Visit Budapest’s Castle District and cross the famous Chain Bridge. Explore Göttweig Abbey, one of Austria’s most revered monastic centers, and make dumplings with Wachau Valley apricots. See Europe’s largest pipe organ in Passau or travel to Salzburg. Celebrate Vienna’s musical heritage at a concert featuring works by Mozart and Strauss. With medieval towns, grand cities, and stunning scenery, this 8-day journey on the “Blue Danube” is one you are sure to love. Join us for September’s fall colors after the summer heat, returning September 18, or with a post-cruise option to extend for three nights in Prague, returning September 21.

Unlike other river cruise lines, Viking River Cruises provides this money-back guarantee: “We hope you love your cruise from the very beginning; however, should you be dissatisfied with our service upon first check-in (hotel or aboard ship) including food, personnel, or shore excursions — just notify us within 24 hours of the start of your cruise (if your first check-in is aboard ship, notify your Program Director; at a hotel, contact your Viking Host). We then have 24 hours to correct the situation, and in the unlikely event a solution isn’t possible, you can then depart as soon as possible and we’ll refund 100% of your cruise price. We can assist with any departure reservations, but your return trip/alternate travel plan costs are your sole responsibility. This Service Guarantee cannot be activated or applied due to Acts of God, Strike or Other as indicated in the Terms and Conditions.” Link 

Three Countries • Hungary: • Budapest • Austria: • Vienna • Krems • Germany: • Passau • Regensburg • Kellheim Danube Narrows • Includes: local departure • Flights • Taxes • Insurance • Crew Tips

Cruise operated by Viking River Cruises. Click here for Print Friendly Flier PDF. *All prices are per person, based on occupancy, double from $4770, single from $8173 • Document required for US Citizens is Passport valid through 3/17/2022 (or if staying after the cruise, 6 months after your return date); no visa or shots at this time. Other citizens should consult their consulate. • Insurance coverage is Deluxe Group Plan from Travel Guard is included and for coverage details see webpage steviejaytravel.com/insurance covering cancellation charges; other terms at steviejaytravel.com/terms which are incorporated by reference. • Price and details are subject to change. If taking the Prague extension, we will offer an option for the coach ride back to Central Illinois based on the number traveling. Ask family & friends to join you: east coast departure $100 less; west coast $100 more. Business-class upgrade option available $3215 if categories ES or AA ($4608 if categories A-F). Are you getting your own air tickets, then apply $799 discount code NO-AIR; or don’t want insurance, apply $321 discount code NO-INSURANCE; or, if you do not want either air or insurance, apply $1120 discount code NO-AIR-INSUR when booking. The deposit for suites is higher: $1500. Specialty optional tours are provided as an extra-cost alternative to the included shore excursions. Note that the stateroom category availability we show is subject to confirmation after you book. If we cannot get what you want and the alternatives are unacceptable, you will be given a full refund of your initial payment. You get at least a $117 discount for paying the balance by e-check and because of the special airfare, the balance due is earlier than our normal terms: September 30, 2021. Deposit includes travel insurance. Details subject to change. Acct#210909s 16Nov19 12:11

VIKING RIVER CRUISES INCLUDES MORE FEATURES & SERVICES THAN OTHERS

One complimentary shore excursion in every port of call

Free Wi-Fi (connection speed may vary)

Visits to UNESCO Sites

Enrichment lectures & Destination Performances

Beer, wine & soft drinks with onboard lunch & dinner

24-hour specialty coffees, teas & bottled water

Port taxes & fees

Ground transfers with Viking Air purchase

YOUR STATEROOM INCLUDES 

River-view stateroom

Hotel-style bed with optional twin-bed configuration; luxury linens & pillows

40” flat-screen LCD TV with complimentary Movies On Demand

110/220-volt outlets & USB ports

Refrigerator; security safe; hair dryer

Spacious glass-enclosed shower

Heated bathroom floor & anti-fog mirror

Premium Freyja® toiletries; plush robes & slippers

Stateroom steward & twice-daily housekeeping

Local departure from Central Illinois

Travel insurance from AIG Travel Guard

Tour host, Stevie Jay, travels with you throughout to assure all goes well and have more fun, from Central Illinois and back home—we’re with you all the way

Baggage handling at airports

All tips — drivers, guides, and cruise staff!

Surprise extras!

Our group rate includes round trip, economy class air fare and transfers at a special promotion rate that is subject to change each month.

If you want to fly in Business Class, Viking River offers the following option depending on the category of Stateroom or Suite you have chosen. When adding these amounts to our group price, it includes the insurance to cover this upgrade. 

