Budapest to the Black Sea - Eastbound 2025

13 days
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
Additional images not provided by operator
Video not provided by operator
4.4/5 Great
100+ reviews  
87%
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
River Cruise
Explore Central Europe's ancient heart on a river cruise along the Danube's lower reaches to the Black Sea. Discover dramatic castles, centuries-old monasteries, and myriad cultural treasures as you sail aboard one of Tauck's premium riverboats, and enjoy two-night stays at city-center hotels in Budapest and Bucharest.
From$7,190
See departure dates

Member Savings

Save up to $700!

Sign in to see which companies give additional
savings to Travelstride Members (it’s free)

Unlock Savings

Overview

Trip type
River Cruise
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy

Highlights

    • Explore the romantic lower Danube through the heart of Central Europe
    • where East and West meet and intertwine in fascinating cultures and turbulent history... Glide past medieval monasteries
    • citadels and villages...Discover resort towns along Romania's Black Sea Coast
    • explore an ancient Christian necropolis in Pecs
    • and visit 'Dracula's' castle in Transylvania... dine in the Bragadiru Palace in Bucharest... Share homemade refreshments in the home of a Croatian family rebuilding their lives in postwar Vukovar
    • and listen to Béla Bartók's piano music at a recital in his Budapest home. Experience authentic local cuisine
    • music and dance
    • and a wealth of architectural wonders as your river cruise winds its way through Hungary
    • Croatia
    • Serbia

What's this trip about?

    Explore Central Europe's ancient heart on a river cruise along the Danube's lower reaches to the Black Sea. Discover dramatic castles, centuries-old monasteries, and myriad cultural treasures as you sail aboard one of Tauck's premium riverboats, and enjoy two-night stays at city-center hotels in Budapest and Bucharest.

Details

Itinerary focusOperator does not provide
Group sizeStandard Group - 25 + people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transport
Start City Budapest, Hungary
End CityBucharest

Travel Themes

  • Small Ship Cruise

Destinations

Attractions

  • Belgrade
  • Bucharest
  • Budapest

Activities

  • Culture

Trip includes

    • TAUCK EXCLUSIVE – Enjoy a Tauck Exclusive dinner at the Royal White Palace of the Serbian Royal Family, built in the 1930s and set within the same complex as the Royal Palace in Dedinje, home to HRH Crown Prince Alexander II of Serbia and his family All gratuities to ship staff, drivers, local guides, Tauck Directors and Tauck Cruise Director Tauck's private shore excursions and distinctive inclusions valued at $4,148 Two nights at a hotel in Budapest and three nights in Bucharest at a hotel with an ideal location next to the Parliament Palace Choices of bicycle excursions in Budapest & Belgrade Dinner at a palace in Bucharest

Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1 Your adventure begins in Budapest

Tour begins: 6:00 PM, Al Habtoor Palace Budapest.
A transfer is included from Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport and Budapest-Keleti Station to Al Habtoor Palace Budapest in the heart of the city. Meet your fellow travelers and Tauck Directors tonight at the welcome cocktail reception and dinner. 

MEALS : D

LODGING : Al Habtoor Palace Budapest

PORTOFCALL : Budapest, Hungary

Day 2 Discovering Pest, past & present

Once independent cities located on opposite sides of the Danube, Buda and Pest joined together when they were linked by the Chain Bridge in the mid-19th century to become Hungary's cosmopolitan capital, Budapest. You have a choice o...

Day 3 Visit Budapest landmark sights and set off on your cruise

Today's exploration of Buda begins with a visit the Hungarian Parliament building, rich with history; it is nothing short of an architectural masterpiece. Next, travel to Castle Hill, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where a guided wal...

Day 4 Antiquities & more in Hungary

Arrive in Mohacs this morning and travel to Pécs for a walking tour. Here you'll also explore the fascinating Christian Necropolis, a complex dating back to the 4th century that includes underground burial chambers and chapels adorn...

Day 5 Vukovar, Croatia & Novi Sad, Serbia

Your riverboat exploration of the lower Danube cruises into Croatia; an onboard lecture by a local expert provides insights into the country's culture and history. Dock in the Baroque city of Vukovar, once showcasing opulent 18th-ce...

Day 6 The sights of Belgrade and a private palace evening

Dock in Belgrade, Serbia's eclectic, cosmopolitan capital at the juncture of the Danube and Sava rivers. You can choose to spend the morning touring the "New Belgrade" section of the city by bicycle with a local guide (you'll need t...

Day 7 The Iron Gate, King Decebalus & more

Continuing your Budapest river cruise, relax on a day's sail past the fields and vineyards of Eastern Europe. Pass into Romania and through the Kazan Narrows and the Iron Gate of the Danube, a two-mile-long series of narrow gorges b...

