River Cruise Itinerary

1. Day 1
   Kiev

   Mon, Jun 14, 2021

   Arrive in Kiev, capital of Ukraine, and transfer to your ship.* After boarding, take free time to relax before dinner, or join our "welcome walk” to stretch your legs and start getting oriented. (Dinner)

   ^{* Ground transfers are included with Viking Air purchase.}
2. Day 2
   Kiev

   Tue, Jun 15, 2021

   Tour Kiev, capital of Ukraine and one of Europe's oldest cities. See its historic buildings and monuments, and take a guided tour of the lovely St. Sophia Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site crowned with 13 glimmering domes. Afterward, continue to the Monastery of the Caves, an extensive complex of domed churches and museums founded by monks in 1051. Its Ukrainian name, Pechersk, comes from the underground passages and chapels that have been dug into the rocks alongside it. You may spend the remainder of the day on your own or take an optional Jewish Kiev tour. In the evening, you may choose to enjoy a traditional Ukrainian dinner at a local restaurant, or dine on board. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

3. Day 3
   Kiev

   Wed, Jun 16, 2021

   Visit the fascinating Pirogovo Folk Museum today, a remarkable collection of more than 200 wooden structures relocated and rebuilt here from regions throughout Ukraine. Each building reflects a particular Ukrainian region, style and historical period, and is brought to life through exhibits of folkloric costumes, musical instruments and household articles. You may spend the remainder of the day on your own or join one of our optional tours. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

4. Day 4
   Cruise the Dnieper River

   Thu, Jun 17, 2021

   Enjoy a day of scenic cruising as you pass undulating hills and vast open landscapes, and traverse the Kremenchuk Reservoir as you sail toward your next destination, Zaporozhye.

5. Day 5
   Zaporozhye

   Fri, Jun 18, 2021

   After breakfast, tour Zaporozhye, ancestral home of the Cossacks, and drive along the six-mile-long Cathedral Prospect, passing the dam and the city's massive hydroelectric plant. After lunch, visit the Cossack Museum of Khortitsa. Enjoy a special Cossack horsemanship show full of daring acrobatics accompanied by folkloric music and dance. Enjoy dinner on board as we depart. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

6. Day 6
   Kherson

   Sat, Jun 19, 2021

   Enjoy a morning of scenic cruising down the Dnieper River through a rich, fertile landscape of corn and watermelon fields before arriving in Kherson. Disembark for a tour of this small city, founded in 1778 by order of Catherine the Great and named after the ancient Greek colony of Chersonesos Taurica. Walk along the river embankment, see the monument to Prince Potemkin and the statue of Prince Alexander Suvorov-the city's founder-and visit St. Catherine's Cathedral, decidedly Mediterranean in design. Dinner is served as we depart and make our way into the wide-open waters of the Black Sea. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

7. Day 7
   Odessa

   Sun, Jun 20, 2021

   Enjoy a half-day city tour of Odessa this morning, an elegant city of terraced hills and landscaped parks. Travel along Primorski Boulevard to the Italian-baroque Opera House and the Potemkin Steps, where one of the most famous scenes in cinema was shot by Sergei Eisenstein for his 1925 classic, Battleship Potemkin. In the afternoon, you may choose to join one of our optional tours; perhaps savor the taste of Shustov cognac or discover Jewish Odessa. This evening, attend a performance at the Odessa Opera House, considered one of the world's most beautiful venues. Alternatively, dine on board as we remain docked overnight. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

8. Day 8
   Odessa

   Mon, Jun 21, 2021

   This morning, you will take a guided tour of the Odessa Art Museum. Housed in the grand neoclassical Potocki Palace, its vast, rich collection includes sculptures and decorative arts spanning hundreds of years and paintings by European artists of the 16th through early 19th centuries. Return to your ship for lunch on board. This evening, you may choose to enjoy a traditional Ukrainian dinner at a local restaurant. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

9. Day 9
   Odessa

   Tue, Jun 22, 2021

   After breakfast, tour the fascinating Odessa Catacombs. This maze of underground tunnels began as a sandstone mining operation but the abandoned mines were later used by smugglers and Soviet partisans fighting fascist invaders during World War II. This afternoon, admire the vistas from your ship as we set sail toward Tulcea. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

10. Day 10
    Constanţa

    Wed, Jun 23, 2021

    Arrive in Tulcea and disembark your ship. Board your motor coach for a panoramic drive through the Romanian countryside, with a stop for lunch at the ancient city of Constanța, the oldest in Romania. Proceed to Bucharest, check in to your hotel and enjoy dinner on your own. (Breakfast, Lunch)

11. Day 11
    Bucharest

    Thu, Jun 24, 2021

    After breakfast, take a morning tour of the city. See the city's wide boulevards, the Romanian Athenaeum, the Arch of Triumph and the People's Palace. Enjoy photo stops at several historic buildings and a visit to the Stavropoleos Monastery. Built in 1724, it celebrates Byzantine music and houses the largest collection of Byzantine music books in Romania. (Breakfast)

12. Day 12
    Bucharest

    Fri, Jun 25, 2021

    After breakfast, check out of your hotel and proceed to the airport for your return flight. Alternatively, explore more of Romania with a stay in Transylvania or, continue your journey to Istanbul and enjoy three nights in Turkey's largest city. (Breakfast)

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