Following rates are per person & vary by category:

• Business Class Air Upgrade - Stateroom categories A-F +$4608

• Business Class Air Upgrade-Suite categories AA or ES +$3215

If you want this, click the option that matches the category you have chosen.

Note: if you were to buy business class air fare from the airline directly the round-trip price range can be $7000. Viking River gives you great savings and includes transportation from the airport to riverboat, round trip, also.

Discounts

It’s important to book this Danube cruise earlier than most tours and cruises for two reasons:

1. The riverboat only has 95 staterooms and so a tiny fraction of a typical ocean cruise holding 3000-6000 people. Some categories have just a few staterooms before selling out.

2. Because we apply all current special offers from Viking River Cruises: “Two For One”, Reduced Air Fare, etc. These discount offers from Viking typically expire or the discount may be reduced at the end of each month. This urgency could save you hundreds of dollars if you act now.

• Champaign • Chicago O’Hare • Bloomington • Decatur • Indianapolis • Peoria • Springfield • St Louis or call for a quote from other cities.

Because many earlier sailings were postponed, loyal Viking River Cruise customers booked up the 2022 sailings. Viking River Cruises has instituted a very flexible policy that allows you to postpone your cruise until 24 hours before departure. The otherwise cancellation policy is fully applied to a future cruise credit then!

The number of cabins open (8/15/22) subject to change:

ES - 0

AA - 0

A - 2

B - 1

C - 0

D - 1

E - 2

F - 2

Book online or contact Tour Coordinator, Stevie Jay, stevie@steviejaytravel.com 217-840-9913. Pay by e-check or charge your credit card for the $1200 per person deposit (includes Travel Insurance). Or mail a check to Stevie Jay Travel LLC, 4413 Trostshire Cir, Champaign IL 61822. Balance is due September 30, 2021, to get special airfare savings.

Stevie Jay & Janet welcome us aboard our private motorcoach to Chicago O’Hare. He hires skycaps to help with luggage for check-in for our flight to Budapest.

Welcome to Budapest, the capital of Hungary. Transfer to your ship from the airport. After boarding, enjoy a light lunch, and the afternoon is yours to relax or do a bit of exploring. Tonight, return to your ship for a traditional Hungarian dinner. (L, D)

Your morning begins with a panoramic tour of the Pest side of the city. Journey along Andrássy Avenue and see the 19th- and 20th-century mansions, National Opera House, Parliament Building, and Chain Bridge. Stop in Heroes’ Square to learn more about Hungarian history, then cross the Danube to Buda’s Castle District. Visit Matthias Church and enjoy brilliant views of the Danube and the beautiful Hungarian Parliament building from Fishermen’s Bastion. Rejoin your ship in Visegrád for lunch as we cruise along the scenic Danube River. Enjoy a mid-afternoon Viennese coffee workshop, complete with apple strudel. (B, L, D)

Tower of Fisherman's Bastion in Budapest

Today we tour the Austrian capital of Vienna. Ride along the Ringstrasse, which replaced the city walls in the mid-19th century. See some of the city’s baroque architecture, including the world-famous Opera House, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, and Hofburg Palace. Return to your ship for lunch. The rest of the day is yours to explore further. As always, your Program Director can help you plan your free time. Or, you may choose to join us for an optional excursion.  (B, L, D)

Vienna's Belvedere Palace

Our second day in Vienna! Perhaps visit Schönbrunn Palace, erected in 1778 and admired as the “Versailles of Vienna,” or go behind the scenes at the Spanish Riding School to see its famed Lipizzaner stallions. This evening, you might enjoy an optional classical concert or celebrate the bottling of this year’s wine vintage among the locals at a high-spirited optional Heurigen dinner. (B, L, D)

Vienna's Schonbrunn Palace

After breakfast, disembark in Krems and set off for Göttweig, a working Benedictine abbey that owns many of the vineyards along the Danube. See the splendid ceiling fresco in its imperial stairwell, one of the largest in the world. Visit the abbey church, a masterpiece of baroque architecture. Alternately, you may instead choose to explore your environs by bicycle, enjoying a ride along a riverside bike path considered one of Europe’s most scenic. Afterward, rejoin your ship and cruise leisurely through the captivating Wachau Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Taste some local Austrian specialties during lunch on board, taking in views of attractive towns and castle ruins along the way. (B, L, D)

