Belgrade to Tulcea (BTL) - 8 days -or- Tulcea to Belgrade (TBA) - 8 days	For further assistance call 1-800-526-8539
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Ship - Vivaldi

Detailed Itinerary: Belgrade to Tulcea (BTL)

At 6.00pm, we board our ship and settle into our cabins. We are introduced to the crew over a welcome cocktail before our dinner and evening of entertainment on board. During the night as we sleep, we set sail, heading in the direction of the Iron Gates.

Day 2: Belgrade - The Iron Gates - Vidin

We have buffet breakfast on board this morning. Today is spent entirely on board as we cruise along the River Danube. During the day we cruise through Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia. During the morning, we pass through the famous Iron Gates, the narrow mountain pass along the Danube between the Carpathians and the Balkans – truly an amazing location. The most spectacular part of the pass used to be called “the Danube Boilers” by navigators and sailors because the water, trapped between the steep mountainous walls seemed to bubble and boil. A clearer landmark on the Serbian side of the river is the “Tabula Traiana” - an enormous Roman memorial plaque made of marble, erected to commemorate the completion of Trajan’s military road, or “imperial route” that linked the province of Dacia to Rome. We are now in the “Small Boilers”. The rocky slopes come closer together, then suddenly, the mountain pass opens out, giving the impression of a lake between the mountains, at the spot where the Mracona Valley flows into the Danube. An elegant viaduct towers over the mouth of the river and we can see the “portrait” of the old Dacian King Decebal carved into the rock face. We have lunch and spend the afternoon relaxing on board as we continue our cruise, taking full advantage of the sun deck to admire the passing landscapes. After dinner on board, we arrive in Vidin. We have an evening of entertainment and moor for the night.

Day 3: Vidin - Rousse

After buffet breakfast on board, we set off on our optional excursion to Vidin, one of the three largest Bulgarian towns on the banks of the Danube along with Ruse and Silistra. We also visit Baba Vida Castle, the only Bulgarian castle dating from before the Ottoman conquest to have survived entirely intact. Here we attend a concert of classical music. We return on board for lunch and around 2.00pm we set sail again, heading for Rousse. During our afternoon spent cruising, our on-board entertainments team propose a range of different activities. Dinner is followed by an evening of entertainment on board. We continue our cruise through the night.

Day 4: Rousse - Giurgiu

After buffer breakfast on board we set off on our optional excursion to Rousse. The town has a surprising multi-ethnic character and is a cleverly constructed mix of Bulgarian and Romanian cultures. It is a very attractive town, thanks to the wide avenues, large squares and wonderful buildings which pay tribute to the national Renaissance architecture. We return on board at the end of the morning and set sail again for Giurgiu, which is located on the opposite bank of the river from Ruse. After lunch on board, we set off this afternoon on our optional guided visit of Bucharest. The cultural and economic centre of the country was established some 500 years ago. During the 1930s, Bucharest was nicknamed “Little Paris” thanks to its long tree-lined boulevards. The incredible mix of styles in Bucharest is sure to surprise us, including Orthodox churches (we visit the Church of the Patriarchate), manor houses in Second Empire style, the clumsy-looking Stalinist architecture of the Communist period and the Palace of the Parliament (exterior only, entry not included). We also visit an eco-museum which gives us the opportunity to appreciate the architecture and rural craftwork of Romania’s many different regions. We return on board in Giurgiu towards the end of the afternoon. We have dinner on board this evening and moor for the night.

Day 5: Giurgiu - Oltenita - Orsova

We set off early this morning, cruising to Oltenita. After breakfast on board, we set off for our full day’s optional excursion (lunch included) (The excursion lasts around 12½ hours, including transfer time of around 7 hours). Our day begins with the visit of the Monastery at Sinaia, hidden away in the Prahova Valley in the heart of the countryside. Constructed in the 17th century, it comprises two churches and monks still live there today. Our afternoon is devoted to visiting Bran Castle, made famous by the Irish author Bram Stoker and his renowned novel Dracula. We return on board and set sail again, heading towards Cernavoda / Fetesti. Tonight, dinner on board is followed by an evening of entertainment as we continue cruising through the night.

