Cruise itinerary
15-Night Europe Cruise from Bucharest
15 nights · Europe · 17 ports of call
15-night Europe cruise aboard Emerald Star, 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 Star
- Cruise line
- Emerald Cruises
- Duration
- 15 nights
- Region
- Europe · Western Europe · Danube
- Departs
- Bucharest
- Returns
- Regensburg
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 Star 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
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
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
Donji Milanovac
A small riverside town on the Serbian bank of the Danube, just upstream of the Iron Gates gorge. Set against forested hills at the edge of Đerdap National Park, it is a quiet stop near the prehistoric settlement of Lepenski Vir and the Roman remains of the frontier.
- Đerdap National Park
- Lepenski Vir
- Danube riverfront
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
Vukovar
A town on the Danube in eastern Croatia, where the river forms the border with Serbia. Once heavily damaged in the 1990s war and since rebuilt, it sits in the flat, fertile Slavonia region known for its vineyards and baroque waterfront.
- Danube waterfront
- Slavonia wines
- Baroque architecture
- Day8
Ordas
- Day9
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
- Day10
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
- 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
Dürnstein
A village in Austria's Wachau valley, set among terraced vineyards on a bend of the Danube. A blue-and-white baroque abbey tower marks its skyline, and the ruined castle above town is where Richard the Lionheart was once held captive.
- Baroque abbey
- Castle ruins
- Wachau vineyards
Moselle River, Germany
A winding river in western Germany, threading between steep terraced vineyards from Trier toward its meeting with the Rhine at Koblenz. River cruises pass hilltop castles, riverside wine villages and some of the country's steepest Riesling slopes.
- Riesling vineyards
- Cochem Castle
- Bernkastel-Kues
- Day14
Engelhartszell an der Donau
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
- Day15
Regensburg
A Bavarian city on the Danube with one of Germany's best-preserved medieval centres. River ships call within walking distance of the 12th-century Stone Bridge, the Gothic cathedral and a tangle of lanes lined with patrician towers.
- Stone Bridge
- Regensburg Cathedral
- Medieval old town
- Day16
Regensburg
A Bavarian city on the Danube with one of Germany's best-preserved medieval centres. River ships call within walking distance of the 12th-century Stone Bridge, the Gothic cathedral and a tangle of lanes lined with patrician towers.
- Stone Bridge
- Regensburg Cathedral
- Medieval old town
Upcoming departures
- 11 Sep 2026
- 5 Jun 2027
Upcoming sailings of this itinerary — a NestCruise advisor confirms current availability and your fare.
15-Night Europe Cruise from Bucharest FAQ
Which ports does this cruise visit?
This 15-night Europe cruise calls at Bucharest, Giurgiu, Ruse, Vidin, Donji Milanovac, Golubac, Belgrade, Vukovar, Ordas, Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Dürnstein, Moselle River, Germany, Engelhartszell an der Donau, Passau and Regensburg.
How many days are spent at sea?
This is a port-intensive itinerary with no full days at sea.
Where does this cruise depart from?
It departs from Bucharest and ends in Regensburg.
How long is this cruise?
15 nights aboard Emerald Star.
When does this itinerary sail?
Upcoming departures include 11 Sep 2026 and 5 Jun 2027. A NestCruise advisor can confirm current availability.