Viking Eastern Europe 2026
Let's try this again! Back in the fall of 2021 Kim and I were planning to join our great friends Pam & Bob Murray on a Viking river cruise through eastern Europe. But that was during the pandemic. While Viking had resumed sailing we were still unsure about going and both of us cancelled in the weeks leading up to the trip. Fast forward to the winter of 2024 and I had begun planning for 2026. Thinking back on this missed opportunity I reached out to the Murrays and inquired about a "reboot" of our adventure. They were all in and so here we go again.....but this time we have both added the pre-extension in Transylvania and the post-extension in Prague!
Oct. 9-10: Day 0/1 - Travel To Bucharest
Welcome to Bucharest. Transfer to your hotel in the heart of the city, with the former Royal Palace and great shopping at your doorstep. The rest of the day is yours to relax or begin exploring the city’s wide boulevards and captivating architecture on your own. Your Viking Tour Director is available to help you plan your time in Bucharest so you can make the most of your visit.
October 11, 12, 13: Days 2 thru 4 - Transylvania
Day 2: After breakfast, take a drive through the Transylvanian countryside. Visit Peleș Castle, a 19th-century fortification in Sinaia that melds numerous European architectural styles and materials into a harmonious and romantic structure. Continue to Brașov and experience a little touch of Saxony during a walking tour. In the Main Square, see the Biserica Neagră, named for the fire damage it suffered, and explore the town’s historic center. Enjoy this evening on your own. (B)
Day 3: Today, you may join an optional full-day excursion exploring Transylvania, including a visit to the medieval town of Sighișoara. Wind your way through narrow alleys between pastel-hued buildings surrounded by fortified walls. Within this UNESCO World Heritage Site lies the history of 15th-century Walachian prince Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Dracula. (B)
Day 4:This morning, check out of your Brașov hotel and take a short ride to Bran Castle, commonly known as Dracula’s Castle. This landmark citadel, built during the 14th century and used by Saxon and Walachian kings, is the best known of several locations linked to the Dracula legend. The castle has Gothic and baroque furnishings and decorative arts on display. After your tour, embark on a scenic drive to Bucharest, where you will join your fellow guests at the hotel.(B)
October 13: Day 4 - Bucharest
Arrive and check in to your hotel. Bucharest is Romania’s cultural capital. Its original fortress, the first of many, was built to protect the Walachian state from the Turks. Today, it is a city of elegant French-style boulevards, lush gardens and green expanses, including the tranquil Bucharest Botanical Garden. The historic Lipscani district exudes the old-world charms of cobblestone alleys, inns and shops. The sprawling Palace of Parliament is the world’s largest civilian building, said to contain 3,000 rooms.
October 14: Day 5 Board The Viking Lif
Check out of your hotel and explore more of the city. Communism changed the face of Bucharest and has left in its wake a city brimming with imposing socialist architecture. Dotted among today’s cityscape are wonderful art nouveau buildings, ancient churches and monasteries that were rescued from the bulldozer. From the 18th-century church Schitul Maicilor to the 16th-century Mihai Vodă Church, it is best to discover these treasures on foot. Bucharest is also home to an array of world-class museums, including the George Enescu National Museum, which features a beautiful oyster-shaped glass awning. Transfer to your ship and settle into our Veranda staterooms.
October 15: Day 6 - Ruse
October 16: Day 7 - Vidin
The most integral Danube city in Bulgaria, Ruse enjoys a setting amid a rolling countryside blanketed in sunflower and wheat fields. Once an outpost of the Roman Empire, it was known as Sexaginta Prista, or Sixty Ships, for the fleet that once docked here. Today, it is more known for its colorful atmosphere and as a gateway to Romania’s fabled Transylvania region. Best explored on foot, the city features many fine examples of 19th- and 20th-century neobaroque and neorococo architecture.
One of Bulgaria’s oldest riverside towns, Vidin is home to the only entirely preserved medieval Bulgarian castle. Perched impressively on the riverbank, its striking pose, thick ring walls, stout towers and solid gates form a fortress known as Babini Vidini Kuli, which means Granny Vida’s Towers. Around the castle rose a fairy-tale town of 25 minarets, domes and other charming architecture of the period. Though many of these features have been shadowed by today’s city, Vidin retains its charms. Today it is largely an agricultural and trade center renowned for its wines.
October 17: Day 8 - Scenic Sailing The Iron Gate / Goulbac
- Sail through one of Europe’s most dramatic natural wonders, the picturesque stretch famously known as the Iron Gate. Meander through narrow gorges that slice through the Carpathian Mountains to the north and the Balkan Mountains to the south, and marvel at the towering white limestone cliffs draped with forest. Be on the lookout for ancient remains upon the dramatic walls. On the Serbian side, Trajan’s Tablet was laid to mark the construction of a Roman military road; on the Romanian side, marvel at the enormous rock sculpture of Dacian king Decebalus.
