Compare Danube Waltz by Viking River Cruises vs The Bohemian - End Vienna, Small Group End Vienna Small Group by Insight Vacations

Day 1: Budapest, Hungary

Meals: Dinner

Welcome to Budapest, capital of Hungary. Transfer to your ship from the airport.* After boarding, the afternoon is yours to relax or do a bit of exploring; if your arrival schedule permits, join an organized walk to Budapest’s famous covered market in the three-story Great Market Hall established in 1897. Return to your ship for a traditional Hungarian dinner.

Day 2: Budapest, Hungary

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today we visit highlights of the hilly Buda and cosmopolitan Pest sides of the city, starting with Pest’s National Opera House and historic Heroes’ Square. In Buda, walk along Castle Hill to Fishermen’s Bastion and Matthias Church. Enjoy lunch aboard your ship; the rest of the day is yours to explore the city. You may wish to visit the Art Nouveau Gellért Spa, or one of the many other lavish facilities in this “City of Healing Waters.” Return to your ship for dinner and evening departure.

Day 3: Bratislava, Slovakia

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Arrive in Bratislava this afternoon and embark on a walking tour of Slovakia’s charming capital with a long and fascinating history. It is the only national capital that borders two other countries, Austria and Hungary. See attractions like the medieval Town Hall complex and fortifications at Michael’s Tower, the baroque Jesuit Church and Gothic St. Martin’s Cathedral, and pass by several Hapsburg-era baroque palaces before returning to your ship. This evening you can relax or take a walk before our late departure.

Day 4: Vienna, Austria

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today we tour the Austrian capital of Vienna. Ride along the Ringstrasse, which replaced the city walls in the mid-19th century. See some of the city’s baroque architecture, including the world-famous Opera House, St. Stephan’s Cathedral and Hofburg Palace. Return to your ship for lunch. The rest of the day is yours to further explore. As always, your Program Director can help you plan your free time. Or you may take an optional tour to Schönbrunn Palace, the “Versailles of Vienna,” erected in 1778 and graced by a number of formal gardens, Grecian statuary, the world’s oldest zoo and Roman ruins. After dinner, relax or enjoy an optional classical concert.

Day 5: Melk, Austria

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

This morning, visit the 900-year-old abbey at Melk, a Benedictine monastery that began life as a castle of Leopold II. See its spectacular wall and ceiling frescoes; take note of the library’s comprehensive medieval manuscript collection; and admire the graceful spiral staircase. After lunch aboard your ship, we stop at the picturesque Wachau Valley town of Dürnstein, where you can explore on your own, or join an optional excursion to sample some local vintages from this famous wine-producing region.

Day 6: Linz, Austria

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Arrive in Linz this morning and set off on an all-day excursion to the beautiful Bohemian town of Český Krumlov, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ride through the scenic Czech countryside and take a walking tour featuring the lovely historic center of the city with many baroque and Renaissance buildings, dating back hundreds of years. You have some free time to enjoy Krumlov’s charming streets, filled with cafés, shops, galleries and pubs. Maybe stop for lunch in one of the many local restaurants. Return aboard for dinner and a late-evening departure.

Day 7: Passau, Germany

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Arrive this morning in Passau, at the confluence of the Inn, Ilz and Danube Rivers. Your guided walk along the town’s narrow streets takes you through Old Town and past traditional patrician houses. You’ll see the New Bishop’s Residence and visit the impressive baroque St. Stephen’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.† Enjoy an onboard lunch, but return to the city to further explore on your own before dinner.

†Passau organ concert is only available May 1-October 31 and is closed on Sunday.

Day 8: Passau, Germany

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, disembark and proceed to the Munich airport for your return flight.* Or, extend your journey with 3 additional nights in the breathtaking Czech capital of Prague.

Day 1: Welcome to Vienna

At Vienna airport, transfers to your hotel will leave at 10:00, 13:00 and 15:30. At 17:30, meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a drink, followed by a pleasant Welcome Dinner served with wine at a local restaurant.

