Vienna, Salzburg and the Danube

After meeting at London St Pancras, we board the Eurostar to Brussels. Here we change trains, travelling to Cologne for the night.

• Dinner
• Eurostar Meal

We transfer to the train station where we catch the high-speed service to Vienna, our base for the next three nights.

• Breakfast, Dinner

We enjoy a tour of Vienna's main sights, taking in the Imperial architecture on the famous Ringstrasse and the impressive Hofburg Palace, a vast complex of buildings built by the Hapsburgs over six centuries. Other highlights include the ornate Opera House, the grand Parliament building and the Neo-Gothic 'Rathaus'. After our tour, we visit Schönbrunn Palace, former summer residence of the Imperial family. One of the most beautiful rooms here is the Great Gallery, reminiscent of the 'Hall of Mirrors' at Versailles. We enjoy a guided tour followed by a strudel making demonstration, during which we get to taste hand-made pastries made to the authentic recipe. Our day ends in a private capsule aboard the city's famous Ferris wheel - the Wiener Riesenrad. As we admire the Prater Gardens from our unique vantage point, we're treated to a glass of fizz and some Austrian snacks.

• Breakfast

We transfer to Melk by coach where we visit Melk Abbey, a grand Benedictine Abbey dating back to the 11th century. We have time to admire its stunning peach and white exterior as well as the arched ceilings and gilded golden walls inside. Next, we take to the waters for a scenic cruise to Durnstein along the Danube River, gliding through the picturesque Wachau Valley. Famed for its vineyards and castles, easily visible from the water, keep watch for Dürnstein Castle, once used to imprison Richard the Lionheart.

• Breakfast

We travel through spectacular landscapes aboard the Semmering Railway en-route to Salzburg today. Running over 25 miles from Gloggnitz to Mürzzuschlag, we're immersed in the verdant beauty of the Semmering Pass, crossing 16 viaducts, 110 bridges and travelling through 14 different tunnels along the way. Rather than disrupt the natural beauty of the valley, the route was designed to work in harmony with its surroundings, meaning the views from our carriage are second to none.

• Breakfast, Dinner

We enjoy a guided tour of the lakes and mountains of the Austrian Lake District. This stunning area is renowned for its natural beauty, and some of the locations we visit were featured in 1965 film version of 'The Sound of Music.' Our first stop is Hellbrunn Castle Gardens before we continue to St Gilgen, a small town on the shores of Wolfgangsee. Enjoy free time here before we continue to Mondsee and St Wolfgang, on the north shore of the lake.

• Breakfast

We enjoy a guided tour of Salzburg, soaking in the sumptuous Baroque architecture alongside the churches, squares and alleyways of the city's beautiful Old Town. With free time afterwards, you might like to stroll through the Mirabell Gardens or visit Hohensalzburg Fortress. This evening, we make our way to Mirabell Palace for a classical music concert. This is the palace where Mozart himself once enchanted crowds with his music, and we spend an evening immersed in timeless culture as we watch skilled musicians perform.

• Breakfast, Dinner

We leave Salzburg by high-speed rail, travelling to Cologne for the night.

• Breakfast, Dinner

We head to the train station this morning for the service to Brussels. From here, we join the Eurostar to London St Pancras.

• Breakfast
• Eurostar Meal