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Amsterdam to the Black Sea River Cruise & Gallipoli
Amsterdam to the Black Sea River Cruise & Gallipoli
Welcome to Amsterdam, a fascinating and compact city of picturesque canals. This afternoon, a warm welcome awaits you from your crew as you board your luxury Scenic Tours “Space-Ship”.
SCENIC FREECHOICE Today choose from: (1) a sightseeing canal cruise; (2) a guided bicycle tour of Amsterdam (limited availability); or (3) a visit to the windmills at Zaanse Schans. Enjoy the Captain’s welcome dinner this evening.
Historic Cologne is famous for its magnificent Cathedral. Join your guide this afternoon and explore the Old Town with its beautiful squares and historic monuments before ending the tour with a tasting of Cologne’s locally brewed specialty beer ‘Kölsch’. This evening you can explore the 2,000-year-old town of Coblenz, situated on the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers.
Today we cruise through the spectacular Rhine Gorge, with its stunning vistas of castles perched above steep vine-covered slopes. We arrive at Rüdesheim and board the ‘Winzerexpress’ mini train for a guided visit of Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum. We then board a cable car for the trip to the Niederwald Monument.
Known for its glassworks, Franconian wine and friendly people, enjoy time today exploring this quaint medieval village with its half-timbered houses and cobblestoned streets.
SCENIC FREECHOICE Today choose from: (1) guided walking tour of Würzburg and the magnificent Prince Bishop’s Residenz Palace; or (2) excursion down the Romantic Road to Rothenburg, considered the best preserved medieval city in Europe.
Explore Bamberg with your guide today. Boasting one of Europe’s largest intact medieval centres, Bamberg is bursting with character and charm. SCENICENRICH Enjoy beer tasting at the Zehnthaus, a private brewery established in 1533, where we are greeted by the cellar master and taken to an underground vault to sample his selection of brews.
We commence with a guided tour of the old town and see the Justice Palace and Imperial Castle. We then dedicate time to the history of WWII with a visit to the Nuremberg Rallies and Trial sites.
Regensburg is one of Germany’s finest preserved cities and during our guided walking tour we get to see the Old Chapel and visit Thurn und Taxis Castle as well as the medieval stone bridge across the Danube for a view of the cityscape.
SCENIC FREECHOICE choose from: (1) a guided tour of Passau; or (2) visit Salzburg, setting for ‘The Sound of Music’ and birthplace of Mozart; or (3) a full day excursion to the beautiful medieval town of Cesky Krumlov.
Discover the magnificent Benedictine Abbey on our guided city tour of Melk. SCENICENRICH During our visit inside the Abbey an exclusive organ recital has been arranged. The ship sails through the spectacular wine region of the Wachau Valley to picturesque Dürnstein. This evening we arrive in Vienna.
This morning we explore the famous sights of Vienna on our guided tour. This afternoon enjoy free time to further explore this magnificent city. Your Cruise Director is on hand to help you plan your day. SCENICENRICH This evening enjoy a glass of Austrian ‘Sekt’ at the majestic Palais Liechtenstein, followed by a private Viennese concert featuring the music of Strauss and Mozart.
SCENIC FREECHOICE Today choose from: (1) guided tour of the Schönbrunn Palace; or (2) visit to the Opera House and coffee and cake in a Viennese cafe; or (3) excursion to Bratislava.
Budapest is one of Eastern Europe’s most ancient cities. Your morning tour will visit all the major sights. This evening, be entertained by folklore music onboard prior to your dinner.
Today enjoy Budapest at your leisure; perhaps enjoy a trip to the baths, wander the streets of the old town or simply relax onboard.
The Baroque provincial town of Kalocsa lies at the periphery of the great Hungarian plain and is renowned for its decorative embroidery and paprika production. Today we will visit a Hungarian Puszta horse farm and enjoy a show before tracing the Turkish origins of paprika.
