Danube Cruise with Prague

Spend 3 Nights in Prague and Cruise From Nuremberg to Budapest 

Legendary Danube -  2010-2011

ITINERARY 2010: DAY 1, ARRIVE IN PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC Arrive in Prague and  optional transfer to your hotel. The balance of the day is free to start exploring this beautiful city. DAY 2, PRAGUE Your morning's sightseeing tour reveals why Prague is considered one of Europe's most attractive cities. Visit the 1,000-year-old Hradcany Castle courtyard, St. Vitus and then walk over the Charles Bridge to the Old Market Square. This afternoon, participate in an optional tour to Terezin, the infamous Nazi WWII concentration camp, now a memorial to those who perished. The evening is free to mingle with the locals at Wenceslas Square, shop for souvenirs or enjoy one of the many charming cafés or restaurants in Prague. (B) DAY 3, PRAGUE Spend a day at your leisure to relax and stroll through a museum or gallery, wander along the banks of the Vlatava River, relax at an outdoor restaurant or shop for local handicrafts and art work. (B) DAY 4, PRAGUE - CARLSBAD (KARLOVY VARY) – NUREMBERG, GERMANY Depart from Prague after breakfast. Enjoy a short stop in Karlovy Vary, better known by its German name, Carlsbad, which is famous for its Bohemian spas. After lunch, drive through the pastoral countryside to Nuremberg, the capital of Franconia. Tonight, join fellow passengers for a Gala Welcome Dinner. The ship will moor overnight in Nuremberg. (B,D) DAY 5, NUREMBERG - CROSSING THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE - DIETFURT Enjoy a guided morning tour of this historic city with its fabulous Gothic churches and elegantly impressive walls. See the storybook 900-year-old ramparts that surround the city, the Imperial Castle and the Justice Palace where the War Crimes Tribunal sat in 1946. At lunchtime, rejoin the ship further along the Main-Danube Canal and continue to the highest point of your cruise - 1,332 feet above sea level before descending through stair-step locks to the charming Bavarian town of Dietfurt. (B,L,D) DAY 6, REGENSBURG This morning’s scenic cruising takes you through the final stretch of the Main-Danube Canal to arrive in magnificent Regensburg, one of Germany's best preserved medieval cities. A guided tour will show you the city's architectural highlights, including the Old Town Hall and the Porta Pretoria - gates to a Roman fort which was built in 179 AD. Marvel at beautiful churches and one of the oldest bridges crossing the Danube. The rest of the afternoon is free for exploring, or to join the optional excursion to beautiful Weltenburg Abbey in the Danube Gorge. In the evening enjoy a musical performance onboard. (B,L,D) DAY 7, PASSAU - LINZ, AUSTRIA After breakfast, arrive in picturesque Passau, where the Inn and Ilz Rivers join the Danube. Your city tour takes you on an exploration of this fairytale city founded more than 2,000 years ago. Or, substitute the city tour with the optional excursion to Salzburg, birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the location of the Sound of Music. During your walking tour see Mozart’s childhood home. For those staying onboard, enjoy a scenic cruise from Passau into Austria and on to Linz. After dinner, take a walk through this delightful town, Austria's third largest city and a major river port. (B,L,D) DAY 8, MELK - VIENNA Cruise through the narrow Strudengau and reach the Wachau Valley early this morning. Your guided tour takes you to Melk's magnificent Benedictine Abbey. Return to the ship for lunch as you cruise the romantic Wachau Valley. Arrive in Vienna, the "City of Music" before dinner. Explore the magnificent Austrian capital on your own, or participate in the optional Mozart and Strauss concert. (B,L,D) DAY 9, VIENNA See the Imperial Hofburg Palace, the Vienna Opera House, Ringstrasse, and awe-inspiring St. Stephen's Cathedral and visit the National Library on your guided tour. Then, enjoy a free afternoon to shop, explore or visit one of the cities many museums or palaces. Enjoy dinner as you continue your journey past Slovakia and cruise overnight to Budapest, Hungary's vibrant capital. (B,L,D) DAY 10, BUDAPEST, HUNGARY Your morning is at your leisure for shopping or sightseeing. After lunch, your guided city tour includes Buda and Pest. From historic Buda Castle you will enjoy a splendid view of the twin cities spread over both banks of the River. Your tour also features the distinctive Fisherman's Bastion, the marvelous Royal Palace, St. Stephen's Basilica, and much more. Say farewell to your newfound friends at tonight’s Gala Farewell Dinner. (B,L,D) DAY 11, DEPART BUDAPEST Your fascinating cruise comes to an end. Optional transfer. (B) Day Destination Activities 1 Prague   Arrival , check in 2 Prague   City tour 3 Prague   Optional tours available 4 Prague   Motorcoach to Karlovy Vary   Karlovy Vary   Free time   Nuremberg   EMBARKATION , Welcome cocktails and dinner 5 Nuremberg   City tour       Cruise Main-Danube Canal       Lecture on Canal project   Hilpoltstein   Cross the Continental Divide       Evening Bavarian folklore 6 Regensburg   City tour       Evening music performance 7 Passau   City walk   Salzburg   Optional Salzburg excursion   Linz   Free evening 8 Melk   Benedictine Abbey tour       Wachau Valley cruise   Vienna   Optional evening concert 9 Vienna   City tour 10 Budapest   City tour       Farewell Dinner       Gypsy Music 11 Budapest   DISEMBARKATION