AVALON – The Legendary Danube – 11 days
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Introduction
From the splendour of Prague’s ‘city of spires’ to beautiful Budapest, you’ll treasure every moment of this river cruise holiday. Cruise on the Danube River and take in the captivating Main-Danube Canal, and visit historic Nuremberg, medieval Regensburg, Melk’s magnificent Benedictine Abbey, and the blissful cultural and historical sights of romantic Vienna.
Itinerary
Day 1 Prague. Arrive in Prague where you will be met and transferred to the Hilton or InterContinental hotel for three nights.
Day 2 Prague. Included today: Guided sightseeing. Prague is a 1,200 year old city preserved in time. See its best-known treasures on a guided walking tour, including the Old Town’s astronomical clock, St Vitus Cathedral , Hradcany Castle grounds and the Charles Bridge. Browse the shops for art books and hand-cut crystal, mingle with the locals in Wenceslaus Square, an important meeting point and the site of famous demonstrations against the communist regime, or watch performers on Charles Bridge. (B)
Day 3 Prague. Enjoy a free day to explore the city at leisure. Perhaps visit the Communist Museum; sample the local plum dumplings and Pilsner; discover the Jewish Quarter; stroll along the banks of the Vltava River; or wander around Prague’s medieval Old Town, dating from the 10th century. Your Cruise Director will have lots of suggestions for things to do. (B)
Day 4 Prague – Nuremberg. After lunch, drive to Nuremberg, where your cruise ship is docked. Before dinner is served, meet your crew at a welcome reception. (B, D)
Day 5 Nuremberg. Included today: Choice of guided sightseeing or Nuremberg Trials tour; beer tasting. Although Nuremberg suffered extensive damage during World War II, much of it has been restored to its original style. Marvel at this historic city with its fabulous Gothic churches, elegant patrician houses and Kaiserburg Imperial Castle on an included guided sightseeing tour or perhaps join the more specialised ‘Nuremberg Trials’ tour. This afternoon, learn more about the fascinating Main-Danube Canal at our included on board lecture. After dinner, sample some of Germany’s famous beers. (B, L, D)
Day 6 Regensburg. Included today: Guided sightseeing. Regensburg dates back to the time of the Celts around 500BC and is one of Germany’s best preserved medieval cities. Established during the Holy Roman Empire and the only German city not bombed during WWII, Regensburg has at least 1,300 listed buildings of ‘historic interest’. Architectural highlights on your guided walk this afternoon include Porta Pretoria – gates to the Roman fort built in 179AD and the Old Town Hall. Enjoy an included snack at Germany’s oldest restaurant, the 12th century Historische Wurstküche (Old Sausage Kitchen). (B, L, D)
Day 7 Passau – Linz. Included today: Guided sightseeing in Passau. Ideally located at the confluence of the Rivers Inn, Ilz and Danube, Passau is a city of graceful arcades and cobblestone streets lined with beautiful patrician houses. Explore the highlights on a guided walk including St Stephen’s Cathedral which is home to one of the world’s largest church organs with more than 17,000 pipes. This afternoon, cruise to Linz. Alternatively, join an optional full-day excursion to either Salzburg, to take in the popular ‘Sound of Music’ sights, or Cesky Krumlov, a UNESCO town in the Czech Republic. (B, L, D)
Day 8 Melk – Vienna. Included today: Guided sightseeing. This morning, visit Melk’s magnificent Benedictine Abbey, which dominates the town from its commanding hilltop site and is one of Europe’s largest monasteries. The abbey houses an ornate library with over 80,000 printed books and 2,000 manuscripts. The splendour of the church with its marble statues, frescoed ceilings, 210-foot-high cupola and stunning high altar, is inspiring and the view from the abbey terrace across the Danube and surrounding countryside is breathtaking. Later, rejoin your ship and cruise through the beautiful and romantic Wachau Valley, where many excellent Austrian wines are grown and produced. Pass Dürnstein and its pretty blue Baroque Stiftskirche and continue cruising to Vienna. An optional concert is available tonight. (B, L, D)
Day 9 Vienna. Included today: Guided sightseeing. Also known as the ‘City of Music’, Vienna inspired the creative genius of Mozart, Strauss and Beethoven and was once the centre of the mighty Habsburg Empire. On your included guided city tour, see the lavish Hofburg Imperial Palace complex, with its Vienna Boys’ Choir and Lipizzaner stallions, awe-inspiring St Stephen’s Cathedral and the impressive neo-Renaissance Vienna Opera House. Stroll on the Kärntnerstrasse and enjoy Sachertorte or Apfelstrüdel in a classic Viennese coffee house. This afternoon, set sail for Budapest. (B, L, D)
Day 10 Budapest. Included today: Guided sightseeing. Spanning the banks of the Danube, Budapest is one of Eastern Europe’s liveliest cities. Today’s guided city tour takes in the massive hilltop castle complex, Fisherman’s Bastion and Matthias Church. This afternoon, explore this vibrant city at your own pace, perhaps walk across the famed Chain Bridge, a symbol of Budapest built in 1849 that connects ancient Buda on the right bank with Pest on the left. Or why not stroll along Vací Utca main shopping street, visit St Stephen’s Basilica or shop at the Great Market Hall to purchase paprika and embroidery. (B, L, D)
Day 11 Budapest. Disembark your ship and transfer to the airport for your flight to the UK. (B)
Note: Owing to lock closures and planned maintenance of technical equipment on the Main-Danube Canal, this itinerary will be modified slightly on some departures. On 25th March departure, embarkation will be in Passau and the itinerary will be adjusted accordingly.
