Eastern Europe Explorer with the Danube Delta

Day 1 – UK – Budapest

Titans VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home, for your flight to Budapest. Upon arrival, embark our ship where light refreshments are available. Well dock overnight in Budapest, so you can view the city beautifully lit up from the water.

MS River Discovery II (4-star)

Day 2 – Budapest

Budapest is dramatic and historical and flamboyant and peaceful all in one. It is architecturally beautiful; feast your eyes on baroque, neoclassical and art nouveau buildings on our included city tour this morning. Together well explore the Parliament Building, peek inside St Stephens grand, opulent basilica and explore the Palace District before youre free to spend the rest of the day discovering the city under your own steam. Perhaps take a wander in City Park – walk past the lake and through a tree-lined avenue to the gates leading to the beautiful Vajdahunyad Castle. This picturesque area is seemingly taken straight from the pages of a fairytale book.

Excursions & visits:

City tour of Budapest (morning)

MS River Discovery II (4-star)

Day 3 – Kalocsa

Known as the paprika capital of the world, the small town of Kalocsa gives a fascinating insight into local life in Hungary. On our optional excursion youll visit the Folk Art House before learning about the regional spice at the Paprika Museum, where youll enjoy a small tasting of some traditional cuisine – youll learn theres more to Hungarian food than goulash! Later, enjoy a horse-drawn carriage ride followed by a performance of Hungarian horsemanship – a fascinating experience.

MS River Discovery II (4-star)

Day 4 – Vukovar

Vukovar was once a pretty town on the banks of the Danube; its streets were lined with elegant baroque mansions, museums and art galleries. Today the town has more memorials and other war-related sites than any other single place in Croatia. The Battle of Vukovar took place in 1991, in the early stages of the Yugoslav Wars and although there has been much work to repair the damage, the remaining blasted facades give the town an undeniably eerie yet alluring ambience. We dock until late this evening, so after our morning city tour youll have the rest of the day to immerse yourself in the towns stirring history.

Excursions & visits:

City tour of Vukovar (morning)

MS River Discovery II (4-star)

Day 5 – Belgrade

Belgrade stands proudly on the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers. Here, historical buildings sit pretty on lively pedestrian boulevards, while its backstreets are a treasure trove of cultural, religious and military heritage. Unravel the citys chaotic past as we learn about the legacies of Habsburg, Ottoman and Socialist rule on our included city tour. Well take in the Republic Square, Saint Sava Cathedral and Kalemegdan Fortress.

Excursions & visits:

City tour of Belgrade (morning)

MS River Discovery II (4-star)

Day 6 – Iron Gates

Today is dedicated to scenic cruising as we glide through the famous Iron Gates gorge. This spectacular passage is made up of narrow gorges and wide basins. Sit up on deck for the best views and watch the scenery slowly roll by.

MS River Discovery II (4-star)

Day 7 – Rousse

Opulent, leafy squares and elegant belle poque buildings and neatly kept parkland – youd be forgiven for thinking youd stepped into Vienna at first glance. Rousse is one of Bulgarias most grand and beautiful cities, but this metropolis is more than just a pretty face; theres history in abundance, as displayed in the many museums. Its also home to a ruined Roman fortress that you might like to explore on todays optional excursion.

MS River Discovery II (4-star)

Day 8 – Tulcea

We arrive in Romania this morning as we dock in Tulcea. The city itself is home to some great museums and a 19th-century church, but were using it as a base to explore the famed Danube Delta; a wilderness of wetlands and forests. Well navigate these forested waterways with a local guide, wholl keep us on the lookout for wildlife. During the summer, 350 species of birds gather here – including the white pelican – so its a real must for twitchers. But we might also see croaking frogs, tortoises, emperor dragonflies and more – youll likely think youve been transported somewhere a little more tropical.

Excursions & visits:

Danube Delta cruise (afternoon)

MS River Discovery II (4-star)

Day 9 – Cernavoda (Constanta)

Today you have the chance to visit the Romanian shores of the Black Sea on an optional city tour of Constanta, the oldest city on the Black Sea coast. This ancient metropolis by the sea is a lively city with beaches, parks and lakes. The richly decorated Orthodox Cathedral of St Peter and Paul is particularly interesting.

MS River Discovery II (4-star)

Day 10 – Oltenita (Bucharest) – Giurgiu

Today, our included excursion brings us to the Romanian capital city of Bucharest where we have a full day to explore this historic city, with its splendid Orthodox churches, the opulent Parliament palace, concert halls, religious monuments and more. We enjoy lunch in a local restaurant and travel back to our ship in the late afternoon.

Excursions & visits:

City tour of Bucharest (all day)

MS River Discovery II (4-star)