Day 1: Arrival in Venice
Arrivals day in Venice where you will be met and transferred to the Hotel Splendid for a two-night stay.

Today is at leisure for all guests to explore this wonderful city. This evening we will enjoy a welcome reception and dinner, giving you the opportunity to meet your fellow travellers.

Day 2: Venice Sightseeing 
Venice is a truly captivating city of romance; its unrivalled beauty takes away the breath of first-time visitors and regulars alike. Today we will have the opportunity to take a walking tour around the highlights of this spectacular city. Walk through the winding lanes beside the Grand Canal to St Mark’s Square, which for 1,000 years was the heart of Venetian life.

Day 3: Departure

Join the Golden Eagle Danube Express in Venice Santa Lucia Station in time for lunch. Your cabin attendants will be waiting on the platform to welcome and escort you to your cabins. As you take your seats for lunch, the train will thread its way out of the station and onto the causeway across the lagoon that links Venice to the mainland.

Day 3:  Trieste City Tour
Your first stop is the ancient port of Trieste for a tour of the city.

You walk along narrow and crooked streets of the old town and see the numerous medieval houses.

Day 4: City Tour
Have an early breakfast onboard as the train heads for Lake Bled, one of the most picturesque and photographed lakes in Eastern Europe.

Next, travel down to the Capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana, to tour the lovely, compact city by foot and by a cruise on the Ljubljanica River.

Day 4: City Tour of Zagreb

Return to the train for lunch as the train follows the scenic River Sava to Croatia’s Capital, Zagreb, then spend the afternoon touring the city. Later, enjoy dinner on the train on the way towards Bosnia.
 

Day 5:  City Tour

Early in the morning, you’ll arrive in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, which has an intriguing blend of Eastern and Western culture. It has mosques and minarets, an ancient bazaar and an atmospheric old Turkish quarter.

Discover the city’s poignant history through a truly absorbing tour detailing the horrors of the Balkan War. Sarajevo suffered from the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. The scars of war are still evident in the war-torn buildings you’ll pass before making a special visit to the Tunnel Museum under Sarajevo Airport. Your guide, who lived through the 1992–1996 conflict, powerfully brings to life the struggles that the citizens of Sarajevo faced during the siege of the city.

Day 5: City Tour 

Over lunch, you’ll travel along a very scenic line to the historic city of Mostar, the crossroads of many civilizations, cultures and religions. Mostar was one of the most important cities of the Ottoman Empire. The town’s renowned stone arch bridge linking the Christian and Muslim areas was re-built in the summer of 2004. Visit the Turkish House and the mosque before walking through the narrow bazaar streets, where you can shop for traditional souvenirs and handicrafts. Depart Mostar as dinner is served and your train heads towards Serbia.

Day 6: City Tour

Arrive this morning in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, the former Yugoslavian capital. Located at the strategic meeting point of the Danube and Sava Rivers, this truly cosmopolitan city has fortifications from Celtic times, medieval tombs and Turkish baths.

Spend a full day here and set out on a city tour that includes the ‘House of Flowers’—the mausoleum of Josip Tito. On the tour, you’ll also see the Town Hall, Republic Square, Knez Mihailova Street, ‘Varoš’ and the mighty Kalemegdan Fortress. Lunch today will be in the spectacular Salon 1905. You’ll leave Belgrade late in the afternoon and head towards North Macedonia and Greece.

Day 7: City Tour 

This morning, you’ll arrive in the little-visited Skopje of North Macedonia and discover a city where the Ottoman influences are still strong. Explore the narrow streets of the Old Town with tiny shops and mosques with ceramic-tiled interiors. Meander through the Old Bazaar area, brimming with things to buy, and cross the 15th-century stone bridge that links the bazaar to the modern town.

Day 7: City Tour
Return to the train for lunch and continue on to Greece for a late afternoon arrival into Thessaloniki. Soak up the evening atmosphere of this vibrant city by heading to Aristotelous Square and the seafront before returning to the train for dinner.

Day 8: City Tour

After breakfast, your train arrives in Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital at the foot of Vitosha Mountain. On your morning tour, you will visit sections of the Roman wall and admire the ancient Church of St. George, the golden domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the Turkish Banya Bashi Mosque.

Day 8: City Tour

Enjoy lunch on the train as you travel from Sofia to Plovdiv. The second largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia, ‘The City of Seven Hills’ is one of the oldest cities in Europe with more than 200 known archaeological sites. Spend the afternoon here exploring the Roman Forum and Amphitheatre. You’ll also visit the charming Old Town including its medieval walls and Ottoman baths. Enjoy the final night’s dinner onboard this evening as you head for Turkey.null

Day 9: Arrival in Istanbul 

As breakfast is served, the train winds its way along the Sea of Marmara towards Istanbul’s historic Sirkeci station. Mid-morning, your journey from Venice comes to an end and you will say goodbye to the Golden Eagle train that has been home for the past six nights and transfer to the Pera Palace Hotel for three nights.

Day 10: Istanbul City Tour
This fabled city that spans Asia and Europe is our final stop on our tour so there is time to see how old meets new, east meets west when we visit Istanbul’s must-see historic sites.

One of the most famous monuments in both the Turkish and Islamic worlds, the Sultan Ahmet Mosque (the Blue Mosque) is a superb creation in the classical Ottoman style and features six towering minarets and 260 windows illuminating its vast main chamber, which is decorated with more than 20,000 Iznik tiles.

Hagia Sophia was built in the 6th century by the Emperor Justinian and was one of the largest basilicas in the Christian world. After the Ottoman conquest, it was converted to a mosque and is today one of the most magnificent Grand Mosques in the world. Take a few moments to linger here to admire the fine Byzantine mosaics.

Day 11: Topkapi Visit
Also included in our extended Istanbul programme is a visit to the crown jewel of the Ottoman Empire, Topkapi. This stunning palace is the largest and oldest in the world and was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans from 1465 to 1853. With its treasury and exotic buildings overlooking the Golden Horn, your visit to Topkapi promises to be a fascinating experience.

Day 12: Departure from Istanbul

Following breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for onward departures.