Journey along the Danube and see firsthand why this storied river has inspired generations of artists, poets and musicians. Indulge your passion for timeless architecture and art in four magnificent capitals: Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna and Prague. Let the hills come alive with the sounds of music in Salzburg and the Austrian Lake District. Cruise through the enchanting Strudengau Valley and let the melodies of the Danube carry you from one gem to another on a regal journey through time.
Journey along the Danube and see firsthand why this storied river has inspired generations of artists, poets and musicians. Indulge your passion for timeless architecture and art in four magnificent capitals: Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna and Prague. Let the hills come alive with the sounds of music in Salzburg and the Austrian Lake District. Cruise through the enchanting Strudengau Valley and let the melodies of the Danube carry you from one gem to another on a regal journey through time.
COUNTRIES:
Austria, Germany, Hungary, SlovakiaAustria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic
RIVERS:
Danube
Melodies of the Danube
At A Glance
On our cruises, you will enjoy an extensive lineup of included tours. In many cases, you will have a choice of excursions, such as standard tours, bike tours, hikes and Special Interest Tours. We always include a large variety of activities so that you can choose how you want to explore. No matter your preference, your days will be full of discovery and wonder.
Arrive in Budapest and board your luxurious river cruise ship. (D)
| Day 2 | Budapest | “Queen of the Danube” tour |
|
Budapest offers an unmatched combination of culture, tradition and even a secret labyrinth of caves under the city. Your city tour begins with a visit to the Great Market Hall before going to both the Buda (hilly) and the Pest (flat) sides of the river. You’ll see Heroes’ Square and Castle Hill, home to the Fisherman’s Bastion and Mattias Church. (B,L,D)
| Day 3 | Bratislava | “Coronation City” walking tour |
|
| | OR Bratislava Castle hike |
|
Host to the crowning ceremonies of 11 Hungarian kings and queens between 1536 and 1830, Bratislava certainly has earned the title “Coronation City of Kings,” as you’ll discover during your walking tour. Or join a special “Tastes of Slovakia” tour. For a more active adventure, hike up to Bratislava Castle, offering magnificent views of the city. (B,L,D)
*Please Note: Wine Cruise itineraries are modified and will not visit Bratislava. Instead of visiting Bratislava, guests will enjoy visiting the charming winemaking town of Gobelsberg.
| | OR Vienna by Bike (city tour of Vienna on Bike) |
|
The “City of Waltzes” offers a wealth of gems and your city tour showcases its regal splendors, including the majestic Opera House and the former Imperial Palace of the Habsburgs. Conclude your tour in Vienna’s historic city center and then visit St. Stephen’s Cathedral. For a more active exploration of the area, take a guided bike ride that includes opportunities to see all the sites listed above as well as the majestic Ringstrasse, Vienna’s famed ring road, lined with grand buildings, monuments and parks. During the afternoon, enjoy leisure time to further explore this iconic city. (B,L,D)
| Day 5 | Weissenkirchen | Highlights of Dürnstein and Melk Abbey |
|
| | OR Weissenkirchen to Melk bike tour |
|
| | OR Weissenkirchen walking tour and Melk Abbey |
|
| | OR Dürnstein excursion with wine and apricots tastings |
|
| Scenic Cruising | Strudengau Valley |
|
| Grein | Exclusive castle visit with private reception |
|