Day 2: Stately Vienna and the Habsburgs

Join a Local Expert for a private tour of Maria Theresa's magnificent Schönbrunn Palace and its formal gardens. Be transported to a time of opulence and extravagance, as you marvel at the intricacies of gilded Rococo frames, frescoed ceilings and crystal chandeliers.Explore Vienna with Insight Choice. Choose to visit a traditional Viennese café to enjoy local specialties of coffee and Sachertorte. Alternatively, join a unique MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experience, take to the floor in a Viennese Waltz dance workshop and support the visually impaired community. Dancing in the dark, in a specially designed sensory studio, will be a unique experience for all your senses. Then get your camera ready for a drive around the Ring Road, a grand boulevard built along the lines of the old city walls, showcasing many of the capital's architectural masterpieces, including the Opera House, magnificent Hofburg Imperial Residence, Austrian Parliament Building and Karlskirche.

Day 3: Charming Český Krumlov and Golden Prague

Once over the Czech border, head for picturesque Český Krumlov, where you'll start with a brief orientation tour of this fairy-tale town, straight out of the Middle Ages. Enjoy some free time to explore and appreciate views of the Vltava River. Wander through the cobblestone, traffic-free streets, past colourful houses that lead up to the finest castle in the land. In the afternoon, continue through the green Bohemian countryside to Golden Prague.

Day 4: Prague, City of a Hundred Spires

Explore Prague with Insight Choice. Choose to walk the courtyards of the Castle and visit the imposing St. Vitus Cathedral. Alternatively, join your Local Expert for a walk through the Jewish Quarter and learn about a different side of the history of Prague. Continue to Old Town Square where the mechanical antics of the Astronomical Clock’s glockenspiel delight onlookers each hour. The afternoon is free for you to explore at your leisure.

Day 5: Reflect on Auschwitz then onto Kraków

Enjoy a gentle drive through the rolling Czech countryside before crossing into Poland where you will stop at Oświęcim, better known by its German name of Auschwitz.  Join a guided tour of the memorial and museum and stop at Birkenau, which bore witness to the terrible atrocities of the Holocaust.

Day 6: The Damsels and Dragons of Kraków Relaxed Start

In the morning why not join an Optional Experience and journey into a glistening subterranean world at the 600-year-old Wieliczka Salt Mine? In a maze of tunnels deep below the surface, witness unique salt sculptures, sunken lakes and even a glorious cathedral carved entirely out of rock salt by the miners. Otherwise, you can have a morning at leisure before joining a Local Expert to ascend Wawel Hill and visit the cathedral. Walk past the former residence of Pope John Paul II through the Old Town, to Europe’s largest and most beautiful town square. See the medieval Sukiennice Cloth Hall and visit the 14th century St. Mary’s Basilica, the most important church in the city. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for the trumpeter in the tower. In the evening, choose from a selection of hand-picked local restaurants on your Dine-Around Evening.

Day 7: Through Sleepy Slovakia to Budapest

Journey into the Slovakian region of Orava and see the picturesque Oravský Hrad Castle before continuing through the breathtaking Low Tatra Mountains to arrive in Budapest.

Day 8: Budapest, the Queen of the Danube Relaxed Start

Venture into the heart of Buda’s medieval Castle District with a Local Expert, to visit Matthias Church and take in the vista from the Fisherman’s Bastion. Cross the Danube to the Pest district to visit Heroes’ Square and drive down elegant Andrássy Boulevard. Enjoy a tour of the Liszt Music Academy with a student, followed by an enchanting recital. The university was founded by the piano virtuoso and composer Franz Liszt in 1875. The rest of the day is at your leisure to relax by the Danube or browse the boutiques of Vaci Street. For your Celebration Dinner, you are treated to mouthwatering Hungarian specialities, accompanied by specially selected wines, as you dine at the elegant Gundel restaurant.

Day 9: Depart Vienna

Your Bohemian journey concludes after breakfast with transfers arriving at Budapest airport at 07:00 and 11:00. The 07:00 transfer continues to Vienna airport, arriving at midday and offers a final stop at the post-trip hotel.