

Take Off With Tauck is valid on all European river cruises departing March 1 – August 31 and October 1 - October 31, 2023. Trips must be booked from January 2 - March 31, 2023. Tauck's air package is available to all guests departing from select U.S. and Canadian gateways to Europe. Available for new bookings only (subject to availability). Air is refundable up to 60 days before departure. (certain restrictions apply) Not combinable with other offers. Premium Economy cabin is offered on transatlantic flights and select carriers only.
Moments of history shape the sights you'll see in the cities and towns along the Danube River, bookended by moments indelibly etched in time in Berlin and Kraków. During a three-night stay in Kraków, poignant pauses in Poland's one-time capital, Auschwitz and Kazimierz pay homage to lives lost in tragic times. Board your Tauck riverboat in Hungary for a 7-night cruise, crossing into Austria to experience its storied capital, Vienna, with choices of sightseeing and an Imperial Evening at a private palace; stop at Linz for a walking tour or boat ride in the nearby Lake District; explore Krems and the Wachau Valley by bicycle; and visit historic and charming Bavarian towns like the "city of three rivers," Passau; ancient Regensburg; and cobblestoned Straubing, dating back to 6,000 BC. Then it's on via high-speed train to a three-night stay in Berlin, chronicling past political divides with a look back at Iron Curtain curfews, Jewish hardships and wartime woes, while cultural narratives in the museums on Museum Island showcase an evolution of art through the ages – and choices including an excursion to Potsdam, a Berlin bicycling trip and more.
The city of Kraków reigned as the capital of Poland for nearly six centuries, its rulers residing at Wawel Castle until the court and parliament moved to Warsaw in 1609. Today it's renowned for preserving its country national identity with its prestigious university, royal castle, Gothic cathedral and still thriving Old Quarter. Enjoy a walking tour of the city with a local guide, and choose to join us on a drive into the countryside for a poignant visit to the Auschwitz Memorial and Museum, site of the infamous Nazi concentration camp, or remain in Kraków to spend some time on your own. Please note: the Kraków walking tour and the Auschwitz visit could be either in the morning or afternoon, depending on ticket availability at the Auschwitz site. Your evening is free to spend as you wish; you can enjoy an included dinner at your hotel either tonight or tomorrow, your choice.
More sightseeing choices await you this morning in Kraków. One is a visit to the Kazimierz District – the city's former Jewish Quarter – for a coach and walking tour to learn more about its poignant Jewish heritage, including views of Oskar Schindler's Factory, now a museum; following your tour, you'll have an opportunity to visit the Galicia Museum on your own, or enjoy some free time in the area. Or you can join your local guide for a walking tour of Kraków focusing on local life and hidden cultural gems. The rest of the day and evening are yours to spend as you please in Kraków.
Depart Kraków this morning and drive from Poland through Slovakia and on to Esztergom, Hungary, where your riverboat awaits your arrival. Enjoy a welcome reception followed by dinner onboard in your choice of dining venues, from the formal Compass Rose to Arthur's intimate bistro.
Your riverboat arrives this afternoon in the Austrian capital of Vienna, a compact city with an abundance of important sights. Many are clustered around the Hofburg, the former Imperial Court. Farther afield you'll find palaces like Belvedere and Schönbrunn palaces, graced by gardens and gilded treasures. The city's Jewish Quarter, Judenplatz, is in the heart of the city, and the city's contemporary center, including the new Hauptbahnhof and the university campus, is also nearby. This afternoon you'll have a choice of exploring Vienna on one of two different tours; each begins with an introductory tour of the city and its Ringstrasse with our local guides, then focuses on either classic, Imperial Vienna (including the Habsburgs' Schönbrunn Palace) or the city's Jewish Heritage sites. Spend the afternoon as you like, then return to the riverboat for dinner, or choose to stay in town and dine in Vienna tonight. Please note: To preserve your sightseeing experience in Vienna and maximize our time there, we may rotate some activities on Days 6 and 7 on some departures; tour Tauck Director will advise accordingly.