After reaching Weissenkirchen, you’ll be treated to several choices of excursions. Take a walking tour of Weissenkirchen followed by an abbey visit. If you prefer a more active adventure, join a guided bike tour from Melk to Pochlarn. For a more culinary-focused experience, join a walking tour in Dürnstein, then enjoy a wine tasting hosted by a local vintner and sample special apricot treats from a local boutique or hike up to the fortress where Richard the Lionheart was once held. Later in the day, sail through the Strudengau Valley to medieval Grein for an exclusive visit to the more than 500-year-old Greinburg Castle, looming regally from above. While here, enjoy a folklore show and wine reception. (B,L,D)
| Day 6 | Linz | “UNESCO City of Media Arts” walking tour |
|
| | OR Full-day Salzburg excursion |
|
| | OR “Cultural Mile” bike tour |
|
| | Half-day Salzburg excursion |
|
| | OR Český Krumlov excursion |
|
| | OR Austrian Lake District excursion |
|
The ship arrives in Linz where you’ll have several choices of excursions. Opt for a full-day excursion to Salzburg where you’ll tour the historic center, Mirabell Gardens, Residenz Square and the Old Market. En route to Salzburg, stop at Mondsee, home of the Basilica St. Michael. Or go on a bike tour of the city’s famed “Cultural Mile” and the Danube. During the afternoon, you have three more options. Choose a half-day excursion to Salzburg or take a scenic drive through the Austrian Lake District with a stop in St. Wolfgang. You can also choose to visit charming Český Krumlov, located just over the Czech-Austrian border. (B,L,D)
| Day 7 | Passau | “City of Three Rivers” walking tour |
|
| Vilshofen | Exclusive Oktoberfest celebration |
|
Discover the city of Passau in one of three ways. Enjoy a walking tour and marvel at Gothic and Italian Baroque architecture and St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Or choose between a guided bike tour along the Danube River, or a guided hike up to the Veste Oberhaus fortress. Later, cruise to Vilshofen, where you will be treated to a festive Oktoberfest celebration— an AmaWaterways exclusive. (B,L,D)
| Day 8 | Vilshofen | DISEMBARKATION |
|
Bid farewell to Vilshofen and prepare for your flight home. (B)
| Day 1 | Budapest | Hotel check-in |
|
Arrive in Budapest and transfer to your hotel.
| Day 2 | Budapest | “Hidden Budapest” tour |
|
Budapest is one of Europe’s most
regal and storied cities—and many of its most iconic
sights are just off the banks of the Danube. Today’s tour
takes you to the Jewish Quarter and its treasures.
The Great Synagogue, the largest in Europe and the
second largest in the world, is the heart of the quarter.
Other prominent attractions include the Holocaust
Memorial, a weeping willow tree with the names of
Hungary’s Jewish Holocaust victims inscribed on each
leaf; and the Shoes on the Danube, a memorial to the
Budapest Jewish community. (B)
Check out of
your hotel to board your luxurious ship. Enjoy a special
evening Illuminations cruise. (B,D)
| Day 4 | Budapest | “Queen of the Danube” tour |
|
Budapest offers an unmatched combination of culture, tradition and even a secret labyrinth of caves under the city. Your city tour begins with a visit to the Great Market Hall before going to both the Buda (hilly) and the Pest (flat) sides of the river. You’ll see Heroes’ Square and Castle Hill, home to the Fisherman’s Bastion and Mattias Church. (B,L,D)
| Day 5 | Bratislava | “Coronation City” walking tour |
|
| | OR Bratislava Castle hike |
|
Host to the crowning ceremonies of 11 Hungarian kings and queens between 1536 and 1830, Bratislava certainly has earned the title “Coronation City of Kings,” as you’ll discover during your walking tour. Or join a special “Tastes of Slovakia” tour. For a more active adventure, hike up to Bratislava Castle, offering magnificent views of the city. (B,L,D)
*Please Note: Wine Cruise itineraries are modified and will not visit Bratislava. Instead of visiting Bratislava, guests will enjoy visiting the charming winemaking town of Gobelsberg.