Featured Hotel – Hilton Prague , InterContinental Prague
Price & dates
All prices and supplements are per person. The prices and departure dates listed in the table below do not show live availability therefore may not be up-to-date. To find out the latest availability please call us on 0800 612 5677 for information.
| Departure Date | Booking Code | Your Ship | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Mar 2015 | WNB2 | Avalon Impression | £2305 | Limited Availabiltiy |
| 07 Apr 2015 | WNB | Avalon Luminary | £2379 | SOLD OUT |
| 30 Apr 2015 | WNB4 | Avalon Illumination | £2505 | Limited Availability |
| 23 May 2015 | WNB5 | Avalon Expression | £2710 | |
| 26 May 2015 | WNB4 | Avalon Illumination | £2710 | SOLD OUT |
| 01 Jun 2015 | WNB8 | Avalon Visionary | £2639 | SOLD OUT |
| 06 Jun 2015 | WNB1 | Avalon Vista | £2640 | SOLD OUT |
| 09 Jun 2015 | WNB2 | Avalon Impression | £2639 | Limited Availability |
| 16 Jun 2015 | WNB | Avalon Luminary | £2615 | SOLD OUT |
| 23 Jun 2015 | WNB6 | Avalon Panorama | £2641 | Limited Availability |
| 29 Jun 2015 | WNB8 | Avalon Visionary | £2590 | Limited Availability |
| 04 Jul 2015 | WNB5 | Avalon Expression | £2595 | Limited Availability |
| 07 Jul 2015 | WNB4 | Avalon Illumination | £2595 | Limited Availability |
| 18 Jul 2015 | WNB1 | Avalon Vista | £2609 | |
| 21 Jul 2015 | WNB2 | Avalon Impression | £2654 | Limited Availability |
| 27 Jul 2015 | WNB8 | Avalon Visionary | £2654 | Limited Availability |
| 04 Aug 2015 | WNB6 | Avalon Panorama | £2636 | |
| 15 Aug 2015 | WNB5 | Avalon Expression | £2686 | Limited Availability |
| 25 Aug 2015 | WNB | Avalon Luminary | £2710 | Limited Availability |
| 29 Aug 2015 | WNB1 | Avalon Vista | £2810 | |
| 01 Sep 2015 | WNB2 | Avalon Impression | £2825 | Limited Availability |
| 15 Sep 2015 | WNB6 | Avalon Panorama | £2788 | SOLD OUT |
| 21 Sep 2015 | WNB8 | Avalon Visionary | £2765 | SOLD OUT |
| 26 Sep 2015 | WNB5 | Avalon Expression | £2689 | |
| 29 Sep 2015 | WNB4 | Avalon Illumination | £2591 | Limited Availability |
| 10 Oct 2015 | WNB1 | Avalon Vista | £2450 | SOLD OUT |
| 13 Oct 2015 | WNB2 | Avalon Impression | £2519 | Limited Availability |
| 19 Oct 2015 | WNB8 | Avalon Visionary | £2529 | |
| 24 Oct 2015 | WNB1 | Avalon Vista | £2479 |
Upgrade supplements
| Category | Deck | Luminary | Vista, Expression, Panorama, Impression Artistry II, Illumination, Visionary |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | Indigo | – – – | £115 |
| B | Sapphire | £375 | £545 |
| A | Sapphire | £405 | £575 |
| P | Royal | £465 | £639 |
| Suite | Royal | £815 | £1049 |
Travel Options
Prices are based on flights from Heathrow with British Airways. Flights are also available at a supplement from Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Humberside, Leeds Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle and Norwich.
The Avalon experience
Included Highlights
- PRAGUE Guided sightseeing, Astronomical Clock; visit Hradcany Castle grounds
- NUREMBERG Choice of guided sightseeing or Nuremberg Trials Tour; beer tasting
- MAIN-DANUBE CANAL Cruise on the canal
- REGENSBURG Guided sightseeing
- PASSAU Guided sightseeing
- MELK Guided visit of the Benedictine Abbey
- VIENNA Guided sightseeing
- BUDAPEST Guided sightseeing, visit Fisherman’s Bastion
- WELCOME RECEPTION, CAPTAIN’S RECEPTION AND FAREWELL DINNER
Included in the price
- Private door-to-door home pick-up service by executive car for you and your travelling companions
- Flights from London Heathrow with British Airways; regional flights at a supplement
- 7 nights deluxe accommodation in a spacious stateroom with hotel-style beds, ensuite facilities and river views. Floor to ceiling sliding glass doors and a French Balcony in most staterooms. 3 nights at the Hilton or InterContinental hotel, Prague
- All meals on board including full breakfast, buffet lunch and waiter service dinner with quality wines from Europe’s most famous wine regions; afternoon tea with cakes and sweet treats; a choice of teas and coffees throughout the day. Buffet breakfast (B) in Prague
- Included excursions and sightseeing trips with Local Guides and a choice of optional tours; headsets provided on excursions
- Services of an experienced Cruise Director
- Gratuities for Cruise Director and crew
- On board lectures, activities and nightly piano music
- Welcome reception, Captain’s Reception and Farewell Dinner
- All transfers, local port charges and airport taxes
- A choice of pre- or post- holiday extensions