Early Season Splendours of Europe, Budapest to Amsterdam

Few journeys cover Europe so thoroughly. Over 15 days on an Emerald Star-Ship, the Danube, Main and Rhine carry you from Budapest through five countries, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands, to Amsterdam, calling at some of the continent’s most storied riverside towns along the way.

Booked on Emerald Cruises’ Exclusive Offer for the 22 February 2027 departure, fares start from AUD $5,245 per person (double occupancy, Category D, Riviera Deck), a saving of $3,305 against the full fare of $8,550. Booking by 17 October 2026 with full payment secures this rate.

Why this journey

February is early season on the classic European rivers, before the summer crowds arrive, the pace is quieter and the historic towns more intimate. The route is extraordinary in its variety: grand imperial capitals (Budapest, Vienna) alongside medieval market towns (Regensburg, Bamberg, Würzburg), the fortified wine village of Rüdesheim, the Gothic spires of Cologne, and the waterway-threaded city of Amsterdam at journey’s end.

Included cultural experiences go beyond standard sightseeing: a private visit to the 900-year-old Bronnbach Abbey, coffee and cake in a Slovakian family home, and Emerald Cruises’ EmeraldPLUS and EmeraldACTIVE programs round out the itinerary with both enrichment and activity options. The full list runs to 25 inclusions, available on the Emerald Cruises website.

Itinerary

Day 1, Budapest. Board your Emerald Star-Ship in the Hungarian capital.

Day 2, Budapest. A day to explore Budapest’s grand boulevards, thermal baths and baroque parliament building.

Day 3, Bratislava. Cruise along the Danube into Slovakia’s compact, walkable capital.

Day 4, Vienna. A full day in the Austrian capital, the Ringstrasse, the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the coffee-house tradition.

Day 5, Dürnstein-Melk. The Wachau Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape of terraced vineyards and ruined castles, with stops at the blue-spired abbey church of Dürnstein and the Benedictine monastery at Melk.

Day 6, Passau. The three-river city, where the Inn and Ilz meet the Danube, and baroque architecture lines the old town lanes.

Day 7, Regensburg. One of Germany’s best-preserved medieval cities, largely undamaged by the Second World War and inscribed on the World Heritage list.

Day 8, Nuremberg. A city of deep history and the famous Christmas market origins, with a restored old town and the Germanic National Museum.

Day 9, Bamberg. Often called the most intact medieval city in Germany, a UNESCO World Heritage site with its own distinct smoked beer tradition.

Day 10, Würzburg. The Residenz palace, another UNESCO listing, and the beginning of the Romantic Road wine country.

Day 11, Miltenberg – Wertheim. Two of the Main’s most picturesque half-timbered towns, set against forested hillsides.

Day 12, Rüdesheim. The gateway to the Rhine Gorge and its terraced Riesling vineyards, with the cable car up to the Niederwalddenkmal monument.

Day 13, Cologne. The towering Gothic cathedral, the Hohenzollern Bridge and the old city’s Roman and medieval heritage.

Day 14, Amsterdam. Arrival in the Dutch capital, canals, the Rijksmuseum, the Anne Frank House, and the distinctive gabled townhouses.

Day 15, Amsterdam. Disembark at journey’s end.

Pricing

Category	Full Fare	Exclusive Offer
Cat D – Riviera Deck	$8,550 pp	$5,245 pp
Cat E – Riviera Deck	SOLD OUT	,

All fares per person, AUD, double occupancy. The Exclusive Offer requires full payment by 17 October 2026. An Earlybird fare of $7,550 per person is also available for this sailing but is not combinable with the Exclusive Offer under its terms.

Contact Emma Whiting Travel to confirm current availability and to discuss cabin selection.