Experience the scenic, romantic soul of old-world Europe on a river cruise along the Danube. Begin with a sumptuous gala evening at a Viennese Palace, and wind through dramatic river landscapes to discoveries in Munich, Durnstein, Passau, Cesky Krumlov and Bratislava.

When your road is the Danube, it's enchanting... Austria, Slovakia, Hungary and Germany are linked by peaceful river landscapes dotted with storybook castles and romantic villages surrounded by stone terraced vineyards, where making world-class wines - and tasting them! - is an art.

A wonderfully preserved medieval castle and town in the Czech Carpathian mountains are as awe-inspiring as the palaces and museums of Imperial Vienna. As you cruise from port to port, explore the cobblestone streets and market squares in the Old Towns of Bratislava, Cesky Krumlov, Grein, Passau, and Regensburg, each offering unexpected cultural treasures and culinary pleasures around every bend. And the pièce de resistance - a Tauck Exclusive gala evening with music and dancing at a private palace conjures up elegant Old World Europe just for Tauck guests!

When your road is the Danube, it's enchanting... Austria, Slovakia, Hungary and Germany are linked by peaceful river landscapes dotted with storybook castles and romantic villages surrounded by stone terraced vineyards, where making world-class wines - and tasting them! - is an art.

A wonderfully preserved medieval castle and town in the Czech Carpathian mountains are as awe-inspiring as the palaces and museums of Imperial Vienna. As you cruise from port to port, explore the cobblestone streets and market squares in the Old Towns of Bratislava, Cesky Krumlov, Grein, Passau, and Regensburg, each offering unexpected cultural treasures and culinary pleasures around every bend. And the pièce de resistance - a Tauck Exclusive gala evening with music and dancing at a private palace conjures up elegant Old World Europe just for Tauck guests!

Traveling Well Includes:

TAUCK EXCLUSIVE - An Imperial Evening at a private Vienna palace with dinner and classical performers

Wine-tasting event at the village of Weissenkirchen, in Austrian wine country

All gratuities to ship staff, drivers, local guides, Tauck Directors and Tauck Cruise Directors

Tauck's private shore excursions and distinctive inclusions - $1,520 Value

Choice of sightseeing in Passau or medieval Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic

Day 1 - Arrive Budapest & embark ship

Tour begins: 4:00 PM, Budapest, Hungary. A transfer is included from Franz Liszt Budapest Airport directly to your riverboat, where embarkation begins at 4:00 PM. Enjoy a welcome toast before dinner onboard as your riverboat spends the night in Budapest.

Lodging: ms Esprit

Meals: D

Day 2 - Explore Budapest

Your cruise begins this morning in Budapest, Hungary, which is split into the sections of Buda and Pest by the Danube River. A guided tour of the city begins with the Pest side and a drive along Andrassy Avenue to Heroe's Square and a drive by Parliament and other sites. Explore the Buda side with a drive up Castle Hill, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; see Fishermen's Bastion with its Neo-Romanesque design, and admire the stained glass windows and centuries of history in Matthias Church (may be closed on some days due to services). After lunch, spend some free time in city before your riverboat departs for Bratislava, Slovakia.

Lodging: ms Esprit

Meals: B, L, D

Day 3 - Choices in & around Bratislava

Awaken this morning for a choice of activities in or near Bratislava, Slovakia's visually intriguing capital city. One is a walking tour of the cobblestoned, vehicle-free historic center of Bratislava; medieval, Baroque and modern architecture mix as you visit sites that include the 13th-century Old Town Hall, Baroque Habsburg-era palaces, the Opera House, Slovak Philharmonic Hall, St. Michael's Gate, St. Martin's Cathedral, and the Primate's Palace, where you'll view rare 17th-century British tapestries; afterward, spend some free time exploring on your own. Another choice is an excursion to the countryside, lush with vineyards, for a wine-tasting and a visit to Cerveny Kamen Castle. Dating back to the 13th century, The Red Stone Castle is one of the best-preserved castles in Slovakia, boasting historical furnishings and artwork; during your visit, enjoy a falconry demonstration. Back aboard ship, settle in for an afternoon at leisure as the riverboat sails to Vienna this evening.

