The Black Sea to Budapest

•   Gratuities to ship staff, drivers, local guides, Tauck Directors and Tauck Cruise Director

Day 1: Arrive Bucharest
A transfer is included from the Bucharest Airport to the JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel in the heart of Romania’s capital. We invite you to join us for a welcome reception and dinner tonight.
Overnight: JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel, Bucharest, Romania
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Haunts of the original "Dracula"
Vlad Tepes (a.k.a. “Vlad the Impaler”), the 15th-century Romanian prince who served as the historic inspiration for the fictitious Dracula, ruled in this area and has connections to today’s sightseeing choices from Bucharest. Take a full-day excursion to tour 14th-century Bran Castle in Transylvania, used as a fortress by Tepes during his campaigns in the region and now a national monument. Or take a boat across Snagov Lake to tiny Snagov Island and visit isolated Snagov Monastery, on whose grounds the reportedly headless torso of the infamous Tepes is believed to be buried, and see art-filled Caldarusani Monastery.
Overnight: JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel, Bucharest, Romania
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 3: Bucharest or the Coast / Embark Ship
More sightseeing choices await you prior to embarking on your cruise later today. You can choose to join Tauck’s local guides for a sightseeing tour of Romania’s capital, once regarded as “the Paris of the Balkans,” which includes Revolution Square and the granite Triumphal Arch, a smaller copy of Paris’ Arc de Triomphe. Your day also features a visit to Bucharest’s humongous People’s Palace, the world’s second-largest building (after the Pentagon), originally built during Romania’s Ceausescu regime and now home to the Romanian Parliament; it’s so big, some parts of it are still unfinished! Or choose a day trip to Romania’s beautiful Black Sea coast; arrive first in a seaside resort town for lunch, then take a guided tour of the key port city of Constanta, originally the ancient Greek colony of Tomis and home to numerous Greek and Roman antiquities, an Art-Nouveau casino, and a monument to the Roman poet Ovid, who was exiled here by the Emperor Augustus. Continue on to Cernavoda, where you’ll board your riverboat for the start of your lower Danube River cruise.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 4: Welcome to Bulgaria
Cruise to Ruse, Bulgaria, for cultural excursions to nearby towns. First, travel to Arbanassi, where you’ll have lunch and visit the Konstant-Salieva House and the Archangels Michael & Gabriel Church. Continue on to neighboring Veliko Turnovo, which served as the capital of the second Bulgarian Kingdom in the 12th and 13th centuries. The sight of its medieval walled fortress and castle nestled atop three hills on the Yantra River is memorable; enjoy time to explore, snap some pictures and perhaps shop for local crafts. After rejoining your riverboat in Svishtov, you’ll be entertained by local Bulgarian performers aboard ship before dinner featuring traditional Bulgarian cuisine.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 5: Cruising the Blue Danube and Vidin
There’s something special about just “kicking back” and watching the scenic heartland of Eastern Europe unfold during a leisurely morning cruising the Danube, enjoying picture-perfect views of the passing landscapes. Onboard activities throughout your cruise, such as special lectures and presentations, cooking demonstrations or music and dance performances, are an important part of the Tauck river cruising experience. Today, for example, after the riverboat arrives in Vidin, Bulgaria, those guests fascinated by imagery and symbolism in visual arts – themes featured in a series of popular novels in recent years – will have an opportunity to explore the subject further by attending an onboard lecture and demonstration on Iconography before joining us for a walking tour of Vidin’s cobblestone streets, including a visit to Baba Vida fortress.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 6: Through the Danube's Iron Gate
Winding lazily for much of its length, the Danube suddenly narrows into a series of high cliffs to create four steep, spectacular gorges comprising the Kazan Narrows and the Iron Gate of the Danube. Pass through these dramatic landscapes during a full day’s cruise along Bulgaria’s border with Romania. Savor great views of the Transylvanian Alps, and look for a monument to the 2nd-century Dacian King Decebalus carved into the Danube’s rocky bank; it’s Europe’s tallest rock sculpture, completed in 2004 after a decade of work by a dozen sculptors. Cross into Serbia this afternoon.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 7: Sampling Serbian Culture in Belgrade
