Day 1: Arrival
Arrivals day in Istanbul where you will be met and transferred to your centrally located hotel for a three-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: 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 3: 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 4: Departure
Late afternoon you join the Golden Eagle Danube Express at Istanbul's Sirkeci station. Your cabin attendants will be waiting on the platform to welcome and escort you to your cabins. As you settle into your own private en-suite cabin, the train will thread its way out of the station.

We enjoy our first dinner onboard this evening as the train heads towards the border with Bulgaria.

Day 5: City Tour

This morning you arrive in Plovidv, 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.

Day 5: City Tour

Enjoy lunch on the train as you travel from to Sofia. On your afternoon tour of Bulgaria's capital, 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 6: City Tour 
This morning, you'll cross into Greece and after breakfast arrive in the vibrant city of Thessaloniki. 

Soak up the atmosphere of this vibrant city by heading to Aristotelous Square and the seafront before returning to the train for lunch.

Day 6: City Tour 

In the afternoon, you’ll arrive in the little-visited Skopje in 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 

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 Bosnia.

Day 8: Mostar City Tour

Over breakfast, 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, and after lunch you’ll arrive in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo.

Day 8: Sarajevo Day Tour

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.

Return to the train for dinner onboard as your journey continues on to Croatia and Slovenia.

Day 9: City Tour 

Have breakfast onboard as the train heads to Croatia’s Capital, Zagreb, then spend the morning touring a city of green parks and beautiful architecture.
 

Day 9: Ljubljana City Tour
Return to the train for lunch as the train follows the scenic River Sava to the Capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana. Tour this lovely, compact city by foot and by a cruise on the Ljubljanica River. Later, you'll head to Lake Bled, one of the most picturesque and photographed lakes in Eastern Europe.

Then, return to the train for a Farewell Dinner onboard as you travel overnight toward Italy.

Day 10: Arrival in Trieste
After an early breakfast, you’ll stop in the medieval port city of Trieste, once amongst the oldest and largest cities in the Habsburg Empire. Then return to the train and prepare to disembark in Venice.

Day 10: Arrival in Venice

Prepare to disembark at the Venice Santa Lucia Station on the Canal Grande, where you will be transferred to a centrally-located hotel for a two-night stay. 

Unpack, relax and enjoy your first evening in Venice.

Day 11: 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 12: Departure
Following breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for onward departures.