Golden Eagle Danube Express Train: Venice - Istanbul 2020

Absorb the unique mix of unique cultures and their architectural treasures in this fascinating journey aboard the Golden Eagle Danube Express. Winding through green landscapes and along turquoise coasts, this exclusive Rails Cruise discovers a captivating exploration of the Balkan nations and surrounding countries. Starting from the romantic Venice, entering the suffered Mostar and the Mediterranean Dubrovnik, to arrive at the always charming Istanbul.

Day 1: Venice, Italy

Arrival day in Venice, where you will be received and transferred to the luxurious five star Danieli hotel for a two night stay. The legendary hotel enjoys a spectacular location and is a short walk from St. Mark's Square, the Doge's Palace and the Bridge of Sighs. Today, all guests will enjoy free time to explore this wonderful city. Tonight, we will enjoy a welcoming reception and dinner, giving you the opportunity to meet your fellow travellers.

Day 2: Venice, Italy

Venice is a city of truly captivating romance; Its incomparable beauty takes away the breath of visitors for the first time and regular customers alike. Today we will have the opportunity to take a walking tour of the highlights of this spectacular city. Walk along the winding roads that skirt the Grand Canal to St. Mark's Square, which for 1,000 years, was the heart of Venetian life. We also see the Basilica of Saint Mark and stroll through the Rialto Market.

Spend the rest of the day exploring this magnificent city. For a truly iconic experience, take a gondola ride through the Saint Mark’s Basin and the Grand Canal, and then take a short walk through the artists' district of Dorsoduro, where we will stop to admire the most impressive views of the city. The Academy Bridge, before returning to your hotel.

Day 3: Trieste, Italy

This morning we go from the hotel, by boat, directly to the Santa Lucia station on the Grand Canal. Here, our private train, the Golden Eagle Danube Express, is ready to welcome us. At midday, the train will leave Saint Lucia station along the 3-mile driveway over the Venetian Lagoon and at our first stop in the Italian port city of Trieste, for an afternoon tour. We stop at the vast Piazza Unita d'Italia, the main square of the city, and we can climb the hill to the famous Church of San Giusto, built around a medieval complex dating from the thirteenth century. We will go inside the church to see the splendid Byzantine style architecture enriched with beautiful mosaics.

Day 4: Ljubljana and Zagreb, Slovenia y Croatia

Ljubljana is a charming city, a combination of ancient architecture and youth culture. Our morning tour includes visits to Preseren Square, Three Bridges, Dragon Bridge and Plecnik Market. We enjoy lunch on board the train while we are travelling to the elegant capital of Croatia, Zagreb.

This afternoon we will visit Zagreb, a city in central Europe with over 900 years of documented history. We will take a walking tour through the upper city and 'Kapitol' (the centre of the old city), which abounds in the baroque atmosphere and cultural monuments. We will also see the ornate buildings of the lower city and its wide boulevards.

Day 5: Sarajevo and Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina

Arrival in the early morning to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, which is an intriguing mix of eastern and western culture; It has mosques and minarets, an old bazaar and an old Turkish neighbourhood. Discover the moving history of the city through a truly fascinating tour that details the horrors of the Balkan War. Sarajevo suffered the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. The scars of war are still evident when we go through buildings destroyed by war. We will enjoy a special visit to the Tunnel Museum at Sarajevo Airport. The guide, who lived through the 1992-1996 conflict, gives it life by touching the struggles that the citizens of Sarajevo faced during the siege of the city.

After a light lunch in Sarajevo, this afternoon we travel a very scenic line to the historical city of Mostar, the crossroads of many civilizations, cultures and three religions. Mostar was one of the most important cities of the Ottoman Empire. The famous stone arch bridge linking the Christian and Muslim areas was rebuilt in the summer of 2004. We will also visit the Turkish House and the mosque before walking through the narrow streets and bazaar, where you can buy traditional souvenirs and crafts. From here, we will travel to Dubrovnik by bus, where we will have a night stay.

Day 6: Dubrovnik, Croatia

Since its founding in the 13th century, Dubrovnik has been attacked so many times, but now it is restored as one of the great cities of the Mediterranean, essentially unchanged for 700 years. We will tour the city through the Ploce Gate to visit the Franciscan Monastery with one of the oldest chemist in the world, the Old Port, the Fortress of Saint Laurence and the Rector's Palace. We have lunch overlooking the Adriatic and have free time to stroll through the narrow streets. In the afternoon we drive to the train located near the Croatian border in Capljina, and enjoy dinner while we travel to Serbia.

Day 7: Belgrade, Serbia

In the morning, we arrived to the Serbian capital, Belgrade, the former Yugoslav capital. Located at the strategic meeting point of the Danube and Sava rivers, this truly cosmopolitan city has fortifications from the Celtic era, medieval tombs and Turkish baths. We spend a full day here and our city tour includes the 'House of Flowers': the mausoleum of Josip Tito, the City Hall, the Republic Square and Knez Mihajlova Street, as well as the 'Varos' Gate and a visit to the powerful Kalemegdan Fortress.

Day 8: Skopje and Tesaloniki, Macedonia and Greece

This morning we will arrive at the Little Skopje and discover a city where Ottoman influences remain strong. Explore the narrow streets of the old town with small shops and mosques with ceramic tile interiors. Stroll through the area of the old bazaar, overflowing with things to buy, and cross the 15th-century stone bridge that joins the bazaar with the modern city.

We return to the train for having lunch on board and continue in the afternoon crossing to Greece, arriving soon in Thessaloniki. We soak up the nightlife of this vibrant city as we head to Aristotle Square, and enjoy a Mediterranean seafood dinner outdoors.

Day 9: Sofia and Plovdiv, Bulgary

The site of the modern capital of Bulgary, at the slope of Mount Vitosha, Sofia was first occupied by the Thracian tribe of Serdi. On our morning tour, we will visit sections of the Roman wall, admire the old church of St. George, the golden dome of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the Turkish mosque of Bashi.

We will enjoy a lunch on the train while travelling from Sofia to Plovdiv. The second largest city in Bulgary after Sofia, "The city of the seven hills" is one of the oldest cities in Europe with more than 200 known archeological sites. We spend the afternoon here, exploring the Roman Forum and the Amphitheater. We will visit the charming old town, with its medieval walls and its Ottoman baths.

Day 10: Istanbul, Turkey

This morning, we will arrive to Istanbul, where we stayed one night in a five star hotel. Note: the continuous engineering work associated with the new Bosphorus tunnel could mean that the train stops on the outskirts of Istanbul and our buses will transport us to the city centre.

This legendary city, that stretches across Asia and Europe, is our last stop on our tour, so there is time to see how the old meets the new, the east with the west when we visit the must-see historical places in Istanbul. One of the most famous monuments in the Turkish and Islamic world, the Sultan Ahmet Mosque, the Blue Mosque, is a magnificent creation in the classical Ottoman style and has six minarets and 260 windows that illuminate its vast main chamber, which is decorated with more than 20,000 Iznik token.

Now a museum, Hagia Sophia was built in the sixth century by Emperor Justinian, and was one of the largest basilicas in the Christian world. After the Ottoman conquest, it became a mosque and is today one of the most magnificent museums in the world. Take a moment to stop here and admire the fine Byzantine mosaics.

A visit to the crown jewel of the Ottoman Empire, Topkapi, is also included. This impressive palace is the largest and oldest in the world and was the main 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 truly fascinating experience.

Day 11: Istanbul, Turkey

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for subsequent departures. There is also an option to extend your stay in Istanbul for additional nights to explore more of this fascinating city.