Few corners of Europe reward the traveller quite like the old cities of the centre and east, where empires met and parted, and where beauty and history sit close together at every turn. This twelve-day journey by private train draws a line across them, from the Danube to the Baltic and back to the heart of the Habsburg lands.
Beginning in Budapest and ending in Vienna, the Golden Eagle Danube Express carries you through five countries and some of the most storied cities in Europe. There is the royal grandeur of Krakow and the salt cathedrals of Wieliczka; Warsaw, rebuilt from the ashes of war, and its beloved Chopin; the Gothic might of Malbork Castle and the maritime spirit of Gdansk; Berlin and Dresden, Prague and Salzburg, each with its own story to tell. It is a journey that does not shy away from the more sombre chapters either, with a reflective visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau among its most affecting moments.
Everything is arranged and included, from the excursions and entrance fees to the meals, the drinks and the gratuities. Two nights in a five-star Budapest hotel and a final night in Vienna frame eight nights aboard the private train, with expert local guides at every stop and a tour management team and doctor travelling with you throughout.
Budapest on the Danube, where the journey begins
Journey Highlights
Auschwitz-Birkenau
A guided visit to the UNESCO-listed memorial and museum, a moving and reflective morning at one of the most significant sites of the 20th century.
Kraków & the Salt Mine
The royal old town of Krakow and the astonishing Wieliczka Salt Mine, with its chapels, chandeliers and sculptures all carved from rock salt.
Warsaw & Chopin
Warsaw's rebuilt old town and the POLIN museum of Polish Jewish history, followed by a private recital of Chopin in a fitting historic setting.
Malbork Castle & Gdansk
The largest brick castle in the world, seat of the Teutonic Knights, and the Baltic port of Gdansk, birthplace of the Solidarity movement.
Berlin by Trabant
See Berlin's landmarks from behind the wheel of a classic East German Trabant, from the East Side Gallery to Karl-Marx-Allee.
Salzburg & the Semmering
Mozart's Salzburg and the trick fountains of Hellbrunn, then the UNESCO-listed Semmering Pass, the world's first mountain railway.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Timings are indicative; confirmed details are supplied with your travel documents.
Arrival in Budapest
Arrive in Budapest and transfer to the five-star Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace, a restored Art Nouveau landmark on the Pest embankment, facing the Chain Bridge and Buda Castle across the Danube. This evening, gather for a welcome reception and dinner with panoramic river views, and meet your Tour Manager and fellow travellers.
Welcome reception dinner. Two hotel nights at the Four Seasons Gresham Palace, Budapest.
Imperial Budapest
A panoramic tour takes in the highlights of the Hungarian capital: the Castle District with St Matthias Church and the Fishermen's Bastion on the Buda hills, and the neo-Gothic Parliament on the Pest bank. A private visit to the sumptuous Hungarian State Opera House, with a drinks reception, rounds out the morning.
The afternoon is free to enjoy the city at your own pace, whether a stroll along the Danube or a soak in one of Budapest's grand thermal baths.
Panoramic city tour; Parliament and private Opera House visit; afternoon at leisure.
All Aboard the Danube Express
The morning is at leisure before you transfer to Budapest's Nyugati station, where a drinks reception in the historic Royal Waiting Room precedes boarding the Golden Eagle Danube Express. A private brass band plays as the train pulls away, and a welcome dinner is served on board as you settle into your cabin for the first night's travel north towards Poland.
First night on board. Royal Waiting Room reception; welcome dinner on board.
Kraków and Auschwitz-Birkenau
This morning brings a guided visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the UNESCO-listed memorial and museum on the site of the former concentration camp, a sombre and deeply moving experience that stays long in the memory. Those who would prefer not to take part may instead choose a walking tour of Krakow's old town, Wawel Royal Castle and the Jewish Quarter.
After lunch in Krakow's beautiful old town, one of the first sites ever added to the UNESCO World Heritage list, there is a visit to the extraordinary Wieliczka Salt Mine, where centuries of miners carved chapels, chandeliers and statues entirely from rock salt deep underground.
Auschwitz-Birkenau guided visit, or Krakow walking tour; Krakow old town; Wieliczka Salt Mine.
The market square of Kraków, among the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Warsaw and a Chopin Recital
A guided tour of Warsaw follows the Royal Route through the old town, painstakingly rebuilt after the Second World War and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and passes through the area of the former Warsaw Ghetto. A visit to the acclaimed POLIN Museum tells the thousand-year story of Poland's Jews.
In the afternoon, a private recital brings the music of Fryderyk Chopin, Warsaw's most famous son, to life in a fitting historic setting, one of the highlights of any visit to the Polish capital.
Warsaw old town and Royal Route; POLIN Museum; private Chopin recital.
Malbork Castle and Gdansk
The morning is spent at Malbork Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest brick castle in the world, built by the Teutonic Knights on the banks of the Nogat. The train then continues to Gdansk, with lunch served on board.
The afternoon explores the great Baltic port: the European Solidarity Centre, which tells the story of the movement that helped bring down the Iron Curtain, an organ concert at the soaring Oliwa Cathedral, and the handsome merchant houses of the Long Market.
Malbork Castle; lunch on board; European Solidarity Centre; Oliwa Cathedral organ concert; the Long Market.
Malbork Castle, the great fortress of the Teutonic Knights
Berlin, East and West
A full day in the German capital comes with a Freedom of Choice. The most memorable option puts you behind the wheel of a classic VEB Trabant for a guided convoy past the landmarks of the divided city, from Karl-Marx-Allee and the East Side Gallery to the Oberbaum Bridge.
Alternatively, explore at leisure, with time for the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, the great collections of Museum Island, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, or the shops of the Kurfürstendamm.
