Day 1Budapest
Arrive in Budapest and transfer to the deluxe Hilton Budapest (or similar), in Buda’s Castle District.* Take the rest of the day to relax and sample some Hungarian cuisine.
Day 2Budapest
You have a full day to enjoy some of the sights and attractions of this beautiful city. A Viking concierge is available to help you plan your Budapest visit and arrange for transportation, etc. Walk through Pest and do some shopping along the Váci Utca; cross the Danube via the famous Chain Bridge to enjoy the hillier Buda neighborhoods. Tour the Hungarian National Gallery, the Bartók Museum or one of the thermal baths. (B)
Day 3Budapest
After breakfast, check out of your hotel and enjoy the morning at leisure before we take you to your ship in the afternoon. Dinner is served on board. (B, D)
Day 4Budapest
Your morning begins with a panoramic tour of the Pest side of the city. Journey along Andrássy Avenue and see the 19th- and 20th-century mansions, National Opera House, Parliament Building and Chain Bridge. Stop in Heroes’ Square to learn more about Hungarian history, then cross the Danube to Buda’s Castle District. Walk up the hill to Fishermen’s Bastion and Matthias Church; enjoy brilliant views. Rejoin your ship in Visegrád for lunch as we begin cruising along the scenic Danube River. Enjoy a midafternoon Viennese coffee workshop, complete with apple strudel. (B, L, D)
Day 5Vienna
Arrive in Vienna just after breakfast for your half-day city tour. See some of Vienna’s gracious architecture, then ride along the beautiful Ringstrasse with sights including the Opera House, Stadtpark and Hofburg Theater. You then see St. Stephan’s Cathedral. After lunch aboard, the afternoon is yours to further explore this city on your own. Shop along the Kärtnerstrasse or take an optional excursion to Schönbrunn Palace, home of Maria Theresa and summer residence of the Habsburgs. Dinner is served aboard and you may choose to complete your day in this “City of Waltzes” with an optional evening concert. (B, L, D)
Day 6Melk
After breakfast, sail through the stunningly scenic Wachau Valley to the Benedictine abbey at Melk, and join a guided tour through the ornate interior of this baroque architectural gem. See its elaborate frescoes and admire the library’s extensive collection of medieval manuscripts; enjoy the garden courtyard and the terrace’s Wachau Valley views. Rejoin your ship for dinner and leisurely cruising along the Danube—taste some local Austrian specialties as you spot charming riverside towns and castle ruins here and there. (B, L, D)
Day 7Passau
Enjoy a glorious morning arrival in Passau, at the confluence of the Inn, Ilz and Danube Rivers. Your guided walk along the town’s narrow streets takes you through the Old Town and past traditional patrician houses. You see the Oberhaus Fortress and visit the impressive baroque St. Stephan’s Cathedral with its ornate interior. Inside, you are treated to a special concert played on the 17,000-pipe organ, considered Europe’s largest church organ.† Eat lunch aboard, but return to the city for further exploration on your own before an early evening departure and cruise through the night. (B, L, D)
†Passau organ concert not available after November 1.
Day 8Regensburg
After breakfast, meet your guide dockside for a walking tour through the scenic town of Regensburg, considered one of Europe’s best-preserved medieval cities. See one of the largest groupings of 13th- and 14th-century church spires, towers and patrician houses north of the Alps. You also encounter the 12th-century Old Stone Bridge, St. Peter’s Cathedral and a number of idyllic courtyards. Take time to stroll the streets, shop or visit Germany’s oldest restaurant, the Alte Wurstküche. Lunch served aboard.
This afternoon, enjoy scenic cruising along the Danube River—or take an optional Danube Gorge excursion. Travel by road to Kelheim and board a ferryboat to the Danube Gorge’s dramatic scenery and spectacular 400-foot chalk cliffs. Visit Weltenburg Abbey, renowned for the dark ale brewed here by monks since 1050, then rejoin your ship in Kelheim in time for dinner aboard. (B, L, D)
Day 9Main-Danube Canal & Nuremberg
Very early this morning, you sail through a number of locks that comprise the Main-Danube Canal, an engineering marvel stretching 106 miles from Bamberg on the Main River to Kelheim on the Danube. Begun as Charlemagne’s dream in 793, it was completed in 1992 with 16 locks that raise the water level 1,332 feet. Today it enables river travel from the North Sea to the Black Sea.
Arrive during breakfast in Nuremberg, Bavaria’s second largest city. Your tour features the former Nazi parade grounds and the Palace of Justice, historic home of the Nuremberg Trials; or, join an optional World War II history tour visiting the Documentation Center Museum. You have a brief stop at the Court House before returning to the Old Town area enclosed by ancient city walls.
Your tour ends with a walk from the imperial castle grounds past the Albrecht Dürer House on your way to the Main Market Square with its elaborate Gothic fountain. Lunch is served aboard, but you have the rest of the day to explore. Your ship remains docked overnight. (B, L, D)
Day 10Nuremberg
After breakfast, disembark and take a relaxing ride through the scenic countryside to beautiful Prague, capital of the Czech Republic. Check in to the superior first-class Hilton Prague (or similar), overlooking the Vltava River near the historic Old Town and the shopping district. The rest of the day is free to explore on your own and sample some of the hearty local cuisine; a Viking host is available to help and advise you so you can make the most of your visit to Prague. This evening, see the city’s monuments, like the National Theatre, Prague Castle and the famous Charles Bridge, beautifully illuminated. (B)
Day 11Prague
Begin the day with a panoramic tour of Prague, followed by a free afternoon and evening to visit some of the city’s landmarks or museums. Enjoy Prague’s nightlife this evening. (B)
Day 12Prague
You have a full day to further explore Prague. See more of the Old Town or check out some of Prague’s more modern sights like the Frank Gehry-designed Dancing House, an unusual office building inspired by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Walk across the Charles Bridge, see the mesmerizing Astronomical Clock and the poignant Lennon Wall, and stand in historic Wenceslas Square. Wander past the colorful cottages in Golden Lane, where Franz Kafka lived and worked. Or in Josefov, see the 13th-century Altneushul, Europe’s oldest active synagogue. (B)
Day 13Prague
After breakfast, check out of your hotel and proceed to the airport for your return flight.* (B)
The following meals are included:
B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; D = Dinner
*For 2012, transfers are not included. Let us know if you would like help arranging your airport transfers. For 2013, airport transfers are included if Viking air offer is purchased and flight arrival or departure date coincides with cruise/tour start or finish date only.