Vidar, Passage to Eastern Europe ex Budapest to Bucharest
Cruise Line Viking River Cruises
Ship Viking Vidar
Destination EU Rivers
Nights 10
Departure Date 04 Jul 2022
Description 7 Night Cruise sailing from Budapest to Giurgiu aboard Viking Vidar. Hotel stays pre-cruise in Budapest and post-cruise in Bucharest.

Day 1 Budapest, Hungary
Make your way to the hotel for a 2-night stay. Spend the rest of the day relaxing, or do some exploring on your own.

Day 2 Budapest, Hungary
This morning, take a tour of Budapest, the capital of Hungary. Situated along the Danube, it combines the once separate towns of hilly Buda and cosmopolitan Pest into a city rich with history. Begin in Pest, where you see the National Opera House and visit historic Heroes’ Square. Cross the Chain Bridge to Buda, where you walk along Castle Hill to Fishermen’s Bastion and Matthias Church. The rest of the day is yours to explore. (B)

Day 3 Budapest, Hungary
After breakfast, check out of your hotel and we will take you to embark your ship. Enjoy a final free day in Budapest. Explore a museum; do some shopping; ride the city’s innovative, efficient metro; relax in one of the Art Nouveau spas; or visit the Great Synagogue and Jewish Quarter. As always, your Program Director can help you plan your free time. Return to your ship for a welcome dinner. (B, D)

Day 4 Kalocsa, Hungary
Arrive in Kalocsa, Hungary this morning and take a guided city tour visiting the town center followed by a short organ concert at St. Joseph Church. Then, you are treated to a performance of traditional Puszta horsemanship. Return aboard and enjoy your lunch during departure. Dine aboard. (B, L, D).

Day 5 Osijek, Croatia
Wake up in Vukovar and have breakfast before your excursion to the Croatian city of Osijek. Inhabited since Neolithic times, this area has had several heydays under the Romans, the Ottomans and the Hapsburgs; now Vukovar is revered for its baroque buildings, parks and monuments. Return aboard for lunch and enjoy free time before an early evening departure. (B, L, D)

Day 6 Belgrade, Serbia
Wake up in Belgrade, capital of Serbia. Take a guided walk through the grounds of Kalemegdan Fortress, now a stately park; also see the Orthodox cathedral and stop at the Square of the Republic. Enjoy lunch aboard your ship before you have free time to explore Belgrade’s gracious architecture or visit one of its many museums, like the Nikola Tesla Museum. Dine aboard your ship or experience some of Belgrade’s nightlife. We depart very late this evening. (B, L, D)

Day 7 Golubac, Serbia
Sail to Golubac this morning and enjoy an included tour of the Golubac Fortress and admire sweeping views over the Danube. You may also choose to join an optional tour; explore Europe’s first settlement from the Stone Age, or take an invigorating hike to Djerdap National Park. Rejoin your ship in Donji Milanovac for lunch. This afternoon, enjoy scenic cruising as you travel through one of the most picturesque areas of the Lower Danube. The Iron Gate is one of Europe’s most dramatic natural wonders—a spectacular narrow gorge with enormous white limestone cliffs. Take in your Program Director’s commentary about the region and scenic points of interest as you sail toward your next port. (B, L, D)

Day 8 Vidin, Bulgaria
Arrive in the picturesque Bulgarian port of Vidin, and take an excursion to see Belogradchik Fortress, built right into the striking Belogradchik Rocks. See the fortress’s amazing construction, begun in Roman times and greatly extended by Bulgarian tsars and the Ottomans, and enjoy breathtaking views. Enjoy lunch on board your ship; then you have free time to explore Vidin’s city center, Orthodox churches and the ruins of the city’s once-grand synagogue. We depart during dinner. (B, L, D)

Day 9 Veliko Tarnovo & Arbanasi, Bulgaria
After breakfast, disembark at Russe for a full-day excursion to Bulgaria’s former capital, Veliko Tarnovo. There you will see Tsaravets Hill and the ruins of the royal castle. During free time, shop for local crafts along Samovodska Charshia. Continue your venture to Arbanasi for lunch in a local restaurant and a guided tour of the Nativity Church with its intricate floor-to-ceiling murals and icons. Return to your ship for dinner. (B, L, D)

Day 10 Giurgiu & Bucharest
Disembark in Giurgiu and set off by motor coach to Bucharest for a day of exploration. After lunch at a local restaurant, enjoy a tour of Romania’s lovely capital city. See the city’s wide boulevards, the Romanian Athenaeum, the Arch of Triumph and the Palace of Parliament. Visit the outdoor Muzeul Satului, otherwise known as the Village Museum, where authentic dwellings from all regions of the country have been relocated and reassembled, including rural cottages, farmhouses and water mills. After your tour, proceed to your hotel and enjoy a final evening in Bucharest. (B, L)

Day 11 Bucharest, Romania
After breakfast, check out of your hotel. (B)
Sailing Dates
  • 29 Mar 2021
  • 12 Apr 2021
  • 24 May 2021
  • 05 Jul 2021
  • 16 Aug 2021
  • 27 Sep 2021
  • 11 Apr 2022
  • 23 May 2022
  • 04 Jul 2022
  • 15 Aug 2022
  • 26 Sep 2022
Itinerary

Cruise Itinerary

DayDateActivityArriveDepart
1 04/07 Budapest, Hungary Hotel
2 05/07 Budapest, Hungary Hotel
3 06/07 Budapest, Hungary Embark
4 07/07 Kalocsa, Hungary
5 08/07 Vukovar, Croatia
6 09/07 Belgrade, Serbia
7 10/07 Golubac, Serbia
7 10/07 Donji Milanovac, Serbia
7 10/07 Iron Gate, Romania, Serbia
8 11/07 Vidin, Bulgaria
9 12/07 Russe, Bulgaria
10 13/07 Giurgiu, Romania Disembark
10 13/07 Bucharest, Romania Hotel
11 14/07 Bucharest, Romania
All itineraries and ports of call at the discretion of the cruise line subject to local weather conditions and may change without notice.

* Unless otherwise noted all pricing is on a per person twin share basis. All prices based on cash payment - credit card fees may apply. Cruise deposit, amendment and cancellation conditions apply. Special conditions may apply - please ask for full details at time of enquiry. All passports, vaccinations and visas are the responsibility of the travelling guest to secure prior to departure from Australia. Any pricing not in Australian Dollars will be converted on the day of payment into the relevant currency based on our daily rate of exchange. Please note that many of the prices shown on this website are not shown in real time. Whilst we endeavour to keep our pricing as up-to-date as possible, the advertised prices shown here may differ slightly from the live prices in our booking system. All pricing and offers are subject to availability at time of booking. Whilst all information is correct at the time of publication, offers are subject to change. We reserve the right to correct errors without penalty. Please submit any data errors/omissions you may notice on this site.

Unless otherwise expressly noted, all materials, including images, illustrations, designs, icons, and photographs appearing anywhere on this website are protected by worldwide copyright laws and treaty provisions. The copyright on such materials is held by the original creator of the materials. None of the materials may be copied, reproduced, displayed, modified, published, uploaded, posted, transmitted or distributed in whole or in part in any form or by any means other than as provided by Cruise Factory and Cruise Traveller to its clients, or with the prior written permission of Cruise Factory and Cruise Traveller. All rights not expressly granted in these Terms are reserved. Any unauthorised use of the materials appearing on this website may violate copyright, trademark and other applicable laws and could result in criminal or civil penalties.