Today you'll explore more of this amazing city – once the capital of the Habsburgs' Austro-Hungarian Empire – with an on-tour choice of a guided visit to Austria's Museum of Military History (Heeresgeschichtliches Museum), documenting the history of Austria's armed forces; or an exclusive opportunity to sit in on a rehearsal at a Vienna palace as an orchestra prepares for a performance, in the city considered by many to be the classical music capital of Europe. Return to the ship for lunch or stay in Vienna to enjoy lunch as you please. Tonight, dress up for an exclusive royal dinner at the private Palais Pallavicini with sparkling entertainment... a highlight of your cruise!
Your riverboat arrives in the 1,000-year-old city of Krems this morning, located at the start of the Wachau Valley, celebrated for its exquisite Austrian wines. Spend the morning exploring Krems on one of two guided tours – one that begins with a drive followed by a moderate walking tour of town, or another featuring a challenging walking tour designed for robust walkers. Following lunch onboard the riverboat, the afternoon presents a choice of staying aboard the ship for a leisurely cruise past the lush vineyard-lined landscapes of the Wachau Valley, with insights from your local guide; or a guided bicycle excursion through those wine country landscapes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This afternoon's wine tasting excursion offers an authentic taste of the grape and reveals time-honored secrets of the Austrian winemakers. Have dinner onboard your riverboat tonight as your ship cruises overnight to Linz.
Arrive in Linz this morning, inhabited since Roman times and one of Austria's leading cultural centers. Today you may choose to stay in town and join our local guides for a walking tour of Old Town Linz, then hop aboard the historic mountain tram to Pöstlingberg for panoramic views of the countryside and time at leisure to visit the beer gardens or the pilgrimage basilica. Alternatively, you may choose to spend a full day in the Salzkammergut Lake District – enjoying a boat ride across a lake, a scenic journey by coach to Lake Wolfgangsee, and a visit to St. Wolfgang in Salzkammergut to see the famous Gothic winged altar in its 14th-century church.
Your riverboat arrives in Passau today for a choice of ways to explore this riverside town. Once a Roman outpost at the confluence of three rivers, Passau is over 2,500 years old, a Bavarian town of pastel patrician houses, cafés, romantic cobblestone lanes and riverfront promenades. You can choose to discover its storybook mix of Roman, Italian Baroque and German Gothic architecture on a guided walking tour with views of St. Stephen's Cathedral, the hilltop fortress where Passau's prince-bishops once resided, and the 14th-century Rathaus (Town Hall). Your other option is a short hike through the nearby Bavarian Forest accompanied by a local guide, where you can take in the natural beauty and rich history of the area.
Disembark your riverboat after breakfast and join us for a morning walking tour of Regensburg, an ancient Bavarian city, home to more than 1,400 historic structures. After lunch in town, spend the afternoon traveling aboard a new special fast train to Berlin. Arrive at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin early this evening, ideally located near Brandenburg Gate, one of the city's most famous landmarks. Enjoy the evening at leisure.
In the years since the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, Berlin has emerged as one of the most exciting cities in the world. An introductory tour leads to your choice of sightseeing excursions this morning – a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Museum Island for a guided museum tour of the Pergamon Museum or an in-depth tour of Berlin's Jewish Heritage sites. Everyone meets up for lunch followed by your choice of time at leisure to explore Germany's vibrant capital as you wish or a bicycle excursion offering a new perspective on the city.
Today you can choose to experience the city from one of three perspectives. You can join us for a guided visit to the Baroque city of Potsdam, where the WWII-in-Europe-ending treaty was signed, attractively rebuilt after its wartime losses and a showcase of beautiful gardens and grand palaces – or take an opportunity to explore World War II history in Berlin. Spend the remainder of the afternoon as you please; if you wish, take an optional bicycle ride to see Berlin from a different, modern-day perspective. Join us for a special farewell dinner tonight at the Parliament where a local resident shares a personal perspective of life behind the Iron Curtain.
Tour ends: Berlin. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from the Hotel Adlon Kempinski to Berlin Airport or Berlin Central Train Station. Allow a minimum of three hours for flight check-in at the airport.
