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Avalon Waterways Active & Discovery on the Danube from Serbia to the Black Sea (WKOY)

9 Day River Cruise Belgrade to Bucharest 
Begin your Active & Discovery river cruise vacation boarding your Avalon Suite Ship® in Belgrade, Serbia. Here, explore the city where the Danube and Sava Rivers meet with a guided bike tour. Visit the fascinating Fortress of Golubač park. Cruise through the Iron Gates Gorge after visiting the amazing archaeological site of Lepenski Vir or hiking in the Djerdap National. Sail to Vidin, Bulgaria, explore the city and visit the medieval Baba Vida Fortress. You might prefer to join a panoramic trek in Belogradchik. See the incredible ancient architecture in Veliko Târnovo and Arbanassi, or join your local guide for a hike to Ivanovo Rock Church. Take a guided tour of Con-stanta on Romania’s Black Sea—with a wealth of Roman history or join a delicious wine tasting. Disembark your Suite Ship® and spend the night in Bucharest—the “Paris of the East.” See the WWI Arc de Triomphe and the Royal Palace Square, and spend free time browsing the shops and cafes of Victory Boulevard. A fascinating Danube River cruise through the beautiful Balkans.

Ships: Impression - Ship TBA IV - Passion

Avalon Highlights & Sightseeing

Day 1 Belgrade (Embarkation): Onboard welcome reception

Day 2 Belgrade: Choice of guided tour or bike tour or meet the locals; on board lecture

Day 3 Golubač–Donji Milanovac–Iron Gates: Visit to Golubač fortress; choice of visit Lepenski Vir archaeological site or Donji Milanovac off the beaten path tour or Djerdap National park hike; scenic cruise through the Iron Gates Gorge

Day 4 Vidin. Excursion to Belogradchik: Choice of guided tour in Vidin, visit Baba Vida Fortress or wine tasting or hiking in Belogradchik

Day 5 Rousse–Excursion to Veliko Târnovo and Arbanassi: Choice of full-day excursion, visit to Tsarevet’s Fortress in Veliko Târnovo and to the Ethnographical Museum and the Church of the Nativity in Arbanassi, or a guided sightseeing in Rousse, or Ivanovo Rock Church hike

Day 6 Fetesti. Excursion to Constanta: Choice of guided sightseeing, or visit the National History and Archaeological Museum or wine tasting or bike tour

Day 7 Fetesti (Disembarkation)–Bucharest: Choice of guided sightseeing in Bucharest or walk the Urban Delta or food tour

Day 8 Bucharest: Your vacation ends this morning

Itinerary (2024)

Day 1BELGRADE, SERBIA (EMBARKATION)
 Welcome to Serbia! Your Balkan Adventure Begins

Flights into Belgrade must arrive by 3:30 pm. Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.

Explore your Avalon Suite Ship® this evening and enjoy a dinner on board.

OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN BELGRADE

(B,D)
Day 2BELGRADE
 Fortresses and Folklore

Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.

ACTIVE Get a real taste of Serbia on this guided bike tour focusing on the history of Belgrade, from WWII to today, OR:

DISCOVERY Go way beyond the ordinary, and get to know Belgrade through its remarkable people and innovative minds. .OR:

CLASSIC Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour of Belgrade—where the Danube and Sava Rivers converge—and see the city’s many fascinating sights, including Saint Sava, one of the world’s largest Orthodox churches.

Spend free time in Belgrade exploring Knez Mihailova Street—Belgrade’s central pedestrian thoroughfare with many lively cafés, shops, and cultural spots. You might consider partaking one of the Optional Excursion available.

DISCOVERY Before dinner, attend an onboard Lecture to learn about the rich history, destinations, and culture of the Balkan states.

This evening, you might like to join an Optional Excursion for an authentic Bohemian Dinner in the Quarter of Skadarlija.

OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO GOLUBAČ

(B,L,D)
Day 3GOLUBAČ—DONJI MILANOVAC. EXCURSION TO LEPENSKI VIR—IRON GATES GORGE
 A Formidable Fortress

CLASSIC Visit the Fortress of Golubač, one of the best-preserved medieval fortresses in Europe. . You’ll hear about its tumultuous history as a border control defense in the Middle Ages, and a source of conflict between Serbia, the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire.

Enjoy a brief sailing to Donji Milanovac.

DONJI MILANOVAC

Prehistoric Stones and Iron Gates Gorge

ACTIVE Enjoy this scenic hike through Djerdap National Park and stop along the way to taste some local specialties before returning to your Avalon ship, OR:

DISCOVERY Join a Guided Tour to Lepenski Vir—an important Mesolithic archaeological site chronicling prehistoric cultures, settlements, and art. Marvel at the ancient discoveries and artifacts, as well as the unique views the site affords of the Danube Gorge, OR:

CLASSIC Join a guided tour of Donji Milanovac and learn the basic of the Cyrillic Serbian alphabet inside the local primary school. Meet locals and get to know the art of crocheting while learning about the history of this little Serbian town.

Sail through the spectacular and narrow Iron Gates Gorge—a natural border between Serbia and Romania.

AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO VIDIN

(B,L,D)
Day 4VIDIN, BULGARIA
 Rocks, Ruins and Beauty in Bulgaria

Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.

ACTIVE Enjoy a panoramic trek on the rocky landscape of Belogradchik .OR:

DISCOVERY Get to learn everything about the production technologies of the Bulgarian wines and enjoy a tasting of the various labels produced by a local well-known winery. All accompanied by local snacks and symphonic music. OR:

CLASSIC Join Guided Sightseeing in Vidin, visit to Baba Vida Fortress, Bulgaria’s only completely preserved medieval castle.

AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO ROUSSE

(B,L,D)
Day 5ROUSSE. VELIKO TÂRNOVO & ARBANASSI EXCURSION
 Cliff Houses and Revival Architecture

ACTIVE Join your expert local guide on this spectacular hike to Ivanovo Rock Church. Marvel at the monolithic churches, chapels and monasteries built inside the mountains will surprise you with their fascinating and unique style. OR:

DISCOVERY Join a full-day Guided Tour to the former Bulgarian capital of Veliko Târnovo—with its ancient stone houses clinging to the cliffs above the Yantra River. Discover one of the oldest towns in Bulgaria (circa 4300 BC), as well as the Bulgarian Revival architecture in the 15th-century town of Arbanassi, OR:

CLASSIC Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour of Bulgaria’s largest inland port and visit its impressive Holy Trinity Church.

EVENING/ OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO FETESTI

(B,L,D)
Day 6FETESTI, ROMANIA. EXCURSION TO CONSTANTA
 Natural History at Black Sea

Visit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.

Enjoy a leisurely sailing morning.

ACTIVE Hike your way through the beautiful Romanian landscapes to visit a local winery, OR:

DISCOVERY Enjoy a visit to a local winery to learn about traditional Romanian wines with a tasting, OR:

CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour to Constanta, the most important commercial center in Romania, situated on the Black Sea. Visit the Natural History and Archeological Museum to discover the fascinating history of early Romanian cultures.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO FETESTI

(B,L,D)
Day 7FETESTI (DISEMBARKATION)–BUCHAREST
 A Night in Bucharest—the “Paris of the East”

Disembark your ship this morning and travel to Bucharest.

ACTIVE Take a guided natural walk in the Văcărești Nature Park. Also known as Urban Delta, this wetland is home to more than 150 different species of birds and small mammals. Enjoy this green get away and learn more about this special green area located only 4km away from the centre of Romania’s capital, Bucharest. OR:

DISCOVERY Discover the joie de vivre of Romanian cuisine -- a tasty hodge-podge of Balkan, Ottoman, French, and Russian influences. OR:

CLASSIC Take a Guided Tour of the Romanian capital city of Bucharest with its tree-lined boulevards and Arc de Triomphe—honoring WWI Romanian soldiers. See the Royal Palace Square—the scene of the city’s 1989 riots to overthrow the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

Spend some free time exploring this fascinating city on your own to discover its trendy shops, cafés, museums, beautiful homes, and churches along Victory Avenue. Alternatively, enjoy one of the Optional Excursions on offer.

(B)
Day 8BUCHAREST
 Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

(B)

Avalon Pricing Details

Port charges:
$180

Gratuities to Local Guides & Excursion Drivers are included on Avalon portion only.

Avalon offers the opportunity for solo travelers to sail with no single supplement (subject to availability).

Please call for single accommodation price. Triples not available.

Avalon Notes

  • In the event of technical or water level issues, it may be necessary to operate the itinerary by motorcoach or alter the program, including hotel overnight when necessary.
  • Guided Tours, Optional Excursions, activities, sailing and docking schedules may be contingent on weather conditions or other issues outside of our control and could therefore be subject to change at any time.
  • Please check visa requirements with your local consulate(s); responsibility for obtaining visas rests with the traveler.

Avalon Waterways Fleet

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Avalon Tour Dates

Tour Land StartAvalon RetailRequest Quote
*06/20/2024 $3,698.00
*09/06/2024 $3,798.00
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