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Balkan Discovery 2024

From Budapest, Hungary to Bucharest, Romania
Length: 9 Days - Departs: Fri, Jun 07, 2024
Operator
Ship
Departure
Jun 07, 2024
Arrival
Jun 15, 2024

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Special Offers

LOW UNPUBLISHED PRICES ON AVALON WATERWAYS (GLOBUS) CRUISES
We have Low Prices on Avalon Waterways (Globus) - Guaranteed!

Single Supplement waived on select 2024 Europe river cruises

Mention Promo Code: PT3096
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Single Supplement waived on select 2024 Europe river cruises

Single Supplement waived on select 2024 Europe river cruises

Promotion Details
Book a select 2024 Europe river cruise in order to waive the cabin single supplement fee on the cruise portion of your booking. There is a limited number of staterooms available for this promotion per departure. Applies to E, D, B, A & P cabin categories. Plus, receive our AffordableTours.com everyday savings.
Must Book By Tue, Dec 31, 2024
View Promotion Terms & Conditions ›

*Book a select 2024 Avalon Waterways Europe river cruise in order to waive the cabin single supplement fee on the cruise portion of your booking. There is a limited number of staterooms available for this promotion per departure. Applies to E, D, B, A & P cabin categories. Applies to new bookings only and will not be applied to pre-existing bookings. Offer reliant on space availability and may be withdrawn at any time. For Groups, selling more than one passenger in a group, if available, with this promotion requires confirmation. Not combinable with other offers except the Welcome Back Credit. Full cancellation penalties will apply. Additional restrictions may apply; see Travel Terms & Conditions for details. May be withdrawn at any time. Offer available from participating GFOB offices only. SWPBN SWPBN

Save $1500 on select 2024 Europe river cruises

Mention Promo Code: PT3042
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Save $1500 on select 2024 Europe river cruises

Save $1500 on select 2024 Europe river cruises

Promotion Details
Book a select 2024 Europe river cruise to receive $1500 off per couple ($750 off per person) on the cruise/land or cruise only price. Plus, receive our AffordableTours.com everyday savings.
Must Book By Tue, Apr 30, 2024
View Promotion Terms & Conditions ›

*Book a select 2024 Avalon Waterways Europe river cruise to receive $750 off per person on the cruise/land or cruise only price. Booking must be made, under deposit, and discount applied between June 24, 2022 and April 30, 2024 for travel for select cruises in 2024. Not applicable to custom tours and charters. Not applicable on TBA space. Promotional discount will apply to Groups of 8 or more who provide their Group Block Deposit within the promotion's booking dates and will apply to all individual members of the Group until the due date of the passenger names/non-refundable individual deposits. Offer reliant on space availability at time of booking and may be withdrawn at any time. Combinable with Welcome Back Credit and select account specific offers only. Applies to new 2024 bookings only and offer will not be applied to pre-existing bookings. Full cancellation penalties will apply. Additional restrictions may apply; see Travel Terms & Conditions for details. May be withdrawn at any time. Offer applies to participating GFOB offices only. PRMW0967 PRMW0967

Up to $500 Welcome Back Credit for Repeat Travelers

Mention Promo Code: PT2504
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Up to $500 Welcome Back Credit for Repeat Travelers

Up to $500 Welcome Back Credit for Repeat Travelers

Promotion Details
With the Welcome Back Credit, the more you travel, the more credit you earn toward future vacations. You can easily redeem your Welcome Back Credit towards a future Globus or Cosmos tour, or use your credit to experience a Monograms package or Avalon Waterways river cruise. In addition to the Welcome Back Credit program, if your plans changed, you could also be holding onto additional travel credits through a Letter of Credit and Peace of Mind Bonus Credit. The credit amount is based on the overall value of your vacation, from a $100 - $250 credit per person.
Must Book By Tue, Dec 31, 2024
View Promotion Terms & Conditions ›

The Welcome Back Credit is awarded upon completion of Globus family of brands vacations. Credit amount can only be applied to the land/cruise or cruise only portion of a new Globus family of brands vacation (excluding 2022 Oberammergau, Monograms City Getaways, and Custom/Charter vacations). Credit amount is per person and must be redeemed for a future vacation with a deposit within 2 years from date of credit issue. Bookings can be made by calling the Globus family of brands, online, or by contacting your preferred travel advisor. Passenger must activate redemption credit prior to redemption. Combinable with all applicable consumer promotions except those with any Globus family of brands special discount programs. Credit must be applied before final payment on a future booking. Credit is not redeemable for cash, non-refundable deposit, airfare, transfers, travel insurance, prepaid gratuities, pre/post nights, or optional excursions and is non-transferrable. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply. Valid for all participating Globus family of brands offices. Additional restrictions may apply.


