Budapest to the Black Sea

Eastbound Itinerary • = cruise day 1. Arrive Budapest Tour begins: 6:00 PM, Le Méridien Budapest. A transfer is included from Ferihegy Airport to Le Méridien Budapest. Join us for a special welcome cocktail reception and dinner this evening in Budapest. Meals D 2. Buda + Pest = Budapest A guided sightseeing tour of Pest includes a visit to the neo-Renaissance State Opera House, filled with works of famous Hungarian artists. View a mix of architectural masterpieces and historic monuments – City Park, patriotic Heroes’ Square, bustling Central Market Hall, the neo-Gothic Parliament building, and tree-lined Andrassy Avenue. Spend the rest of the day as you please – there’s so much to see and do! Meals B • 3. Discover Buda / Embark Riverboat Following a morning at leisure in one of Europe’s most fashionable cities, a guided walking tour of Buda includes Castle Hill, featuring Fishermen’s Bastion overlooking the Danube, and 700-year-old Matthias Church (may be closed on some days due to services). Board Tauck’s riverboat for the start of your weeklong cruise along the lower Danube River, setting off for Solt, Hungary. Meals BD • 4. Solt / Kalocsa Take a horse-drawn wagon ride to the Equestrian Center, where local craftsmen and traditional Puszta horsemen demonstrate their skills. Your riverboat cruises to Kalocsa this afternoon, celebrated for its paprika and folk art. Visit the magnificent Rococo-style paneled library in the 18th-century Baroque Bishop’s Palace, considered one of the finest libraries in Europe, and attend a wine tasting at a Hungarian winery before rejoining the riverboat. Meals BLD • 5. Cruise to Croatia An on-board lecture about the diverse events and cultural influences that have contributed to Croatia’s turbulent history sets the stage for your visit to the 10th-century city of Vukovar, rebuilding after the 1990s war. Vukovar was renowned for its elegant 18th-century Baroque mansions, and today is a mix of old and new. Cruise to Serbia this afternoon, with commentary from your Tauck Director. Meals BLD • 6. Belgrade, Serbia’s Capital Awaken dockside in Belgrade, the cosmopolitan capital of Serbia; the city’s roots date back to a Celtic settlement in 3 BC. A lecture aboard ship paves the way for a guided sightseeing tour that includes visits to Tito’s Memorial, St. Sava Church, and Kalemegdan Fortress; see Slavija Square, Parliament, City Hall, Republic Square and the National Theatre. You’ll have time on your own before returning to the riverboat, where this evening a music and dance presentation follows dinner. Meals BLD • 7. Iron Gate of the Danube Activities on the riverboat throughout your cruise include special lectures and presentations, such as cooking demonstrations or music and dance performances. Spend a relaxing day cruising the Danube River through the scenic heartland of Eastern Europe. Pass through the Kazan Narrows and the Iron Gate, a series of narrow gorges where the Danube courses down from the towering Carpathian Mountains. Today you’ll see a monument to the 2nd-century Dacian King Decebalus carved into the Danube’s rocky bank. Europe’s tallest rock sculpture, it was completed in 2004 after a decade of work by a dozen sculptors. View the Transylvanian Alps as you cruise to Bulgaria. Meals BLD • 8. Welcome to Bulgaria For those fascinated by the imagery and symbols in visual arts –and the subject of several popular novels –, there is an opportunity to attend a lecture and demonstration on Iconography this morning. Your riverboat arrives into Svishtov, Bulgaria, for culturally rich visits to nearby Bulgarian towns. Travel to Veliko Turnovo, which served as Bulgaria’s capital in medieval times – the sight of its ancient walled fortress and castle nestled atop three hills on the Yantra River is memorable. In the neighboring town of Arbanassi, sample local cuisine at a home-hosted private lunch, where you’ll have a unique opportunity to meet and dine with your Bulgarian contemporaries. The day ends back on board the riverboat with a special music and dance performance and a look at traditional Bulgarian customs. Meals BLD • 9. Romania’s Black Sea Coast Your riverboat arrives in Cernavoda, Romania, this morning for a day trip to the beautiful Black Sea coast. Take a guided tour of the resort city of Constanta, then visit the seaside resort of Mamaia, one of the largest on Romania’s coast. A popular vacation destination for over a century, Mamaia boasts the only beaches in Europe featuring fine, pure-white sand. Back on the riverboat, your cruise comes to an end this evening when we celebrate new knowledge, renewed inspiration and everlasting friendships at the Captain’s farewell cocktail reception and dinner. Meals BLD 10. Disembark Ship / Bucharest Disembark the riverboat in Cernavoda and travel through the Romanian countryside to Bucharest for a two-night stay. Following lunch at a local restaurant, a sightseeing tour of Romania’s capital, once regarded as “the Paris of the Balkans,” 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 huge People’s Palace, home to the Romanian Parliament; some parts of it are still unfinished! Your landmark hotel, Athénée Palace Hilton Bucharest, has played a role in Bucharest history since 1914; it is one of Romania’s top hotels. Meals BLD 11. Peles Castle / Snagov Monastery You have a choice of sightseeing today. Take a full day excursion to tour fairy-tale Peles Castle in Sinaia (subject to weekly closures), built for the Romanian royal family in the 1880s. Alternatively, take a boat across Snagov Lake to tiny Snagov Island, the reputed burial place of Vlad the Impaler (inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula). Meals BL 12. Journey Home Tour ends: Bucharest, Romania. A transfer from the Athénée Palace Hilton Bucharest to Bucharest Airport is included; allow 2½ hours for flight check-in. Meals B

