Exclusive: Active & Discovery on the Danube
Video: More in View. More to Do | Avalon Waterways
Whether you’re an art lover, a foodie, a history buff, or an energetic adventurer, your Active & Discovery cruise on the Danube River offers just-right included activities and excursions to suit your interests. With Avalon Choice®, you can select the experiences that are perfect for your interests and pace. From Classic to Active to Discovery inclusions, you can explore and experience each destination your way—from Linz to Budapest. Whether you prefer browsing the art collection of the Habsburg Empire, sipping local vintages at an Austrian wine tasting, or joining a canoe excursion, your Active & Discovery Danube River cruise is packed with Avalon Choice® inclusions for every preference and pace in every place we go. Whether you prefer classic sightseeing with an expert Local Guide, an active excursion by bike, hike, or canoe, or a creative experience in culinary or performing arts, you’ll find the perfect way to spend your day.
All in price: $3295.00* CAD Based on double occupancy/cabin category E)
Savings: $3,100 per couple
Photo: On the river through Danube
Features & Benefits:
- 7 night cruise in an outside stateroom.
- 1 night in a deluxe hotel in Budapest.
- Daily included port excursions.
- All meals included while on ship (including Captain’s & farewell dinners).
- Complimentary beer and wine with lunch and dinner.
Vacation Highlights:
- Day 1 - Linz (Embarkation): onboard welcome reception.
- Day 2 - Engelhartszell–Schlögener Schlinge–Linz: choice of visit to the Jochenstein power station or visit to Engelszell Abbey; choice of guided hike along the Danube trails or scenic cruising around the Schlögen Oxbow.
- Day 3 - Mauthausen–Grein: in Mauthausen, choice of visit to St. Florian Monastery, or guided tour of Mauthausen Concentration Camp, or guided bike tour; guided tour in Grein, visit the historical theater and Clam Castle to meet its owner the Count.
- Day 4 - Spitz–Vienna: choice of canoe tour, bike tour from Spitz to Krems, Wine World Experience with tasting, or regional products showcase.
- Day 5 - Vienna: choice of bike tour, or meet with lo cal people, or guided tour, visit to Belvedere Palace.
- Day 6 - Vienna: choice of early risers guided tour, with breakfast at a Viennese café, or guided tour, see the Habsburg private art collection and the Italian and Dutch Masters Gallery, or guided tour, see Habsburg private art collection and the Military Museum.
- Day 7 - Visegrád–Budapest: in Visegrád, choice of medieval knights tournament, or guided hike in Danube-Ipoly National Park, or canoe tour.
- Day 8 - Budapest (Disembarkation): choice of guided tour with travel writer Kinga Tittel, or guided bike tour, or city sightseeing tour.
- Day 9 - Budapest: your vacation ends this morning.
Photo: Itinerary map of Active & Discovery on the Danube
Vacation Start: August 4, 2021 Linz
Vacation End: August 12, 2021 Budapest
Itinerary:
Day 1 - LINZ, AUSTRIA (EMBARKATION)
Welcome to Austria. Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding. Flights into Linz must arrive by 3:30 pm. Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm. Enjoy any free time today by shopping, exploring on your own, or stop in a café for Austria’s world-famous pastries.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO ENGELHARTSZELL
Dinner
Day 2 ENGELHARTSZELL–SCHLÖGEN OXBOW
Memories and Beer in the Making. Visit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host. DISCOVERY: Join a Guided Tour to the “House by the stream” (Haus am Strom) and walk across the Danube Power-Station Jochenstein, OR: CLASSIC: Visit the stunning rococo-style Engelszell Abbey, and explore its Sensory Garden—complete with stone labyrinth, herb garden, and vineyard. Sample cheese and beer made by the resident Trappist monks. ACTIVE: This afternoon, enjoy a scenic Guided Hike along the Danube’s Schlögen Oxbow—a dramatic bend carved by centuries. Enjoy free time on the Sky Deck this afternoon while you sail through the amazing horseshoe bend of the Danube’s Schlögen Oxbow on your way back to Linz. Later, enjoy live entertainment on board.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN LINZ
Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner
Day 3 - LINZ–MAUTHAUSEN