Set at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers, Belgrade has roots going back to a Celtic settlement in the 3rd century BC. Awaken dockside in Serbia’s cosmopolitan capital, where a lecture aboard ship paves the way for guided sightseeing that includes visits to Tito’s Memorial and Kalemegdan Fortress; see Slavija Square, Parliament, St. Sava Church, City Hall, Republic Square and the National Theatre. After a special Serbian lunch at Milos Palace, a former prince’s residence, Tauck takes you for a very special private visit to the beautiful Royal Palace of Dedinje in Belgrade, built in the 1920s for the Yugoslavian royal family and now home to HRH Crown Prince Alexander II of Serbia and his family. Return to the riverboat, where a Serbian music and dance performance precedes dinner this evening.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 8: Looking Back and Forward in Croatia
Croatia’s turbulent history takes center stage today – first with an enlightening onboard presentation on the country’s past and present by a local expert, then on your memorable excursion to the 10th-century city of Vukovar. Once renowned for its elegant 18th-century Baroque mansions and now recovering from the devastating effects of the 1990s war, the city today is a mix of old and new. On a visit to a private home, meet a Vukovar family who have recently returned after years of conflict to rebuild their lives, and enjoy the homemade refreshments they’ll share with you. Spend free time in Vukovar before reboarding your riverboat to continue cruising through Croatia to Hungary.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 9: Paprika, Palaces & more in Hungary
Celebrated both for its paprika and its folk art, Kalocsa, Hungary, is home to the Paprika Museum, where you’ll gain insights on the colorful history of this popular spice made from bell peppers and its production in Hungary during your visit. Go inside the magnificent Rococo-style paneled library within the 18th-century Baroque Bishop’s Palace in Kalocsa, considered to be among the ten finest libraries in Europe. Travel to a Hungarian winery for a wine tasting featuring local vintages before rejoining the riverboat for the Captain’s farewell cocktail reception and dinner.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 10: Disembark Riverboat and Explore Pest
Disembark in Budapest, divided by the Danube. Once both independent cities on opposite banks of the river, Buda and Pest joined together when linked by the Chain Bridge in the mid-19th century to become Hungary’s cosmopolitan capital. Join Tauck’s local guides for sightseeing in Pest starting with a visit to St. Stephen’s Basilica, Budapest’s neo-Renaissance cathedral completed in 1905. Continue on to experience Pest’s impressive mix of architectural masterpieces as you view City Park; patriotic Heroes’ Square, dominated by statues of Hungarian leaders through the ages, and surrounded by stately government buildings; the Gothic-Revival Parliament building and tree-lined Andrassy Avenue. Make a stop to browse the offerings at bustling Central Market Hall before checking into your hotel and spending the rest of the day and evening as you please.
Overnight: Le Méridien Budapest, Hungary
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 11: Close-up on Buda and a Special Dinner
Budapest is considered one of Europe’s most fashionable cities, perfect for spending a morning pursuing what interests you most before Tauck takes you to span the centuries with guided sightseeing in the Buda section. The legacy of Béla Bartók lives on in his 1924 home on the outskirts of Buda, now a museum and memorial dedicated to the beloved Hungarian composer and musicologist; listen to melodies by Bartók in a piano recital during your visit. Go back to the days of World War II and the Cold War at the Sziklakórház or “Hospital in the Rock,” a museum recreating underground military medical and civil defense facilities in a former secret nuclear bunker and hospital beneath Buda Castle that was used both during the war and the 1956 Hungarian Uprising. Take a walk up to Castle Hill to visit the imposing 19th-century Fishermen’s Bastion overlooking the Danube; have lunch on your own and explore the area as you wish. Please join us this evening as we cap a memorable journey with a farewell cocktail reception and dinner at the Akademia Club in Budapest’s Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
Overnight: Le Méridien Budapest, Hungary
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 12: Journey Home
Tour ends: Budapest, Hungary. A transfer is included from Le Méridien Budapest (or similar property) to Budapest’s Ferihegy Airport; allow 3 hours for flight check-in.
Overnight:
Meals Included: Breakfast

Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
5/27/2012 - 6/8/2012	$5,290
8/19/2012 - 8/31/2012	$4,590
9/30/2012 - 10/12/2012	$5,290
Note: Departures appearing above in green are guaranteed to operate by the tour operator.
Airfare Disclaimer A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link. Documents TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

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