Golden Eagle Grand Alpine Express

On arrivals day in Budapest, you will be met at the airport, train station or river ship landing stage and transferred to the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace for a two-night stay.Enjoy a welcome reception dinner in the elegant surrounds of this art nouveau landmark, with its panoramic views across the River Danube, where you can meet your fellow travellers on this highly-anticipated journey.

The Hungarian capital is compact enough to explore on a walking tour. On the west side of the river, find whimsical Fisherman’s Bastion and soak in the healing hot springs at the Gellért Baths; on the east, song bursts forth from castles, churches and opera houses.

We enjoy a drinks reception at Budapest Nyugati station before boarding the Golden Eagle Danube Express for our morning departure. Settle in to your cabin and later enjoy lunch as the train heads to Vienna. There’s an effortless elegance to the place Beethoven called home. An afternoon spent walking through the pyramidic Palm House and citrus-scented orangery of the Schönbrunn Palace flows into a private concert at Palais Auersperg performed by the Vienna Supreme Orchestra.

Peer through your private cabin’s picture window at the Alps, arguably Europe’s most beautiful highlands. Cross the Semmering Pass, cruise crystalline Lake Achen and spend the night in the stately, mountain-ringed city of Innsbruck.

A private walking tour of the country’s largest city is a fabulous way to get beneath its surface, from the history of its pre-medieval Altstadt (Old Town), to a cheese fondue tasting using alpine staples such as Gruyère and Emmental.

Sit back as your sleeper train chugs along the shores of Alpine lakes, climbs the vertiginous St. Gotthard Pass and dips into a joyful descent through gorgeous Lugano. Slow to a stop on Lake Como, for a private boat cruise across the serene water and visit the beautiful lakeside town of Bellagio, where we stop for a scenic lunch and an opportunity for souvenir shopping. Lake Como is surrounded by high mountains and dramatic cliffs, so it is quite different from the other Italian lakes. A narrow road runs up its western coast towards Switzerland and sits up high above the water, with the towns dropping down beneath it. Renowned for its beautifully kept public gardens and historic villas, it is easy to see why so many celebrities love Lake Como.

This morning after running along the south shore of Lake Garda we arrive in Verona. The setting of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a romantic place for a morning’s guided tour among Roman ruins. Then, it’s on to Trieste to visit Miramare Castle, a historic seaside residence rich in art, culture, and imperial legacy. Cap things off with a spritz in sprawling Piazza Unita d’Italia.

Early risers will be rewarded as the tracks snake through the emerald heart of the Julian Alps and past Lake Bled’s picturesque island. Next up is Ljubljana, as we have lunch on board and discover a delightful combination of ancient architecture and a youthful culture. Our afternoon tour includes visits to Preseren Square, Three Bridges and Dragon Bridge.

The strange, stalactite-ridden lunarscape of the Postojna Caves is even more ethereal on an echoey private tour, followed by a multi-course lunch on the train with views over Venice’s lagoon.We say farewell to our train crew and transfer to the San Clemente Palace Kempinski for a two-night stay, a five-star luxury urban resort on a private island, just minutes from Piazza San Marco via regular complimentary boat. Offering impressive views of Venice Lagoon, the 900-year-old property features a 12th century chapel and expansive stately gardens and courtyards.

Venice’s heady dream of Carnival, canals, basilicas and Byzantine relics are as bewitching as the palaces that appear to float on the Adriatic. Life in these salt-scented passageways has ebbed and flowed with the rhythm of the water for centuries, and reveal themselves on a walking tour. Walk through the winding lanes beside the Grand Canal to St. Mark’s Square, which for 1,000 years was the heart of Venetian life. We also see St. Mark’s Basilica and can choose to stroll through the Rialto Market. A trip to Venice would not be complete without a gondola ride along Venice’s famous canals (we include a 30-minute gondola in the programme).Alternatively enjoy the city at your own pace today. Perhaps stroll through the artists’ district of Dorsoduro, stopping to take in the city’s most breath-taking views from the Accademia Bridge.In the evening, we will enjoy a farewell reception dinner, giving you the opportunity to reflect on your journey through this beautifully scenic part of Europe.

After breakfast, you'll be transferred to the airport for your onward journey.