Scenic Transylvania and the Danube Spirit of the Danube

CRUISE AND STAY

SCENIC TRANSYLVANIA AND THE DANUBE

aboard Spirit of the Danube – see pages 144-149 for details

11 nightsFULL BOARD on your shipfrom £2519

Includes insurance and cancellation cover§ Price reduction available if not required.

Cruise the Danube through four countries before a three-night hotel stay in Transylvania.

Bran Castle, Brasov

Your river cruise

Day 1: Budapest. Fly to Budapest before being transferred to the port where you will embark Spirit of the Danube. Look forward to your welcome drink reception and dinner as you remain moored here overnight. Day 2: Budapest . This morning, uncover Budapest’s culinary and cultural scene on an included culinary walking tour, or join an included city tour. This afternoon, perhaps join an optional excursion to Gödöllo Palace or to the Lazar Equestrian Park Horse Farm before your ship sets sail this evening. Day 3: Kalocsa to Mohács. Perhaps disembark in Kalocsa early this morning to join an optional full-day excursion through the Hungarian lowlands to Puszta, where you can watch traditional horsemanship, rejoining your ship when she arrives in Mohács this afternoon. You may like to explore Mohács on an optional city walk. Spirit of the Danube continues cruising towards Novi Sad late this afternoon. Day 4: Novi Sad to Belgrade . Enjoy an optional excursion to Novi Sad this morning, returning to Serbia's capital, Belgrade. This afternoon an included tour of Belgrade features a visit to the historic 18th-century citadel, Kalemegdan Fortress. Depart before dinner.

Day 5: The Iron Gates. A real highlight of your holiday, spend the day cruising an exciting stretch of the Danube to the ‘Iron Gates’. Leaving the ‘Gates’ in your wake, pass through the southern stretch of the dramatic Carpathian mountains and the foothills of the Balkans and cruise on into the night. Day 6: Nikopol to Svistov to Rousse. Arrive in Nikopol early this morning for an included excursion to the town of Pleven for a walking tour followed by a glass of Bulgarian wine in a hotel. This afternoon an optional excursion visits Veliko Tarnovo. Excursion participants will rejoin the ship in Svistov before you sail on to Rousse where you moor overnight.

Day 7: Rousse to Silistra. Wake up in Rousse. Perhaps join an optional walking tour of the city this morning before sailing on towards Silistra this afternoon. Day 8: Silistra to Braila. Spend a relaxing day on board Spirit of the Danube as she cruises to Braila, arriving this evening and mooring here overnight.

Your stay

Day 9: Braila to Brasov. After breakfast disembark Spirit of the Danube and enjoy a scenic drive through the Carpathian Mountains, with lunch and some free time in the hills included. Continue to Brasov and the locally rated 5-star Aro Palace hotel (4Q), in the heart of Transylvania, where you will stay for three nights on a half-board basis. Day 10: Brasov. Head to the centre of Brasov for an included tour of this beautiful town, including entrance to the 14th-century Black Church.

Day 11: Brasov. Enjoy an included visit to 14th-century Bran Castle, the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Day 12: Brasov to Bucharest-UK. Check-out after breakfast and travel to Bucharest Airport for your return flight to the UK.

SAVE up to £300 per person on selected cabin grades and departures FREE CABIN UPGRADE worth up to £300^

The Iron Gates gorge in Serbia’s Djerdap National Park

The stately courthouse in Rousse, Bulgaria The Parliament of Budapest

SO MUCH INCLUDED…

Included travel insurance

VIP door-to-door travel service – see page 155

8 nights Full Board aboard the ship 3 nights Half Board in a hotel

30 meals: 11 breakfasts, 8 lunches and 11 dinners

Wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner on the ship

Cruise Host

Interactive maps and audio headsets for independent exploration

Plus... Drinks reception and Captain’s dinner • Complimentary Wi-Fi on board • All gratuities on board • Return flights and transfers.

INCLUDED EXCURSIONS

• Budapest city tour OR culinary walking tour of Budapest • Belgrade and the Kalemegdan Fortress • Pleven panoramic • Brosov city tour • Bran Castle.

EXTEND YOUR HOLIDAY

Budapest 2 nights with breakfasts

included. Before or after your holiday, stay two nights at either the locally rated 4-star Ensana Grand Hotel Margitziget (4Q) in the heart of a park on Margaret Island and

RIVER CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS

Rousse, the ‘Little Vienna’ of Bulgaria

Nicknamed 'Little Vienna' on account of its striking architecture, the elegant city of Rousse is home to numerous grand and beautiful buildings, such as the Building of the Tax Administration. The city’s turbulent past is well documented in a number of museums, as well as in the ruined Roman fortress which sits high above the Danube. Rousse also ofers a gateway to the beautiful valley of the Lom River where you’ll find the only active rock monastery in Bulgaria.

Historic Belgrade

One of the oldest cities in Europe, Belgrade has a fascinating history that can be traced back over 50,000 years. The city has witnessed over 115 wars and has been razed to the ground over 40 times, including by Attila the Hun. Look forward to an included city tour and visit to the 18th-century citadel, Kalemegdan Fortress.

Exploring ‘Dracula’s Castle’

14th-century Bran Castle has an imposing cliftop setting and was the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, even though the author had never visited Transylvania! Enjoy an included visit to this national monument, where Vlad the Impaler is believed to have been imprisoned during the 15th century.

The Parliament of Budapest

close to historical sights and city-centre shops; or at the locally rated 4-star Hilton Garden Inn (4Q), which enjoys a central location in Budapest. Single supplement (per person, per stay) apply. Please see page 143 for details.

Budapest

HUNGARY Kalocsa

Nights in hotel

Mohács Novi Sad

Belgrade

SERBIA ROMANIA

Brasov

Iron Gate Gorge Bucharest Silistra

Danube

Nikopol

BULGARIA

Rousse Svistov Braila

Prices are £s per person from: Jun 12, 2022 Sep 21# Lower Deck Twin (Forward - E) 2699* 2699 2549 Lower Deck Twin (D) 2819 2519 2819 2519 Middle Deck Twin, French Balcony (Forward - C) 3249 2949 3249 2949 Middle Deck Twin, French Balcony (B) 3349 3049 3349 3049 Upper Deck Twin, French Balcony (A) 3499 3499 3049 Lower Deck Sole occupancy (D) 4049 3749 4049 3749 Middle Deck, French Balcony Sole occupancy (B) 4499 4199 4499 4199 Upper Deck, French Balcony Sole occupancy (A) 4799 4799 4199 Cruise code DA344 DA343 Scenic Transylvania and the Danube. 11 nights. *This grade has limited availability. ^Free cabin upgrade from Middle Deck B grade to Upper Deck A grade, subject to limited availability. §If you choose to opt out of the included insurance and cancellation cover, a reduction applies of £40 – see page 150 for details. TRAVEL OPTIONS: Prices based on flights from Heathrow to Budapest, returning from Bucharest with the scheduled services of British Airways, except on departures marked # where the itinerary is reversed.

Be quick – to be guaranteed the best price, book early as flights can sell out and prices sometimes increase.

Please note: Some of the highlights may only be seen on optional excursions at an additional cost, or by exploring independently. #These departures follow a reverse itinerary, ports of call and timings may vary slightly.