Cruise & Rail: Grand Alpine & Highlights of Eastern Europe

Arrive at Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport. If your cruise/tour package includes a group arrival transfer or if you have purchased a private arrival transfer, you will be greeted by a Uniworld representative and transferred to the hotel.

Get to know the bustling heart of Romania’s capital city with a full day to explore Bucharest on your own.

Bucharest is a fascinating combination of Communist grandiosity, elegant French-influenced 19th-century buildings and surprising survivors dating from the 1500s. Today in Bucharest you’ll enjoy a panoramic city tour and a visit to People’s Palace. Later, you’ll travel via motorcoach to Giurgiu, where your ship awaits.

In the evening, a special Captain’s Welcome Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you.

Bulgaria’s foremost Danube port, Ruse is sometimes called “Little Vienna” for its elegant 19th-century mansions and public buildings.

Vidin is a port town on the Danube that once played an important role in medieval Bulgarian politics, as the great fortress Baba Vida attests. It’s your base for an unusual excursion today—a visit to the fascinating Belogradchik rock formations. Or you can indulge in a tasting at a local winery.

Today’s main attraction will be the spectacular scenery along the Danube, as you cruise a stretch of gorges known as the Iron Gates. Later, head ashore to explore a Paleolithic site and an extraordinarily well-preserved medieval fortress. All along the way, history lines the banks of the river. Keep an eye out for Trajan’s Plaque, which the ancient Romans erected to commemorate the road they anchored in the steep cliffs above the water, and Golubac Castle, built in the 14th century and attacked successively by the Serbs, Magyars, and Turks.

Unwind onboard as you cruise the breathtaking Iron Gates, an 83-mile-long (134-kilometer-long) stretch of scenic gorges that were cut through the Carpathian and Balkan mountains over eons by the Danube River. These gorges, which act as a natural border between Serbia and Romania, are among the most dramatic and beautiful sights in all of Europe. This was one of the swiftest and most dangerous stretches of the river before two dams were built: Iron Gate I and Iron Gate II. Construction on the dams began in 1964 and took 20 years to complete; they have dramatically altered the area’s landscape, raising the water level by 114 feet (35 meters) and drowning several islands and villages.

Belgrade, the modern-day capital of Serbia, is one of Europe’s oldest cities, dating back some 7,000 years. Signs of its tumultuous history are visible everywhere, juxtaposed with the city’s vibrant modern-day present.

Welcome to Croatia! This ancient country, which has made a remarkable recovery from a brutal civil war, is noted for its beautiful countryside and thriving folk traditions, as well as simple, delicious local rustic food. You’ll dock in Vukovar, Croatia’s biggest port, at the confluence of the Danube and Vuka rivers.

Located on opposite sides of the Danube, Buda and Pest each have their own distinctive character and allure. Explore this dynamic and multifaceted city with your choice of excursions—you can see it from a local’s perspective on our walking tour, or cover more ground with a panoramic tour. Vibrant Budapest, Hungary’s capital, offers an enchanting combination of East and West.

In the evening, a special Captain’s Farewell Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you.

Disembark the ship and transfer to the Golden Eagle Danube Express for a morning departure to Vienna. Settle into your cabin, then enjoy lunch as the train makes its way to the capital of Austria, where you’ll have the opportunity to take a horse-drawn carriage ride through the cobbled streets of the Old Town, visit the famous Schönbrunn Palace, or enjoy some free time to explore on your own.

In the evening, we will enjoy a private concert featuring the Vienna Supreme Orchestra.

Today will be one of the real highlights of the journey as we depart from Vienna in the morning and travel across central Austria and into the Alps on an incredibly scenic route. Keep your cameras at the ready as we climb over the Semmering Pass with its 16 viaducts and 15 tunnels, through the famous skiing village of Kitzbuhel to Jenbach, where we’ll take a scenic drive to the picturesque Lake Achen for a cruise on the water.

From here we travel by bus the short distance to Innsbruck, the capital of Austria’s western state of Tyrol and an Alpine city that has long been a destination for winter sports. Innsbruck is also known for its Imperial and modern architecture.

Sit back, relax, and watch the scenery of the Vorarlberg unfold in front of your eyes this morning as we pass through St. Anton before crossing through Liechtenstein and then into Switzerland, where we run along the whole of the Lake of Zürich before arriving in the city.

The city of Zürich, a global center for banking and finance, lies at the north end of Lake Zürich in northern Switzerland. The picturesque lanes of the central Altstadt (Old Town), on either side of the Limmat River, reflect its pre-medieval history. Waterfront promenades like the Limmatquai follow the river toward the 17th-century Rathaus (Town Hall). While we are in the city, we will enjoy a traditional Swiss fondue tasting.

Upon leaving Zürich, we’ll pass along the shorelines of Lakes Zug and Lucerne before starting the very scenic climb to the St. Gotthard Pass. Once through the old St. Gotthard tunnel, we’ll descend through Lugano towards Lake Como in Italy, where we stop for a beautiful lunch on the lake. After lunch, set sail on a boat cruise around Lake Como and visit the lakeside town of Bellagio.

This morning, after running along the south shore of Lake Garda, we arrive in Verona, where you’ll set out on an informative walking tour of Verona’s famous sites.

Enjoy lunch onboard as the train threads its way to Trieste. Our brief tour here includes a stop at the imposing Miramare Castle and also a visit to the vast Piazza Unità d’Italia, the main town square. Standing on a hill overlooking Trieste is the famous Church of San Giusto. We will go inside the church for a close-up view of its splendid Byzantine-style architecture, enriched with precious mosaics.

You may wish to wake up early this morning to catch the incredible scenery outside your window as our train climbs away from Trieste and heads over the border into Slovenia, continuing its ascent through the Julian Alps to Lake Bled.

From here we travel onto Ljubljana as we have lunch on board and discover a delightful combination of ancient architecture and a youthful culture. Our afternoon tour includes visits to Preseren Square, the Three Bridges, and Dragon Bridge.

This morning, you’ll be treated to a private visit to the Postojna Caves before re-boarding the train to head south towards Venice, where we’ll say farewell to our train crew and check into the Kempinski San Clemente Palace. This magnificent, five-star retreat is set on its own private island, just minutes away from Piazza San Marco by private boat.

If your cruise/tour package includes a group departure transfer or if you purchased a private departure transfer, you will be transferred to Venice Marco Polo International Airport for your flight home.