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Avalon Waterways The Danube from the Black Sea to Budapest (WOBB)

11 Day River Cruise Bucharest to Budapest 
Begin your exciting European vacation with one night in Bucharest, Romania, before embarking on your river cruise along the beautiful Danube River to Budapest, Hungary. Take in the sights in Bucharest, known for its wide, tree-lined boulevards and historical treasures. See the sights here, including the Arc de Triomphe—built in honor of WWI soldiers—and the historical Royal Palace Square. Join in an excursion to the Danube Delta where the river flows into the Black Sea. Enjoy guided sightseeing in Constanta and Bulgaria’s ancient capital of Veliko Tarnovo, and visit the Ethnographical Museum and Church of the Nativity in Arbanassi. Take pic-tures of Belogradchik’s eclectic group of rock formations and the spectacular views as you cruise through the Iron Gates Gorge. Visit Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and one of the oldest cities in Europe. Continue up the Danube and take an excursion to the ancient city of Pécs, Hungary. These and countless other memorable moments await you on this fascinating Danube River cruise through Eastern Europe.

Ships: View - Impression - Passion - Ship TBA IV - Envision - Expression

Avalon Highlights & Sightseeing

Day 1 Bucharest: Welcome to Bucharest

Day 2 Bucharest–Fetesti (Embarkation): Guided sightseeing in Bucharest; onboard welcome reception

Day 3 St. Gheorghe: Excursion to Danube Delta; km 0 celebration

Day 4 Hârsova. Excursion to Constanta: Guided sightseeing, visit the National History and Archaeological Museum in Constanta

Day 5 Rousse. Excursion to Veliko Târnovo & Arbanassi: Choice of full-day excursion, visit to Tsarevet's Fortress in Veliko Târnovo and to the Ethnographic Museum and the Church of the Nativity in Arbanassi, or guided sightseeing in Rousse, or a walk in the park with your Adventure Host

Day 6 Vidin–Belogradchik: Choice of guided sightseeing to Vidin’s fortress, see the rock formations in Belogradchik or bike with your Adventure Host

Day 7 Iron Gates–Donji Milanovac–Golubač: Scenic cruise through the Iron Gates Gorge; choice of visit Lepenski Vir archaeological site or bike with your Adventure Host; visit to Golubač fortress

Day 8 Belgrade: Choice of guided sightseeing or walk with your Adventure Host; onboard lecture

Day 9 Novi Sad–Ilok: Choice of Novi Sad guided tour or walk with your Adventure Host; Ilok guided tour

Day 10 Mohács. Excursion to Pécs: Guided tour and organ concert in Pécs

Day 11 Budapest: Your vacation ends this morning

Itinerary (2024)

Day 1BUCHAREST, ROMANIA
 Welcome to Bucharest—The “Paris of the East”

The day is yours to relax and enjoy Bucharest. Spend some free time exploring this fascinating city on your own to discover its trendy shops, cafés, museums, beautiful homes, and churches along Victory Avenue.
Day 2BUCHAREST
 Beautiful Boulevards and Bold History

CLASSIC Take a Guided Tour of the Romanian capital city of Bucharest with its tree-lined boulevards and Arc de Triomphe—honoring WWI Romanian soldiers. See the Royal Palace Square—the scene of the city’s 1989 riots to overthrow the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

Travel to Fetesti to board your Avalon Suite Ship® this afternoon.

FETESTI (EMBARKATION)

Your Balkan Adventure Begins

Explore your Avalon Suite Ship® this evening and enjoy a dinner onboard.

DISCOVERY After dinner, attend an onboard Lecture to learn about the Danube Delta.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO ST. GHEORGHE

(B,D)

Day 3ST. GHEORGHE. EXCURSION TO THE DANUBE DELTA
 A River’s Entrance into the Sea

Visit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.

CLASSIC Join a small-boat Guided Tour of the best preserved of Europe’s deltas-2,200 square miles of rivers, canals, marshes, tree-fringed lakes and reed islands.

DISCOVERY Enjoy a Special Celebration to mark Kilometer “0”—the end of the Danube River’s 2,845 km journey—from the source in the Black Forest to its delta at the Black Sea.

AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO HÂRȘOVA

(B,L,D)
Day 4HÂRȘOVA. EXCURSION TO CONSTANTA
 Romania’s Cultural Legacies

CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour to Constanta, the most important commercial center in Romania, situated on the Black Sea. Visit the Natural History and Archeological Museum to discover the history of early Romanian cultures.

AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO ROUSSE

(B,L,D)
Day 5ROUSSE, BULGARIA. VELIKO TÂRNOVO & ARBANASSI EXCURSION
 Fortresses and Fountains in “Little Vienna”

ACTIVE Join a walk through the park with your Avalon Adventure Host, OR:

CLASSIC Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour of Bulgaria’s largest inland port and visit its impressive Holy Trinity Church.

