Compare Active & Discovery on the Danube from Serbia to Romania by Avalon Waterways vs Along the Danube, the Balkan peninsula and Budapest by CroisiEurope
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| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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4.5 | Great
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| Duration | 8 days | 9 days |
| Price From | $ 3,598 | $ 3,167 |
| Price Per Day | $ 450 | $ 352 |
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CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS
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| Trip Style | River cruise | River cruise |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Premium |
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| Flights & Transport | No | Internal airfare and ground transport included |
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| Meals Included | N/A | N/A |
| Description | Every great story answers the five “Ws” – the who, what, when, where, and why. An Avalon Active & Discovery cruise puts the emphasis on the how. By offering the most diverse selection of interactive experiences along the Lower Danube – from lively biking and hiking tours to lovely food and wine encounters, an Active & Discovery cruise from Serbia to Romania lets you choose how to immerse yourself in the history, heritage, and hospitality of this captivating region. Formidable medieval fortresses, bustling town squares, lush national parks, and mysterious archeological sites are amplified with our extensive menu of Classic, Discovery, and Active excursions throughout Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania. The beauty of the Balkans meets the beauty of choice on an Active & Discovery cruise.Move.Enjoy a little get-up-and-go on your cruising vacation when you:•Trek up to Ivanovo Rock Church and marvel at the monolithic chapels and monasteries built inside the mountains.•Hike through the extraordinary natural beauty of Djerdap National Park followed by a tasting of local specialties•Pedal from WWII to today on a historic bicycling tour through the waterfront capital of Belgrade. And be moved.Get off the beaten path and relish the world when you:•Marvel at the views of the Danube Gorge from Lepenski Vir—a Mesolithic archaeological site chronicling prehistoric cultures, settlements, and art. •Witness the ancient stone houses clinging to the cliffs above the Yantra River in the former Bulgarian capital of Veliko Târnovo. •In Vidin, taste various labels produced by a local well-known winery, all accompanied by local snacks and symphonic music. Plus, Classic sightseeing is always available in every port along the way.Activate your senses and discover a world of wonder in all-new, entirely “you” ways on your personal, passion-packed cruise on the Danube from Croatia to Romania. |
From Romania to Hungary via Serbia, you'll be surprised and delighted by this cruise that will take you to the heart of Eastern Europe. You will discover cities with remarkable landscapes and elegant architecture such as Novi Sad, the capital of the province of Vojvodina regarded as the "Serbian Athens", whose cultural and artistic backgrounds will surprise you. Do not miss out on Ruse, one of the largest ports in Bulgaria and a true melting pot of Bulgarian and Romanian cultures. |
Day 1: BELGRADE, SERBIA (EMBARKATION)
Welcome to Serbia! Your Balkan Adventure Begins
Flights into Belgrade must arrive by 3:30 pm. Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.
Explore your Avalon Suite Ship® this evening and enjoy a dinner on board.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN BELGRADE(Breakfast,Dinner)
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Day 2: BELGRADE
Fortresses and Folklore
Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.
ACTIVE Get a real taste of Serbia on this guided bike tour focusing on the history of Belgrade, from WWII to today, OR:DISCOVERY Go way beyond the ordinary, and get to know Belgrade through its remarkable people and innovative minds. .OR:CLASSIC Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour of Belgrade—where the Danube and Sava Rivers converge—and see the city’s many fascinating sights, including Saint Sava, one of the world’s largest Orthodox churches. Spend free time in Belgrade exploring Knez Mihailova Street—Belgrade’s central pedestrian thoroughfare with many lively cafés, shops, and cultural spots. You might consider partaking one of the Optional Excursion available.
DISCOVERY Before dinner, attend an onboard Lecture to learn about the rich history, destinations, and culture of the Balkan states. This evening, you might like to join an Optional Excursion for an authentic Bohemian Dinner in the Quarter of Skadarlija.
OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO GOLUBAČ(Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)
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Day 3: GOLUBAČ—DONJI MILANOVAC. EXCURSION TO LEPENSKI VIR—IRON GATES GORGE
A Formidable Fortress
CLASSIC Visit the Fortress of Golubač, one of the best-preserved medieval fortresses in Europe. . You’ll hear about its tumultuous history as a border control defense in the Middle Ages, and a source of conflict between Serbia, the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire. Enjoy a brief sailing to Donji Milanovac.
DONJI MILANOVAC Prehistoric Stones and Iron Gates Gorge
ACTIVE Enjoy this scenic hike through Djerdap National Park and stop along the way to taste some local specialties before returning to your Avalon ship, OR:DISCOVERY Join a Guided Tour to Lepenski Vir—an important Mesolithic archaeological site chronicling prehistoric cultures, settlements, and art. Marvel at the ancient discoveries and artifacts, as well as the unique views the site affords of the Danube Gorge, OR:CLASSIC Join a guided tour of Donji Milanovac and learn the basic of the Cyrillic Serbian alphabet inside the local primary school. Meet locals and get to know the art of crocheting while learning about the history of this little Serbian town. Sail through the spectacular and narrow Iron Gates Gorge—a natural border between Serbia and Romania.
AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO VIDIN(Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)
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Day 4: VIDIN, BULGARIA
Rocks, Ruins and Beauty in Bulgaria
Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.
