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BUDAPEST - PRAGUE 2009
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Day
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Destination
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Activities |
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1
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Overnight flight to Hungary |
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2
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Budapest |
Transfer to hotel |
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3 |
Budapest |
City tour |
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4
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Budapest
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EMBARKATION |
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Welcome Cocktails |
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Welcome Dinner |
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5
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Bratislava |
City tour |
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Evening music performance |
| 6
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Vienna
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City tour |
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Optional evening concert |
| 7
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Dürnstein
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Walking tour |
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Melk |
Benedictine Abbey tour |
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Wine tasting followed by |
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Captain’s Dinner |
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8 |
Linz |
Optional Salzburg excursion |
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Passau
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Walking tour |
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Bavarian folklore evening |
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9
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Regensburg
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Walking tour |
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Evening music performance |
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10
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Hilpoltstein
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Crossing Continental Divide |
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Nuremberg |
City tour |
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11
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Nuremberg
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DISEMBARKATION |
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Karlovy Vary
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Free time |
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Prague
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Motorcoach to Prague |
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12
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Prague
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City tour |
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13
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Prague
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Optional tours available |
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14
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Prague |
Airport transfer |
Nautical schedules are subject to water levels,
cruising conditions & subject to change without
notice
Day
1 DEPART USA
Board your overnight flight to Budapest.
Day 2 ARRIVE IN BUDAPEST, HUNGARY.
Arrive in Budapest and transfer to your hotel. The
remainder of the day is free to relax or begin
exploring this beautiful city.
Day 3 BUDAPEST
Morning sightseeing includes historic Buda Castle,
where you have a splendid view of the twin cities of
Buda and Pest spread over both banks of the river.
Your tour also features 500-year-old Matthias
Church, St. Stephen's Basilica, distinctive
Fisherman's Bastion, the marvelous Royal Palace and
much more. The balance of the day is at your
leisure. Perhaps explore the main square or ancient
Buda. (B)
Day 4 BUDAPEST - EMBARK SHIP
Enjoy a free morning in Budapest or join us on an
optional Puszta excursion. This afternoon, transfer
to your luxurious river cruise ship docked in the
center of the city. Tonight, gather on board for a
Gala Welcome Dinner, as your ship cruises overnight
to Bratislava. (B,D)
Day 5 BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA
A guided morning tour of Bratislava reveals the
city's major sights, including the Old Town Hall,
the stunning Mirbach Palace and the Gothic St.
Martin's Cathedral. The afternoon is free to shop or
explore on your own. Perhaps, visit the 13th century
Bratislava Castle where you'll enjoy breathtaking
views overlooking three countries - Slovakia,
Austria and Hungary. An eventful day is followed by
an evening filled with an enchanting music
performance on board. After midnight the ship
departs for Vienna. (B,L,D)
Day 6 VIENNA, AUSTRIA
A wonderful day to savor the baroque romance of
Vienna. On your guided sightseeing tour, you will
see the lavish Hofburg Palace, the impressive Vienna
Opera House, the majestic Ringstrasse, awe-inspiring
St. Stephen's Cathedral and also visit the National
Library. The afternoon is free to stroll along
Kärntnerstrasse or sample Vienna's famous pastries.
Tonight, explore the vibrant Austrian capital on
your own, or come along for an optional Mozart and
Strauss concert (B,L,D)
Day 7 DÜRNSTEIN - MELK
Early this morning reach the Wachau Valley. Stop in
Dürnstein and marvel at the magnificent blue façade
of the baroque Stiftskirche. Above town you will
spot the ruins of the castle where Richard the
Lionheart, King of England, was imprisoned in 1192.
Your walking tour through medieval cobblestone
streets reveals 16th-century town houses and wine
taverns. At lunchtime, continue on a short cruise to
Melk. A guided tour takes you to the town's
magnificent Benedictine Abbey, one of Europe's
largest baroque monasteries. An evening wine tasting
highlights your visit to the Wachau Valley. (B,L,D).
Day 8 LINZ - PASSAU, GERMANY
After breakfast, take an optional full-day excursion
to fascinating Salzburg and the Sound of Music
sights, or cruise through Upper Austria to Passau in
Germany. In Passau the rivers Inn and Ilz join the
Danube. During your walking tour, gaze at this
fairy-tale city founded more than 2,000 ago. (B,L,D)
Day 9 REGENSBURG
Afternoon arrival in 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
- a gateway to an ancient Roman fort built in 179
AD. Marvel at beautiful churches and one of the
oldest bridges crossing the Danube. Tonight,
folklore entertainers will come on board for your
delight. (B,L,D)
Day 10 NUREMBERG
This morning enter the Main-Danube Canal and relax
during a leisurely cruise through the beautiful
Altmühl Valley. The Main-Danube Canal straddles the
Franconian Alps via 16 locks, truly a fascinating
feat of modern engineering. In the afternoon, you
decide as you enjoy a guided tour of Nuremberg,
capital of Franconia. Either choose the Medieval
history of Nuremberg and see the storybook 900-year
old ramparts that surround this historic city and
the Imperial Castle, or join the tour centered on
the modern role the city played in the 20th century
and see the Zeppelin field and the Justice Palace
where the War Crimes Tribunal sat in 1946. Moor
overnight in Nuremberg. (B,L,D)
Day 11 NUREMBERG - Karlovy Vary, CZECH REPUBLIC -
PRAGUE
This morning, depart Nuremberg after breakfast and
drive through the pastoral countryside to Karlovy
Vary, better known by its German name, Carlsbad, and
most famous for its Bohemian spa. After lunch,
continue to Prague and check into the hotel. (B)
Day 12 PRAGUE
This morning's sightseeing reveals why Prague is
considered one of Europe's most attractive cities.
Visit the 1,000 year-old Hradcany Castle courtyard
and St. Vitus, then walk over the Charles Bridge to
the Old Market Square. The evening is free to mix
with the locals at Wenceslas Square, shop for
souvenirs or enjoy one of the charming cafés or
restaurants. (B)
Day 13 PRAGUE
Today is a free day to relax or visit a museum or a
gallery, wander along the banks of the Vlatava
River, dine at an outdoor restaurant or shop for
local handicrafts and art work. Why not join the
optional tour to Terezin, the infamous Nazi WWII
concentration camp, now a memorial to those who
perished. (B)
Day 14 DEPART PRAGUE
Bid farewell to Prague and transfer to the airport
for your return flight home. Extra nights are
available if you wish to extend your stay in Europe.
(B)