The Grand Danube Explorer

You may cancel your hotel break at any time, but if you do so you will have to pay us cancellation charges based on a scale. These charges are to compensate us for the risk of not being able to re-sell your accommodation. When you cancel you must inform us or your travel agent in writing and your cancellation only takes effect from the date we or your travel agent receive your notice in writing, signed by the person who made the booking, together with any travel tickets or vouchers we may already have sent you. Please note that if only part of a booking is cancelled this may mean that the accommodation booked will be under occupied and may result in the remaining guests having to pay any applicable supplements, e.g. changing a twin room to a single.

One of the most magnificent cities in the world, Budapest is filled with incredible sights and sounds. Join us as we take a city tour to learn more about this wonderful capital of Hungary, with its stunning architecture, historical attractions and marvellous culture. 

Admire sights such as the Hungarian Parliament building and Liberty Square, with its mixture of art nouveau and historicist architecture. There’s also the House of Terror Museum, the beautiful St Stephen's Basilica and the neo-Gothic Fisherman's Bastion.

Join us for an amazing tour of Vienna, allowing us to discover this splendid city for ourselves. Our coach tour will begin as we travel past Vienna’s large park, the Prater, admiring views of the famous Ferris wheel and then on to the State Opera House, also seeing the Fine Arts and History Museum.

We will also see the stunning Hofburg Palace during our city tour, along with the Parliament building, the Town Hall and the Burg Theatre. Making our way to St. Stephen's Cathedral in the city centre, we will disembark our coach and enjoy a walking tour of Vienna. We will stroll along the Graben, one of Vienna’s most famous streets, and will pass by the Spanish Riding School and Albertina Museum.

After our walking tour, we return to our coach and begin our return journey, taking in the famous buildings by painter and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser, stopping to admire the unique Hundertwasserhaus.

CLASSICAL SALZBURG

Join us on our excursion to explore the elegant city of music and the birthplace of Mozart. On our guided walking tour we see the Cathedral, St Peter’s Abbey, Mozart Square, the glorious Mirabell Gardens and the imposing Hohensalzburg Fortress. 

Admire Nonnberg Convent and the famous Getreidegasse - a busy shopping street in the Old Town section of Salzburg. The house at no. 9 Getreidegasse is the place where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born and where he lived until the age of 17. Following our guided tour, we enjoy some free time to explore this wonderful city before heading back to the ship in time for dinner.

Linz was the Capital of Culture in 2009 and is the third largest city in Austria and is often referred to as the gateway to the Danube. The city has a rich culture with its historic buildings, museums and many exhibitions and festivals. 

During our guiding walking tour we head to the Altstadt (Old Town), we see the Old Town Hall, which is still the seat of the Mayor and the city council, the Main Square (Hauptplatz) - which dates back to the 13th century and is one of the largest squares in Europe. On the Main Square is one of Linz’s most famous landmarks - Trinity Column, the column is 20 metres high and made of white marble and erected in respect of those who had survived a variety of disasters. It is said that the column will protect the citizens of Linz from war, fire and plague. We also see and the Old Cathedral constructed between 1669 and 1683, the famous Landhaus, a magnificent renaissance building from the 16th century, the Cathedral of St Mary – known locally as the New Cathedral. So join us as we explore this fascinating city.

Stift Melk (Melk Abbey) is a Baroque-era masterpiece, located above the town of Melk on a rocky outcrop overlooking the river Danube. Part palace, part monastery and part opera set, Melk is a magnificent vision thanks greatly to its upward-reaching twin towers. Capped with baroque helmets and cradling a 208-foot-high dome, this abbey is a true Baroque masterpiece.

Our tour of the abbey includes the Imperial rooms, Marble Hall, and the balcony, which offers fine views of the river. It’s likely that Napoleon probably used this room as a lookout when his headquarters were based in Melk for his campaign against Austria. 

We also see the magnificent library, with more than 100,000 books, nearly 2,000 manuscripts, and a superb ceiling fresco by the master Paul Troger; the Marmorsaal, whose windows on both sides enhance the ceiling frescoes; and the glorious Stiftskirche (abbey church) of Saints Peter and Paul, an exquisite example of the Baroque style.

Following the tour you can enjoy some free time to wander around the abbey’s park with its impressive Baroque garden, the recently restored northern bastion. Or you may just wish to sit and relax in the abbey’s restaurant with a coffee and admire the beautiful views.

Vienna is undoubtedly Europe’s musical capital, and this excursion will give us the opportunity to enjoy the music of two of Austria’s favourite sons. Sit back and relax as we listen to the music of Johann Strauss, the Waltz King, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the infant prodigy.  We make the short journey by coach to the concert hall for an evening full of Viennese charm, with the lilting sound of 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 taking us back to the days of old Vienna for a truly unforgettable evening.

During our time in Vienna, we’ll be able to spend time at the exquisite Schonbrunn Palace. The palace has been completed in a rococo style and features expansive gardens. During our visit, we’ll spend time admiring this elegant palace, which has been the seat of many Austrian monarchs.

WONDERFUL WACHAU VALLEY  Join us as we explore the spectacular Wachau Valley, located midway between the towns of Melk and Krems. The Valley was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2000, as recognition of its architectural and agricultural history.  During our tour we visit the historical centre of Krems, one of the most beautiful in Europe, and famous for its ancient squares, old monasteries, churches and impressive town houses.  We also visit the charming town of Durnstein, situated in the heart of the valley; here we enjoy breath-taking scenery, traditional architecture, and places of historical interest, including Kuenringer Castle. It was here that English King Richard the Lionheart was once held prisoner.  We then head to the picturesque town of Spitz, with its cobbled streets amidst vineyards, offering spectacular views, before calling at the wine-producing village of Weissenkirchen.