English
A gorgeous place and the largest city of the country, mysterious Istanbul is the meeting point of three powerful cultures: Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman. Moreover, two of them were not only the greatest of their time but the greatest in history.
Arrivals day in Istanbul where you will be met and transferred to your centrally located hotel for a three-night stay. Today is at leisure for all guests to explore this wonderful city.
This evening we will enjoy a welcome reception and dinner, giving you the opportunity to meet your fellow travelers.
This fabled city that spans Asia and Europe is our final stop on our tour so there is time to see how old meets new, east meets west when we visit Istanbul’s must-see historic sites.
One of the most famous monuments in both the Turkish and Islamic worlds, the Sultan Ahmet Mosque (the Blue Mosque) is a superb creation in the classical Ottoman style and features six towering minarets and 260 windows illuminating its vast main chamber, which is decorated with more than 20,000 Iznik tiles.
Hagia Sophia was built in the 6th century by the Emperor Justinian and was one of the largest basilicas in the Christian world. After the Ottoman conquest, it was converted to a mosque and is today one of the most magnificent Grand Mosques in the world. Take a few moments to linger here to admire the fine Byzantine mosaics.
Also included in our extended Istanbul program is a visit to the crown jewel of the Ottoman Empire, Topkapi. This stunning palace is the largest and oldest in the world and was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans from 1465 to 1853. With its treasury and exotic buildings overlooking the Golden Horn, your visit to Topkapi promises to be a fascinating experience.
Late afternoon you join the Golden Eagle Danube Express at Istanbul's Sirkeci station. Your cabin attendants will be waiting on the platform to welcome and escort you to your cabins. As you settle into your own private en-suite cabin, the train will thread its way out of the station.
We enjoy our first dinner onboard this evening as the train heads towards the border with Bulgaria.
We carefully select hotels to ensure amazing stay and experience for you.
The Golden Eagle Danube Express is your luxurious hotel-on-wheels. Prepare yourself for this voyage of a lifetime by unpacking once and settling into your well-appointed and comfortable cabin. A cabin attendant will be there to help you with anything you may need.
This morning you arrive in Plovdiv, the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia, ‘The City of Seven Hills’ is one of the oldest cities in Europe with more than 200 known archaeological sites. Spend the afternoon here exploring the Roman Forum and Amphitheatre. You’ll also visit the charming Old Town including its medieval walls and Ottoman baths.
We carefully select hotels to ensure amazing stay and experience for you.
The Golden Eagle Danube Express is your luxurious hotel-on-wheels. Prepare yourself for this voyage of a lifetime by unpacking once and settling into your well-appointed and comfortable cabin. A cabin attendant will be there to help you with anything you may need.
Enjoy lunch on the train as you travel to Sofia. On your afternoon tour of Bulgaria's capital, you will visit sections of the Roman wall and admire the ancient Church of St. George, the golden-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, and the Turkish Banya Bashi Mosque.
We carefully select hotels to ensure amazing stay and experience for you.
The Golden Eagle Danube Express is your luxurious hotel-on-wheels. Prepare yourself for this voyage of a lifetime by unpacking once and settling into your well-appointed and comfortable cabin. A cabin attendant will be there to help you with anything you may need.
Thessaloniki in Greece offers not only authentic architecture and plenty of sightseeing opportunities but a bustling cultural scene as well.
This morning, you'll cross into Greece and after breakfast arrive in the vibrant city of Thessaloniki.
Soak up the atmosphere of this vibrant city by heading to Aristotelous Square and the seafront before returning to the train for lunch.
We carefully select hotels to ensure amazing stay and experience for you.
The Golden Eagle Danube Express is your luxurious hotel-on-wheels. Prepare yourself for this voyage of a lifetime by unpacking once and settling into your well-appointed and comfortable cabin. A cabin attendant will be there to help you with anything you may need.
In the afternoon, you’ll arrive in the little-visited Skopje in North Macedonia and discover a city where the Ottoman influences are still strong. Explore the narrow streets of the Old Town with tiny shops and mosques with ceramic-tiled interiors. Meander through the Old Bazaar area, brimming with things to buy, and cross the 15th-century stone bridge that links the bazaar to the modern town.
We carefully select hotels to ensure amazing stay and experience for you.
The Golden Eagle Danube Express is your luxurious hotel-on-wheels. Prepare yourself for this voyage of a lifetime by unpacking once and settling into your well-appointed and comfortable cabin. A cabin attendant will be there to help you with anything you may need.
No matter how long you're planning to stay in Serbia's capital, it will for sure win over your heart. Adventurous, vivid, and spectacular Belgrade is full of surprises, as you never know what you'll find while exploring the city.
Arrive this morning in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, the former Yugoslavian capital. Located at the strategic meeting point of the Danube and Sava Rivers, this truly cosmopolitan city has fortifications from Celtic times, medieval tombs, and Turkish baths.
Spend a full day here and set out on a city tour that includes the ‘House of Flowers’—the mausoleum of Josip Tito. On the tour, you’ll also see the Town Hall, Republic Square, Knez Mihailova Street, ‘Varoš’ and the mighty Kalemegdan Fortress. Lunch today will be in the spectacular Salon 1905. You’ll leave Belgrade late in the afternoon and head towards Bosnia.
We carefully select hotels to ensure amazing stay and experience for you.