River Cruise Itinerary

Experience the extraordinary destinations of Eastern Europe on this Danube River cruise adventure through the Balkans. You’ll cruise through the rich landscapes and cultural locales of Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania. Embark on your Avalon Suite Ship® in Budapest, the lively Hungarian capital, and cruise to Pécs, where you’ll visit underground burial chambers with fascinating murals, now part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Take a fascinating guided tour of the Serbian capital of Belgrade, one of the oldest cities in Europe, where the Sava River meets the Danube. Cruise through the dramatic views of Iron Gates Gorge—a natural border between Serbia and Romania. Visit Bulgaria’s Belogradchik, and see the fascinating rock formations sculpted by natural elements for over 200 million years. On an excursion to the ancient Bulgarian capital of Veliko Târnovo, you’ll visit Arbanassi’s Church of the Nativity, housing an impressive collection of frescoes. To round out this timeless Eastern European river cruise, you’ll stay in Romania’s vibrant capital of Bucharest, known as the “Paris of the East.” A local expert will show you many of its historical treasures, such as the Arc de Triomphe, built in honor of WWI soldiers.

  1. Day 1
    BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (EMBARKATION)
    Fri, Jun 07, 2024
    Welcome to Hungary. Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding.Flights into Budapest must arrive by 2 pm. Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm.OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO MOHÁCS(D)BUDAPEST-PARLIAMENT.jpg
  2. Day 2
    MOHÁCS
    Sat, Jun 08, 2024
    Hungarian History in a Harbor TownVisit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host.ACTIVE Explore Mohacs by foot as you follow the lead of your Adventure Host, OR:CLASSIC Join a morning Guided Sightseeing Tour of Mohács—the quiet Danube harbor town with its historical memorial parks, statues, and distinctive churches. Tour the remarkable medieval St. Nicholas Watermill—one of only a few remaining watermills performing stone-ground grain processing, OR: CLASSIC Take a Guided Tour of nearby Pécs to see its 4th-century Christian underground tombs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with fascinating murals. You’ll also enjoy an organ concert on your tour.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO ILOK(B,L,D)PECS.jpg
  3. Day 3
    ILOK, CROATIA
    Sun, Jun 09, 2024
    History and Culture in CroatiaCLASSIC Join a Guided tour of Ilok, with its 1,000-year-old wine making traditions still thriving and its medieval fortress protected for its Croatian cultural heritage.Enjoy a brief cruise to Novi Sad while having lunch onboard.NOVI SAD, SERBIA The Athens of SerbiaACTIVE Get your daily dose of exercise, join your Adventure Host on this walk in and around town, OR:CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour of Novi Sad, the second largest town in Serbia. Admire its Austro-Hungarian old town, with its baroque buildings, and ancient fortifications.OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BELGRADE(B,L,D)NOVI-SAD.jpg
  4. Day 4
    BELGRADE
    Mon, Jun 10, 2024
    Fortresses and Folklore ACTIVE Discover Belgrade's central walkway with your Adventure Host, OR:CLASSIC Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour of Belgrade—where the Danube and Sava Rivers converge—and see the city’s many fascinating sights, including Saint Sava—one of the world’s largest Orthodox churches.DISCOVERY Attend an onboard Lecture to learn about the rich history, destinations, and culture of the Balkan states.Spend your free time exploring the city on your own this afternoon on Knez Mihailova Street—Belgrade’s central pedestrian thoroughfare with many lively cafés, shops, and cultural spots. This evening, you might like to join an Optional Excursion for an authentic Bohemian Dinner in the Quarter of Skadarlija.OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO GOLUBA?(B,L,D)BELGRADE-SAINT-SAVA.jpg
  5. Day 5
    GOLUBA?–DONJI MILANOVAC. EXCURSION TO LEPENSKI VIR–IRON GATES GORGE
    Tue, Jun 11, 2024
