Highlights of Eastern Europe – Budapest…

Arrive at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport and transfer to the S.S. Beatrice. Settle in and prepare to discover the magic of Eastern Europe.

Explore vibrant Budapest, Hungary’s capital straddling the Danube with Buda on one side and Pest on the other. Choose between a tour of the city’s fascinating Communist-era history, taking in the Budapest Retro Interactive Museum and views from Gellért Hill, or a panoramic tour along UNESCO-listed Andrássy Avenue with a visit to the magnificent Dohány Street Synagogue, the largest in Europe. This evening, the Captain’s Welcome Reception and Dinner.

Welcome to Croatia, a country noted for its beautiful countryside, thriving folk traditions and simple, delicious regional food. Choose between a walking tour of Osijek followed by a home-hosted lunch with a local family and a visit to the remarkable underground Vucedol Museum, or a panoramic drive through Osijek’s architectural highlights followed by a family restaurant lunch and a tour of the Baroque Eltz Manor in the revitalised city of Vukovar.

Belgrade, one of Europe’s oldest cities at 7,000 years, reveals its complex and fascinating character today. Choose between a city tour including a visit to the Karadjordjevic Dynasty Palace – where you’ll sip sparkling Serbian wine in rooms still used by the royal family – a Let’s Go bike tour around the scenic island of Ada Ciganlija, or a walking tour with free time to explore independently. Tonight, a private Nights Out evening concert at the historic Kalemegdan Fortress, arranged exclusively for Uniworld guests.

Head ashore to explore Golubac Castle, one of the best-preserved medieval fortresses in Europe, with a history contested by Serbs, Magyars and Turks since the 14th century, alongside the Lepenski Vir Archaeological Park – one of Europe’s most important Paleolithic sites. Alternatively, take a Let’s Go hike to the Kovilovo Viewpoint through Djerdap National Park. Then settle in for the cruise’s most spectacular sailing: the Iron Gates, 83 miles of dramatic gorges forming the natural border between Serbia and Romania, where ancient Trajan’s Plaque can still be seen carved into the cliffs.

Arrive in Bulgaria at the Danube port town of Vidin, once a powerful seat of medieval Bulgarian politics dominated by the great fortress Baba Vida. Choose between a drive through the scenic Bulgarian countryside to the remarkable Belogradchik rock formations – striking natural pillars of red rock rising up to 200 metres – or a boutique wine tasting at the Dos Alamos estate in the village of Negovanovtsi.

Arrive in Ruse, Bulgaria’s foremost Danube port and sometimes called “Little Vienna” for its elegant 19th-century mansions and grand public buildings. Choose between a motorcoach journey to Veliko Tarnovo – twice the capital of Bulgaria – including the hilltop fortress of Tsarevets and the traditional village of Arbanassi with an authentic Bulgarian lunch, or a walk through the protected Rusenski Lom woodlands to the extraordinary Ivanovo and Basarbovo rock monasteries. This evening, the Captain’s Farewell Reception and Dinner.

Disembark the ship in Giurgiu and transfer through the Romanian countryside to Bucharest, where a panoramic city tour and a visit to the monumental People’s Palace awaits – the second-largest administrative building in the world, built on the orders of Nicolae Ceaușescu. Tonight, relax in the comfort of a centrally located luxury hotel in Romania’s vibrant capital.

A full day at leisure to explore Bucharest independently – discover its elegant Belle Epoque boulevards, lively Old Town, Orthodox churches and thriving café culture at your own pace.

Check out of your hotel and transfer to Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport for your flight home – or extend your journey with an optional post-cruise extension to Transylvania, including stays in the beautifully preserved medieval city of Brasov.