From the Tisza to the Danube, through the Real Hungary (port-to-port cruise)

Departure by coach. Accompanied by your guides, you will leave the quay for a panoramic tour of Budapest, often called the Pearl of the Danube.

Your discovery will begin on the Buda side, the hilly part of the city, which you will reach by crossing one of the city's famous bridges spanning the Danube.
You will then ascend Castle Hill to reach the Royal Palace (outside visit), where you will enjoy a breathtaking view over the city. In the distance, you will catch sight of the Fisherman's Bastion, a monument paying tribute to the origins of the Hungarian people, with its seven towers symbolising the seven tents of the seven Magyar tribes.

Your tour will continue towards Pest, the flatter and more modern part of the city. There, you will discover the majestic Heroes’ Square, dominated by its impressive central monument, erected to commemorate Hungary’s millennial anniversary. It features the chieftain Árpád and the seven leaders of the founding tribes.

You will pass near the famous Széchenyi Baths, the architecturally remarkable zoo, and Vajdahunyad Castle, which reflects Hungarian architecture through the centuries.
Driving along the prestigious Andrássy Avenue, you will glimpse St. Stephen’s Basilica, whose construction began in 1851 and was completed in 1905.
Finally, following the Danube embankment, you will admire the Hungarian Parliament, a majestic building blending Byzantine and Neo-Gothic styles, whose radiant silhouette towers over the river.

Return to the boat at the end of the tour.

PLEASE NOTE

• Panoramic tour with stops to take pictures.
• Entrance tickets for these monuments are not included.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.

Explore Budapest by night from the comfort of our coach. Your guide will show you the charms of this capital city with its turbulent but incredibly rich past. Despite the vicissitudes of history, Budapest has managed to preserve and bear witness to a succession of dynasties and civilisations. We'll start off towards the citadel for an impressive view over the city and on Pest. We'll then walk up to the citadel and the Liberty Statue from where we'll get to marvel at the most beautiful view of Budapest and the Danube, as well as catch a glimpse of the Parliament building and the famous Chain Bridge. We'll continue by coach towards the Castle Quarter from where you'll get to admire the Royal Palace, former residence of the Hungarian kings. As we drive alongside the banks of Buda, we'll stop off before the Parliament for an occasion to admire and take pictures of the largest building in the country. We'll continue across Margaret Bridge and enjoy a beautiful view of downtown Budapest. Before we go back on board, our coach will drive along the Danube so you can enjoy once again the wonderful view over Buda, the Castle Quarter and the Fishermen's Bastion. Return on board.

PLEASE NOTE

• Visit by coach with stops to take pictures.
• This excursion will not occur on August 20th, Hungarian National Day.
• Good walking shoes are recommended.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.

Departure by coach for Gödöllö Castle. In the company of your guide, you will visit Gödöllö Castle, one of the most important and largest Hungarian Baroque palaces, commissioned by Count Antal Grassalkovich. The castle is mainly known for having been one of the favorite residences of Empress Sisi, who loved to get away from the etiquette of the Vienna Court in Gödöllö. Your visit will take you through the Empress's apartments with their original decorations, including a majority of purple objects and wallpapers, in accordance with the Empress's favorite color. You will also see the Castle Church (behind a glass screen), Joseph I's Wardrobe, the Minor Coronation Hall, Franz Joseph's office and more. Return on board by coach.

PLEASE NOTE

• Upon arrival at the castle, the main stairway has to be climbed.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.

We'll set off by coach to visit the town of Novi Sad. Capital of the autonomous region of Vojvodina, Novi Sad is also the second largest town in Serbia, going by the size of its population. The town has a long and troubled history since it was under the rule of Celts, Romans, Franks, Barbarians and Turks until it became part of the Habsburg empire. It was known as "Petrovaradin” in the past, and the name Novi Sad (meaning ‘new plant') only came into use in 1748. The history of the town was further troubled during the 20th century when after the First World War, the Balkan territories were in turn united and separated under different names, until in 2006 when the town finally became part of an independent Serbia.
We'll visit the city center on foot. The Austro-Hungarian old town, with its baroque buildings, grew up around the ancient fortifications. We'll get the chance to visit the Episcopal Church as well as an orthodox church before we continue up the main street to Freedom Square where we'll find the Town Hall, dating from 1895. The coach will be waiting for you near Freedom square to finish the visit with a panoramic tour up the main boulevards leading to the boat.
Our coach will continue to the little village of Sremski Karlovci where we'll visit the Cathedral of St Nicholas, built in typical baroque style in 1758, and the first ever secondary school of Serbia dating from the end of the 18th century which has a library housing around 18,000 books. We'll take time to admire one of the most well-known of the town's monuments, the Four Lions Fountain, built in 1799 to celebrate the town's first ever waterworks. Return on board in Novi Sad.

PLEASE NOTE

• Good walking shoes are recommended (paths with cobbles and earth in the fortress).
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.

Departure by coach to visit beautiful Pécs in Southern Hungary.
Pecs was first mentioned in old Latin documents as "Quinque Ecclesiae” in relation to the materials from five former Christian chapels that were used to build new churches in the city.
In the company of our guide, we'll set out for a visit of the city on foot, starting with Sts. Peter and Paul's Cathedral or Basilica whose Roman foundations date from the 4th century. The Basilica's current neo-Romanesque facade is the result of the reconstruction carried out between 1882 and 1891, although it has kept its medieval floorplan and post-Romanesque interiors. You will also have the opportunity to see the Basilica's treasure and crypt. The visit continues with the Early Christian Necropolis dating from the 4th-century foundation of the Roman town under the name "Sopianae". These tombs, richly decorated with wall paintings depicting Christian scenes, were built underground as funerary chambers with commemorative chapels above them. It has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. Afterwards, our tour continues downtown, stopping at the Djami. In the 13th century, the Turks destroyed St Bartholomew's church and used its stones to build a mosque following the orders of Pasha Gazi Kassim. Pécs was freed from Turkish occupation in 1868 and the mosque became a Catholic church again, although it kept the aspect of a Turkish mosque. Enjoy some free time downtown before returning on board by coach.

PLEASE NOTE

• Visit entirely on foot, good walking shoes are recommended.
• The visit of the necropolis is not recommended for claustrophobic people. There are also stairs to climb.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.