 

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

Day 1: Your adventure begins in Budapest
A transfer is included from Budapest's Ferihegy Airport to Le Méridien Budapest in the heart of the city's Pest section. Meet your fellow travelers and Tauck Directors at the welcome cocktail reception followed by dinner in the hotel this evening.
Overnight: Le Méridien Budapest, Hungary
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Discover bustling Budapest, past and present
Your exploration of Budapest begins with a special visit to the opulent State Opera House in Pest, opened in 1884. Later, view the Parliament building, a Neo-Gothic masterpiece; Heroes’ Square, bounded by some of the finest architectural works in Hungary; and such Budapest treasures as City Park, Central Market Hall, and tree-lined Andrassy Avenue.
Overnight: Le Méridien Budapest, Hungary
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 3: • Visit Budapest landmarks and set off on your cruise
After a morning at leisure, tour Buda's Castle Hill, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on a guided walking tour; see architectural landmarks such as iconic Fishermen's Bastion and 700-year-old Matthias Church. Board your Tauck luxury riverboat to launch this most extraordinary of Danube cruises, bound for Solt. Note: Matthias Church may be closed on some departures due to services.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 4: • Horses and folkways in Hungary
A horse-drawn wagon ride takes you to the Equestrian Center, where you'll see Puszta horsemen demonstrating traditional skills. Then cruise to Kalocsa, celebrated for its paprika and folk art, where you'll visit the beautiful Baroque library in the Bishop’s Palace, housing one of the finest early collections in Europe.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 5: • Cruise to Croatia's historic cities
As your discovery of the lower Danube cruises into Croatia, attend an on-board lecture on the country's culture and history. Travel overland to the Baroque city of Vukovar, once showcasing opulent 18th-century mansions, but now poignantly symbolizing the effects of the 1990s war as it rebuilds. Continue cruising to Serbia this afternoon.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 6: • Serbia's cosmopolitan capital, Belgrade
Dock early morning in Belgrade, Serbia's modern capital at the juncture of the Danube and Sava rivers, with roots dating back to 3 BC. A shipboard lecture sets the stage for sightseeing including visits to Tito's Memorial, St. Sava Church, and Kalemegdan Fortress, one of the city's key historic sites. You'll also see busy Slavija Square in the heart of Belgrade, Serbia's Parliament complex, Republic Square, the National Theatre and City Hall. Back aboard your riverboat, enjoy some leisure time before dinner, which is followed by a music and dance presentation.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 7: • The Iron Gate, King Decebalus and more
Continuing one of Tauck's popular Danube cruises, relax on a day's cruise past the fields and vineyards of Eastern Europe; shipboard activities which may be offered during your cruise range from cooking demonstrations to folkloric, music and dance performances. Pass into Romania and through the Kazan Narrows and the Iron Gate of the Danube, a two-mile-long series of narrow gorges between the Carpathian and Balkan Mountains. As you glide along the Bulgarian / Romanian border, look for the massive monument to the 2nd-century Dacian King Decebalus – Europe's tallest rock sculpture, completed in 2004 – carved into the riverbank on the Romanian side, as well as spectacular views of the Transylvanian Alps.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 8: • Big day in Bulgaria
Learn all about Iconography with a lecture and demonstration as your journey along the lower Danube cruises to Svishtov, Bulgaria, for excursions to nearby towns. Travel to the medieval capital of Bulgaria, Veliko Turnovo, whose ancient walled fortress and castle are set atop three hills overlooking the Yantra River. In the nearby town of Arbanassi, you'll enjoy a unique opportunity to meet and share local specialties with your Bulgarian contemporaries at a private, home-hosted lunch. A busy day concludes with an on-board presentation on Bulgarian customs, as well as special music and dance perfomances.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 9: • Exploring Romania’s Black Sea coast
Arrive in Cernavoda and head off on a day trip to Romania's Black Sea coast, stopping at the seaside resort towns of Constanta – where you'll take a guided tour – and Mamaia, set at the edge of the Black Sea. You may want to take a walk along one of Mamaia's fine beaches – they're the only ones in Europe sporting pure-white sand, and have helped make Mamaia a popular vacation destination for more than a century. Please join us aboard the riverboat for the Captain's farewell cocktail reception and dinner tonight.
Overnight: Cruising aboard the Riverboat
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 10: Bucharest beckons
After disembarking your riverboat and bidding the crew goodbye in Cernavoda, travel through the Romanian countryside to Bucharest, capital of Romania and once regarded as the "Paris of the Balkans." A sightseeing tour includes Revolution Square and the Triumphal Arch; erected to commemorate Romania's reunification and those who fell in World War I, it is a smaller but exact copy of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. You'll also pay a visit to the massive People's Palace, home to Romania's Parliament; the world's second-largest building after the Pentagon, some parts of it are reportedly still unfinished! Tonight you'll spend the first of two nights at the JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel in the heart of the city.
Overnight: JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel, Bucharest, Romania
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 11: Castles, monasteries and mysteries in Romania
A choice of sightseeing in Romania today invites you to opt for a full day's excursion to tour fairy-tale Peles Castle in Sinaia – built for Romania's royal family in the 1880s – or a boat ride to Snagov Island to visit isolated Snagov Monastery, said to be the final resting place of Vlad Tepes, the historical model for Bram Stoker's character of Dracula. Both groups return to Bucharest as Tauck's memorable Danube cruise draws to a close. 
Overnight: JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel, Bucharest, Romania
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 12: Homeward bound
Tour ends in Bucharest, Romania. A transfer is included from the JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel to Bucharest Airport.
Overnight:
Meals Included: Breakfast

