Golden Eagle Danube Express: Balkan Explorer

Your journey begins with a flight to Venice, where you’ll be met on arrival for a private transfer to the luxurious San Clemente Palace Kempinski, set on a private island just a few minutes by boat from St. Mark’s Square. This stately 900-year-old property set within the grounds of a former monastery features a 12th-century chapel, 15 acres of private gardens, an award-winning Italian fine dining restaurant and a state-of-the-art spa including a heated pool, a sauna and a Turkish bath. In the evening, you’ll be treated to a sumptuous welcome dinner and reception, giving you the opportunity to meet and mingle with your fellow travellers.

Today, a guided walking tour will introduce you to the highlights of Venice, one of Europe’s most romantic cities. You’ll navigate winding lanes along the Grand Canal to St. Mark’s Square, the city’s historic focal point and home to the resplendent St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace. There will also be time to stroll through the bustling Rialto Market, where local vendors sell fresh fruits, vegetables, seafood and spices at an array of colourful stalls. After the tour, the remainder of the day is yours to spend exploring Venice at leisure. 

This morning, a boat transfer will bring you from the hotel directly to Santa Lucia station on the Grand Canal. Here, you’ll board the opulent Golden Eagle Danube Express, with time to settle into your stylish cabin before a mid-morning departure, following the causeway that leads from the Venetian Lagoon to the Italian mainland. Your first stop is the port city of Trieste, tucked away in the far northeastern corner of Italy, close to the Slovenian border.

On an afternoon tour, you’ll visit the impressive, 19th-century seafront Miramare Castle and the city’s grand central square, Piazza Unita d’Italia. There’s also the opportunity to climb the hill that leads to the Cathedral of San Giusto (also known as Trieste Cathedral), formed in the 14th century by the merging of two older churches and renowned for its intricate frescoes. Back on the train, enjoy your first gourmet dinner in the dining car, perhaps followed by a drink or two in the elegant Bar Lounge. 

Stay: Golden Eagle Danube Express

After crossing over into Slovenia, your next stop is the Postojna Cave – a vast network of karst caverns, halls and passageways which you’ll explore on an underground train. It’s an extraordinary sight to behold, filled with spectacular stalagmites and stalactites and home to around 150 animal species. Back above ground, you’ll continue to Ljubljana, Slovenia’s delightful riverside capital city, where an afternoon walking tour will take you through the beautifully preserved Old Town, including a visit to Preseren Square, the Triple Bridge, the Dragon Bridge and the Plecnik Covered Market. Compact, highly walkable and filled with an attractive mix of Renaissance, Baroque, Art Nouveau architecture, it’s the kind of city that lends itself perfectly to being explored at a leisurely pace. 

Stay: Golden Eagle Danube Express

It’s an early start today as you arrive in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina; a captivating fusion of Eastern and Western cultural influences. Its cobbled streets are lined by mosques, minarets, Ottoman-era buildings and a sprawling, 15th-century bazaar where merchants sell the likes of fresh produce, spices, handicrafts, clothing and souvenirs. A guided tour will offer a poignant and informative picture of the city’s turbulent past, particularly during the Balkan War when Sarajevo was bombarded for almost four years between 1992 and 1996 – the scars of which are still present today. A special visit to the Sarajevo Tunnel, built during this period as a passageway for food supplies and humanitarian aid, provides a further window into this critical period in the city’s history.

In the afternoon, you’ll move on to the city of Mostar, once one of the most important centres of the Ottoman Empire, where Islamic, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox communities coexist today. Its famous stone bridge across the Neretva river was rebuilt in 2004 having been destroyed during the Bosnian War, and leads directly to the Old Bazaar, which forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. After visiting a mosque and the Turkish House, you’ll have the chance to hunt for authentic souvenirs and handicrafts among the Ottoman-era cobbled lanes. 

Stay: Golden Eagle Danube Express

Continuing east, you’ll soon arrive in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia and one of Europe’s oldest and most fascinating cities, at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers. Its history is marked by numerous wars and invasions over the millennia, while today, it’s a place of stark contrasts, from ornate Orthodox churches to brutalist communist-era skyscrapers. The imposing hilltop Belgrade Fortress, meanwhile, has been shaped by various civilizations including the Celts, the Romans, the Byzantines and the Hungarians. You’ll spend a full day exploring the city on a comprehensive guided tour, with stops at the House of Flowers (a mausoleum to Josep Tito, the former president of Yugoslavia), Republic Square, Knez Mihailova (the main pedestrian shopping avenue) and Belgrade Fortress. 

Stay: Golden Eagle Danube Express

Today, you’ll cross into your next Balkan country: Montenegro, renowned for its magnificent mountain landscapes, pristine lakes and picturesque coastal towns steeped in medieval architecture. Your destination is Bar, a port town on the Adriatic coast, where you’ll visit an olive grove and learn the harvesting techniques which have been perfected over generations. You’ll get to try Montenegro's finest olive oil fresh from the source and receive a complimentary bottle to take home with you.

Afterwards, embark on a short sightseeing tour in Old Bar, one of the largest medieval archaeological sites in the Balkans, and enjoy a traditional folkloric music and dance performance. There will also be time for a drink at a local seaside bar before returning to the train for a scenic journey meandering through the beautiful landscapes of the Balkan Peninsula. 

Stay: Golden Eagle Danube Express

North Macedonia marks the next stage of your Balkans adventure, as you’ll spend the day in its often overlooked but intriguing capital, Skopje. Much of the city was flattened by a major earthquake in 1963 and was consequently rebuilt in the early modernist style, before an ambitious revamp in 2014 brought about an abundance of newly-built neoclassical buildings and extravagant statues. The result is a rather unusual, unapologetically grand aesthetic which continues to divide opinion today. Perhaps the most interesting area is the Old Bazaar, one of the oldest and largest marketplaces in the Balkans, where Ottoman influences remain strong. 

Stay: Golden Eagle Danube Express

In the morning, you’ll arrive in Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria, situated at the foot of Mount Vitosha. On a guided tour you’ll visit sections of the Roman Wall (which is actually an Ottoman-era monument), the fourth-century Church of St. George (originally built as Roman baths), the gold-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the Banya Bashi Mosque. Enjoy lunch back on the train as you travel towards Plovdiv, an ancient city spread across seven hills. It’s home to more than 200 archaeological sites, including an ancient amphitheatre and a Roman Forum, which you’ll have the chance to explore throughout the afternoon. 

Stay: Golden Eagle Danube Express

The final leg of your journey aboard the Golden Eagle Danube Express brings you to Istanbul, a pulsating city at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, where you’ll spend the next two nights at a five-star hotel. As part of your touring programme, visits to Topkapi Palace, the crown jewel of the Ottoman Empire, as well as the majestic Hagia Sophia (formerly one of the largest Christian basilicas in the world before being converted into a mosque in 1453) and the iconic Blue Mosque, are included.

You’ll also enjoy a cruise on the Bosphorus and a visit to the Grand Bazaar, ensuring you make the most out of your time in Istanbul by covering the city’s must-see sights. On your final evening, enjoy a farewell dinner at a local restaurant as you wrap up your trip in style. 

Stay: Five-star hotel accommodation (tbc)

After breakfast, a private transfer will bring you back to the airport in time for your flight home. If you’d like to extend your stay, please speak to one of our experts to discuss the options available.