Upon arrival in Passau make your way to the boat and settle into your cabin, embarkation and check-in is at 4.30pm. At 7.30pm the crew cast off and cruise downstream for 3 hours to Schlögen/Obermuhl where we moor for the night. If you arrive early, Passau is a charming town with plenty to see and do. It is the point at which the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers all meet so there are plenty of river banks to stroll along but we also recommend making the climb to Veste Oberhaus, a medieval fortress and museum that offers a fantastic, panoramic view of the town and surrounding countryside.

Pre-bookable Excursion package: City tour Vienna & Budapest, city tour Bratislava, concert on the Bruckner organ in Linz (minimum participation 20 adults)

Some excursions can also be booked individually on board, subject to availability and according to the price list (e.g. Budapest city tour approx. € 50.-).

After a hearty breakfast you disembark for the first cycle ride of the holiday. The ride starts at the Schlögener Loop, also known as the Danube Loop, where the mighty river makes an abrupt 180 degree turn – a very picturesque and famous scene. You continue along the riverbank cycle path, riding through a serene and peaceful valley where steep, forested hillsides descend to the river. Shortly afterwards you’ll pass through the pleasant town of Aschau, perhaps stopping for a coffee, before continuing on along the river. After passing through some more pretty riverside villages you arrive in the city of Linz, where the MS Primadonna is waiting for you. If you book the 'Excursion package' (see supplements) then you will experience the 200 years Anton Bruckner concert on the Bruckner organ in Linz. After dinner the crew cast off for an overnight cruise downstream to the city of Tulln.

After breakfast have a look around Tulln – perhaps visiting the Egon Schiele Museum or Die Garten Tulln, an exhibition of over over 60 different gardens. You then follow the Danube cycle path eastwards, past the foothills of the Wiener Wald (Viennese Woods) and the monastery at Klosterneuburg to the city of Vienna.

Cycle around the vibrant, historic city taking in the many famous sights – 95% of the city route is on cycle paths. We also recommend visiting one of the elegant Viennese cafés for coffee and cake! In the evening you can opt to join a guided bus tour of “Vienna by Night” (included in the Excursion package - see supplements).

Late in the evening the MS Primadonna slips her moorings and cruises downstream through the night to Štúrovo/Esztergom.

Disembark in Štúrovo/Esztergom, once the capital of Hungary and one of the country’s oldest towns. If time allows, we recommend taking a tour of the famous Basilica with its enormous, 72 meter high dome. The treasury inside houses an amazing collection of church vestments festooned with precious stones and gold. You then follow the cycle path along the raised flood defences on the left bank of the Danube. The slightly elevated position affords good views of the surrounding countryside and across the river. You’ll pass the beautiful Danube bend and Visegrád castle before reaching Szentendre island via a ferry. Here you can decide whether to continue cycling for another 22 kms to the city of Budapest or to do this last stretch on a commuter train (approx 12 euro, not included).

After breakfast there is an optional guided city tour of Budapest (included in the Excursion package - see supplements) or you can of course explore this youthful, vibrant city at your own pace. The city is actually two cities divided by the river – Buda on the west bank and Pest on the east – with many bridges connecting the two. In the afternoon there is a short but very enjoyable bike ride around Margaret Island. Top Tip: Take your swimming things as there is a fabulous outdoor pool complex on the island called Palatinus Strand.

At 9pm the Primadonna begins her journey back upstream to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia.

The MS Primadonna arrives in Bratislava around lunchtime. An optional guided tour of the town is offered (included in the Excursion package - see supplements) or you can of course explore at your own pace. Bratislava is a charming little city with a welcoming atmosphere and a network of winding streets to explore. Cafe culture is big here so there are no-end of quaint little places to sit and drink in the atmosphere. In the afternoon a cycle ride leads you out of the city and along the Danube towards the Austrian border. The route takes you along what was once the Iron Curtain to the remarkable Castle Hof, an impressive, elegant palace with exquisite staterooms and carefully manicured gardens. You then follow the river westwards, crossing over to the southern bank at the pretty riverside town of Hainburg and back through a rural landscape to Bratislava where the MS Primadonna is waiting for you. At around 8pm the boat heads upstream on another night cruise, this time to Krems, the gateway to the Wachau Valley.

Every day on this trip is special but the scenery on today’s bike ride is truly sublime. Disembark in Krems, a pretty place that was once the country’s richest town, and start to follow the river bank upstream. Before long you enter the beautiful, winding Wachau Valley. Steep hillsides, often crowned by castle ruins, descend via a cascade of stone-walled, vineyard terraces and orchards to the river. Tiny, impossibly idyllic, wine villages dot the landscape, many with inviting bars and Gasthofs that tempt you to stop and sample the excellent, local wines. The baroque church on the riverbank in Dürnstein is stunning but we also urge you to invest in the climb to the castle ruins above the town to see where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned. Around the next bend in the river you reach Weißenkirchen, another gorgeous wine village, closely followed by its charming neighbour, Spitz. Its worth climbing the hillside behind Spitz for sensational views of the river valley with the village in the foreground. You rejoin the MS Primadonna in the town of Pöchlarn and at 5pm she starts the final leg of her journey back to Passau.

The MS Primadonna arrives back in Passau at around 9am. Disembarkation begins after breakfast at 10am. Now it’s time to head for home or your next adventure.