The Golden Eagle Danube Express is your luxurious hotel-on-wheels. Prepare yourself for this voyage of a lifetime by unpacking once and settling into your well-appointed and comfortable cabin. A cabin attendant will be there to help you with anything you may need.
Over breakfast, you’ll travel along a very scenic line to the historic city of Mostar, the crossroads of many civilizations, cultures and religions. Mostar was one of the most important cities of the Ottoman Empire. The town’s renowned stone arch bridge linking the Christian and Muslim areas was re-built in the summer of 2004. Visit the Turkish House and the mosque before walking through the narrow bazaar streets, where you can shop for traditional souvenirs and handicrafts.
Depart Mostar, and after lunch, you’ll arrive in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo.
We carefully select hotels to ensure amazing stay and experience for you.
The Golden Eagle Danube Express is your luxurious hotel-on-wheels. Prepare yourself for this voyage of a lifetime by unpacking once and settling into your well-appointed and comfortable cabin. A cabin attendant will be there to help you with anything you may need.
Discover the city’s poignant history through a truly absorbing tour detailing the horrors of the Balkan War. Sarajevo suffered from the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. The scars of war are still evident in the war-torn buildings you’ll pass before making a special visit to the Tunnel Museum under Sarajevo Airport. Your guide, who lived through the 1992–1996 conflict, powerfully brings to life the struggles that the citizens of Sarajevo faced during the siege of the city.
Return to the train for dinner onboard as your journey continues on to Croatia and Slovenia.
We carefully select hotels to ensure amazing stay and experience for you.
The Golden Eagle Danube Express is your luxurious hotel-on-wheels. Prepare yourself for this voyage of a lifetime by unpacking once and settling into your well-appointed and comfortable cabin. A cabin attendant will be there to help you with anything you may need.
Located in the northwest by the Sava River, the capital of Croatia, Zagreb, is one full of historical heritage as well, thus it all adds up to one fruitful journey.
Have breakfast onboard as the train heads to Croatia’s Capital, Zagreb, then spend the morning touring a city of green parks and beautiful architecture.
We carefully select hotels to ensure amazing stay and experience for you.
The Golden Eagle Danube Express is your luxurious hotel-on-wheels. Prepare yourself for this voyage of a lifetime by unpacking once and settling into your well-appointed and comfortable cabin. A cabin attendant will be there to help you with anything you may need.
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Welcome to the capital of fairytale Slovenia, Ljubljana. The city prides itself on beautiful architecture and charming sceneries, so enjoying a stroll along the scenic Ljubljanica River is among the "must" things to do during your stay.
Return to the train for lunch as the train follows the scenic River Sava to the Capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana. Tour this lovely, compact city by foot and by a cruise on the Ljubljanica River. Later, you'll head to Lake Bled, one of the most picturesque and photographed lakes in Eastern Europe.
Then, return to the train for a Farewell Dinner on board as you travel overnight toward Italy.
We carefully select hotels to ensure amazing stay and experience for you.
The Golden Eagle Danube Express is your luxurious hotel-on-wheels. Prepare yourself for this voyage of a lifetime by unpacking once and settling into your well-appointed and comfortable cabin. A cabin attendant will be there to help you with anything you may need.
After an early breakfast, you’ll stop in the medieval port city of Trieste, once amongst the oldest and largest cities in the Habsburg Empire. Then return to the train and prepare to disembark in Venice.
We carefully select hotels to ensure amazing stay and experience for you.
The Golden Eagle Danube Express is your luxurious hotel-on-wheels. Prepare yourself for this voyage of a lifetime by unpacking once and settling into your well-appointed and comfortable cabin. A cabin attendant will be there to help you with anything you may need.
Waterfront palazzos and palaces make drifting down the Grand Canal feel like cruising through a painting. Venice is the world's most romantic city.
Prepare to disembark at the Venice Santa Lucia Station on the Canal Grande, where you will be transferred to a centrally-located hotel for a two-night stay.
Unpack, relax and enjoy your first evening in Venice.
Venice is a truly captivating city of romance; its unrivaled beauty takes away the breath of first-time visitors and regulars alike. Today we will have the opportunity to take a walking tour around the highlights of this spectacular city. Walkthrough the winding lanes beside the Grand Canal to St Mark’s Square, which for 1,000 years was the heart of Venetian life.
Following breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for onward departures.
We carefully select hotels to ensure amazing stay and experience for you.
What's included
- Accommodation at remarkable downtown hotels;
- Breakfasts at the hotels;
- Airport transfers and all transportation according to the itinerary;
- Breathtaking sightseeing tours according to the itinerary with professional English-speaking guides;
- Support line during the trip.
Note:1. Hotels availability is subject to change. In case current hotels are booked out we will provide alternative hotels of an equal value for you.
Note: 2. We include 1 vehicle for your arrival and departure transfers. If multiple vehicles are required additional transfer costs will apply.
Not included:
- international flights;
- multiple arrival/departure transfers;
- other meals not mentioned in the program;
- optional tours and services;
- all personal expenses.
What To Know
Stress-free Booking Book your journey without stress and at a convenient pace. You can pay a deposit of 20% to book any tour in any major currency; the final balance will be due 90 days before the start date. In the event, that you decide to change or postpone your trip, you can transfer your deposit to any other packages we offer. Cruise bookings and special offers may be subject to different booking terms.
Trip Assurance If you need our assistance during your trip, you can call our support line available from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. (CET) on weekdays and weekends.
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