Moments of history shape the sights you'll see in the cities and towns along the Danube River, bookended by moments indelibly etched in time in Berlin and Kraków. During a three-night stay in Kraków, poignant pauses in Poland's one-time capital, Auschwitz and Kazimierz pay homage to lives lost in tragic times. Board your Tauck riverboat in Hungary for a 7-night cruise, crossing into Austria to experience its storied capital, Vienna, with choices of sightseeing and an Imperial Evening at a private palace; stop at Linz for a walking tour or boat ride in the nearby Lake District; explore Krems and the Wachau Valley by bicycle; and visit historic and charming Bavarian towns like the "city of three rivers," Passau; ancient Regensburg; and cobblestoned Straubing, dating back to 6,000 BC. Then it's on via high-speed train to a three-night stay in Berlin, chronicling past political divides with a look back at Iron Curtain curfews, Jewish hardships and wartime woes, while cultural narratives in the museums on Museum Island showcase an evolution of art through the ages – and choices including an excursion to Potsdam, a Berlin bicycling trip and more.
Traveling with Peace of Mind
Our commitment never wavers – to earn your trust by always doing the right thing. As we explore the world together again, this will be more important than ever as we adapt to living and traveling in the presence of COVID-19.
Tauck is 97-years young this year, and our ability to weather many storms over the decades is a result of our values and beliefs – as a family and as a family-owned and led company. In addition to the guiding light of these values, our extensive experience, local knowledge and global support network help to ensure your safety on every Tauck journey. Building upon our bedrock of award-winning guest care, we have worked tirelessly to prepare for your return following the COVID-19 hiatus in travel. With guidance from leading experts, including the CDC and WHO, together with our internal Global Response Team and, most importantly, with feedback from thousands of our guests, we have redefined how we will conduct our experiences as we resume travel.
Tauck is Prepared for the Unexpected
For decades, Tauck has operated in over 70 countries in all 7 continents. Over this time, our staff and network of supplier partners have always been there to support our guests and team on the road. Our guests travel with a comprehensive, built-in support system that starts with the care and local knowledge of our Tauck Directors and extends to our network of partners around the world, including hoteliers and transportation companies.
At the core of our ability to quickly and effectively respond to the unexpected is our Global Response Team - a group of over 50 employees across all departments who stand ready to spring into action around the world. This team has plenty of experience, from weather events, high and low water on rivers, earthquakes, volcanic ash, civil unrest and work stoppages. They have also dealt with past virus outbreaks including the SARS and Zika viruses.
The Tauck Travel Well Pledge
Before we operate tours and cruises, all Tauck employees, our supplier partners and our guests will take Tauck’s Travel Well Pledge.
As a company, we will follow our enhanced protocols with diligence and rigor; review them frequently as the landscape changes and always make common-sense decisions grounded in purpose and pride. We embrace these new and necessary measures to combat COVID-19 and will do our very best to provide the Tauck care we have been honored to deliver for 97 years.
OUR NEW HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS
Consistent with our commitment to the well-being of our guests, we are implementing enhanced health and safety protocols. These protocols may vary by geographic regions and will certainly evolve over time, as science and society respond to new realities:
Tauck Staff
Prior to interacting with guests, each member of Tauck’s field staff is trained in enhanced protocols and participates in a personal health screening.
Once on tour, our Tauck Directors and supporting staff are responsible for maintaining these protocols with a special focus on cleanliness and physical distancing. They will relay critical information regarding requirements, advise when protocols are mandatory – such as wearing a face covering in group settings – and help facilitate guest care through communication with appropriate parties should a guest become ill on tour. All Tauck staff will adhere to the same requirements.
Guest Responsibility
When joining a Tauck journey, every guest is responsible for their own health and, in turn, the protection of their fellow travelers, the Tauck staff, our suppliers and the places we visit. Guests will pledge to follow the direction of the Tauck staff and adhere to health and safety protocols.
Guests are expected to wear face coverings in all group settings, to wash their hands frequently and to adhere to supplier and government regulations. While supplies of face coverings, gloves, and hand sanitizer will be available, guests are asked to bring such personal items for their own comfort.
Small is BIG
For many years, Tauck has emphasized and invested in more choices of activities, resulting in smaller groups for activities like sightseeing and events. This is consistent with our mantra that “Small is Big” – small groups and smaller ships with fewer guests.
We initially focused on these elements to improve the guest experience. Yet today they take on an additional dimension; small group experiences and more personal space are critical in providing the peace of mind our guests expect. Accordingly, we are offering even more small group experiences and limiting guest numbers across all of our journeys.
