The glimmering currents of the legendary Danube River meander for extensive distances, weaving through the very core of Europe, a quiet observer to centuries of artistic triumphs and historical milestones. This meticulously crafted expedition offers a rich cultural assortment across four equally enchanting countries—an excellent choice for both novice river cruisers and seasoned explorers eager to uncover yet another facet of these beloved destinations.
Includes
8 Day Uniworld Boutique River Cruise
7-night cruise in a classic riverview stateroom on S.S. Maria Theresa
Unlimited premium spirits and wines on-board, including fine wine, beer, spirits, soft drinks, specialty coffee and tea, and mineral water
6 days of excursions, including “Choice Is Yours” options, all fully hosted by English-speaking local experts
Onboard entertainment and enrichment
All gratuities on-board
Onboard fitness centre and wellness classes with a certified wellness instructor
Use of bicycles and Nordic walking sticks for onshore use
Shipwide internet and wi-fi access
Services of an experienced Uniworld Cruise Manager
State-of-the-art Quietvox portable audio- headset system on all shore excursions
Mandatory port charges of R4,000 per person
Excludes
Flights
Arrival / departure transfers
Visas
Travel Insurance
Items of a personal nature
Extras
Note
The itineraries presented are subject to modification due to water levels, closures because of public holidays or other uncontrollable factors. Every effort will be made to operate programs as planned, but changes may still be necessary throughout the cruise. This day-to-day schedule is subject to change. Your final day-to-day schedule will be provided onboard on the first day of your cruise.
Highlights
7-night cruise onboard S.S. Maria Theresa
Unlimited premium spirits and wines on-board
Carefully curated excursions
Itinerary
Day 1: Budapest, embark
Arrive at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport. If your cruise package includes a group arrival transfer or if you have purchased a private arrival transfer, you will be greeted by a Uniworld representative and transferred to the ship.
Day 2: Budapest
Budapest is an enchanting city that presents a vibrant mix of medieval and modern.
In the evening, a special Captain’s Welcome Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you.
Choose between...
Budapest Panoramic Highlights with Franz Liszt Academy Visit
Hungary has been home to a great number of accomplished musicians, including the famous Franz Liszt, who established a university for music in Budapest in 1875. To this day, the Franz Liszt Academy is still a world-famous conservatory, with degree programs in classical instruments, singing and more!
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Budapest Walk with Local Treats
Today your guide will show you how to snack around Budapest like a local, starting with a tram ride to the House of Parliament. Hop off the tram and take a short walk to your first treat: a coffee break at the First Strudel House of Pest.
Day 3: Bratislava, Vienna
Vienna
Your ship sets sail from Bratislava later this morning and heads for Vienna today. You may relax onboard all day, perhaps enjoying a drink on the Sun Deck and taking in the scenery as the ship wends its way along the Danube Bend. When you arrive in Vienna, you’ll cap off your day with a private concert of Mozart and Strauss at a stunning Viennese palace.
Featured Excursion
Nights Out: Private Mozart and Strauss Concert
Vienna is linked inextricably with music. The list of great composers who lived and worked here is as long as it is glorious. Enjoy an evening of compositions by some of the most famous names on this list, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Strauss.
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Bratislava - Small but Precious Walking Tour
Walk through the loveliest part of Bratislava with your local guide. Starting on the Danube promenade, you’ll cross the former Coronation Square, pass the Slovak National Theater and St. Martin’s Cathedral.
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Let's Go: Hike to Bratislava Castle
This brilliantly white, enormous square building takes over the skyline of Bratislava, and from its grounds you’ll find incredible views of the city below.
After your hike to the castle, you’ll stroll through the most beautiful part of Bratislava with the local guide.
Day 4: Vienna
Vienna is a cultural treasure trove revered for its art and music (and sinfully rich pastries). Experience the “City of Waltzes” with a highlight tour of the city, as well as an expertly led tour of an extraordinary collection of art at the renowned Vienna Art History Museum.
You have leisure time after your tour to explore Vienna on your own. You might wish to visit the Albertina Museum, which houses one million old-master prints and an impressive collection of works by 19th- and 20th-century painters, ranging from Renoir to Rothko.
If you’d like to get a little exercise and see a completely different side of Vienna, borrow a bike from the ship and explore Danube Island and Prater Park. (For a wonderful view of the region, ride the Ferris wheel in Prater Park.)
Featured Excursions
“Morning with the Masters” at the Vienna Art History Museum
The Habsburgs assembled an astonishing collection of artistic treasures over the centuries, which formed the basis for the works now on display at the Vienna Art History Museum (Kunsthistorisches).
Vienna - Imperial City Highlights
Ring Street, the great horseshoe-shaped boulevard lined with many of the city’s major landmarks—Parliament, City Hall, the Vienna State Opera, glorious palaces and museums—is a mere 150 years old, practically an infant for a city of Vienna’s age.
Day 5: Durnstein, Melk
Dürnstein
Dürnstein is one of our favorite towns along the Danube, a lovely place to wander cobblestone lanes, browse quaint shops and maybe hike up to a ruined castle (with an intriguing tale all its own). You can also opt for a tasting or learn all about the world’s costliest spice from the Wachau Valley’s only saffron grower. Later, visit the 900-year-old Melk Abbey and its extraordinary baroque-style library. You have two ports of call in the incredibly scenic valley, Dürnstein and Melk, and an assortment of delightful ways to explore this lovely region.
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Dürnstein Wine Estate Visit with Tasting
There’s no better way to conclude your visit to the Wachau Valley than with a special tasting of organic wines at Nikolaihof, perhaps the oldest winery in Austria.
