Saturday, October 14

Day 1: Vilshofen, Germany

The journey begins when you arrive in Munich, Germany, and embark on your luxurious river cruise ship in Vilshofen.

Oktoberfest celebration and dinner onboard the ship.

Sunday, October 15

Day 2: Passau, Germany

Depart Vilshofen @ 12:00 pm / Arrive Passau @ 3:00 pm / Depart Passau @ 7:00 pm

Activities:

• “City of Three Rivers” walking tour | 3:00-5:00 pm 
• Passau bike tour | 3:15-5:45 pm 
• Passau Castle hike | 3:00-5:00 pm 

Explore Vilshofen’s beautiful old town before cruising to Passau, known as the “City of Three Rivers.” Join a walking tour or if you prefer to be more active, hike high into the hills for a visit to the “Veste Oberhaus,” Passau’s Castle Hill; or go on a River Inn bike tour.

*Bike tour: Recommended for those who have been on a bike within the past couple of years. Additional bikes will be available during free time before/after tours, time permitting. First come first serve due to limited availability.

Monday, October 16

Day 3: Linz, Austria

Linz, Austria Arrive Linz @ 3:30 am / Overnight in Linz

Activities:

• Full­ day Salzburg excursion: Sound of Music bus and walking tour | 9:00 am – 5:30 pm
• Český Krumlov excursion bus and walking tour  | 9:00 am – 5:30 pm
• “Unesco City of Media Arts” walking tour  | 9:30 am – 10:45 am
• “Cultural Mile” bike tour | 9:30 am – 11:00 am
  

The ship arrives in Linz where you’ll have several choices of excursions. For those who love The Sound of Music, enjoy a full-day excursion to Salzburg and tour the historic center, Mirabell Gardens, Residenz Square and the Old Market. En route to Salzburg, stop at Mondsee, home of the Basilica St. Michael, where the famous wedding scene in the movie was filmed. You may also choose to join a full-day excursion to the charming Czech mountain town of Český Krumlov, where you can stroll its cobblestone streets; marvel at the city’s picturesque Baroque and Renaissance-style buildings; and tour Krumlov Castle, one of Europe’s largest castle complexes. Following these full-day excursions, you may also choose to take a brief walking tour in Linz. Alternatively, join a walking tour through the old city center of Linz and by the Mozart House; or bike along the city’s famed “Cultural Mile” and the Danube.

*Bike tour: Recommended for those who have been on a bike within the past couple of years. Additional bikes will be available during free time before/after tours, time permitting. First come first serve due to limited availability.

Tuesday, October 17

Day 4: Weissenkirchen, Austria

Scenic cruising through Strudengau and UNESCO Wachau Valley and then arrive in Weissenkirchen, Austria.

Depart Linz @ 3:00 am / Arrive Weissenkirchen @ 1:00 pm / Depart Weissenkirchen @ 11:59 pm

Activities:

• Durnstein Walking Tour and Melk Benedictine Abbey | 2:00 pm – 6:30 pm
• Wachau Valley bike tour | 2:15 pm – 5:15 pm
• Dürnstein Apricots and sweets tasting | 2:45 pm – 5:30 pm
• Dürnstein Fortress hike | 2:45 pm – 5:30 pm

Cruise through the Strudengau and Wachau valleys to Weissenkirchen, the gateway to Dürnstein. Once here, you can choose to join a walking tour in Dürnstein along its cobblestone streets to the Baroque Stiftskirche, and then visit Melk’s magnificent Benedictine Abbey. For the more active adventurer, you can opt to hike up to the fortress where Richard the Lionheart was once held or take a bike ride along the Danube through the Wachau Valley. As an alternative excursion, visit a local apricot grower, where you’ll enjoy the region’s finest apricot treats. Later in the evening, enjoy a special wine tasting of locally grown, world-renowned Riesling and Grüner Veltliner in Weissenkirchen.

*Bike tour: Recommended for those who have been on a bike within the past couple of years. Additional bikes will be available during free time before/after tours, time permitting. First come first serve due to limited availability.

Wednesday, October 18

Day 5: Vienna, Austria

Arrive in Vienna @ 8:00 am / Overnight in Vienna

Activities:

• Imperial Vienna tour | 9:00 am – 12:15 pm
• Vienna bike tour | 9:15 am – 12:15 pm

The “City of Waltzes” offers a treasure trove of gems and your city tour showcases them, including the majestic Opera House and the former Imperial Palace. Your tour concludes in the historic city center with a visit to St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Or if you prefer a more active tour, take a guided bike ride through Vienna. During the afternoon, enjoy leisure time to further explore this iconic city.

*Bike tour: Recommended for those who have been on a bike within the past couple of years. Additional bikes will be available during free time before/after tours, time permitting. First come first serve due to limited availability.

Thursday, October 19

Day 6: Bratislava, Slovakia

Depart Vienna @ 7:30 am / Arrive Bratislava @ 1:00 pm / Depart Bratislava @ 9:30 pm

Activities:

• Coronation City Walking Tour | 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
• Tastes of Slovakia | 1:30 pm – 3:15 pm
• Bratislava Castle Hike | 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm 

Host to the crowning ceremonies of 11 Hungarian kings and queens between 1536 and 1830, Bratislava certainly has earned the title “Coronation City of Kings,” as you’ll discover during your walking tour. Or join a special “Tastes of Slovakia” tour. For a more active adventure, hike up to Bratislava Castle, offering magnificent views of the city.

*Bike tour: Recommended for those who have been on a bike within the past couple of years. Additional bikes will be available during free time before/after tours, time permitting. First come first serve due to limited availability.

Friday, October 20

Day 7: Budapest, Hungary

Arrive Budapest @ 9:30 am / Move from Rakpart to Garam at 4:30 pm / Arrive Garam @ 6:00 pm

Activities:

• Queen of the Danube tour | 9:30 am – 1:30 pm
• Castle Hill Hike | 9:30 am – 1:30 pm

Your city tour begins at Budapest’s Great Market Hall, where you’ll discover plenty of delicious food and shopping. Afterward, you’ll visit both the Buda (hilly) and Pest (flat) sides of the Danube River. You’ll see the 19th-century Chain Bridge, which connects the Buda district with Pest; and the UNESCO-designated Castle Hill district, which contains some of Budapest’s most important medieval monuments and museums. As an alternative choice, you can hike up to Castle Hill for breathtaking views of the city below.

*Bike tour: Recommended for those who have been on a bike within the past couple of years. Additional bikes will be available during free time before/after tours, time permitting. First come first serve due to limited availability.

Saturday, October 21

Day 8: Budapest, Hungary

Bid farewell to Hungary as you disembark and prepare for your flight home