 Göttweig Abbey, Krems, Austria

Arrive this morning in Passau, at the confluence of the Inn, Ilz, and Danube Rivers. Your guided walk along the town’s narrow streets takes you through Old Town and past traditional patrician houses. See the New Bishop’s Residence and visit the impressive baroque St. Stephen’s Cathedral with its ornate interior. Inside, you are treated to a special concert played on the 17,000-pipe organ, considered Europe’s largest church organ.† Enjoy lunch onboard your ship and return to the city for further exploration on your own before departing. Alternately, you may instead journey into the countryside on an optional excursion to a local farm where you will have the opportunity to join a festive Bavarian party, experiencing traditional German music and food and tasting locally brewed beer. Or, you may choose a full-day optional excursion to explore glorious Salzburg, visit the Italianate Old Town, see settings from the film The Sound of Music, and enjoy lunch at Austria’s oldest restaurant. (B, L, D)

 St. Stephens Cathedral, Passau, Germany

After breakfast, meet your local guide for a walking tour through the scenic town of Regensburg, considered one of Europe’s best-preserved medieval cities. See one of the largest groupings of 13th- and 14th-century church spires, towers, and patrician houses north of the Alps. You also encounter the 12th-century Old Stone Bridge, St. Peter’s Cathedral, and several idyllic courtyards. Take time to stroll the streets, shop, or visit Germany’s oldest restaurant, the Alte Würstküche. Lunch is served onboard your ship.

This afternoon you can take an optional excursion to visit Weltenburg Abbey and experience a short cruise through a stunning mountain pass, one of the most breathtakingly scenic bends in the Danube Narrows. Travel by road to Kelheim and board a ferryboat to explore the Danube Narrows' 400-foot chalk cliffs and dramatic scenery. Visit Weltenburg Abbey*, renowned for the dark ale brewed here by monks since 1050, rejoin your ship in Kelheim in time for dinner. Or, you may choose a full-day optional excursion to see the highlights of the grand city of Munich.

Alternately, you can join an optional Nuremberg World War II tour. Visit Zeppelin Field on foot, see Congress Hall, and spend time at the illuminating Documentation Center Museum. After, visit Courtroom 600 at the Palace of Justice (unless the court is in session) before heading to Nuremberg’s medieval Old Town, enclosed within ancient city walls. (B, L, D) 

Old Stone Bridge, Regensburg, Germany;

 After breakfast, disembark and proceed to the Munich airport for our same-day, non-stop flight home. Our chartered coach returns to Central Illinois, humming a waltz of the Romantic Danube. 

Or extend* your stay for three nights and experience magical Prague in the Czech Republic, the “City of a Hundred Spires.” Your Viking River motor coach takes you to Prague this morning after disembarkation. After free time for lunch, check into the hotel, the First-Class Corinthia Hotel Prague (or similar).

The extension package includes transportation, hotel, sightseeing, breakfasts with free time to explore.

The rest of the day is free to explore on your own and sample some of the hearty local cuisine. For example, tour Hradcany Castle, visit the Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral and stroll along the Charles Bridge.  This evening see the city’s monuments, like the National Theater, Prague Castle, and the famous Charles Bridge, beautifully illuminated. A Viking host is available to help you plan your time in Prague to make the most of your visit. (B)

*So far, all in the group are extending their vacation to visit Prague.

Bridges over Prague's Vltava River from a viewpoint in Letna Park

Begin the day with a panoramic tour of Prague, including a guided walk through Prague Castle. Few cities embody the past as authentically as Prague, the Czech Republic’s atmospheric capital on the Vltava River that clings to its history with unwavering passion. Prague’s medieval architecture is its most prominent, but the city is also a rich repository of Romanesque, baroque, and art nouveau buildings that stir the imagination. After your tour, enjoy a free afternoon and evening to visit some of the city’s landmarks or museums. (B)

Prague's Old Town Hall Tower

You have a full day to explore Prague further. See more of the Old Town or check out some of Prague’s more modern sights like the Frank Gehry–designed Dancing House, an unusual office building inspired by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Walk across the Charles Bridge, see the mesmerizing Astronomical Clock and the poignant Lennon Wall, and stand in historic Wenceslas Square. Wander past the colorful cottages in Golden Lane, where Franz Kafka lived and worked. Or, in the Jewish Quarter, see the 13th-century Altneuschul, Europe’s oldest, active synagogue. (B)

Prague's Charles Bridge

After breakfast, check out your hotel and proceed to the airport for your same-day return flight (September 21). (B)

Included meals are noted each day with the initials of Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

One last chance for a Czech treat like Trdelnik