Parliament, the second largest building in the world. After check in at your hotel, enjoy time at leisure for independent exploration
Accommodations: Novotel Hotel or similar
Meals: Breakfast
Our tour comes to an end after breakfast today. Travelers who purchased our air-inclusive package will board their return flight to the U.S.
Meals: Breakfast
We are working diligently to secure future tour dates and pricing for
this itinerary. Please fill out the "Request a Future Date" form
linked below, and we will notify you once dates are available.
Optional Tours
Customize your trip with these optional tours.
Enhance your trip with our recommended optional tours.
Indicated optional tours are available to pre-book
when you reserve your trip and can be added to your
reservation up to final payment. This is the best option
to guarantee your spot on your preferred optional tour!
Optional tours require a minimum number of participants.
Optional tours are non-refundable unless they do not operate.
Some optional tours can be purchased in-destination and
may cost extra. The payment methods and currency
information to purchase tours in-destination will be
provided on final documentation.
Quite rightfully, Vienna is often called the "Musical Capital of the World". Enjoy a concert in the heart of Vienna at Kursalon Wien, an exclusive and splendid building of the 19th century built in the Italian Renaissance style. In the very place where Johann Strauss used to direct his orchestra from the position of first violin, enjoy the essence of Vienna's classical music! The Salonorchester Alt Wien, one of the best-known interpreters of classical Viennese music, presents an evening full of Viennese charm with waltzes, polkas, arias and duets, as well as operetta and piano concerto melodies. Accompanied by excellent opera vocalists and our enchanting ballet soloists, Vienna's classical music reveals itself as a living firework display for all the senses.
AVAILABLE TO PRE-BOOK!
Join your Cruise Director for a delightful stroll down Vaci Utca, the city's main pedestrian promenade full of shops, cafes, and beautiful people! Your stops will include the Great Market Hall and Gerbeaud, the oldest sweet shop in Budapest which opened in 1858! Your tour ends with a delightful ride aboard an old-fashioned tram back to the docking location.
Payable by cash only on the ship (Euros)
AVAILABLE TO PRE-BOOK!
Travel by motor coach through the Serbian countryside for a visit to Krusedol Monastery, located on the nearby mountain of Fruska Gora where more than 15 Serbian orthodox monasteries were built in medieval times. Well renowned for its fresco paintings dating from the early 16th century, the monastery is also a burial place for legendary personalities throughout Serbian history, such as King Milan Obrenovic and Duchess Ljubica. On the way back, stop in Sremski Karlovci, center of wine production in the region. Here we'll visit the Zivanovic family whose members have been producing their private label "Bermet" wine for over a century and whose products have been enjoyed by members of the Habsburg Monarchy as well as the Russian Tsars! Our hosts will welcome us to their large garden, including a wine cellar, and the "Museum of Honey". In this lovely ambiance we'll enjoy several varieties of wine including "Bermet", accompanied by their own organic honey!
AVAILABLE TO PRE-BOOK!
Take the tour to the most famous natural phenomena in the region, Belogradchik Rocks. This rocky fairy-tale is spread from west to east and it is 30km long and 3km wide. The most attractive rocks are around the town and named as The Madonna, The Monks, The Rider, The Dervish, The Bear, Adam and Eve, The Castle, The Little Shepherd, The Mushrooms, The Lion and many others. The Belogradchik fortress is situated at an altitude of 610 m above sea level. Experience the memorable view from the top of the fortress.
Important Note: This tour is only recommended for active walkers, as it requires going up steps and slopes for a full experience.
AVAILABLE TO PRE-BOOK!
Featured Accommodations
Refurbished in 2020, this 164-passenger premium vessel offers a casual and friendly ambiance. While onboard, enjoy the restaurant, panorama lounge, sun deck, and fitness room. The onboard currency is the Euro and Visa and Mastercard are also accepted.
View Cabins and Deck Plans
Calea Victoriei 37B Sector 1
010061, Bucharest, Romania
Website
Patti C
My husband and I were recently on A Danube Discovery Cruise. Our tour Director was Dusan Kuljic. When the unimaginable happened, and my husband became ill and needed emergency surgery in Novi Sad Serbia, Dusan jumped in and stayed by our sides throughout the ordeal. Once he'd found me a place to stay, he returned to his ship but never gave up contact with us, calling frequently to see if we needed anything. When the cruise ended and we were still in Novi Sad, Dusan returned to Belgrade, came to pick us up and move us to Belgrade where we could get a flight home. This man was truly our angel and turned what could have been a real nightmare into an opportunity to develop friendships, sight see, and rest as needed. He is one in a million and thoughts of him will always be at the top of our best memories of this trip.
Virginia W
We thought the trip was excellent. The river boat was good and the people on the boat were VERY gracious. I loved the size of the river boat. Our TD, Dusan J, was excellent. Would have loved for him to stay with us the whole trip. He left after the cruise and we had another one for mountain portion of the trip. He was OK but I can't remember his name. He was very knowledgeable about the area. It would be better if you kept same one for all of the trip. I will take another river cruise with smarTours.
Prakash P
Everything was great.We had wonderful time.Tour guides,staff,crew and food was excellent.Also the group was the best ever.This was our seventh tour with smarTours.
TOM a
This vacation was one of the best we have had. Everything, including the ship, all accommodations (ship and land), tours and tour guides, cuisine was very well prepared and excellent. The personnel (ship and land) did everything possible to make everyone happy and satisfied.
Hersh R
We are now on our way home from this wonderful Danube River cruise. I would like to sum up our experience on the Little Prince as outstanding. This trip turned out to far exceed our expectations. The crew and cruise director (Duschan) were terrific. Dining room staff and food quality was excellent. Kitchen staff and our waiter Liviu went out of their way to accommodate the kosher requirements of our table. Tour guides in most locations were very knowledgeable and spoke good english.
Our only criticism was the air conditioning in the cabin and dining room.
The cabin was very hot and humid and nothing could be done by the staff.
We will highly recommend SmarTours to our friends.
Karen Y
Great itinerary. Included excursions were OK but did not really cover a lot of things we wanted to see. Seemed like we viewed a lot of the places from the bus or a walk by but did not go into many places. Boat was older and seemed like a camping trip with the bath being very small and single beds hard. Difficult to regulate the temperature in the room too. Food was good and the staff on the boat was great, very accommodating to food allergies. Hotel in Bucharest was very nice.
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