    Ancient Artifacts and the Iron Gates CLASSIC Visit the Fortress of Goluba?, one of the best preserved medieval fortresses in Europe. You’ll hear about its tumultuous history as a border control for defense in the Middle Ages, and a source of conflict between Serbia, the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire, OR:CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour to the Mesolithic archaeological site of Lepenski Vir with unique views of the Danube Gorge.Sail through the spectacular and narrow Iron Gates Gorge—a natural border between Serbia and Romania. AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO VIDIN(B,L,D)IRON-GATES-GORGE.jpg
  6. Day 6
    VIDIN, BULGARIA
    Wed, Jun 12, 2024
    Rocks, ruins and Balkan BeautyJoin your Adventure Host for today’s special activities.ACTIVE Wander and discover this town join your Adventure Host for a bike ride around town, OR:CLASSIC Join Guided Sightseeing to Baba Vida Fortress, followed by a Guided Tour of Belogradchik. Marvel at the remarkable rock formations on the western slopes of the Balkan Mountains, sculpted by 200 million years of natural elements, OR:DISCOVERY Discover more than two centuries of a proud family history of Bulgarian winemaking with a tour and tasting at a local winery. Here, you’ll enjoy a wine tasting in the cellars. AFTERNOON/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO ROUSSE(B,L,D)VIDIN-BELOGRADSHICK.jpg
  7. Day 7
    ROUSSE. VELIKO TÂRNOVO & ARBANASSI EXCURSION
    Thu, Jun 13, 2024
    Fortresses and Folklore ACTIVE Explore Rousse's old town by bike with your Adventure Host, OR:CLASSIC Join a full-day Guided Tour to the former Bulgarian capital of Veliko Târnovo—with its ancient stone houses clinging to the cliffs above the Yantra River. Discover one of the oldest towns in Bulgaria (circa 4300 BC), as well as the Bulgarian Revival architecture in the 15th-century town of Arbanassi, OR:CLASSIC Join a Guided Sightseeing Tour of Bulgaria’s largest inland port and visit its impressive Holy Trinity Church.Later, enjoy live entertainment on board with a Bulgarian folklore show. OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO OLTENITA(B,L,D)VELIKO-TARNOVO.jpg
  8. Day 8
    OLTENITA, ROMANIA (DISEMBARKATION)–BUCHAREST
    Fri, Jun 14, 2024
    The Paris of the EastCLASSIC Take a Guided Tour of the Romanian capital city of Bucharest with its tree-lined boulevards and Arc de Triomphe—honoring WWI Romanian soldiers. See the Royal Palace Square—the scene of the city’s 1989 riots to overthrow the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.Spend some free time exploring on your own to visit shops and museums. See the beautiful home and churches along Victory Avenue.(B).BUCHAREST-ARC-DE-TRIOMPHE.jpg
  9. Day 9
    BUCHAREST
    Sat, Jun 15, 2024
    Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.(B)BUCHAREST-SUNRISE.jpg

Countries Visited

Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia

Rivers Visited

Danube

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Inclusions

  • In the event of technical or water level issues, it may be necessary to operate the itinerary by motorcoach or alter the program, including hotel overnight when necessary.
  • Guided Tours, Optional Excursions, activities, sailing and docking schedules may be contingent on weather conditions or other issues outside of our control and could therefore be subject to change at any time.
  • Please check visa requirements with your local consulate(s); responsibility for obtaining visas rests with the traveler.


Accommodation Information

Port charges:
$210

Avalon offers the opportunity for solo travelers to sail with no single supplement (subject to availability).

Please call for single accommodation details and prices. Triples not available.

OR Call Us For a Free Quote 1-800-342-0019

Ship Information

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Cabins

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Life on Board

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Questions & Answers

Question: Will the day-by-day itinerary change?

Yes, the river cruise itineraries may change due to reasons such as inclement weather or unforeseen events. Your safety is the number one concern aboard and all precautions necessary will be taken in order to ensure passenger safety, including changing itineraries. Please note that when itineraries do change, the ship staff will do their best to substitute any missed port with an alternative destination.

Question: In what language is the river cruise conducted?

