BLUE DANUBE RIVER CRUISE FOR SOLO TRAVELERS ITINERARY

Day 1 – You fly to Budapest, where a coach takes you to your cruise ship.

Day 2 – Esztergom

Overnight we have cruised upstream to Esztergom, one of Hungary’s oldest towns, we have a guided tour of the famous neoclassical basilica, standing sentinel over the Danube on the border with Slovakia, and boasting one of the world’s largest altarpieces and a wealth of priceless religious artefacts.

Day 3 – Bratislava

This morning we explore Slovakia’s fast-emerging capital city, Bratislava, on a guided tour. Discover the only preserved gate of the city’s fortification system, the Neo-Renaissance-style Old Opera House, St. Martin’s Cathedral – a Gothic structure from the 15th century and former coronation site – along with the Classicist Primate’s Palace.

Day 4 – Durnstein & Melk

Dürnstein is known principally for the ice-blue tower of its abbey, which dominates the view, and the castle where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned in 1192 after being shipwrecked on his return from the crusades. This morning, we embark on a guided walking tour to delve deeper into this unforgettable city. After lunch you visit the remarkable Melk Abbey. Nothing quite prepares you for your first sight of this enormous honey-coloured building, standing resplendent above the surrounding countryside. Originally a castle, it was gifted to the Benedictine Order in the 11th-century and, although reconstructed in Baroque style during the 18th century, it has remained a monastic school and monastery ever since.

Day 5 – Salzburg OR Linz

Reaching Linz, you will have the choice to stay in the city and take a guided walking tour OR we drive to Salzburg, once an independent state whose archbishops turned it into one of the most sophisticated cities north of the Alps

Day 6 – Vienna

For many, today’s visit to Vienna will be one of the highlights of the cruise. The city’s very name provokes images of elegance, fine music, wide boulevards, Baroque architecture and a rich tapestry of peoples who were drawn here from all corners of Europe. For 200 years until the First World War, Vienna was the cultural centre of Europe and many of the showpiece buildings, galleries, aristocratic palaces and magnificent churches you see today were built to reflect its imperial status. The city’s most iconic monument is the breathtaking Saint Stephen’s Cathedral, whose striking multi-coloured roof and huge Gothic South Tower dominate the skyline.

Day 7 – Budapest

Enjoy a leisurely morning as we cruise majestically through Hungary’s peaceful pastoral landscape towards Budapest. After lunch we enjoy a sightseeing tour of this captivating city. The twin cities of Buda, built around the hilltop fortress, and Pest, with its wide boulevards, were fought over through the centuries. The Ottomans ruled here for 150 years before being ousted in the late 17th century, but their legacy lives on in the many thermal baths fed by hot springs, giving rise to Budapest’s other sobriquet – the ‘City of Spas’.

Day 8 – Transfer to airport for flight home

Prices are per person based on one person in a twin cabin for sole occupancy. The price includes:

• Return flights from Dublin
• All meals on board (except one lunch if choosing the Salzburg excursion) – from dinner on your day of arrival until breakfast on your final day – including welcome cocktails and the Captain’s dinner.
• Complimentary on-board tea and coffee
• All visits and excursions as mentioned
• Airport transfers
• Coach travel as mentioned
• Free Onboard WIFI
• The services of a Riviera Travel cruise director and concierge
• Cabin upgrades available

• The Blue Danube River Cruise for solo travelers is also available on other dates, talk to our team
• The ship will differ depending on dates but all are Riviera 5* standard
• Why not extend your stay in Budapest, talk to your JWT Cruise experts for more information
• Subject to availability
• T&C’s apply