Day 6: Cernavoda/ Fetesti - Sulina

We arrive early this morning in Cernavoda / Fetesti. After breakfast on board, we set off for our full day’s optional excursion to Constanta (lunch included). We set off by coach to the Black Sea and Constanta, which was founded by the Greeks in the 7th century BC. Constanta today has a population of over 560,000 inhabitants and is the largest port on the Black Sea, second in importance only to Istanbul. Here we discover a real melting pot of architectural styles, most evident in the Orthodox Church (the interior) and the Great Mosque (from the outside). We also visit the Museum of History and Archaeology and the Roman Mosaics, superb multi-coloured mosaics covering more than 800m². We have lunch in a local restaurant before we continue our excursion to Murfatlar, where the best wines in Romania are produced. Here the wine growing area covers more than 4000 hectares and is the largest in Europe. We have a tasting of some of the wine in a wine cellar. We return to our ship in Cernavoda / Fetesti and set sail again towards Sulina. Tonight we have our Gala dinner and evening on board. We continue cruising through the night.

Day 7: Sulina - Crisan - Tulcea

We have breakfast as we cruise this morning, and arrive around 9am in Sulina, which is situated at the mouth of the Danube. Here at the very start of this royal river’s journey we have an unobstructed view of the Black Sea. Around 11.30am, we arrive in Crisan and set off on our optional excursion on the Danube Delta, a very important nature reserve and established in 1998 by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve. We travel up some of the many branches of the Delta, through tropical vegetation (the northernmost tropical vegetation in Europe) and passing a great variety of wildlife. Meanwhile, the ship continues its journey and we re-join it after our excursion. We spend the afternoon afloat, heading towards Tulcea. We have dinner as we cruise and arrive in Tulcea in the early evening. Tonight we have a Romanian Folklore Evening on board. We moor for the night.

Day 8: Tulcea (Disembarkation)

After buffet breakfast on board, we disembark around 9.00am. End of our journey.

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Detailed Itinerary: Tulcea to Belgrade (TBA)

Day 1: Tulcea, Romania (Embarkation)

Tulcea, is the main "port town" of the Danube Delta, almost as old as Rome itself, it is also laid out on seven hills. We board our luxury ship and have a welcome cocktail as we are introduced to the crew. Dinner is followed by a folklore evening on board. We moor for the night.

Day 2: Tulcea - Sulina

We set off early this morning, cruising to Sulina, which is situated at the mouth of the Danube. Here at the very start of this royal river's journey we have an unobstructed view of the Black Sea. We have buffet breakfast on board as we cruise. Around 8.30am, we arrive in Crisan and set off on our optional excursion on the Danube Delta, a very important nature reserve and established in 1998 by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve. We travel up some of the many branches of the Delta, through tropical vegetation (the northernmost tropical vegetation in Europe) and passing a great variety of wildlife. The ship continues its journey towards Tulcea during our excursion and we re-join it for lunch after our excursion. We spend the afternoon afloat, heading towards Oltenia. Dinner on board is followed by an evening of entertainment.

Day 3: Oltenita

This morning we have our buffet breakfast as we cruise. Around 10am, we arrive in Oltenita, from where we set off on our optional excursion to Bucharest. The entire day today is devoted to a guided visit of the Romanian capital (a traditional, typical lunch is included). The cultural and economic centre of the country was established some 500 years ago. During the 1930s, Bucharest was nicknamed "Little Paris" thanks to its long tree-lined boulevards. The incredible mix of styles in Bucharest is sure to surprise us, including Orthodox churches (we visit the Church of the Patriarchate), manor houses in Second Empire style, the clumsy-looking Stalinist architecture of the Communist period and the Palace of the Parliament (exterior only, entry not included). We also visit an eco-museum which gives us the opportunity to appreciate the architecture and rural craftwork of Romania's many different regions. We return on board around 8pm in Oltenita and set sail again. Tonight we have our Gala dinner on board, followed by an evening of entertainment. We continue our cruise through the night, heading for Giurgiu.

