Fairytale Bavaria and Danube Cruise (Passau-Budapest)

We meet at London's St Pancras International this morning in time for the Eurostar service to Paris. Here we cross the city and catch the local train to Stuttgart where we spend the night after dining at our hotel.

• Dinner

This morning we journey to Füssen by rail, where we spend the next three nights. Arriving in the afternoon, there is time to explore some of this classic Bavarian town before dinner at our hotel. Perched on the banks of the Lech River, Füssen offers a snapshot of Bavarian life, with pretty squares and cobbled streets.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today sees us venture out into the nearby countryside for an enthralling excursion to one of Bavaria's finest castles. Neuschwanstein Castle is the most famous of all King Ludwig II's castles, and is the epitome of a fairytale castle, with its many towers and spires. The building is a fantastic imitation of a medieval castle, and was equipped with some very modern conveniences for its time.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today we ascend the highest mountain in Germany, the noble Zugspitze. To reach the summit, we first board the wonderful Zugspitze Railway, then the final leg of our journey is taken by cable car. On our descent, we stop at the stunning Lake Eibsee before returning to Füssen.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Following breakfast, we travel through Lower Bavaria to the beautiful Baroque city of Passau, on the Danube, where we board our luxurious Amadeus Imperial ship. On arrival we are welcomed with a cocktail in the lounge before our five course dinner with drinks. This evening we set sail for Regensburg.

• Breakfast, Dinner

After a relaxing morning on board, we arrive into Regensberg at lunchtime. After a four-course lunch on our ship, we set out to explore the city on a guided walking tour. The tour takes us around Regensburg's beautiful Old Town and gives us an overview of the city's history from the Roman era until the present. We see the Stone Bridge, the Cathedral, the Porta Praetoria, the Old Town Hall and the patrician houses with their impressive towers. We return to our ship for dinner.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We disembark in Linz this morning, where you have a choice of excursions. You could head further into the countryside for a day spent amidst the spectacular scenery of the Austrian lakes. We stop at Hallstatt, one of Austria's most photographed villages, Hallstättersee Lake, and Mondsee. This pretty town is set on the lake of the same name and its most famous sight is the 15th-century parish church, which featured in the wedding scenes of 'The Sound of Music'. Otherwise, travel by coach to Salzburg, via Mondsee, one of Austria's most famous cities and known as the birthplace of Mozart. A guided sightseeing tour reveals the city's internationally renowned Baroque architecture, a World Heritage site. We rejoin the ship in Passau.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We disembark our ship in Emmersdorf and travel by coach to visit Melk Abbey, enjoying entrance to this 11th-century Benedictine Abbey which stands on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Danube. The Abbey is also home to the Abbey Church, one of the most beautiful Baroque churches north of the Alps. We return to our boat for lunch and begin sailing into the picturesque Wachau Valley, a beautifully scenic area with green valleys and vineyards, picturesque riverside towns and fortresses. We reach the idyllic village of Dürnstein where you have an afternoon at leisure. This evening, as we enjoy dinner, we continue cruising towards Vienna.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After a calm night of cruising, we arrive into glorious Vienna for a morning sightseeing tour. We experience Austria's Imperial heritage, marked by its grand architecture, art and music, and see many of Vienna's ornate buildings, including the impressive Opera House and Parliament Building. We return to our ship for lunch and a shuttle bus is available if you'd like to return to the city this afternoon. After dinner this evening we are joined by musicians from the world renowned Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for a private recital.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Your morning is at leisure aboard before we moor up 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 two parts; the Baroque Old Town (Stare Mesto) and the new city. This picture-postcard destination boasts Gothic architecture, several universities, a wealth of museums and galleries, and a refreshing cosmopolitan atmosphere. The historic centre features delightful cobblestone roads, spacious plazas, Rococo-style buildings and street cafés galore. Following our excursion, we return to our ship for lunch. Your have a free afternoon to relax on board as we set sail from Bratislava towards Budapest. Over dinner we arrive into Esztergom where we moor overnight.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning our route takes us around the wonderful Danube bend, as we cruise into Budapest where we spend the day and night. After lunch we disembark and are introduced to the city on a a guided coach and walking tour. 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. After our tour you have some free time to explore the city independently before dinner. After a gala dinner with our captain and crew, we experience the illuminated sights of this astonishing city as we cruise up and down. We are also treated to a performance from a local Hungarian folk band in the lounge.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After our final breakfast we disembark our ship to start our journey home by rail. We stop in the Bavarian city of Nuremberg for an overnight stay.

• Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast in our Nuremberg hotel, we are escorted by our Tour Manager by rail to London. We travel via Cologne to Brussels where we join the Eurostar service to London St Pancras.

• Breakfast