We have been working diligently with our partners to be prepared to welcome you back when the time is right.
Tauck has worked meticulously with our global supplier partners to plan for every itinerary following the hiatus in travel. All partners, whether they be a hotel, museum, small ship/riverboat, restaurant or other partner, have been thoughtful about how to provide a Tauck experience in this environment.
And while it's impossible to list all of the enhanced health and safety protocols for the hundreds of Tauck partners across the globe, we would like to share a representative sample of what you can expect:
Hotels
Our hotel partners all have world-class health and safety protocols. However, these guidelines may vary depending on local situations and regulations. Here are some typical examples:
Ships and Riverboats
We have worked closely with our cruise partners to ensure the best possible health and safety protocols and to ensure the care and service you expect from Tauck:
Sightseeing and Local Activities
Many of our experiences are exclusive and/or private and that’s important in taking care of you. Whether it be a guided tour, a visit to an iconic museum or private home, a musical performance, or any other special Tauck activities, we are applying the same rigor to health and safety protocols:
Dining
Tauck has always been known for a la carte dining; having more freedom to decide when and with whom to dine now has more value than ever. Additionally, our partners whether they be hotels, ships, special venues or restaurants, are raising their already rigorous hygienic standards. Here are some examples:
On-Tour Transportation
Keeping on-tour transportation safe is a major focus of our team who has worked with hundreds of partners to ensure continuity in health and safety protocols:
Our Supplier Partners are ready for you
Tauck is proud to have worked closely with our partners around the world, many of them for decades, to deliver the quality, comfort and safety you expect. Whether it be hotels and resorts, riverboats and small ships, restaurants, event venues or transportation companies, their meticulous health and safety protocols reflect their leadership and well-earned respect in the travel industry. The following are some select health and safety protocols. We will update these on a regular basis.
In addition to our supplier partners, we have also been actively engaged with global travel organizations to standardize health and safety protocols throughout the travel industry. TourCare is one example:
TourCare are health and sanitation guidelines developed by the tour industry's major global associations: the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), The Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO) and the European Tourism Association (ETOA). Tauck, and our supplier partners, meet and exceed these guidelines that require members to adhere to the highest standards in the industry.
The Tauck experience was everything we expected it to be. We also appreciated the warm reception as their first cruise on the Danube since the Covid shutdown. Their professional staff navigated the travel restrictions as we moved from country to country and overall elimated those worries for us. Their were 52 (of a possible 130) passengers on board so to say we were given VIP treatment is an understatement. We loved the crew on board the MS Joy as well as the talented Cruise Director and Tour Directors. The experience that they created for us is the reason why we will continue to travel with Tauck and recommend them to others. On a negative note, I was disappointed in the hotel selection in Prague. The InterContinental where we had originally been booked was under renovation. We were shifted to the Hilton which was average at best. Additionally as a Category 7 traveler, we were put in a standard room. Other Category 7 travelers were upgraded to the premium floors which I found irritating.
Once you take a Tauck tour, you'll never go with another Operator. The Tauck experience was incredible and totally worth the money. Can't think of one thing to complain about or would change.
Enjoyed all aspects of the Tauck Cruise.
It is wonderful to have every detail taken care of with a smile on the face of the staff.
Tauck is always an outstanding experience.
While watching a video on the history of Tauck during a coach ride portion of this tour, I was surprised to find out that this company pioneered land tours in North America, and was the first to offer European river cruises. Tauck takes care of even the smallest details, from tipping local guides to providing us with coins to use restrooms during walking tours of the various cities we visited. WiFi onboard is complimentary -- something even NatGeo doesn\'t offer on their cruises. And, an open bar to boot, where I ordered the most exotic cocktails and kept the bartenders grinning and guessing as to their ingredients. Our arrivals at hotels in separate coaches on land portions of the tour were coordinated beforehand with our rooms and luggage, so that we did not have to spend any time standing in large gatherings in the hotel lobby waiting for rooms to be assigned and room keys slowly doled out as in other tours. As we off boarded our coaches, we were handed our room keys and were able to proceed immediately to our rooms, with our luggage delivered soon thereafter. Each hotel stay was fabulous and impressive -- four stars all the way. Live orchestral music gave our dining experiences a truly special touch.
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We had a marvelous trip. Tauck thinks of everything!!