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Dürnstein Village and Saffron Workshop
Educate your taste buds with flavorful delicacies as you taste red-wine-and-saffron chocolate and saffron-seasoned jams, vinegars and honey. Crusaders planted the first saffron crocuses in the Wachau Valley at the end of the 12th century, making saffron a valued crop for 700 years.
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Melk Abbey with Library Visit
The Babenbergs, a great medieval ducal family that controlled a wide swath of Austria before yielding to the Habsburgs, were the first to erect a castle on the hill above Melk, which they subsequently gave to Benedictine monks.
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Let's Go: Biking the Wachau
You've likely seen bicyclists pedaling beside the river during your cruise. The Danube bike path is Europe's most popular bike route; it follows the river between Regensburg and Passau.
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Nijmegen Walking Tour
As you join a local guide on a walk through the streets of Nijmegen, you might be surprised by the youthful energy you find in the Netherlands’ oldest city. Discover a history that stretches back to the Romans and learn how this town recovered from World War II devastation.
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Kröller-Müller Museum Visit
Helene Kröller-Müller bought seven Van Goghs in a single day in 1912, valuing the painter’s then-little-appreciated work for his “great and novel humanity.” She went on to purchase many more of his paintings, and in the process, she almost single-handedly rescued him.
Day 6: Linz, Salzburg
Linz
Mozart’s birthplace of Salzburg is nestled in a glorious alpine setting that sparkles like a winter wonderland. Linz may be best known for its famous Linzer torte, but it’s also a hotbed for the arts. See the sights with a local expert and visit a family at their farm in the countryside. Austria’s third-largest city, Linz boasts a long history of trading and textile manufacturing, but these days it is perhaps best known for its electronic arts and annual festival.
Choose between...
Full-Day in Salzburg with Sound of Music
Not only is Salzburg famously the shooting location for the 1965 film, The Sound of Music, but it is also the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
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Linz Town and Country: Linzertorte and Cider Farm Visit
Get to know Linz on foot with a local expert who will take you by all the major sites in town, from Mozart’s apartment to the old Jesuit Cathedral. You’ll stop for a bite at Konditorei Jindrak, home of the Original Linzer Torte.
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Dutch Culinary Stroll to Rotterdam’s Market Hall
Get a taste for Rotterdam’s culinary prowess and architectural achievements on a walk to Market Hall. Built in 2014, this extraordinary building is known for its futuristic look and unique culinary offerings—from bars and food stands to full-service restaurants.
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Rotterdam, City of the Future
With water levels rising in a country where much of the land is below sea level already, the Netherlands has a particularly vested interest in combating climate change. Learn how the country’s most modern city is also amongst its greenest as you get around town via electric city tram.
Day 7: Passau
Passau is a crossroads in more ways than one, as three rivers meet here and three nations nearly do, making for a fascinating cultural mosaic. Get to know the town and its main claim to fame—Europe’s largest pipe organ—or “Let’s Go” with an invigorating riverside hike.
In the evening, a special Captain’s Farewell Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you.
Choose between...
Passau Three Rivers
Passau is built upon the meeting point of three rivers: the Danube, the Inn and the Ilz. Sprawling across the riverbanks, the city has a particularly charming setting, which you’ll get to appreciate on a walking tour of its top sites.
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Let's Go: Hike along the Ilz River
Put on your hiking boots, grab a windbreaker and a bottle of water, and head out with a local hiking guide and nature expert to explore the banks of the Ilz River.
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Stroll into the Artists’ Village of Veere
Wander with the Cruise Manager through Veere’s central marketplace, where you will spot the well-known Scottish Houses, so called because Scottish wool merchants built them early in the 16th century when Veere was the primary port for Scottish trade goods.
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Delta Works Drive
The Dutch have been protecting their lowlands from the sea for 2,000 years. Back in 1953, a particularly bad storm flooded the countryside and killed almost 2,000 people, so they began a series of massive engineering projects called the Delta Works. Learn about the storm-surge barrier.
Day 8: Passau, Disembark
Disembark the ship. If your cruise package includes a group departure transfer or if you purchased a private departure transfer, you will be transferred to Munich Airport for your flight home.
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Bruges Walking Tour with Canal Cruise
See why Bruges gives Amsterdam a run for its money as the “Venice of the North” as you cruise through the UNESCO-designated city center. The town grew up around a fort built by the first Count of Flanders as a defense against Viking invaders.
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Ghent Walking Tour
Since cars are completely banned in Ghent’s historic center, it’s a particularly pedestrian-friendly area. Stroll with your guide from the Church of Saint James, with its two Romanesque towers, to the Friday Market square, which, as its name suggests, was the site of a huge market.
Ship info
S.S. Maria Theresa
One of Europe's most beloved and longest reigning monarchs, the great Habsburg ruler Maria Theresa, was so extraordinary that we built an entire Super Ship in her honor. Named "Best New River Ship" by Cruise Critic editors her maiden season, the S.S. Maria Theresa features ultra-luxurious accommodations and an array of thoughtful personal touches, ensuring a truly indulgent and unforgettable voyag
Prices are per person twin share, include discounts, and are subject to availability and rate of exchange changes. Offers above are a guide only and will vary depending on departure date, our guide price is based on the cheapest departure within the stipulated season and availability is correct at time of loading. Visas may be necessary and insurance is essential. Pentravel and Tour Operator terms and conditions apply, and can be requested. Excludes flights, transfers, visas, travel insurance and anything not mentioned. Savings are not valid on all itineraries and/or departure dates, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. High season supplements and block out dates may apply, pricing varies pending departure date. Package excludes flights. You can do optional free-time add-on experiences in your free time and pay for them as you travel (additional costs apply). Uniworld reserves the right to withdraw promotional offers and adjust savings anytime. All savings / discounts mentioned have already been included in the advertised price. Advertised price is based on 23 March 2025 departure. At time of loading this may not be a definite departure.
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