2014 - APT Europe River Cruising Preview

15 Day Black Sea Voyage & Turkey Budapest to Istanbul 2 Nights Budapest | 7 Night River Cruise from Budapest to Rousse | 5 Nights Turkey 8 THR TRA C O V O U E U G L N H TR T UP IE O S Hungary | Croatia | Serbia & Montenegro | Romania | Bulgaria | Turkey See the Ortakoy Mosque during your cruise on the Bosphorus in Istanbul TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR OF OUR FLEET ONLINE www.aptouring.com.au/Concerto Freedom of ChoiceTM Inclusions Signature Experience Day 1. Arrive Budapest. Be met on arrival at Budapest airport and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy time at leisure before meeting your fellow travellers at tonight's Welcome Reception. Two Night Stay: Budapest, Hotel Sofitel Budapest Chain Bridge. Day 2. Budapest. This morning, join a guided tour of the Hungarian capital city. Visit a number of attractions including such places as Matthias Church, St Stephen's Basilica, the Fisherman's Bastion, the Royal Palace and Buda Castle. Following this insightful tour, the rest of the day is at your leisure. Enjoy a Welcome Dinner tonight amid the arched cellars of the atmospheric Gerbeaud Pub. BD Day 3. Budapest, Great Hungarian Plain. Today enjoy an excursion to the Puszta region of the Great Hungarian Plain – perhaps the most widely-known area of Hungary. Upon arrival, be met by horse-herdsmen and greeted with warm hospitality, brandy and scones. Enjoy a horse-riding demonstration and perhaps sample goulash for lunch, before returning to Budapest to board your river ship on the Danube River. Seven Night Stay: a luxurious Concerto river ship. BLD 56 Day 4. Mohács, Pécs. Today arrive in Mohács, a sleepy little port on the Danube River. Travel to Pécs, the jewel of provincial Hungary, and enjoy a guided tour of the city, best known for its museums, galleries, universities and fruit-growing. BLD Day 5. Vukovar OR Ilok, Novi Sad. Today choose between a tour of Vukovar, a warravaged city teeming with vestiges of long-gone civilisations, or a wine tasting among the lush vineyards of the town of Ilok. Aftwerwards, cruise to the Serbian city of Novi Sad and enjoy a tour, visiting Danube Park, the old town centre and Petrovaradin Fortress. BLD Day 6. Belgrade. Explore Serbia's capital city today, one of the oldest cities in Europe. Since ancient times, Belgrade has been an important traffic focal point, an intersection of the roads of Eastern and Western Europe. A guided city tour takes you to see Kalemegdan Fortress, the temple of St Sava, Tito's Memorial and the House of Flowers. Afterwards, enjoy free time or perhaps take a bicycle tour. BLD Day 7. Iron Gates. Take in stunning views today as you cruise through one of Europe's most impressive natural wonders, the Iron Gates. Forming part of the boundary between Romania and Serbia, the Danube River passes through narrow gorges as it winds its way past the Carpathian and Balkan Mountains. BLD Day 8. Vidin, Belogradchik. Arrive in Vidin today, one of the oldest cities in Bulgaria. Visit the Baba Vida Fortress, an entirely preserved tenth-century medieval castle standing guard over the Danube. Then travel by coach to Belogradchik, famous for its unique rock formations. See the mighty Kaleto Fortress, built into the towering rocks on the north slopes of the Balkan Mountains, overlooking the town. The fortress traces its history back to the ancient Romans, and was completed by the Ottomans in the 19th century. BLD Day 9. Giurgiu, Bucharest, Rousse. Stop at Giurgiu in Romania and embark on a full day excursion to Bucharest, the capital. Visit the city's open-air museum, dedicated to the traditional architecture and buildings of rural Romania. Then after lunch, perhaps enjoy a visit to the Palace of the Parliament, second only to the Pentagon as the largest building in the world. Alternatively, visit Bucharest's historical city centre, and see ruins of the Wallachian princes' medieval court. The remainder of the day is yours at leisure. Your ship is moored in Rousse overnight. BLD Day 10. Rousse, Disembark, Bucharest, Istanbul. This morning disembark your ship in Rousse and transfer to the airport for your included flight to Istanbul. Three Night Grand City Stay: Istanbul, B Old City Hagia Sophia Hotel. Day 11. Istanbul. On a guided tour of the city today, see Taksim Square, the hippodrome and Galata Tower. Later, explore the hulking Byzantine Hagia Sophia and visit the impressive

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