Lodging: ms Esprit

Meals: B, L, D

Day 4 - Imperial Vienna

You have two morning sightseeing choices today, both preceded by a tour of Vienna's landmark sights: visits to the Imperial Treasury (the Schatzkammer) in the Hofburg, displaying priceless treasures from the House of Habsburg, including the Austrian Crown Jewels and the Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire; or the House of Music (Haus der Musik), featuring imaginative interactive exhibits on famous composers (where you can actually conduct the Vienna Philharmonic). After lunch aboard the riverboat or in town, your afternoon is free to explore more of this amazing city - once the capital of the Habsburgs' Austro-Hungarian Empire - on your own. Later, join us this evening at Palais Pallavicini for a Tauck Exclusive - a gala evening of dining and musical performances in elegant Viennese style. The sumptuous surroundings of Palais Pallavicini (built in 1784), with its ornate decor and magnificent state rooms, will transport you to another time - in fact, the palace facade is famous in another cultural reference... as the location of Harry Lime's (Orson Welles) apartment in the classic film The Third Man.

Lodging: ms Esprit

Meals: B, L, D

Day 5 - Durnstein, Krems and wine tasting

This morning, your riverboat docks in Durnstein, in Austria's Wachau Valley, which offers you a choice of unforgettable sightseeing excursions. You may choose to explore the picture-perfect Austrian village of Durnstein on a guided walking tour, with free time on your own - maybe a climb up to the brooding ruins of Kuenringerburg Castle high above the town. Another possibility is a challenging bicycling excursion (not suitable for beginners) through the Wachau Valley, starting and ending in Durnstein or a walking tour of Krems. Rejoin the boat for lunch, and set off for a wine tasting event in Weissenkirchen.

Lodging: ms Esprit

Meals: B, L, D

Day 6 - Grein or the Mauthausen Memorial

Arrive in the typically picturesque riverside village of Grein, Austria, for a choice of sightseeing in Grein or a visit to the Mauthausen Memorial. Your visit begins with a guided walking tour of the village, which includes views of the Grein Theatre - since 1791 the oldest operating theatre in Austria - and the historic town square with the adjacent Gothic St. Giles Church, known for its fine altar and stained glass. If you wish, visit Schloss Greinburg, the privately owned castle of the Ducal House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, showcasing the history and lifestyle of one of the most significant ruling families in Europe (including Queen Victoria of England). Alternatively, pay a poignant guided visit to the museum and memorial on the site of the infamous World War II-era Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp, approximately 20 kilometers east of Grien. You'll tour the camp's main complex, preserved as a museum and memorial to the victims of the last major concentration camp liberated by the Allies. Back aboard the riverboat, continue cruising the Danube.

Lodging: ms Esprit

Meals: B, L, D

Day 7 - Passau or Cesky Krumlov

Awaken in Passau today for a choice of sightseeing in this riverside town in Germany, or an excursion to Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic. Once a Roman outpost at the confluence of three rivers, Passau is over 2,500 years old, a quintessential Bavarian town of pastel patrician houses, cafes, romantic cobblestone lanes and riverfront promenades, made for walking (many streets are closed to traffic). If you choose to stay in Passau, your walking tour immerses you in its storybook mix of Roman, Italian Baroque and German Gothic architecture. See St. Stephen's Cathedral; view the hilltop fortress where Passau's prince-bishops once resided; and peruse the 14th-century Rathaus (Town Hall). Later, if you wish, join your Tauck Director for a brisk walk to a hilltop fortress, or attend a public concert on the famous organ of St. Stephen's Cathedral, when available. Alternatively, travel to Cesky Krumlov, an incredibly well-preserved medieval town in a landscape of exceptional beauty. Your walking tour includes Krumlov Castle, one of the largest castle complexes in Central Europe, embracing 40 buildings and palaces of medieval, Renaissance and Rococo designs, plus numerous courtyards and gardens. Return to the riverboat and enjoy a farewell toast and a final dinner onboard.

Lodging: ms Esprit

Meals: B, L, D

Day 8 - Journey Home

Tour ends: Vilshofen, Germany. Fly home anytime. Transfers are included from the riverboat to Munich International Airport or Munich's main railroad station. You should allow a minimum of three hours for flight check-in.

Lodging:

Meals: B