Day 4: Giugiu - Rousse

We arrive early this morning in Giurgiu. After buffet breakfast on board, we set off on our full day optional excursion (lunch included). (The excursion lasts around 12½ hours, including transfer time of around 7 hours). Our day begins with the visit of the Monastery at Sinaia, hidden away in the Prahova Valley in the heart of the countryside. Constructed in the 17th century, it comprises two churches and monks still live there today. We devote our entire afternoon to visiting Bran Castle, made famous by the Irish author Bram Stoker and his renowned novel Dracula. We return on board around 8pm and continue our cruise to Ruse, situated on the bank of the river opposite Giurgiu. Tonight, dinner followed by a Bulgarian folklore evening on board.

Day 5: Rousse - Vidin

After buffer breakfast on board we set off on our optional excursion to Rousse. The town has a surprising multi-ethnic character and is a cleverly constructed mix of Bulgarian and Romanian cultures. It is a very attractive town, thanks to the wide avenues, large squares and wonderful buildings which pay tribute to the national Renaissance architecture. We return on board for lunch and we set sail again, heading for Vidin. After lunch afloat, we spend a relaxing afternoon cruising. Why not take advantage of our open sun deck to admire the passing scenery. Dinner on board is followed by an evening of entertainment as we continue cruising through the night.

Day 6: Vidin

Our ship arrives early this morning in Vidin. After buffet breakfast on board, we set off on our optional excursion to discover the town of Belogradchik and the Kaleto Fortress, situated in the foothills of the Balkan Mountains. Originally built by the Romans in the 1st century BC, it was later extended and reinforced by the Byzantines and the Bulgarians. We return on board for lunch before we set off again by coach for our optional excursion to Vidin, with a panoramic tour of the town. Our tour ends with a visit of Baba Vida Castle, the only Bulgarian castle dating from before the Ottoman conquest to have survived entirely intact. Here we attend a concert of classical music, before returning on board at the end of the afternoon. Dinner is followed by an evening of entertainment on board. We continue our cruise through the night as we head for the Iron Gates.

Day 7: Passing through the Iron Gates - Veliko Gradiste - Belgrade

Today is spent entirely on board as we cruise along the River Danube. During the day we cruise through Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia. During the morning, we pass through the famous Iron Gates between the Carpathians and the Balkans - truly an amazing location. The most spectacular part of the pass used to be called "the Danube Boilers" by navigators and sailors because the water, trapped between the steep mountainous walls seemed to bubble and boil. An equally striking but somewhat lighter landmark on the Serbian side of the river is the "Tabula Traiana" - an enormous Roman memorial plaque made of marble, erected to commemorate the completion of Trajan's military road, or "imperial route" that linked the province of Dacia to Rome. We are now in the "Small Boilers". The rocky slopes come closer together, then suddenly, the mountain pass opens out, giving the impression of a lake between the mountains, at the spot where the Mracona Valley flows into the Danube. An elegant viaduct towers over the mouth of the river and we can see the "portrait" of the old Dacian King Decebal carved into the rock face. We have lunch on board and arrive around 1pm in Veliko Gradiste where we pass through customs. Next we set off on our optional excursion to Belgrade. Belgrade has a surprisingly rich cultural heritage. We return on board in Belgrade in time for our Gala Dinner and evening on board. We moor for the night.

Day 8: Belgrade (Disembarkation)

After buffet breakfast on board, we disembark. End of our services.

Note:

• Please check with us regarding availability of English excursions.
• A valid passport is required for travel. Please check visa requirements with your local consulate(s); responsibility for obtaining visas rests with the traveler.
• The sea crossings to Denmark can be modified and replaced by the crossing Gedser / Rostock.