Romantic Blue Danube: Budapest, Vienna & Prague

Join us for an optional tour of the expansive summer estate of Habsburg royalty, Schoenbrunn Palace (whose name means “beautiful spring”). Featuring 1,400 rooms, meticulously maintained gardens, and an architectural legacy that stretches back to the 17th century, the palace is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your tour also includes a visit to the Carriage Museum. 

In the early evening, you can attend an optional Chopin piano recital, enjoying the music of Poland's best-known and most beloved musician. Finish up the evening with an included dinner following the performance.

Join an afternoon optional tour to the Wieliczka Salt Mines—working mines that have been in operation for more than seven centuries, producing about 700 tons of pure salt per day. These fascinating mines are considered one of Europe's great wonders and are protected by UNESCO as a historic monument. Here are more than 2,000 caverns of underground beauty on nine main levels—breathtaking chambers, galleries, and salt lakes. After exploring the mines, end the day with a typical Polish dinner in a local restaurant, accompanied by a sample of Zubrowka, the famous Polish vodka. The cost of this optional tour includes dinner.

Prague boasts 1,000 years of Jewish cultural history—including a period in the 18th century when more Jews lived here than anywhere else in the world. During this tour, you’ll visit several of the city’s synagogues (among them Europe’s oldest), as well as the Jewish Museum, displaying some 40,000 cultural artifacts. You’ll also explore the Old Jewish Cemetery, where observant Czech Jews have been buried for six centuries.

Please note: If this optional tour falls on a Saturday or holiday, it will be offered one day earlier. 

Join an excursion to Etyek, a region of Hungary not too far outside of Budapest that's known for its booming and relatively young wine industry. Gaze upon the rolling hills that line the road to this region, adorned with vines and greenery, as you ride there with your fellow travelers. You'll sample a number of wines at your first venue and enjoy tasty, traditional snacks. At your second stop, you'll taste four more wines and enjoy a three-course Hungarian dinner.

Vienna without music wouldn’t be Vienna. So, you may want to join an optional evening excursion to one of Vienna’s concert halls, where you'll enjoy a classical music performance. You’ll be enchanted by the most beautiful melodies of classical Austrian music of Strauss and Mozart.

Immerse yourself in the culture of Wachau Valley and get a glimpse at local life during a visit to Marillen Farm. You'll get a guided tour of this family-run apricot farm and enjoy a tasting of the fresh produce in its many forms—from marmalade to wine. This is the perfect chance to speak with your guides about agriculture in Austria and what it's like to run a business in the Wachau Valley.

Please note: Apricot farm operations vary by season. Some months are busier while others are quieter. Apricot picking does not occur during March departures.