Danube: The River of Kings

Day 1

We make our way to our overnight hotel, arriving just in time for dinner.

Day 2

After breakfast we continue our journey and arrive in time to embark on The Gentleman, our home for the next 7 nights.

Day 3

Melk - Where the Danube flows into the Wachau Valley, Melk rises like a golden crown above the river. It's Benedictine Abbey, a masterpiece of Baroque architecture, has watched over these waters for more than 900 years and is home to Austria's oldest continually operating school. Today after breakfast we will enjoy a visit to the Abbey for the morning. Following lunch we continue our gentle cruise down to Vienna where we expect to arrive at about 6pm, here we wil enjoy a live performance at the Golden Hall. Enjoy an evening of musical masterpieces, performed by thirty world-class musicians live on stage and dressed in 18th-century Rococo costumes.

Day 4

Vienna - Enjoy your day at leisure in Vienna, the 'city of music' Vienna's coffeehouse culture now listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage is about more than coffee, it's a ritual of reflection, where artists, writers, and thinkers once lingered over marble tables and ideas that shaped the world. Beyond its cafés, Vienna still surprises as the only capital city with vineyards within its limits, over 1,700 acres strong. It also treasures its past in motion, home to the world's oldest operating Ferris wheel, turning since 1897. We leave Vienna at 5.30pm

Day 5

Today we arrive in Budapest at about 10.00am where we will enjoy some free time. Framed as the "Pearl of the Danube," and when night falls, it's easy to see why. Along the river's curve, Budapest's landmarks the Parliament, the Chain Bridge, and the Royal Palace glow in a glittering line of light. Reflected in the dark Danube, they create one of Europe's most unforgettable scenes. Innovation flows through the city with the Millennium Underground, opened in 1896, it remains continental Europe's oldest electric subway.

Day 6

This morning we enjoy a Train rid ein Budapest. Buda and Pest once stood apart - Buda, the historic heart, and Pest, the energetic commercial centre. The Chain Bridge finally bound the two sides together. Their unification in 1873 transformed them into Budapest, a proud capital born of Hungarian ambition to counterpart Vienna. Our journey along the Danube will continue at about Midday, where we move onwards to Estergom . Our expected arrival will be 5.30pm and deparfture again at 7.30pm

Day 7

This morning we wake up in Bratislava. Bratislava is the only capital in the world that directly borders two other sovereign states: Austria and Hungary. Where castle towers overlook pastel streets once walked by Hungarian kings. The city's history unfolds best aboard the Presporá?ik, a charming open mini bus built to guide through the old town's narrow lanes and lively squares. In the old town, cannonballs from Napoleon's 1809 siege remain embedded in the old town's walls, once used to identify damaged houses eligible for tax relief.We will embark on a half day city tour.

Day 8

Our arrival at 7am will be into Durnstein. The guard of one of Europe's great legends, the tale of King Richard the Lionheart, once held captive in its crumbling hilltop castle. From those ancient ruins, the Wachau Valley unfolds in sweeping views of vineyards. Below, the town tells a gentler story. Dürnstein is the apricot heart of Austria, where the famed Wachauer Marille, a Protected Designation of Origin fruit which ripens into golden jams and smooth apricot schnapps. Here we will have free time to explore.

Day 9

After breakfast we sadly say goodbye to The Gentleman and make our way to our overnight hotel for our onward journey home. We expect to arrive just in time for dinner.

Day 10

After breakfast we continue our journey home.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner