London to Brussels
The adventure begins at London St Pancras. Meet your Tour Manager and depart at lunchtime by Eurostar. Lunch and drinks are served before arriving late afternoon at Brussels Midi station.
Danube Express Journey begins Board the Danube Express and your sleeping car attendant shows you to your compartment. Settle in before dinner in the restaurant car. The forests and undulating hills of the Ardennes give way to rural Germany as the train continues on overnight.
Carlsbad & Prague
Wake as the train threads its way through the scenic Bohemian countryside. In the spa town of Carlsbad, there is a walking tour. See the impressive colonnades and the famous Hot Spring. Take lunch en route to Prague as the Ohre river valley glides by. In the afternoon, explore this magical city of bridges, cathedrals and spires. Cross the Vltava River via the Charles Bridge to the Old Town and see the striking Old Town Hall Tower and its Astronomical Clock. Dine on board as the Danube Express heads south.
Vienna & Budapest
Arrive in Vienna for a morning tour of this dazzling city. Admire the architecture as you follow the Ringstrasse and continue past the Hofburg, City Hall, Votive Church and Parliament. Visit the State Rooms at Schnbrunn Palace, returning via the Belvedere and the State Opera. Rejoin the train for lunch and relax with the ever-changing scenery on the journey to Budapest Nyugati station, arriving late afternoon.
Danube Express Journey ends Transfer to the Hotel Astoria (4-star) for three nights. Centrally located with easy access to all areas of the city, the Astoria is just a few minutes’ walk from the Danube. After dinner, wander down to the river and see the breathtaking view of the illuminated city.
Budapest
Today’s tour encompasses both sides of this city of two halves. In Pest, see Heroes Square and City Park, the Cathedral and Parliament before crossing the Danube to Buda for breathtaking views from Gellert Hill. See Fisherman’s Bastion and St Matthias Church too before an afternoon excursion on the Children’s Railway through Buda’s wooded hills.
Budapest
A free day to explore and delve into history in a museum, relax in a spa or cross to Margaret Island, a leafy hideaway at the very heart of the city.
Budapest & Novi Sad
After breakfast, transfer to Budapest Nyugati station.
Danube Express Journey begins Board the Danube Express after a champagne reception in the Royal Waiting Room. Settle down in your private compartment or take a seat in the lounge car as the journey through the Hungarian countryside begins. Take lunch en route to Novi Sad where a tour includes Liberty Square, the beautiful Dunavska (Danube) Street in the Old Town and the impregnable Petrovaradin Fortress, the “Gibraltar of the Danube”. Departing Novi Sad, the train crosses the Danube with dinner served as it continues on through Serbia.
Sofia
Daybreak sees the Danube Express snaking through the Sicevo gorge, a major natural route that has connected Europe to Asia since ancient times. Crossing into Bulgaria, arrive in Sofia and see the eclectic architecture including ancient city walls, the Rotunda of St George, the St Sophia Church and the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Back on board, lunch as rolling farmland and rural villages pass by. Relax and dine as the train travels on through the Maritsa valley, reaching Turkey late evening.
Istanbul
Wake as the Danube Express travels alongside the Bosphorus. Asia is glimpsed across the water before morning arrival at Istanbul Sirkeci station.
Danube Express Journey ends Enjoy a Bosphorus cruise and later, visit the beautiful Topkapi Palace before arriving mid-afternoon for a three night stay at the Marmara Pera Hotel (4-star).
Istanbul
Today you are free to explore this fascinating, diverse city. Take a ferry and experience Asian Istanbul or while away time in the Egyptian Spice Market.
Istanbul
The tour today includes famous Istanbul landmarks - the Hagia Sophia, Underground Cistern, and Blue Mosque. Then visit the labyrinthine Grand Bazaar.
Istanbul to London
After breakfast, transfer to Istanbul airport for the 1355 British Airways flight to London Heathrow, arriving late afternoon.
Please note: this tour also operates in the reverse direction, starting in Berlin and finishing in Budapest.
What's New?