| | OR Vienna by Bike (city tour of Vienna on Bike) |
|
The “City of Waltzes” offers a wealth of gems and your city tour showcases its regal splendors, including the majestic Opera House and the former Imperial Palace of the Habsburgs. Conclude your tour in Vienna’s historic city center and then visit St. Stephen’s Cathedral. For a more active exploration of the area, take a guided bike ride that includes opportunities to see all the sites listed above as well as the majestic Ringstrasse, Vienna’s famed ring road, lined with grand buildings, monuments and parks. During the afternoon, enjoy leisure time to further explore this iconic city. (B,L,D)
| Day 7 | Weissenkirchen | Highlights of Dürnstein and Melk Abbey |
|
| | OR Weissenkirchen to Melk bike tour |
|
| | OR Weissenkirchen walking tour and Melk Abbey |
|
| | OR Dürnstein excursion with wine and apricots tastings |
|
| Scenic Cruising | Strudengau Valley |
|
| Grein | Exclusive castle visit with private reception |
|
After reaching Weissenkirchen, you’ll be treated to several choices of excursions. Take a walking tour of Weissenkirchen followed by an abbey visit. If you prefer a more active adventure, join a guided bike tour from Melk to Pochlarn. For a more culinary-focused experience, join a walking tour in Dürnstein, then enjoy a wine tasting hosted by a local vintner and sample special apricot treats from a local boutique or hike up to the fortress where Richard the Lionheart was once held. Later in the day, sail through the Strudengau Valley to medieval Grein for an exclusive visit to the more than 500-year-old Greinburg Castle, looming regally from above. While here, enjoy a folklore show and wine reception. (B,L,D)
| Day 8 | Linz | “UNESCO City of Media Arts” walking tour |
|
| | OR Full-day Salzburg excursion |
|
| | OR “Cultural Mile” bike tour |
|
| | Half-day Salzburg excursion |
|
| | OR Český Krumlov excursion |
|
| | OR Austrian Lake District excursion |
|
The ship arrives in Linz where you’ll have several choices of excursions. Opt for a full-day excursion to Salzburg where you’ll tour the historic center, Mirabell Gardens, Residenz Square and the Old Market. En route to Salzburg, stop at Mondsee, home of the Basilica St. Michael. Or go on a bike tour of the city’s famed “Cultural Mile” and the Danube. During the afternoon, you have three more options. Choose a half-day excursion to Salzburg or take a scenic drive through the Austrian Lake District with a stop in St. Wolfgang. You can also choose to visit charming Český Krumlov, located just over the Czech-Austrian border. (B,L,D)
| Day 9 | Passau | “City of Three Rivers” walking tour |
|
| Vilshofen | Exclusive Oktoberfest celebration |
|
Discover the city of Passau in one of three ways. Enjoy a walking tour and marvel at Gothic and Italian Baroque architecture and St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Or choose between a guided bike tour along the Danube River, or a guided hike up to the Veste Oberhaus fortress. Later, cruise to Vilshofen, where you will be treated to a festive Oktoberfest celebration— an AmaWaterways exclusive. (B,L,D)
| Day 10 | Vilshofen | DISEMBARKATION |
|
| Regensburg | UNESCO city highlights tour |
|
Depart the ship and drive through the countryside to Regensburg, one of Germany’s best preserved medieval cities, which you’ll discover on a guided walking tour showcasing the city’s architectural highlights, including the Old Town Hall and the Porta Praetoria. After touring Regensburg, continue your journey on to Prague. (B)
| Day 11 | Prague | “Golden City of a Hundred Spires” tour |
|
Discover Prague with a choice of a city tour or a castle hike. Both will reveal why Prague is considered one of Europe’s most attractive cities, with a historic city center that’s recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See all the key highlights, including the National Museum, Wenceslas Square, the 1,000 year-old Prague Castle and Old Market Square, where you will find the famous Astronomical Clock. (B)
| Day 12 | Prague | Czech beer tasting |
|
Beer has a long and illustrious history in the Czech Republic with the first brewery known to have existed in 993. Pilsner Urquell was created in 1842, being the first pilsner ever made, whilst Budweiser came into being in the city of Budweis. Beer is a core part of the country’s national identity, so much so the Czechs are the biggest consumers of beer in the world. The country is home to more than 100 breweries with a combination of big names and micro establishments offering a huge range of styles, so join a Czech beer tasting and discover for yourself what makes the Czech’s beer some of the very best in the world. (B)
| Day 13 | Prague | Return flight home |
|
Bid farewell to Prague and prepare for your homeward flight. (B)