Paris to
Istanbul

Arrival in Paris

Arrive in Paris and be met by your tour management team for a private transfer to your centrally located five-star hotel. Paris needs no introduction, but even a single night in the city is enough to feel the particular quality of its light, the unhurried pace of its pavements and the excellence of its food. The evening begins with a welcome reception dinner, a chance to meet your fellow travellers and raise a glass before the journey begins in earnest tomorrow.

Welcome reception dinner included. Hotel accommodation in Paris.

Paris Gare de Lyon and Champagne

Transfer to Paris Gare de Lyon for a champagne reception on the platform before boarding the Golden Eagle Danube Express. The train departs through the pastoral landscapes of northern France towards the Champagne region, the stretch of chalk hills east of Paris that produces the world's most celebrated sparkling wine.

Renowned for producing the world's most celebrated sparkling wines, Champagne is a landscape of immaculate vineyards cascading across gentle, rolling hills. Draped in shades of emerald and gold, the region offers far more than the world-famous wines that bear its name. Magnificent cathedrals, elegant châteaux and centuries-old villages stand as enduring reminders of Champagne's rich heritage and royal connections. As we journey through this enchanting region, a harmonious blend of exceptional flavours, fascinating history and timeless elegance unfolds, creating an experience that delights every sense.

Breakfast and lunch included. Dinner on board. Overnight on the Golden Eagle Danube Express.

Switzerland, the Alps and Vienna

The train crosses eastern France during the night and by morning is in Switzerland, the Alpine scenery building as the train moves east. Whether you spend the morning in your cabin or in the Bar Lounge Car, the landscape is exceptional: the lakes of Switzerland, the mountain passes of the Austrian Alps, the valley floors and forested slopes that the train navigates as it crosses from west to east. It is one of the finer stretches of rail scenery in Europe and the Golden Eagle is unhurried enough to let you appreciate it.

The train arrives in Vienna as the day turns to evening. Dinner is served on board and afterwards the group attends a private classical concert by the Vienna Supreme Orchestra. Vienna is the city where Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert and Mahler all lived and worked, where the Philharmonic plays and the State Opera has been performing for over 150 years. A private concert here, in a city where music is taken seriously as nowhere else, is an appropriate way to spend an evening.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Private Vienna Supreme Orchestra concert included. Overnight on the Golden Eagle Danube Express.

Postojna Caves, Slovenia

This morning the train arrives in Postojna, home to one of the most spectacular cave systems in Europe. The tour descends into a remarkable subterranean world aboard a unique underground train, running through a series of vast chambers and dramatic caverns adorned with extraordinary stalactites, stalagmites and other intricate limestone formations. The caves are also home to rare and mysterious creatures, including the olm, a blind cave salamander unique to the karst waters of Slovenia and the surrounding region.

After the cave exploration, lunch is taken at a local restaurant before the group returns to the Golden Eagle Danube Express in the afternoon. The train continues south towards Serbia as the evening approaches.

Breakfast on board. Postojna Caves excursion and lunch included. Dinner on board. Overnight on the Golden Eagle Danube Express.

Belgrade

Belgrade sits at the confluence of the Sava and the Danube, a city with an extraordinary history as one of the most contested and rebuilt capitals in Europe. It has an energy and confidence that tends to surprise first-time visitors, and the Golden Eagle itinerary makes the most of it. The day begins with a traditional Serbian feast, showcasing the flavours of a cuisine that is bolder and more varied than most Western Europeans expect.

The afternoon includes a guided introduction to Rakija, Serbia's beloved fruit brandy, sampling different varieties in the company of people who know its history and can tell the stories that go with it. Belgrade's streets reward wandering: the Kalemegdan fortress above the rivers, the pedestrianised Knez Mihailova, the bohemian quarter of Skadarlija. There is time to explore before returning to the train for the Gala Dinner, a celebration meal prepared by the head chefs drawing on the ingredients and flavours encountered along the route so far.

Breakfast on board. Traditional Serbian feast, Rakija tasting and Gala Dinner on board included. Overnight on the Golden Eagle Danube Express.

Sofia

The morning is spent in the Bar Lounge Car as the train heads towards Bulgaria, the resident pianist providing a soundtrack to the passing landscape. Sofia arrives in due course, one of Europe's oldest cities with a history stretching back around 7,000 years, sitting at the foot of Mount Vitosha whose forested slopes form an immediate backdrop to the city. The architecture is a varied mix of Western and Central European influences, with Orthodox churches of particular distinction throughout the centre.

The excursion begins at the ruins of Serdica, the Roman city that preceded Sofia, where columns and mosaics survive amid the modern streets. The City Garden brings together several of the city's most important landmarks: the National Theatre Ivan Vazov, the Presidential Palace and the surrounding ensemble of civic buildings that give Sofia its particular character. The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is the centrepiece of the afternoon. It is one of the largest Orthodox cathedrals in the world, its neo-Byzantine architecture, gold-plated domes and richly decorated interior make it one of Bulgaria's most significant monuments. The day ends with a private concert at the National Gallery, an exclusive performance in an atmospheric historic venue that offers a fitting introduction to Bulgaria's cultural and artistic heritage.

Breakfast and lunch on board. Guided Sofia excursion and private National Gallery concert included. Dinner on board. Overnight on the Golden Eagle Danube Express.

Arrival in Istanbul

The train crosses the Bulgarian-Turkish border and enters Thrace, the ancient plain that forms the European part of Turkey. The approach to Istanbul is one of the great railway arrivals, with the landscape tightening as the city grows on either side, the minarets of the mosques appearing above the rooflines, the Bosphorus glimpsed at intervals, and eventually the train drawing into Istanbul as the two continents meet.

The afternoon is free to explore the city at your own pace. Istanbul rewards wandering, with the Grand Bazaar, the Galata Bridge, the backstreets of Beyoglu and the views from any of the hills over the strait and its constant traffic of ships. The evening ends with a farewell dinner on the banks of the Bosphorus, the city's famous skyline of domes and minarets reflected in the water, a fitting conclusion to a journey across the breadth of Europe.

Breakfast on board. Farewell dinner on the Bosphorus included. Hotel accommodation in Istanbul.

Farewell to Istanbul

Breakfast at the hotel and then transfer to the airport for onward travel. Those who have time before their flight, or who have arranged an extended stay in Istanbul, will find the city entirely capable of absorbing extra days. The Topkapi Palace, the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Bosphorus cruise, the Asian side of the city and the Prince's Islands are all within reach. Contact us if you would like recommendations for extending your stay.

Breakfast included. Transfer to Istanbul airport included.