- Millennia of history await at “the Town of Doves,” the gateway to the Djerdap National Park. The Iron Gate of the Danube lies between the mighty Carpathian and Balkan Mountains, its dramatic scenery carved by narrow ravines. Guarding the Danube is the imposing 14th-century Golubac Fortress, which has seen ruling empires vie for its control over the centuries, changing hands between the Serbs, Hungarians, Bulgarians and Turks. Serbian culture is swathed in tradition, and it is an integral part of the country’s identity that has carried its people through challenging times in history. Ancient civilizations to modern empires have left their mark, creating a unique, fascinating heritage that spans thousands of years.
October 18: Day 9 - Belgrade
October 19: Day 10 - Osijek
The most integral Danube city in Bulgaria, Ruse enjoys a setting amid a rolling countryside blanketed in sunflower and wheat fields. Once an outpost of the Roman Empire, it was known as Sexaginta Prista, or Sixty Ships, for the fleet that once docked here. Today, it is more known for its colorful atmosphere and as a gateway to Romania’s fabled Transylvania region. Best explored on foot, the city features many fine examples of 19th- and 20th-century neobaroque and neorococo architecture.
The fourth-largest city in Croatia, Osijek is located near the confluence of the Drava and Danube Rivers. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural capital of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia. In its early days, Osijek was a Roman settlement called Mursa Maior (“major”). It was later rebuilt by the Ottomans and ruled by the Hapsburg Empire. Today, with an abundance of farmland and game, as well as plentiful baroque architecture and musical and outdoor venues, Osijek has become a gastronomic and cultural center of Croatia. Its cathedral can host 3,000 people.
October 20: Day 11 - Kalocsa
October 21-22: Days 12 / 13 - Budapest
Once the seat of the archbishop, the cultural center of Kalocsa is more than 1,000 years old. The quaint town, surrounded by 8,000 acres of farmland growing fiery red peppers, is brimming with traditional Hungarian culture and steeped in the piquant flavors of paprika, the “red gold” that has been giving local goulash its distinctive taste for centuries. The world’s first Paprika Museum chronicles the spice’s history. The streets are adorned with bright murals of floral motifs, which create a cheery ambience for browsing craft-filled shops. Hungary’s artistic heritage takes center stage at the House of Folk Arts museum.
Day 12 - Disembark your ship and check into your Budapest Hotel. Budapest’s old town is a fascinating medieval patchwork of narrow streets and colorful houses. In the Castle District, the Matthias Church soars in gleaming Gothic glory. Adjacent, the expansive wall and seven turrets of Fisherman’s Bastion overlook the Danube, the graceful Chain Bridge and the Pest side of the river. The centerpiece of the district is the sprawling Buda Castle. Constructed in the 13th century and expanded to its current baroque splendor in the 18th century, this edifice was home to Hungary’s kings for almost 700 years.
Day 13 - During the 12th century, the first Jewish settlers arrived in Buda from neighboring German and Slavic countries. Over the next hundreds of years, the community played an important role in the cultural and economic development of Hungary. But, like elsewhere in Europe, life for Jews alternated between periods of prosperity and persecution. More than 100,000 perished during the Holocaust, and a number of Budapest’s landmarks serve as a reminder of the events that took place. One of the most poignant memorials is the 60 pairs of cast-iron shoes that line the banks of the Danube River. They represent the men, women and children who fell there at the hands of the Hungarian Nazi Arrow Cross Party.
Disembark your ship and embark on a scenic drive to Prague. Check in to your hotel and enjoy an evening at your leisure. Perhaps sample some of the hearty local cuisine, or take a stroll to view some of the city’s monuments beautifully illuminated. A Viking Host is available to help you plan your time in Prague so you can make the most of your visit.
October 23: Day 14 - Prague
October 24: Day 15 - Prague
Set out on 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 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. Later, enjoy free time to visit some of the city’s landmarks or museums. (B)
October 25: Day 16 - Prague
Spend the day further exploring Prague on your own. See more of the Old Town or check out some of Prague’s more modern sights such as the Frank Gehry–designed Dancing House, an office building inspired by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Cross Charles Bridge, see the Astronomical Clock and the Lennon Wall, and stand in historic Wenceslas Square. Stroll past the colorful cottages on Golden Lane, or visit the Jewish Quarter and see the 13th-century Altneuschul, Europe’s oldest active synagogue. (B)
October 26: Day 17 - Travel Day Hom7