Cruise - Danube Delta to the Austrian Lake District (Passau-Bucharest)

Begin today at London St Pancras, where you'll meet your Tour Manager as well of the rest of your group, to start your journey to Europe. Board the Eurostar travelling to Brussels, then change for the service to Nuremberg, via Cologne.

• Dinner
• Eurostar Meal

We make the short walk back to Nuremberg station for the train to Passau. On arrival, we meet our cruise ship, the Amadeus Silver II, and are welcomed with a cocktail in the lounge before our 5-course dinner.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Regensberg is our port of call this morning, which we explore on foot. This medieval town contains many buildings that testify to its history as a trading centre and to its influence on the whole region from the 9th century onwards. We enjoy dinner back on board tonight.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We sail into Passau this morning where you have a choice of excursions. You could head further into the countryside to spend a day in the spectacular scenery of the Austrian lakes, stop-ping in UNESCO listed Hallstatt, one of Austria's most photographed villages and Hallstättersee Lake, as well as Mondsee. This pretty town is set on the lake of the same name, and its most famous sight is the 15th-century parish church, featured in the wedding scenes of 'The Sound of Music'. Or you could travel by coach to Salzburg, via Mondsee, one of Austria's most ac-claimed cities and the birth place of Mozart. A guided sightseeing tour reveals the city's beautiful Baroque architecture, a World Heritage site.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we reach Austria's Wachau Valley, a scenic wine-making region. We arrive in the idyllic village of Dürnstein where you have time at leisure. As we sit down to lunch on board we begin cruising along the picturesque Wachau Valley, an area with green valleys and vineyards, picturesque riverside towns and fortresses. We then journey by coach to Melk Abbey, with included entrance. This 11th century Benedictine Abbey stands on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Danube and is home to the Abbey Church, considered one of the most beautiful Baroque churches north of the Alps.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After a calm night of cruising, we arrive into glorious Vienna for a comprehensive sightseeing tour. This is a chance to relish in Austria's Imperial heritage, rich in architecture, art and music. You'll see many of Vienna's finest ornate buildings, including the impressive Hofburg Palace. This vast complex of buildings demonstrates the awesome power and wealth commanded by the Habsburgs. You'll also take in the impressive Opera House, one of the leading opera venues in the world, as well as the grand Parliament Building. Tonight a treat awaits us on board. After dinner we are joined by musicians from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for an exclusive, private recital.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Your morning is at leisure on board before we moor in Bratislava early this afternoon. After lunch, we set out on a guided coach tour of the Slovakian capital. Located in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, Bratislava straddles the Danube which neatly divides the city into the Baroque Old Town (Stare Mesto) and the new city. This picture-postcard city features Gothic buildings, several universities, a wealth of museums and galleries, and a refreshing cosmopolitan atmosphere. The historic centre has delightful cobblestoned roads, plazas, pastel-hued Rococo buildings, and street cafés galore. Following our excursion, we return to our ship for another 5-course dinner.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning we arrive at the scenic Danube Bend. This section of the river has a long and fascinating history and, from the sun deck or panoramic windows in the bar, you'll be able to see castle ruins, churches, pretty houses hidden in the hills and dense forests. After lunch on board, we enjoy a guided coach tour of Budapest, introducing us to the city's main sights. We pass impressive buildings and monuments on both sides of the Danube, including the neo-Gothic Parliament building, the magnificent State Opera House and St Stephen's Basilica, Budapest Castle, Matthias Church and Fishermen's Bastion. Later we take in the illuminated sights as we cruise around the city. We also enjoy a performance from a Hungarian folk band in the lounge.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Your morning is free to explore Budapest before we rejoing the ship as we cruise to Kalocsa.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We arrive into the port of Kalocsa this morning and embark on a puszta tour by coach. The puszta is an area of Hungary defined by its grassland ecosystem set amongst the Great Hungarian Plains, and which has a 'wild west' feel to it. Our first visit here is to a paprika house. One of Hungary's most famous and important cooking ingredients, paprika was once known as 'red gold' in this region, and we taste it in a variety of dishes while learning about the spice's historic significance and how it shaped the lives of the people who lived here. We continue to the former home of a wealthy 19th century family where we watch a performance of traditional folk music and dancing. We then head out into the great plains to try more of the local delicacies, meet Hungarian half-blood horses and experience a wagon ride hauled by these magnificent creatures.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We moor in the Serbian capital of Belgrade this morning, then head out on a guided walking tour to see the attractions of a city whose history can be documented through its architecture. First we see the Kalemegdan Fortress, the oldest surviving part of the city dating back to the 3rd century BC, which offers wonderful views across the Danube and Sava rivers. Next we see Belgrade's National Museum before seeing the parliament building, Terazije Square and lastly, the Palace of Princess Ljubica. With its Asian influences, this is an unusual building for this part of the world; it was built in the 1800s for the wife of Prince Miloš, the eponymous Princess Ljubica. This afternoon you are free to continue exploring independently.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We begin sailing towards Ruse, in Bulgaria. We dock there and take an excursion to Veliko Tarnovo. The city was once the cornerstone of Bulgaria's 14th century empire, and boasts impressive medieval churches and an Old Town of timber-framed buildings which we explore on our guided tour.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We have a free morning on board the ship. This afternoon we're driven by coach to the nearby port town of Constanta for a guided tour. Here we discover Constanta's ancient history - its Greek origins, Roman ancestry and Persian influences. Some of the attractions we'll see include the great mosque, art-nouveau casino and Genovese lighthouse. A short visit to the city's History and Archaeology Museum is also very enlightening, and there's time to take a stroll along the pristine beach before we return to our ship.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We arrive in Bucharest this morning and set out on a guided city tour, discovering the palaces, medieval homes and 21st century skyscrapers that make this a remarkable and surprising destination. You have free time for lunch and might like to try out one of the many al fresco restaurants tucked away amongst the tangled network of streets and verdant parks. We transfer to our hotel for the night.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Following breakfast, we disembark and make our way to the airport for your flight back home.

• Breakfast