Balkan Discovery with 1 Night in Budapest, 1 Night in Bucharest & 2 Nights in Transylvania 2025 - 12 Day River Cruise Budapest to Bucharest

Avalon River Cruises offers discounts up to $2,000 per couple and additional discounts at Pavlus Travel. Avalon Waterways. Exciting new Danube River Cruise and Rhine River Cruise itineraries for European River Cruises are featured. Pavlus Travel guarantees the lowest prices on all Avalon River Cruises on every Europe River Cruise. Pavlus has all Avalon Cruises river cruise prices discounted with itineraries.
Call Us 800.528.9300

Balkan Discovery with 1 Night in Budapest, 1 Night in Bucharest & 2 Nights in Transylvania 2025

12 Day River Cruise Budapest to Bucharest



Tour Description:

See the highlights of Eastern Europe on this Balkan river cruise adventure along the Danube River! This vacation has something for everybody—relaxing time on your ship and stops in the most fascinating cities, with free time and guided sightseeing—so you don’t miss a thing! You’ll begin with an overnight stay in the lively Hungarian capital of Budapest. See the iconic statues of Heroes’ Square, and with free time, explore the lovely lookout towers of Fishermen’s Bastion. Sail into beautiful Croatia, enjoy a guided sightseeing in Vukovar and discover Ilok with its 1,000-year-old winemaking tradition. Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, is one of the oldest cities in Europe, where the Sava River meets the Danube. The lively pedestrian boulevard of Knez Mihailova is dotted with historical buildings and charming cafés and you’ll see St. Sava, the world’s largest Orthodox Church. Continue your river cruise through the dramatic views of Iron Gates Gorge, visit Belogradchik’s fascinating rock formations, and Bulgaria’s ancient capital of Veliko Tarnovo. In Arbanassi, visit the Church of the Nativity, housing an impressive collection of frescoes. From Oltenita, transfer to Bucharest for guided sightseeing. Known as the “Paris of the East,” a local expert will show you many of its historical treasures, such as the Arc de Triomphe. Take a trip to Transylvania to visit the Bran Castle—of Dracula Fame—the city of Brasov, and beautiful Peles Castle.

Map for Balkan Discovery with 1 Night in Budapest, 1 Night in Bucharest & 2 Nights in Transylvania 2025 - 12 Day River Cruise Budapest to Bucharest
Click for larger view.

Dates & Pricing

Saturday 26 Apr 25 — Thursday 08 May 25Starting at $6,526Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Tuesday 20 May 25 — Sunday 01 Jun 25Starting at $4,677Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Monday 23 Jun 25 — Saturday 05 Jul 25Starting at $5,177Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Thursday 31 Jul 25 — Tuesday 12 Aug 25Starting at $5,427Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Wednesday 20 Aug 25 — Monday 01 Sep 25Starting at $5,527Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Saturday 13 Sep 25 — Thursday 25 Sep 25Starting at $4,977Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Sunday 28 Sep 25 — Friday 10 Oct 25Starting at $5,477Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Friday 17 Oct 25 — Wednesday 29 Oct 25Starting at $5,277Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Check Mark Icon Disclaimer: Prices listed are per person, based on double occupancy, and in USD. All promotions are valid for new bookings only, capacity controlled and valid on select dates and departures. Individual Terms and Conditions will apply to all promotions. Any promotion can be withdrawn at any time without notice. Please speak with your Pavlus Travel Planner for complete vendor terms and conditions, including eligible tour and cruise dates.


Destination & Sightseeing

Day 1 Budapest: Welcome to Hungary
Day 2 Budapest (Embarkation): Guided tour, see Heroes' Square; onboard welcome reception
Day 3 Vukovar-Ilok-Novi Sad: Choice of beer experience or guided tour in Vukovar; choice of guided tour with wine tasting or guided bike tour in Ilok
Day 4 Novi Sad: Choice of highlights of Novi Sad or hike to Petrovaradin Fortress or honey and wine tasting; walk in Novi Sad with your Adventure Host
Day 5 Belgrade: Choice of guided tour or walk with your Adventure Host; onboard lecture
Day 6 Golubac-Donji Milanovac-Iron Gates: Choice of visit to Golubač fortress or visit to Lepenski Vir archaeological site; scenic cruise through the Iron Gates Gorge
Day 7 Vidin. Excursion to Belogradchik: Choice of guided tour to Baba Vida Fortress and Belogradchik, see the rock formations or visit a local winery with wine tasting or biking in Vidin with your Adventure Host
Day 8 Rousse-Excursion to Veliko Tarnovo and Arbanassi: Choice of full-day excursion, visit to Tsarevet's Fortress in Veliko Tarnovo and to the Ethnographic Museum and the Church of the Nativity in Arbanassi, or a guided sightseeing in Rousse, bike with your Adventure Host
Day 9 Oltenita (Disembarkation)-Brasov: Transfer to Bucharest, guided sightseeing
Day 10 Brasov: Brasov guided tour; visit Bran Castle
Day 11 Brasov-Sinaia-Bucharest: Visit Peles Castle
Day 12 Bucharest: Your vacation ends this morning
Notes:
  • 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.

