Cruise Description

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 Vilshofen 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.

Sample cheese and beer made by Trappist monks and explore their Abbey gardens. Choose an insider’s tour of Vienna, or join a canoe excursion—your Active & Discovery river cruise has something for every interest. From a wine tasting to a hike to Count Dracula’s prison tower, to a visit to Belvedere Palace in Vienna to see Klimt’s renowned “The Kiss,” to a Medieval Knights Tournament at a Visegrád castle—the adventure is up to you. Your Active & Discovery Danube River cruise can be as active or leisurely as you like! Join us on this Active & Discovery river cruise and experience the Danube your way.

Day 1
Welcome to Germany. Your Suite Ship is Ready for Boarding. Flights into Munich must arrive by 2 pm. Guests must be on board ship by 5 pm. Explore your ship and enjoy dinner on your first evening on board.
EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO ENGELHARTSZELL (D)

Day 2
Memories and Beer in the Making
Visit the Adventure centre 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 Schlogen 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 Schlogen Oxbow on your way to Linz. Later, enjoy live entertainment on board.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN LINZ (B,L,D)

Day 3
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 Memorial, one of the largest and most brutal Nazi camps of WWII.
In the afternoon sail to Grein.
GREIN: Theatre History and Modern-Day Castles
CLASSIC - Take a Guided Walk of Grein, including its historic theatre, 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 (B,L,D)

Day 4
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 Durnstein 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 (B,L,D)

Day 5
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 Karntnerstrasse then take a break for a piece of Sachertorte.
OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN VIENNA (B,L,D)

Day 6
A Feast for the Soul
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 cafe, 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 VISEGRAD (B,L,D)

Day 7
Jousting Tournaments and Dracula's Tower
ACTIVE - Visit Count Dracula's prison tower on a hiking tour in Visegrad, 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, OR:
DISCOVERY - Join a Guided Excursion to the Medieval Knights Tournament at Visegrad's Lower Castle, featuring targeting and fighting demonstrations by members of the St. George Knightly Order.
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 (B,L,D)

Day 8
Your cruise ends with breakfast this morning. (B)