The river cruise will be conducted in English only.

Customer Reviews

Overall Rating
4.4
Accommodations
4.5
Itinerary
4.4
Professional Staff
4.6
Repeat with Operator
4.4
Value for Money
4.2

Ratings based off 66 reviews - currently showing 20 reviews with comments only

Great service. All done quickly & efficiently. Great cruise. Great price

This was my fourth river cruise with Avalon, and I love everything about them! The ships, the rooms, the staff, the food - all excellent. The staterooms have every imaginable convenience. The variety and quality of the meals are top notch. The staff was incredibly helpful and cheerful, and they are welcoming to solo travelers, like myself. I would happily book a fifth European cruise with them, until I run out of rivers!

Had a wonderful time. Everything was to our expectations and more. Will do it again.

Avalon had all details worked out, never felt confused or unsure of the daily activities. Worry free vacation

Our Cruise Director Yony was fabulous our waiter/waitress

Nina was just terrific, very informed about traveling with tips to help novice travelers. Any questions we had she answered promptly, found all the discounts she could which made the tip more affordable for us. I would highly recommend her as we are going to use her to book again for our next adventure.

Overall a great trip since my wife and I did a lot of things on our own with the Captain's blessing like riding bikes along the Danube and meeting the boat at the next port. If you are looking for an active trip with lots to do, Avalon's Active Discovery cruise would be for you.

We were very pleased with everything. Only one area that was somewhat disappointing. Our train ride for our extended days in Paris. There were four couples, eight people. We all had first class tickets and two couples, four people were in one car and were offered two meals; breakfast, lunch and drinks. Two couples, four people (us in our car) were not offered any food. So upon arrival two couples were able to start touring immediately. We had to find something to eat first at our own expense.

Sailing with Avalon was fantastic. The ship was really nice - like new even thou it was 4 years old, The food and drinks provided were gourmet cuisine. The tour director Monica was wonderful- extremely knowledgeable and helpful. The crew was great - so friendly and bent over backwards to serve us with a smile. Avalon did a great job getting people to feel comfortable and interact with each other. We all felt like good friends at the end of the trip. The included tours were excellent - led by knowledgeable persons native to the countries who shared much local history. Since the Danube was low we were unable to start our cruise in Nuremburg as planned, but Avalon took us all at no additional cost to a great classical concert in Vienna which was an optional excursion previously. The optional excursions were also excellent - a good variety led by knowledgeable locals who really wanted to share with us everything they could to help us understand the history as well as the present day political and economic situations in these various countries. I admit the great weather may have helped our overall great experience, but I cannot say enough good things about traveling with Avalon. I would definitely recommend them to friends and would love to travel with them again soon.

Best experience ever! From booking to traveling, just what was expected.

Avalon provides great service, excellent meals and a beautiful ship to travel on.

Everything was well done - including late breakfast!

The cruise director was was excellent. The entire staff on the Avalon Impression was amazing!

These Avalon guys are great! Food, accommodations, people - hard to find fault with anything. We saved quite a bit by booking an early season cruise and could see why. The weather was okay, but not great, and the flowers in The Netherlands were a little short of their peak.

Avalon continues to provide a superior class service for the price. Our river cruise boat had a large cabin with ample space, and a bathroom big enough that two people could use it at the same time when getting ready. The personal service by not only the cruise director, but all the staff on board, was excellent. I would not hesitate to use Avalon in the future.

The hotel in Prague was not near the city center, requiring a subway ride to get to the historic area. The hotel was very nice, but staying in the historic area has benefits. Also the choice of restaurants at the hotel we stayed at were limited.

Absolutely a wonderful trip! The Capitals of Europe River Cruise was excellent, and we added Berlin to our experience. I would recommend Avalon Waterways as the "only" way to travel down the Danube. We are looking forward to another River Cruise in the future!

Everything was great with the exception of the last part of the trip, we were supposed to be staying at the intercontinental hotel in Prague and to our surprise we were at the Hilton and we had extended our time in Prague and had to switch hotels. Other than that it was a great trip! 

Staff on the boat were great ! We had a serious problem with luggage on the trip. No luggage for 4 days. The staff helped in any way they could. Because of Easter we were unable to shop for anything and they washed clothes for free and gave us some badly needed toilet articles.

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