A 4-day holiday traveling from the banks of the Danube to the shores of the Bosphorus, encountering the stunning scenery and ancient architecture of rural Bulgaria and Transylvania along the way.

View Prices and Dates Tour Highlights & Inclusions Images & Route Map View Itinerary

• Three nights on the Danube Express in a deluxe, air-conditioned compartment with en suite shower/WC
• All meals and complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks
• Sightseeing per itiinerary
• Services of a train manager throughout

Day 1 - Budapest to Kecskemet
Enjoy a reception in the Royal Waiting Room at Budapest Nyugati Station before boarding the Danube Express. Settle in and enjoy lunch as the train heads for Lajosmizse for a spectacular "Puszta" horse show. Afterwards, there is free time to explore Kecskemet, a fascinating city at the geographic center of Hungary. Back on board, enjoy a drink in the Lounge car as the train continues across the Great Hungarian plain and dine as the journey to Transylvania continues. Overnight train.

Day 2 - Sighisoara / Brasov
Arrive in Sighişoara for a walking tour. A World Heritage Site rumored to be the birthplace of Dracula, it is one of the best-preserved fortified medieval towns in Europe. Burgher houses and ornate churches line its cobbled streets. Return to the Danube Express for lunch on the way to Brasov. Your afternopon tour visits Bran Castle, popularly known as Dracula's Castle, situated amongst the stunning mountain scenery. Back on board, the train twists and turns as it climbs over the Carpathian Mountains and threads its way through the dramatic landscape with crystal clear mountain streams. Dinner is served as the Danube Express continues on to Bulgaria. Overnight train.

Day 3 - Veliko Turnovo / Kazanlak
Arrive after breakfast in Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria's ancient capital. Nestled in a magnificent mountain setting, the stone houses seem perched, one above the other, on the steep banks of the Yantra River. A tour includes the superbly preserved medieval Tsarevets Hill and Castle, and there is free time to wander through this ancient city. Lunch will be served during the climb over the Shipka Pass. Kazanlak in the Valley of the Roses produces rose oil prized by perfumers worldwide. Here, you visit the Shipka Memorial Church and Thracian tomb with vaulted brickwork dating back to the 4th century B.C. Relax in the Lounge car before dinner, served as the Danube Express contunues through the scenic landscape, reaching the Turkish border late in the evening. Overnight train.

Day 4 - Istanbul
Wake in Istanbul and disembark after breakfast.