ACTIVE Enjoy a panoramic trek on the rocky landscape of Belogradchik .OR:DISCOVERY Get to learn everything about the production technologies of the Bulgarian wines and enjoy a tasting of the various labels produced by a local well-known winery. All accompanied by local snacks and symphonic music. OR:CLASSIC Join Guided Sightseeing in Vidin, visit to Baba Vida Fortress, Bulgaria’s only completely preserved medieval castle.AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO ROUSSE(Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)
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Day 5: ROUSSE. VELIKO TÂRNOVO & ARBANASSI EXCURSION
Cliff Houses and Revival Architecture
ACTIVE Join your expert local guide on this spectacular hike to Ivanovo Rock Church. Marvel at the monolithic churches, chapels and monasteries built inside the mountains will surprise you with their fascinating and unique style. OR:DISCOVERY Join a full-day Guided Tour to the former Bulgarian capital of Veliko Târnovo—with its ancient stone houses clinging to the cliffs above the Yantra River. Discover one of the oldest towns in Bulgaria (circa 4300 BC), as well as the Bulgarian Revival architecture in the 15th-century town of Arbanassi, OR:CLASSIC Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour of Bulgaria’s largest inland port and visit its impressive Holy Trinity Church. EVENING/ OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO CERNAVODA(Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)
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Day 6: CERNAVODA, ROMANIA. EXCURSION TO CONSTANTA
Natural History at Black Sea
Visit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.
Enjoy a leisurely sailing morning.
ACTIVE Explore the extraordinary natural beauty of Fantanita Nature Reserve with a hike and wine tasting at nearby Murfatlar vineyards, OR:DISCOVERY Enjoy a visit to a local winery to learn about traditional Romanian wines with a tasting, OR:CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour to Constanta, the most important commercial center in Romania, situated on the Black Sea. Visit the Natural History and Archeological Museum to discover the fascinating history of early Romanian cultures. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO OLTENITA(Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)
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Day 7: OLTENITA (DISEMBARKATION)–BUCHAREST
A Night in Bucharest—the “Paris of the East”
Disembark your ship this morning and travel to Bucharest.
ACTIVE Pedal your way through some of the most picturesque parks and spacious boulevards of Bucharest on this guided bike tour of the Romanian capital’s northern district, OR:DISCOVERY Discover the joie de vivre of Romanian cuisine -- a tasty hodge-podge of Balkan, Ottoman, French, and Russian influences. OR:CLASSIC Take a Guided Tour of the Romanian capital city of Bucharest with its tree-lined boulevards and Arc de Triomphe—honoring WWI Romanian soldiers. See the Royal Palace Square—the scene of the city’s 1989 riots to overthrow the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. Spend some free time exploring this fascinating city on your own to discover its trendy shops, cafés, museums, beautiful homes, and churches along Victory Avenue. Alternatively, enjoy one of the Optional Excursions on offer.
(Breakfast)
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Day 8: BUCHAREST
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.
(Breakfast)
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Day 1 OLTENITA (Romania)
Passengers are welcome to board our ship in Oltenita. After comfortably settling into your cabins, we'll introduce our crew at a welcome cocktail. Diner. Our ship will sail towards Cernavoda through the night.
Day 2 CERNAVODA - Danube-Black Sea Canal - CONSTANTA (Romania)
We’ll spend the morning cruising on the Danube-Black Sea Canal. The completion of the Danube-Black Sea Canal is a colossal work in the history of Communism in Romania and Eastern Europe. Arrival in the late morning in Constanta. Excursion for both packages: guided tour of Constanta and local wine tasting. Our ship will cruise through the night to Cernavoda.
Day 2 CERNAVODA - Danube-Black Sea Canal - CONSTANTA (Romania)
We’ll spend the morning cruising on the Danube-Black Sea Canal. The completion of the Danube-Black Sea Canal is a colossal work in the history of Communism in Romania and Eastern Europe. Arrival in the late morning in Constanta. Excursion for both packages: guided tour of Constanta and local wine tasting. Our ship will cruise through the night to Cernavoda.
Day 3 CERNAVODA - OLTENITA - Bucharest - RUSE (Bulgaria)
We'll spend the morning sailing.In the afternoon, join us on an optional excursion for both packages: Bucharest.We'll return on board in Ruse.
Day 4 RUSE (Bulgaria)
Join us on an excursion for both packages: Full-day excursion to Veliko Tarnovo and Arbanassi, including lunch at a restaurant. We'll return on board in Ruse. Enjoy dinner and an evening of traditional folk entertainment on board.
Day 5 RUSE
Join us on an excursion for both packages: Tour of Ruse, a very attractive town thanks to the wide avenues, large squares and wonderful buildings which pay tribute to the national Renaissance architecture. The afternoon will be spent cruising.
Day 6 The Iron Gates
The entire day will be spent cruising on the Danube. Our ship will pass through the Iron Gates, the gorge on the Danube that forms part of the boundary between Serbia and Romania. It was called "The Cauldrons” by ancient sailors, since the water, held tightly between two steep cliffs, seemed to be boiling.
Day 7 BELGRADE - NOVI SAD (Serbia)
Join us for the excursions proposed: CLASSIC: Guided tour of Belgrade whose rich cultural heritage will surprise you. DISCOVERY: Discover Belgrade by bike. You'll cycle along the history-filled streets with your guide who will explain the city's recent past from World War II to current times. In the afternoon, join us on an optional excursion for both packages: Discover the multi-ethnic city of Novi Sad, the industrial and financial center of the Serbian economy and a major cultural center, and the Krusedol Monastery. We'll return on board in Novi Sad and keep cruising towards Osijek.
Day 8 OSIJEK - MOHACS (Hungary)
Join us for the excursions proposed: CLASSIC: Guided tour of Osijek. DISCOVERY: Discover Osijek by bike. The old part of the town, Tvr?a, was built at the beginning of the 18th century and is a dream to cycle through. It is the best-preserved, largest ensemble of Baroque buildings in Croatia. We'll spend the afternoon cruising towards Mohacs and through customs before sailing on to Budapest. Tonight's our gala dinner and evening. Our ship will cruise through the night.
Day 9 BUDAPEST (Hungary)
Enjoy one last buffet breakfast on board before disembarking at 9:00 a.m. End of our services.