Sail to Svistov, OR:

CLASSIC Join a full-day Guided Tour to the former Bulgarian capital of Veliko Târnovo—with its ancient stone houses clinging to the cliffs above the Yantra River. Discover one of the oldest towns in Bulgaria (circa 4300 BC), as well as Bulgarian Revival architecture in the 15th-century town of Arbanassi.

Later, join your ship in Svistov.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO VIDIN

(B,L,D)
Day 6VIDIN
 Rocks, ruins and Balkan Beauty

Ask about today’s energizing or relaxing Adventure Host activities.

ACTIVE Enjoy an easy hiking experience in Vidin with your Adventure Host, OR:

CLASSIC Join Guided Sightseeing in Vidin, followed by a Guided Tour of Belogradchik. See the remarkable rock formations on the slopes of the Balkan Mountains, sculpted by 200 million years of nature’s elements.

This evening, enjoy live entertainment on board with a Bulgarian folklore show.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO DONJI MILANOVAC

(B,L,D)
Day 7DONJI MILANOVAC, SERBIA–IRON GATES GORGE. EXCURSION TO LEPENSKI VIR
 Ancient Artifacts and the Iron Gates

Before lunch on board, you’ll sail through the spectacular and narrow Iron Gates Gorge—forming a natural border between Serbia and Romania.

ACTIVE Explore Donji Milanovac by bike with your Adventure Host, OR:

CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour to Lepenski Vir—an important Mesolithic archaeological site chronicling prehistoric cultures, settlements, and art. Marvel at the ancient discoveries and artifacts, as well as the unique views the site affords of the Danube Gorge.

Enjoy a brief sailing to Golubač.

GOLUBAČ

A Formidable Fortress

CLASSIC Visit the Fortress of Golubač, one of the best preserved medieval fortresses in Europe. You’ll hear about its tumultuous history as a border control defense in the Middle Ages, and a source of conflict between Serbia, the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire.

OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BELGRADE

(B,L,D)
Day 8BELGRADE
 Fortresses and Folklore

Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.

ACTIVE See Belgrade's central walkway with your Adventure Host, OR:

CLASSIC Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour of Belgrade—where the Danube and Sava Rivers converge—and see the city’s many fascinating sights, including Saint Sava, one of the world’s largest Orthodox churches.

You may choose to join an Optional Guided Biking tour or spend free time in Belgrade exploring Knez Mihailova Street—Belgrade’s central pedestrian thoroughfare with many lively cafés, shops, and cultural spots.

DISCOVERY Attend an onboard Lecture to learn about the rich history, destinations, and culture of the Balkan states.

OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO NOVI SAD

(B,L,D)
Day 9NOVI SAD
 A Capital of Culture

ACTIVE Enjoy a relaxing walk in Novi Sad with your Adventure Host, OR:

CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour of Novi Sad, the second largest town in Serbia. Admire its Austro-Hungarian old town, with its baroque buildings, and ancient fortifications.

Enjoy a brief cruise to Ilok while having lunch onboard.

ILOK, CROATIA

Croatian Heritage and Hilltop Vintages

CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour of Ilok, with its 1,000-year-old winemaking tradition still thriving and its medieval fortress protected for its Croatian cultural heritage.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO MOHÁCS

(B,L,D)
Day 10MOHÁCS, HUNGARY. EXCURSION TO PÉCS
 Underground Tombs and Heavenly Music

CLASSIC Take a Guided Tour to nearby Pécs to see its 4th-century Christian underground tombs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with fascinating murals. You’ll also enjoy an organ concert on your tour.

AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BUDAPEST

(B,L,D)
Day 11BUDAPEST (DISEMBARKATION)
 Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

(B)

Avalon Pricing Details

Port charges:
$270

Gratuities to Local Guides & Excursion Drivers are included on Avalon portion only.

Avalon offers the opportunity for solo travelers to sail with no single supplement (subject to availability).

Please call for single accommodation price. Triples not available.

Avalon Notes

  • In the event of technical or water level issues, it may be necessary to operate the itinerary by motorcoach or alter the program, including hotel overnight when necessary.
  • Guided Tours, Optional Excursions, activities, sailing and docking schedules may be contingent on weather conditions or other issues outside of our control and could therefore be subject to change at any time.
  • Please check visa requirements with your local consulate(s); responsibility for obtaining visas rests with the traveler.

Avalon Waterways Fleet

Click Quote for an Avalon Waterways Tour Date for our low price tour quote


Avalon Tour Dates

Tour Land StartAvalon RetailRequest Quote
*05/25/2024 $5,248.00
*06/25/2024 $5,248.00
*08/18/2024 $5,198.00
*09/11/2024 $5,498.00
*09/23/2024 $5,498.00
*10/11/2024 $5,198.00
*05/04/2025 $4,498.00
*05/28/2025 $4,698.00
*07/01/2025 $4,648.00
*08/08/2025 $4,648.00
*08/28/2025 $4,798.00
*09/21/2025 $4,898.00
*10/06/2025 $4,648.00
*10/25/2025 $4,498.00
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