Europe · River Cruise
Danube & Rhine, Castles and Vineyards
Budapest · Vienna · Passau · Amsterdam · 11 nights
Eleven nights on board and ashore, from Budapest to Amsterdam.
The Journey
Eleven nights by ship, with days ashore at Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Dürnstein and Melk, Linz, St. Goar and Amsterdam. Shore days are planned with private guides where shown, and you can always stay on board instead.
The days are built around Budapest, Bratislava, Imperial Vienna and The Wachau Valley. Each one is set out below with what you will see, how you get there and which meals are included.
The defining moment of this route: private concert in a Viennese palace salon. Your travel specialist can add a night, swap a day or change the order before you book.
Signature Highlights
- Private concert in a Viennese palace salon
- Budapest
- Bratislava
- Imperial Vienna
- Schönbrunn, Vienna
- The Wachau Valley, Dürnstein and Melk
Your Experiences
Moments shaped just for you
Imperial Vienna
The Hofburg and its imperial apartments, St Stephen's Cathedral and the Ringstrasse, with a private concert in a palace salon in the evening.
Schönbrunn, Vienna
Timed entry to Schönbrunn Palace and a walk up to the Gloriette, then an afternoon in a Viennese coffee house before the ship sails.
Linz, for Salzburg
A day trip from Linz to Salzburg, about 90 minutes each way, for Mozart's birthplace, the Getreidegasse and the Mirabell Gardens. Farewell dinner on board.
Castles of the Rhine, St. Goar
A Rhine day boat through the UNESCO-listed gorge past the Lorelei rock and its castles, with a wine tasting in Rüdesheim or Bacharach.
Day by day
Your Itinerary
- 01Day 1 · Budapest, Hungary
Embarkation in Budapest
Private transfer to your river ship, moored on the Danube in the city centre, and an evening cruise past the floodlit Parliament.
- Private airport transfer
- Boarding in central Budapest
- Illuminated Parliament by night
Meals:D - 02Day 2 · Budapest, Hungary
Budapest
Buda's Castle Hill, Matthias Church and the Fishermen's Bastion, then a guided visit inside Parliament. The ship sails upstream in the evening.
- Castle Hill and Fishermen's Bastion
- Inside the Hungarian Parliament
- Evening sailing
Meals:BLD - 03Day 3 · Bratislava, Slovakia
Bratislava
A compact old town below the castle, St Martin's Cathedral, where Hungarian kings were crowned, and the coffee houses of the main square.
- Bratislava old town
- St Martin's Cathedral
- Castle viewpoint
Meals:BLD - 04Day 4 · Vienna, Austria
Imperial Vienna
The Hofburg and its imperial apartments, St Stephen's Cathedral and the Ringstrasse, with a private concert in a palace salon in the evening.
- Hofburg imperial apartments
- St Stephen's Cathedral
- Private palace salon concert
Meals:BLD - 05Day 5 · Vienna, Austria
Schönbrunn
Timed entry to Schönbrunn Palace and a walk up to the Gloriette, then an afternoon in a Viennese coffee house before the ship sails.
- Schönbrunn Palace
- The Gloriette
- Viennese coffee house
Meals:BLD - 06Day 6 · Dürnstein and Melk, Austria
The Wachau Valley
Cruising through the UNESCO-listed Wachau's vineyards and apricot orchards to Dürnstein, then the baroque Melk Abbey and its library.
- Scenic cruising through the Wachau
- Dürnstein village
- Melk Abbey and library
Meals:BLD - 07Day 7 · Linz, Austria
Linz, for Salzburg
A day trip from Linz to Salzburg, about 90 minutes each way, for Mozart's birthplace, the Getreidegasse and the Mirabell Gardens. Farewell dinner on board.
- Salzburg old town
- Mirabell Gardens
- Farewell dinner on board
Meals:BLD - 08Day 8 · St. Goar, Germany
Passau to the Rhine Gorge
Disembark in Passau after a walk to where the Danube, Inn and Ilz meet, then travel by train to the Rhine, the last stretch along the river into the gorge.
- Morning disembarkation in Passau
- Train to the Rhine valley
- Hotel night in the Rhine Gorge
Meals:B - 09Day 9 · St. Goar, Germany
Castles of the Rhine
A Rhine day boat through the UNESCO-listed gorge past the Lorelei rock and its castles, with a wine tasting in Rüdesheim or Bacharach.
- Rhine day boat past the Lorelei
- Castles of the Middle Rhine
- Riesling tasting
Meals:B - 10Day 10 · Amsterdam, the Netherlands
To Amsterdam
By train via Cologne to Amsterdam, about four hours, with time to see Cologne Cathedral between trains, then an evening walk through the Jordaan.
- Train via Cologne
- Cologne Cathedral stop
- Jordaan canals at dusk
Meals:B - 11Day 11 · Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Amsterdam's Canal Ring
A morning boat through the UNESCO-listed canal ring, then the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh Museum with timed entry.
- Canal ring by boat
- Rijksmuseum or Van Gogh Museum
- Afternoon at leisure
Meals:B - 12Day 12 · Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Departure from Amsterdam
A last canal-side coffee before the private transfer to Schiphol, about 25 minutes.
- Morning at leisure
- Private transfer to Schiphol
- Optional extra nights
Meals:B
Inclusions
- Handpicked luxury accommodations across the journey
- Daily breakfast; select lunches and dinners as noted
- Private airport transfers and inter-city ground movement
- Curated experiences and reserved access as listed
- 24×7 on-trip concierge from our India desk
Not included
- International airfare unless explicitly mentioned
- Visa fees, travel insurance and personal expenses
- Meals and experiences not listed in the itinerary
- Gratuities for guides, drivers and hotel staff
- Anything of a personal nature (spa, minibar, laundry)
Transfers
- Private arrival and departure transfers with a named driver
- Moves between stops by private car, rail, ferry or domestic flight, as shown day by day
- Timings reconfirmed with you the evening before each transfer
Visa & Documentation
- Visa guidance provided by our documentation desk
- Recommended to hold passport valid for 6+ months
- Digital pre-arrival forms handled on your behalf where possible
Common Questions
Is a river cruise good for older travellers?+
Yes. Ships dock in the centre of town, so there is little walking to start each excursion, and there are lifts on most modern river ships. Tell us about mobility needs when you enquire.
When do river cruises run?+
March to December. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable; December sailings visit Christmas markets. Very low or high water can occasionally change a day's route.
Do we need more than one visa?+
No. Hungary, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands are all in the Schengen area, so one Schengen visa covers the whole voyage.
How far in advance should we book?+
Three to four months ahead gives the widest choice of rooms and guided days, and more for school holidays, festivals and peak season. Shorter notice is often possible; ask and we will check live availability.
Can the itinerary be customised?+
Yes. Every journey is a starting point: add or remove nights, swap a day's plan, change hotels or reorder the route, and your travel specialist re-plans the whole trip around it.
What is the payment schedule?+
Your quote sets out the deposit that confirms the booking and the date the balance is due. Both depend on the hotels, airlines and guides involved, so they are agreed with you before you pay anything.
Speak to a Curator
Let's shape this journey around you.
Share a few details and one of our curators will get in touch, usually within a working day, with a bespoke proposal and pricing.
Prefer to talk?
+91 98117 66362
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