History Lessons and Monastic Life. ACTIVE: Take a Guided Bike Tour along the Danube and discover how fertile this area is. Stop at a local farm and learn more about farming life and flood protection, OR: CLASSIC: Visit the 9th-century St. Florian Monastery—the largest monastery in upper Austria and home to Augustine monks, OR: CLASSIC: Join a sobering Guided Tour of Mauthausen Concentration Camp, one of the largest and most brutal Nazi camps of WWII. In the afternoon sail to Grein. GREIN Theater History and Modern-Day Castles. CLASSIC: Take a Guided Walk of Grein, including its historic theater, the oldest in Austria still holding regular performances. DISCOVERY: See Burg Clam on a Guided Visit, and meet the Count of Clam during your tour.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO SPITZ
Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner
Day 4 - SPITZ
Paddle a Canoe or Pedal a Bike in Austrian Wine Country. ACTIVE: Paddle a canoe on a Guided Tour to see the Austrian waterways and shoreline scenery from a unique perspective, OR: ACTIVE: Take a Guided Bike Tour from Spitz to Krems, stop in Dürnstein to see the beautiful blue Stiftskirche, and sample local specialties, OR: DISCOVERY: Join an interactive Wine World Experience with wine tasting, OR: DISCOVERY: Enjoy a Guided Tour that showcases the production of regional fruits, vegetables, wine, or other products. Relax this afternoon as you cruise toward Vienna. This evening consider joining an Optional Excursion to attend a Royal Waltz Concert in an elegant hall.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN VIENNA
Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner
Day 5 - VIENNA
Strauss, Schnitzel, Strudel and Sachertorte. ACTIVE: Take a Guided Bike Tour along the famed Ringstrasse and pedestrian avenues of Vienna to see the city’s highlights from a unique perspective, OR: DISCOVERY: Get an Insider’s Tour of Vienna to get behind the scenes of her sights and attractions. You will meet locals, have the chance to prepare some food, and enjoy other surprises, OR: CLASSIC: Enjoy a Guided Sightseeing Tour of Vienna, including a tour of Belvedere Palace to see Gustave Klimt’s renowned “Kiss” painting. Spend free time this afternoon strolling through the pedestrian Kärntnerstrasse then take a break for a piece of Sachertorte.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN VIENNA
Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner
Photo: Avalon Adventure Host leading morning stretches
Day 6 - VIENNA
A Feast for the Soul in Vienna. Join your Adventure Host for today’s special activities. DISCOVERY: Enjoy a morning Guided Walking Tour to see the city in her best light, along with breakfast at a Viennese café, OR: CLASSIC: Dive into one of the world’s most important museums with a Guided Tour of the Habsburg family’s private art collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, and enjoy Italian or Dutch master works, OR: CLASSIC: Take a Guided Tour of the Museum of Fine Arts, followed by the Military Museum, commemorating the past of the Habsburg Empire. This evening, enjoy live entertainment on board your ship.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO VISEGRÁD
Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner
Day 7 - VISEGRÁD, HUNGARY
Jousting Tournaments. DISCOVERY: Join a Guided Excursion to the Medieval Knights Tournament at Visegrád’s Lower Castle, featuring targeting and fighting demonstrations by members of the St. George Knightly Order, OR: ACTIVE: Visit Count Dracula’s prison tower on a hiking tour in Visegrád, OR: ACTIVE: Take a canoe excursion through the picturesque Bend Region of the Danube for a unique perspective of one of the river’s most beautiful stretches. This afternoon, relax on the Sky deck while sailing into Budapest and enjoy magnificent views of the beautiful Parliament Building.
BUDAPEST
The Pearl of the Danube. Take some free time this afternoon to explore the vibrant and stunning city of Budapest. Enjoy a Farewell Dinner on board your ship this evening.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN BUDAPEST
Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner
Day 8 - BUDAPEST (DISEMBARKATION)
Bike, Walk, and Talk in Budapest. ACTIVE: See the sights from a different perspective by joining a Guided Bike Tour along the bike paths of the city, OR: DISCOVERY*: Join the author of “Fabulous Budapest” for an unforgettable introduction to the local people, places, and experiences that makes Budapest so special, OR: CLASSIC: Take a Guided Walking Tour of Budapest to see the city’s most iconic sites. Spend free time shopping for Hungarian paprika or handcrafted souvenirs, or savor a piece of cream cake in one of the many cafés.
NOTE: *Not available on departure June 27
Breakfast Breakfast
Day 9 - BUDAPEST
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.
Breakfast
Photo: Avalon Panorama Suite