Vukovar is situated at the confluence of the Vuka River with the Danube. See architectural monuments and baroque squares, along with sombre reminders of the Balkan Wars. From here our coach takes us to Novi Sad where our guided tour reveals the multicultural origins of the city.
Today we explore Serbia’s capital Belgrade, one of the oldest capital cities in Europe and site of the famous siege in 1456 which ‘decided the fate of Christendom’. We’ll visit Tito’s memorial, the national museum of Serbia and St Sava Cathedral.
Keep your camera at the ready as we cruise the spectacular Iron Gate, a narrow gorge carved by the Danube between the Carpathian and Balkan Mountains, which forms a natural border between Serbia and Romania.
From the former Roman fortress town of Svistov in Bulgaria we venture to Veliko Tarnovo, a town with a rich historical past. In the 14th century as the Byzantine Empire weakened the town was the Bulgarian capital and known as the third Rome. The nearby leafy village of Arbanassi, is included in UNESCO’s world heritage list of valuable cultural sites.
Cernavoda in Romania is our ship’s base today for an excursion to the seaside town of Constanta, the gateway to the Black Sea coast with the largest harbour in the Black Sea. We also visit Mamaia. This popular resort town stretches 8 kilometres in length with only a 300 metre sliver of land separating the Black Sea shore from the waters of Lake Siutghiol.
This morning we disembark and travel to the Romanian capital of Bucharest, once known as the “Paris of the East” – it even has its very own Arc de Triomphe! A more modern structure, Ceauçescu’s imposing Palace of the Parliament is the largest building in Europe and is included in our sightseeing tour.
Two Night Stay: Bucharest
We journey through the farmland and valleys of The Transylvanian plateau today. We'll visit Bran Castle, originally a stronghold of the Teutonic Knights and of strategic importance as a barrier to invading Ottoman forces. Of course, it is more widely known as the legendary home of Count Dracula.
Today we cross the border into Bulgaria and travel down the Black Sea coast for our overnight stay in Nessebar, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Overnight Stay: Nessebar
Leaving Bulgaria behind we travel into Turkey where shortly before lunch we arrive at our hotel. This afternoon we enjoy a fascinating tour of Homer’s Troy, a legendary site of the Trojan Wars. We shall even see a giant replica of the Trojan Horse.
Two Night Stay: Canakkale
Today we travel to the Gallipoli Peninsula, site of the WWI landings by allied forces, including ANZAC troops, on the morning of April 25, 1915. We explore the sights and gain an understanding of this unforgettable location. There are over 31 cemeteries on the peninsula which is now a national park and you will have time to explore at leisure this significant location.
We travel along the Northern Aegean coast today heading towards Istanbul. It is famously the only city in the world crossing two continents and linking east with west.
Three Night Special Stay: Istanbul
After breakfast, we’ll embark on a tour of this amazing city. Highlights of the day include a visit to the most magnificent example of Byzantium architecture, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque. We have time to wander the evocative Grand Bazaar before we enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure.
SCENIC FREECHOICE choose from: (1) a traditional Turkish cooking class where you’ll learn the art of making delicious plates of meze, after which we get to eat them, of course; or (2) an insightful tour of Istanbul’s Byzantine past including a visit to Zeyek Mosque, second only in size to Hagia Sophia as a Byzantium monument; or (3) a visit to an Ottoman Yali, the fashionable summer palaces of the wealthy. We’ll meet the current residents who’ll chat with us about the building’s history whilst we enjoy homemade refreshments. SCENICENRICH Tonight, a special treat awaits you as we enjoy our farewell dinner at the stunning Hamdi Restaurant, where outstanding views over the Golden Horn are accompanied by the call to prayer echoing from numerous surrounding mosques.
After breakfast, transfer* to Istanbul airport for your onward or homebound flight.
*Check transfer entitlements with your travel agent. For passengers who have already received documentation - refer to your booking summary.
Europe