Don't miss our current specials: Special Air Savings - Learn More Hurry! Air Savings End March 26! Special International Air Savings – Europe Book and deposit summertime departures of the following Tauck journeys to Europe by March 26, 2010 and save $2,000 per couple off Business Class Air ($1,000 off per person) from select U.S. cities. Savings are valid for travel between June 29 and September 5, 2010, subject to availability: •Treasures of the Aegean – 14 days with a 7-night cruise aboard Wind Star / Wind Spirit •Sicily, the Amalfi Coast & Rome – 11 days with a 7-night cruise aboard Le Ponant •Switzerland – 11 days featuring travel along Tauck’s scenic Yellow Roads •Italian Lakes, Venice, Florence & Rome – 10 days in Italy with all multiple-night stays •Paradors of Northern Spain – 14 days exploring culturally rich Iberia •The Best of Ireland – 13 days featuring iconic cultural treasures of the Emerald Isle •A Week In… Ireland – 8 days with a 2-night stay at Dromoland Castle •A Week In… Spain – 8 days from Barcelona to Andalucía, Seville and Madrid •A Week In… Scotland – 8 days with 2- and 3-night stays in Loch Lomond, Inverness & Edinburgh •Spain and Portugal – 14 days of Iberian pleasures and culinary treasures •Normandy, Brittany, Paris & the Loire Valley – 13 days showcasing joie de vivre •A Week In… London & Paris – 4 nights at a grand hotel in London and 3 nights in Paree •Castles & Kings: London to Paris – An 8-day family vacation alive with royal traditions Deposit must be paid at time of booking and certain restrictions apply. Valid on new bookings only and not combinable with other promotions; ask for details. Tauck Tour Deals Traveling with a group of friends or family can add to the joy of any journey. Book a group of 10 on any Tauck land journey or cruise and the 11th guest travels FREE. Book a group of 8 on any Tauck Bridges family adventure and the 9th guest travels FREE Tauck Single Specials For those seeking singles tours, we are pleased to offer special values on select departures to our guests who choose to travel solo. You can travel with peace of mind, knowing that you are among like-minded travelers and will have all the day-to-day details handled for you! While everyone is welcome, on these select dates we offer special arrangements to those traveling solo at a reduced cost. Tauck Single Specials in North America Best of the Canadian Rockies Michigan's Lakes & Mackinac Island Charleston/Savannah Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia San Fransisco, Sonoma & Napa Valleys Tauck Single Specials in Europe A Week in Ireland A Week in Spain Mediterranean Discovery Istanbul and the Black Sea Treasure of the Mediterranean Cruising Mediterranean Shores The Blue Danube Holland Belgium in Spring Strasbourg to Prague Serenade The Rhine and Moselle Budapest to Amsterdam by Riverboat Budapest to the Black Sea Classic Italy Bellissima Northern Italy Italian Lakes, Venice, Florence and Rome A Week in Paris and Provence Tauck Singles Specials in Latin America Panama Canal & Costa Rica
Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
5/18/2010 - 5/30/2010	$4,790
6/1/2010 - 6/13/2010	$4,990
9/27/2010 - 10/9/2010	$4,990
10/5/2010 - 10/17/2010	$4,590
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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