ITINERARY

Day 1
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY Welcome to Budapest—Hungary’s Captivating Capital The day is yours to relax and enjoy Eastern Europe’s shining city on the Danube. BUDAPEST-FISHERMANS-BASTIAN.jpg

Day 2
BUDAPEST (EMBARKATION) The Pearl of the Danube in the Heart of Europe CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided City Sightseeing, including the iconic Heroes’ Square. This afternoon, board your Suite Ship®. This evening enjoy a dinner onboard. OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO MOHÁCS BUDAPEST-PARLIAMENT.jpg

Day 3
VUKOVAR History and Beer Visit the Adventure Center for today’s activities with your Adventure Host. DISCOVERY Join a Guided Walking Tour to discover the heritage, culture, and tradition of Vukovar and enjoy a beer tasting, OR: CLASSIC Join a Guided City Tour to discover the captivating culture and tradition of Vukovar and learn about its rich history and heritage. Enjoy a brief cruise to Ilok while having lunch onboard. ILOK, CROATIA History and Culture in Croatia CLASSIC 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. Refresh your spirit with a wine tasting in a local cellar and hear the stories of culture and tradition in the natural beauty of Eastern Croatia, OR: ACTIVE Explore more of Croatia on a Guided Bike Tour along Ilok’s city walls, into the central church, and the towns’ museum on your way to Principovac Castle and Estate. OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN NOVI SAD ILOK.jpg
Meal Icon BreakfastLunchMeal Icon Dinner

Day 4
NOVI SAD, SERBIA The Athens of Serbia ACTIVE Enjoy a Guided Hike Tour to the Petrovaradin part of the town. Located on the right bank of the Danube, across from the main part of Novi Sad, this area will amaze you for its scenic views, OR: DISCOVERY Get to learn more about the beekeeper profession on this Guided Tour of Novi Sad by stopping to the Honey Museum and by tasting local honey specialties. 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. ACTIVE Explore Rousseuse's old town by bike with your Adventure Host, OR: Later, enjoy live entertainment on board. OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO BELGRADE NOVI-SAD.jpg
Meal Icon BreakfastLunchMeal Icon Dinner

Day 5
BELGRADE 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 GOLUBAČ BELGRADE-SAINT-SAVA.jpg
Meal Icon BreakfastLunchMeal Icon Dinner

Day 6
GOLUBAČ–DONJI MILANOVAC. EXCURSION TO LEPENSKI VIR–IRON GATES GORGE Ancient Artifacts and the Iron Gates CLASSIC Visit the Fortress of Golubač, 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. 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 IRON-GATES-GORGE.jpg
Meal Icon BreakfastLunchMeal Icon Dinner

Day 7
VIDIN, BULGARIA Rocks, Ruins and Balkan Beauty ACTIVE Join your Adventure Host for a bike tour around the city, 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 VIDIN-BELOGRADSHICK.jpg
Meal Icon BreakfastLunchMeal Icon Dinner

Day 8
ROUSSE. VELIKO TÂRNOVO & ARBANASSI EXCURSION 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 VELIKO-TARNOVO.jpg
Meal Icon BreakfastLunchMeal Icon Dinner

Day 9
OLTENITA, ROMANIA (DISEMBARKATION)–BUCHAREST–BRASOV Disembark your Ship and transfer to Bucharest. CLASSIC 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. After the visit drive to Brasov for the night. BUCHAREST-ARC-DE-TRIOMPHE.jpg

Day 10
BRASOV CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided Tour of Brasov and admire its gothic, baroque and renaissance architecture. In the evening depart for Bran Castle of Dracula lore. CLASSIC Take a Guided Tour of Bran Castle—the 1377 legendary home of the famed Romanian vampire, followed by a dinner in this amazing location. BRASOV-BRAN-CASTLE.jpg
Meal Icon BreakfastMeal Icon Dinner

Day 11
BRASOV–SINAIA–BUCHAREST The “Paris of the East.” CLASSIC Enjoy a Guided Tour of Visit Peles Castle the summer residence of the royal family until 1947. Drive out the Carpathians to Bucharest; On the way, enjoy a local lunch. Spend some free time exploring this fascinating city on your own to discover its trendy shops, cafés, museums, beautiful homes, and churches along Victory Avenue. SINAIA.jpg
Meal Icon BreakfastLunch

Day 12
BUCHAREST Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. BUCHAREST-ARC-DE-TRIOMPHE.jpg
Meal Icon Breakfast

Accommodations

BudapestBudapestBrasovBrasovBucharest
Budapest Marriott
Deluxe

Hotel as shown or similar

Apaczai Csere Janos U.4 Budapest Hungary

This modern 364 room property enjoys a prime downtown location and offers convenience blended with style. Free Wi-Fi access is available in the lobby and the hotel has a fitness center with sauna and Jacuzzi. The trendy Mediterranean Grill restaurant serves tasty Hungarian dishes and the stylish lounge bar offers tapas style food and cocktails.
Check Mark Disclaimer: Prices listed are per person, based on double occupancy, and in USD. All promotions are valid for new bookings only, capacity controlled and valid on select dates and departures. Individual Terms and Conditions will apply to all promotions. Any promotion can be withdrawn at any time without notice. Please speak with your Pavlus Travel Planner for complete vendor terms and conditions, including eligible tour and cruise dates.

FAQ Avalon Cruises Frequently Asked Questions FAQ

Pavlus Travel tells you there's a wide World out there just waiting to be explored on river cruises by you, and Avalon Waterways like Pavlus Travel knows there is more than a river cruise for you and your family to see it all. Why not experience local cities, villages, and countrysides your way with a wide selection of active excursions and activities brought to you by Avalon River Cruises that put you right in the middle of it all. Borrow a bike to ride through the streets of Amsterdam, grab a Nordic walking stick to capture the castle with a hike up the vineyard off the Rhine River, or paddle a canoe along Austria’s river shores. Pavlus makes it easy to turn sightseeing into doing your adventure in real time. You’ll find all the guidance and gear you from Avalon Waterways staff to embark on an expedition of your own. From a complimentary yoga class aboard your Avalon River Cruise to a jogging tour of Vienna or an optional kayaking excursion. Know that Pavlus Travel discounts Avalon River Cruises be they in Europe or the Far East. You'll enjoy every Avalon River Cruises Ship.