Day 8 Bulgarian art in Ruse or Ivanovo

Your Budapest river cruise along the Danube takes you to Bulgaria today; largely off limits during four centuries of Ottoman rule and decades behind the Iron Curtain, the country's rich natural beauty and history is yours to discove...

Day 9 Constanta & Mamaia on Romania's Black Sea coast

Spend the morning cruising the Danube all the way to Constanta, Romania on the Black Sea coast. Upon your arrival in the early afternoon, take a guided tour of this historic port city, originally the ancient Greek colony of Tomis an...

Day 10 Disembark and on to Bucharest

Disembark your riverboat in Constanta and travel to Bucharest, capital of Romania and once regarded as the "Paris of the Balkans." A sightseeing tour of city landmarks includes Revolution Square and the Triumphal Arch; erected to co...

Day 11 Transylvania and Bran Castle – or Sinaia – or Targoviste

A choice of sightseeing today echoes the legacy of 15th-century Romanian prince Vlad Tepes (a.k.a. "Vlad the Impaler"), thought to be the historical model for Bram Stoker's Dracula. You may choose to take a full-day excursion to Tra...

Day 12 Bucharest & a night at a palace

Discover more of Romania's capital on a choice of morning sightseeing, either visiting the National Art Museum or the Village Museum, before ending in Bucharest's Old Town. Following an afternoon spent pursuing what interests you mo...

Day 13 Journey home

Tour ends: Bucharest.
Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from InterContinental Athénée Palace Bucharest to Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport and Bucuresti Gara de Nord; please allow 3 hours for flight check-in at the airport.

MEALS : B

PORTOFCALL : Bucharest, Romania

Want a tailor-made trip instead?

Your trip, your way, planned by an expert:

  • You choose budget, destinations, activities, transport & lodging type
  • Expert designs the itinerary for you, and once approved, takes care of logistics
Design custom trip

Dates & Availability

Price From $7,190
Price per day$553
Last Updated: 3/6/2025
Departure Date
Finish Date
Double Standard
Single Standard
Double Luxury
Availability
01 Aug 2025
14 Aug 2025
$7,190
$7,590
$8,040

All prices are per person in U.S. dollars.

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Tauck.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

Travelstride Gift Card
One card, thousands of extraordinary trips
Gifts Card

Tauck Reviews & Ratings

4.4/5  Great
Excellent
16
Great
4
Average
0
Disappointing
3
Terrible
0
Write a Review

Other Tauck Reviews

K

Kurlyk40

May 2024

Written on

Great Scenery but Accommodations Lacking for cost

My husband and I booked the Yellowstone tour with Tauck expecting so much more with the accommodations, food, and tour director based on the price point. We were sa...

S

Susan

Jun 2023

Written on

Nine Tours and Done

Sad to see a once good tour company stumble and fall into mediocrity. That’s Tauck post-Covid. My May 2023 tour of Normandy, Brittany and the Loire Valley was done o...

C

Cougess

Jan 2023

Written on

Skip this cruise - not worth it

My husband and I went on the Treasures of the Mediterranean Isles Trip jn October 2022. This was our third Tauck cruise with Ponnant but our first post covid and the...

Write a Review

Tour Operator

About Travelstride

Find your perfect trip

An epic selection of pre-planned trips on every continent, for every style. Thousands of itineraries from over 1,000 trusted travel companies.

Save time

Use simple search and comparison tools to easily find the best trip. Don't sweat the logistics — travel providers plan for you.

Save money

Book directly with the operator. See inclusive packages for the best values, and get access to amazing deals.

Travel confidently

Read unbiased user reviews, pick the operator that suits your needs, and connect with them directly.

Logistics

Accommodation

Ship & cabin information
MS JOY
MS JOY Maintaining Tauck’s high standards for quality and comfort, ms Joy cruises exclusively for Tauck on the Danube River as part of our Destination Fleet. With a maximum of 130 guests, the 443-foot riverboat and her sister ships continue our tradition of providing more space per guest on Europe’s inland waterways, transporting fewer passengers than most longships (135 meters). Her deck plan is innovative; with a total of 67 cabins, our most popular cabins tend to be our largest... so we have used the added ship length to offer twenty-two 300-square-foot Tauck Suites – the most of any river cruise ship on any European river. To increase the amount of natural sunlight on the lower deck, we’ve created 8 loft cabins that extend from the first to the second decks, providing guests with an additional view; all windows in these loft cabins open
MS JOY
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
ALL_AGES
Additional Information
[object Object]
Trip ID
tauck-RLX2025

Become a member

(it's free)
  • Save up to $700 per person
  • Access members-only specials
  • Personalize trip recommendations
Sign up and save
Top Tour Companies on Travelstride:
All 1,600+ companies >
Sign in to reveal savings up to $700 per person!