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Fly into: Budapest Fly out of: Vienna
Total Duration: 12 Days

Though the cities in this jaunt have changed affiliations and nations more times than you'd care to count, they're all united by the blue Danube. This itinerary—perfect as a river cruise—starts in vibrant Budapest's baths and shops, moves to Bratislava's castles and wine bars, through the Baroque highlights of Linz and Dürnstein, before ending in the coffeehouses and museums of Vienna.

    This Trip's Top Experiences:

  • Art and Culture
  • History
  • Great River Cruise
Days 1-3
stevenallan/iStockPhoto

1 Budapest

Bathhouses and Bridges

  • Things can get steamy at one of the city's many bathhouses; try the recently renovated Rudás or traditional Gellért
  • The shopping can't be beat on Vaci utca or Andrássy út
  • See the renaissance delights on Castle Hill, a UNESCO Heritage Site
  • Art and Culture
  • Architecture
Discover Budapest »
Days 4-5
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Klearchos Kapoutsis/flickr

2 Bratislava

Pint-size Prague

  • It's hard not to love a 9th-century castle, though this particular one was rebuilt after a fire in 1811
  • The hall of mirrors in the pink Primates' Palace, is as trippy today as it was three hundred years ago
  • Tipple a little at one of the city's many wine bars
  • Architecture
  • History
Discover Bratislava »
Days 6-7
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Austrian National Tourist Office/ Pigneter

3 Dürnstein

Wine and Walking in the Wachau Valley

  • Take a stroll past the 16th-century houses along the Hauptstrasse
  • Wine from the Wachau Valley is one of Austria's best; try it from the source here
  • The Baroque Stiftskirche overlooks the vineyards surrounding Dürnstein, and along with a visit to the Richard the Lionhearted castle, makes for an excellent half-day
  • Food and Wine
Discover Dürnstein »
Days 8-9
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karambol/istockphoto

4 Linz

Art and Culture by the Riverside

  • The beautiful Schlossmuseum Linz sits on the Tummelplatz; constructed in 1477, it was based on a castle that dated from 799
  • Things are cutting edge at the Ars Electronica Museum, a space-age, kid-friendly museum across the Nibelungen Bridge
  • Head to the Pöstlingberg via electric railway for some fresh mountain air
  • Art and Culture
  • Natural Beauty
Discover Linz »
Days 10-12
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abxyz/shutterstock

5 Vienna

Palaces and Pastries

  • From the Ringstrasse to the Opera, Vienna has much to offer art and music lovers
  • Explore the cobblestone streets of Innere Stadt and St. Stephen's Cathedral
  • At one of the city's opulent coffeehouses, try a pasty or fuel up with an espresso
  • Art and Culture
  • History
Discover Vienna »

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