Scenic’s Danube Itineraries

After looking at the Danube itineraries offered by AmaWaterways and Avalon, we will look this week to Scenic – an Australian tour company that ventured into river cruising in 2008.

Scenic has few core Danube itineraries, but these itineraries are different from those we’ve looked at. Most notably, many of Scenic’s itineraries include pre- and post-cruise land tours, some over a week long. Apart from that, Scenic’s upper Danube itineraries start in Nuremberg. While other companies provide itineraries that include Nuremberg and Regensburg, every upper Danube itinerary with Scenic includes the two German cities.

Scenic’s Six Danube Itineraries Include:

Danube Discovery – 8 days from Nuremberg to Budapest

Countries visited: Germany, Austria, and Hungary

Stops in: Nuremberg, Regensburg, Passau, Dürnstein, Melk, Vienna, and Budapest

Overnights in: Vienna and Budapest

Scenic does their “traditional” Danube itinerary a bit differently than the companies that we have looked at so far. Instead of stopping in Bratislava, a land tour is offered while the ship is docked in Vienna. So guests looking to travel to Slovakia can do so, however they will be giving up one of their two days in Vienna. Guests also have the option to travel to Salzburg, however not from Linz, from Passau.

Gems Of The Danube – 8 days from Nuremberg to Budapest

Countries visited: Germany, Austria, and Hungary

Stops in: Nuremberg, Regensburg, Linz, Passau, Dürnstein, Melk, Vienna, and Budapest

Overnights in: Vienna and Budapest

Similar to the last itinerary, this eight-day sailing hits the same stops, however it adds a stop in Linz. From Linz, guests can venture to Salzburg or venture to Cesky Krumlov. Like the previous itinerary, the ship will not dock in Bratislava, but guests wishing to travel to Slovakia can do so while the ship is docked in Vienna.

This itinerary is also offered in many variations that include pre- and post-cruise tours. For 2020, some of these extensions include visits to Oberammergau, where guests will see a performance of The Passion Play. These itineraries include:

Gems Of The Danube With Bavarian Highlights & Oberammergau – 13-days
- After the cruise concludes in Nuremberg, guests will visit Munich, Oberammergau, Salzburg, and Vienna.
Gems Of The Danube With Bavaria & Oberammergau – 11-days
- After disembarking, guests will visit Munich and Oberammergau.
Gems Of The Danube With Bavarian Encounter & Oberammergau – 13-days
- Similar to the previous itinerary, guests will visit Munich and Oberammergau, however this itinerary adds a stop in Salzburg.
Gems Of The Danube With Prague – 11-days
- After disembarking in Nuremberg, guests will spend three nights in Prague.

Black Sea Explorer – 8-days from Budapest to Bucharest

Countries visited: Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, and Bulgaria

Stops in: Budapest, Kalocsa, Osijek, Belgrade, Svishtov, Rousse, Silistra, Giurgiu, and Bucharest

Overnights in: Budapest and Bucharest

The first lower Danube itinerary on this list, this 8-day sailing takes guests from Budapest to Bucharest. The cruise will conclude in Giurgiu, where guests will disembark, and then proceed on to Bucharest for an overnight. Guests have the option of doing the same itinerary with additional overnights in Budapest.

Similar to the Gems Of The Danube itinerary, Black Sea Explorer also includes a few variations:

Black Sea Explorer With Turkey – 18-days
- Before the sailing, guests will spend two nights in Budapest. After disembarking in Giurgiu, guests will continue on to Bucharest, and then to Nessebar, Canakkale, and Gallipoli before reaching Istanbul, where they will spend three nights.
Black Sea Explorer With Turkey – 16-days
- After disembarking in Giurgiu, guests will continue on to Bucharest, and then to Nessebar, Canakkale, and Gallipoli before reaching Istanbul, where they will spend three nights. This itinerary is shorter than the last because it doesn’t include the overnights in Budapest at the beginning of the trip.
Black Sea Explorer With Best Of The Balkans – 24-days
- This itinerary includes two nights in Budapest before the guests embark on their sailing. After the sailing concludes in Giurgiu, guests will continue on to Bucharest where they will overnight. After spending time in Bucharest, guests will continue onto Sofia, Ohrid Lake, Tirana, Budva, Dubrovnik, Sarajevo, Zagreb, and Plitvice National Park before making their way back to Budapest where they will overnight.
Black Sea Explorer With Transylvania – 15-days
- This itinerary includes two nights in Budapest before embarking on the ship. After the cruise concludes in Giurgiu, guests will continue onto Bucharest where they will overnight. Then guests will visit Sibiu, Sighisoara, and Brasov before returning to Bucharest for another overnight.

Black Sea Explorer & Gems Of The Danube – 16-days from Bucharest to Nuremberg

Countries visited: Germany, Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, and Bulgaria

Stops in: Bucharest, Giurgiu, Silistra, Rousse, Belgrade, Osijek, Kalocsa, Budapest, Vienna, Dürnstein, Melk, Linz, Passau, Regensburg, and Nuremberg

Overnights in: Bucharest, Budapest, and Vienna

As you may have gathered, this itinerary combines the previous two itineraries: Black Sea Explorer and Gems Of The Danube. Combining these two itineraries creates an itinerary that allows passengers to sail the length of the Danube from the Main-Danube Canal to the Black Sea.

Danube Delta Discovery – 15-days from Vienna to Bucharest

Countries visited: Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, and Bulgaria

Stops in: Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Kalocsa, Mohacs, Osijek, Belgrade, Donji Milanovac, Vidin, Silistra, and Bucharest

Overnights in: Belgrade, Vidin, and Vienna

This Danube itinerary takes guests from Austria to Mile 0, where the Danube meets the Black Sea. This itinerary differs from the lower Danube itinerary above, as it cruises through the passage of Saint George and the Danube Delta.

Guests have an opportunity to add an overnight in Bucharest at the end of their sailing.

There is a 20-day variation of this itinerary:

Danube Delta Discovery with Transylvania – 20-days
- Starting with an overnight in Bucharest, guests will visit Sibiu, Sighisoara, and Brasov. After returning to Bucharest, guests will transfer to Braila to embark on their cruise, which will sail up the Danube to Vienna.

Lower Danube Explorer – 8-days from Budapest to Belgrade

Countries visited: Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, and Romania

Stops in: Budapest, Kalocsa, Osiejk, Novi Sad, and Belgrade

Overnights in: Belgrade and Budapest

Guests who opt for this eight-day lower Danube sailing will sail from Budapest to the Iron Gates. Shorter than the other Danube itineraries, this sailing stops before it gets to the Black Sea – perfect for guests looking to get a feel for what the lower Danube has to offer.

To see how Scenic’s prices for Danube river cruises compare to its competitors see our price comparisons: Danube River Cruise Pricing Charts 2020

Navigation