2020 Budapest > Istanbul

Tour Code:: BUIS
Duration:: 18 days
Departure City:: Budapest
Return City:: Istanbul

Selected Itinerary

18 Day Itinerary

Day 1 - Welcome to Budapest

Your journey into wonder begins with a two night stay.

Meals Included: Dinner
Day 2 - Budapest

Join a guided tour through the city often considered the most beautiful in Europe.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3 - Budapest

This afternoon board your Scenic Space-Ship. At tonight’s welcome reception, raise your glass to the wonderful cruise ahead.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4 - Kalocsa

Located on the Great Hungarian Plain, Kalocsa is one of the oldest towns in Hungary. Today you will have the opportunity to witness a traditional Puszta horse show. Be greeted by the horsemen of the Puszta region where this type of activity has been practised for centuries.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 - Osijek

Freechoice

Explore Osijek on a guided city tour or, if you’re the more active type, you could take a blissful guided bike ride through Osijek’s countryside.

As a Scenic guest, you’ll be invited into the home of a local family for a traditional home-cooked meal and the chance to discover what everyday life is really like in Croatia. With great food and wonderful company, this is a rare opportunity to meet people who understand the local way of life intimately.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 - Belgrade

Freechoice

Enjoy an in-depth tour of one of Europe’s oldest capitals, Belgrade, including a visit to Tito’s Memorial, or take an orientation tour of Belgrade and see the highlights of the city before enjoying time at leisure to wander this beautiful city. Alternatively, choose a guided bicycle ride or for a true insight into everyday life, take a walk through the city with a student or journey to Sremski Karlovci, where you can wander the town with our experts and marvel at the many beautiful Baroque elements.

Enrich

Visit the largest orthodox temple in the Balkans, St. Sava and enjoy a choir performance in the Temple Crypt.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 - Iron Gates

Relax and admire the spectacular scenery as you cruise through the Iron Gates, a narrow gorge that the Danube has carved out between the Carpathian and Balkan Mountains. A magnificent setting for a cruise and the natural border between Serbia and Romania.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8 - Svishtov > Rousse

Freechoice

Discover the Byzantine gem of Veliko Tarnovo and the World Heritage-listed village of Arbanassi. Alternatively, stay on board and enjoy the trip towards the Bulgarian town of Rousse, where you’ll be treated to a guided sightseeing tour.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9 - Silistra

Freechoice

Discover Silistra Fort during an active walking tour or take an excursion to Varna on the Black Sea coast. Alternatively, visit a local village and a primary school, and learn about life in Bulgaria.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10 - Giurgiu > Bucharest

Bid a fond farewell to your crew as you disembark your Scenic Space-Ship and travel to Bucharest for an overnight stay.

Freechoice

Explore Bucharest and learn about its communist past including a tour of Ceausescu’s Spring Villa, or tour the Village Open Air Museum.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 11 - Bucharest > Nessebar

From Bucharest travel to the Black Sea coast for a two night stay. Delight in a delicious local dinner and take in a folklore show.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 12 - Nessebar

Enjoy a tour of Nessebar, followed by free time.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 13 - Nessebar > Canakkale

Journey from Bulgaria to Canakkale, Turkey for a two night stay.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 14 - Canakkale > Gallipoli

Travel to the Gallipoli Peninsula, the site of WWI landings by the Allied Forces, including ANZAC troops. There are over 31 cemeteries on the peninsula, which is now a national park. Explore it all and gain a unique perspective on this moving and historically poignant location.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 15 - Istanbul

Enjoy a fascinating tour of Homer’s Troy, the legendary site of the Trojan Wars. You’ll even see a giant replica of the famous Trojan Horse. Later, travel to Istanbul, where you can look forward to a three night stay.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 16 - Istanbul

Explore Istanbul including visits to the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and Dolmabahce Palace.

Freechoice

Enjoy a cooking class or join a calligraphy course and try the ancient art of writing. Alternatively, relax and rejuvenate during your visit to the Ayasofya Hurrem Sultan Hamami Turkish Baths.

Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 17 - Istanbul

Take a cruise on the Bosphorus strait, then visit Hagia Sophia and spend time wandering the evocative Grand Bazaar before an afternoon at leisure.

Enrich

A special treat awaits for your farewell dinner at the Hamdi Restaurant with its outstanding views over the Golden Horn, accompanied by the call to prayer that echoes from the numerous surrounding mosques.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 18 - Istanbul

After breakfast, transfer to Istanbul airport. It may be the end of your journey, but it’s the beginning of a lifetime of fond memories.

Meals Included: Breakfast