Cruise itinerary
15-Night Danube Cruise from Bucharest
15 nights · Danube · 17 ports of call
15-night Danube cruise aboard Emerald Sky, departing Bucharest and calling at Giurgiu, Ruse, Vidin, Donji Milanovac, Golubac and Belgrade and 10 more.
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- No booking fees
- 10,000+ sailings
At a glance
- Ship
- Emerald Sky
- Cruise line
- Emerald Cruises
- Duration
- 15 nights
- Region
- Danube · Europe
- Departs
- Bucharest
- Returns
- Prague
How NestCruise works:we're advisor-led, not a booking engine. No fares are listed and there are no booking fees — tell an advisor your dates and party and they price your exact Emerald Sky sailing, typically within 24 hours.
Where this voyage takes you
Day-by-day itinerary
- Day1
Bucharest
Romania's capital, set on the plains of the lower Danube basin and reached by river from the nearby port towns. Grand boulevards and the colossal Palace of the Parliament reflect its 20th-century rebuilding, alongside surviving belle-époque streets once dubbed 'Little Paris'.
- Palace of the Parliament
- Old Town
- Herăstrău Park
- Day2
Giurgiu
A Danube port in southern Romania, set opposite the Bulgarian city of Ruse. It is the river crossing nearest to Bucharest, with wetland lakes nearby and the capital's grand boulevards reachable on excursions inland.
- Bucharest gateway
- Danube crossing
- Friendship Bridge
- Day3
Ruse
A Bulgarian port on the Danube, facing Romania across the river in the country's northeast. Known for grand nineteenth-century architecture that earned it the name Little Vienna, it centres on a neo-baroque square and serves as a stop toward Bucharest.
- Freedom Square
- Neo-baroque architecture
- Danube riverfront
- Day4
Vidin
A Danube river port in northwestern Bulgaria, opposite Romania across the water. Its medieval Baba Vida fortress stands on the riverbank, and the town serves as a gateway inland to the dramatic rock formations and monasteries of the Belogradchik region.
- Baba Vida fortress
- Danube riverfront
- Belogradchik rocks
- Day5
Golubac
A small town on the Danube in eastern Serbia, set where the river narrows toward the Iron Gates gorge. It is dominated by a large medieval riverside fortress, and lies at the edge of the Đerdap National Park along the Romanian border.
- Golubac Fortress
- Iron Gates gorge
- Đerdap park
- Day6
Belgrade
The capital of Serbia, set where the Sava River joins the Danube in the Balkans. The hilltop Kalemegdan fortress overlooks the meeting of the rivers, with the bohemian Skadarlija quarter and a lively riverside nightlife below.
- Kalemegdan Fortress
- Skadarlija quarter
- River confluence
- Day7
Novi Sad
Serbia's second city, set on the Danube in the northern Vojvodina plain. The riverside Petrovaradin Fortress overlooks the water, the old centre keeps elegant squares and cafés, and the EXIT music festival fills the fortress each summer.
- Petrovaradin Fortress
- Danube quay
- City squares
- Day8
Budapest
Hungary's grand capital, split by the Danube into hilly Buda and flat Pest. River ships moor in the centre, within reach of the neo-Gothic Parliament, the thermal baths at Széchenyi and the panoramic ramparts of Fisherman's Bastion.
- Parliament Building
- Széchenyi Baths
- Fisherman's Bastion
- Day9At sea
- Day10At sea
- Day11
Bratislava
Slovakia's compact capital on the Danube, within sight of both Austria and Hungary. A hilltop castle overlooks a small, walkable old town of pastel facades, baroque squares and the Gothic St. Martin's Cathedral where Hungarian kings were once crowned.
- Bratislava Castle
- Old Town
- St. Martin's Cathedral
- Day12
Vienna
Austria's imperial capital on the Danube, long the seat of the Habsburgs. River ships call within reach of Schönbrunn Palace, the Hofburg and St. Stephen's Cathedral, in a city famed for coffee houses, classical music and grand ringstrasse architecture.
- Schönbrunn Palace
- St. Stephen's Cathedral
- Coffee houses
- Day13
Melk
A small town on the Danube at the western edge of Austria's Wachau Valley, dominated by a vast Baroque abbey on a rocky ridge. Melk Abbey's gilded library and church draw river-cruise passengers passing through the wine region.
- Melk Abbey
- Abbey library
- Wachau Valley
- Day14
Linz
An Austrian city on the Danube between Salzburg and Vienna, with a large baroque main square at its heart. A pair of funiculars and a tram climb the Pöstlingberg hill above town, and it serves as a river gateway toward the Salzkammergut lakes.
- Main Square
- Pöstlingberg hill
- Danube promenade
- Day15
Passau
A Bavarian city where the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers meet, near the Austrian border. Long a starting point for Danube cruises, its baroque old town centres on St. Stephen's Cathedral, home to one of the largest church organs in the world.
- Three rivers
- St. Stephen's Cathedral
- Baroque old town
- Day16
Prague
The Czech capital, a near-intact medieval city on the Vltava in central Europe. Its hilltop castle, the Charles Bridge and the astronomical clock in the Old Town Square draw river travellers calling along this stretch of the continent.
- Charles Bridge
- Prague Castle
- Old Town Square
Upcoming departures
- 11 Apr 2027
Upcoming sailings of this itinerary — a NestCruise advisor confirms current availability and your fare.
15-Night Danube Cruise from Bucharest FAQ
Which ports does this cruise visit?
This 15-night Danube cruise calls at Bucharest, Giurgiu, Ruse, Vidin, Donji Milanovac, Golubac, Belgrade, Novi Sad, Ordas, Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Weissenkirchen, Melk, Linz, Passau and Prague.
How many days are spent at sea?
2 days are spent at sea; the rest are in port.
Where does this cruise depart from?
It departs from Bucharest and ends in Prague.
How long is this cruise?
15 nights aboard Emerald Sky.
When does this itinerary sail?
Upcoming departures include 11 Apr 2027. A NestCruise advisor can confirm current availability.