Freedom of Choice: Trabant driving experience, or Berlin at leisure with Museum Island and Checkpoint Charlie.
Dresden and on to Prague
The morning is spent in Dresden, the baroque capital of Saxony reborn from the destruction of the war. A city tour takes in the magnificently restored Frauenkirche, the Church of Our Lady, and Dresden Castle, with the chance of refreshment at the elegant Taschenbergpalais.
By late afternoon the train reaches Prague, where the evening brings a visit to the Art Nouveau Municipal House for an operatic performance and dinner in one of the city's most beautiful interiors.
Dresden city tour and Frauenkirche; arrival in Prague; Municipal House opera performance and dinner.
Prague, the City of a Hundred Spires
Prague Castle and the Old Town
A vintage tram carries the group up to Prague Castle, listed as the largest ancient castle complex in the world, and to the Gothic masterpiece of St Vitus Cathedral at its heart. After lunch, the afternoon is free to wander the Old Town Square, cross the Charles Bridge or simply take in one of the most beautiful capitals in Europe before returning to the train.
Vintage tram to Prague Castle and St Vitus Cathedral; lunch; afternoon at leisure.
Mozart's Salzburg
The birthplace of Mozart and a setting for The Sound of Music, Salzburg is one of the loveliest cities in the Alps. You visit the Mirabell Palace and its formal gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Mozart Residence on Makartplatz, and the famous Getreidegasse with its wrought-iron shop signs.
In the afternoon, a visit to Hellbrunn Palace reveals its celebrated Wasserspiele, the playful trick fountains laid out by a prince-archbishop four centuries ago to surprise his guests.
Mirabell Palace and gardens; Mozart Residence; Getreidegasse; Hellbrunn Palace and trick fountains.
Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart in the Austrian Alps
The Semmering Pass and Imperial Vienna
Leaving Salzburg, the train makes one of Europe's great rail crossings: the Semmering Pass, the world's first true mountain railway, opened in 1854 and carried across the Alps on soaring viaducts and through a series of tunnels. You arrive in Vienna around lunchtime.
The afternoon brings a private concert by the Vienna Supreme Orchestra and a visit to the imperial Schönbrunn Palace, or time to explore the city at leisure. This evening you check in to the five-star Ritz-Carlton, set in a row of restored 19th-century palaces on the Ringstrasse, for a celebratory farewell dinner.
Semmering Pass crossing; Vienna Supreme Orchestra concert and Schönbrunn Palace; farewell dinner. One hotel night at the Ritz-Carlton, Vienna.
Imperial Vienna, where the journey comes to a close
Onward Journey
After breakfast, a private transfer takes you to the airport for your onward journey home. Should you wish to linger, an extended stay in Vienna can be arranged, adding time to enjoy the coffee houses, museums and imperial grandeur of the Austrian capital.
Breakfast and private airport transfer. Optional extension.
What's Included
Accommodation
2 nights five-star at the Four Seasons Gresham Palace, Budapest, 8 nights aboard the Danube Express and 1 night at the Ritz-Carlton, Vienna.
All Dining
Breakfasts, lunches and dinners throughout, freshly prepared on board and at selected venues, with inclusive alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
Excursions & Entrance Fees
Every guided excursion in the itinerary, all entrance fees, the Freedom of Choice options and expert local guides at each stop.
Service & Care
Cabin attendant with evening turndown, an experienced Tour Management team and a UK-registered doctor with medical facilities on board.
Transfers & Gratuities
Arrival and departure transfers, luggage porterage throughout, and all gratuities on and off the train.
The Danube Express
Eight nights aboard the boutique private train, with its en-suite cabins, elegant restaurant car and convivial bar-lounge car.
Fares & Departures 2027
Prices are per person and include the full programme detailed above, all excursions and entrance fees. A deposit of 25% of the tour cost secures your booking. Please call us on 0333 405 0192 for confirmed fares.
| Cabin Class | Twin | Single |
|---|---|---|
| Deluxe Class | £19,400 | £29,000 |
| Superior Deluxe Class | £24,700 | £41,200 |
Departure Date 2027
| Route | Departure | Return |
|---|---|---|
| Budapest to Vienna | 7 June 2027 | 18 June 2027 |
Prices are per person and include the full programme detailed above, all excursions and entrance fees. A deposit of 25% of the tour cost secures your booking. Please call us on 0333 405 0192 for confirmed fares.
Frequently Asked Questions
Twelve days and eleven nights, travelling one way from Budapest to Vienna through five countries: Hungary, Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria. It takes in Krakow, Warsaw, Malbork, Gdansk, Berlin, Dresden, Prague and Salzburg, with two hotel nights in Budapest and one in Vienna framing eight nights aboard the train.
A guided visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Wieliczka Salt Mine, a private Chopin recital in Warsaw, Malbork Castle, Gdansk and the Solidarity story, Berlin by classic Trabant, Dresden's Frauenkirche, Prague Castle, and Salzburg's Mirabell and Hellbrunn palaces, among many others.
The journey is aboard the Golden Eagle Danube Express, a boutique private train with en-suite Deluxe and Superior Deluxe cabins. You can read more on our Danube Express train page.
The 2027 departure runs from 7 to 18 June. Please contact us for the confirmed departure and current fares.
All accommodation, meals on board and at selected venues with inclusive drinks, every guided excursion and entrance fee, all transfers, gratuities and luggage porterage, plus a tour management team, local guides and a UK-registered doctor. International flights are not included.
The guided visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau is part of the Day 4 programme, a moving and reflective morning. Those who would prefer not to take part may instead choose a guided walking tour of Krakow's old town, Wawel Royal Castle and the Jewish Quarter.