Danube River Cruise: Komarno, Visegrad, Budapest
In this final post of a multi-part series, Bethany explores Komarno, Slovakia, Visegrad, Hungary, and Budapest, Hungary on her Active and Discovery on the Danube Cruise on Avalon in 2018.
The Active and Discovery on the Danube cruise was the second river cruise I did with Avalon. This cruise sailed from Linz, Austria to Budapest, Hungary in the summer of 2018. Join me as I explore many wonderful stops in the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary along the way!
Active and Discovery on the Danube Full Itinerary
Below is the full itinerary for the trip. This post includes details about my two days in Komarno, Slovakia, Visegrad, Hungary, and Budapest, Hungary.
- July 26 & 27: Prague, Czech Republic
- July 28: Český Krumlov, Czech Republic
- July 29: Linz & Steyr, Austria (embarkation)
- July 30: Engelhartszell & Schlogen Oxbow, Austria
- July 31: Mauthausen & Grein, Austria
- August 1: Wachau Valley, Krems, & Vienna, Austria
- August 2 & 3: Vienna, Austria
- August 4: Komarno, Slovakia & Visegrad, Hungary (disembarkation)
- August 5: Budapest, Hungary
Komarno and Visegrad
Low water levels on the Danube threw a wrench into the itinerary. Instead of sailing from Vienna to Visegrad, Hungary, and then onto Budapest, we had to detour to Komarno, Slovakia. This small port on the Hungary/Slovakia border was the furthest our ship could go based on the water levels. The itinerary had to be tweaked slightly to accommodate the changes. Our fantastic Cruise Director Stefano and the entire Avalon team did a wonderful job of trying to keep as much of the original itinerary as possible. As a bonus, I unexpectedly got to add Slovakia to my “been there, done that” list!
Canoeing in the Danube Bend
Luckily my canoe excursion was still on the books! After waking up in Komarno and enjoying a hearty breakfast, we boarded a bus and drove 1 1/2 hours to Visegrad, Hungary. Once in Visegrad we were dropped off on the banks of the Danube and met our canoe guides. They got us set up with life jackets, paddles, and a quick tutorial before we headed out for our adventure. We canoed down the Danube Bend, a beautiful branch of the Danube where larger boats do not go so it is very peaceful. It was a LOT of hard work to paddle about 8 miles, but the views along the way were amazing! This was definitely the most active of all of the various active and discovery excursions I did throughout the cruise.
Lunch at a Local Restaurant
Once we finished our canoe tour, we met up with others from the ship who had done other excursions in the area. We all headed to the Renaissance Restaurant for lunch. This is a medieval themed restaurant in Visegrad. This was one of the many last-minute arrangements our Cruise Director and team had to make for us, and it turned out to be a fun and delicious lunch.
Farewell Gala Dinner
Tonight, we celebrated the fabulous cruise with a delicious farewell gala dinner onboard. I enjoyed an absolutely phenomenal last dinner on the ship, as outlined below. A special part of the farewell gala dinner is the parade of the entire ship’s crew just before dessert is served. It is always so much fun to get to see and thank everyone who has worked tirelessly to ensure every second of the cruise was perfect.
- Amuse buche: smoked trout pate
- Appetizer: a traditional Hungarian appetizer of salami, pickle, and flavored creamed cheese
- Soup: cream of cauliflower
- Intermezzo: rock lobster tail
- Entree: beef tenderloin with grilled vegetables
- Dessert: deconstructed baked Alaska
Budapest
My last full day of this fabulous cruise started off in sunny Komarno. I bid a very fond farewell to the lovely Avalon Luminary and her fantastic crew. We then set off for the 2-hour bus ride to our final stop, Budapest. That was the saddest part of the itinerary change for me…I missed the opportunity to sail into Budapest and enjoy the views of the iconic Parliament Building from the water. But we made it to beautiful Budapest nonetheless.
Exploring the Area
When we arrived in Budapest, we were given some free time to explore the area near our hotel for the night, the Intercontinental Budapest. It was already a very hot and humid day, but I enjoyed walking through the square near the hotel and getting some lunch before the afternoon excursion.
There are two parts of Budapest – the hilly Buda district and the flat Pest district. The two sides are separated by the Danube River. Our hotel was on the Pest side, right at the banks of the Danube. From the hotel, I had some great views across the river to the Buda district.
Opera House
My afternoon excursion was a city tour of Budapest. The opulent Opera House was the first stop. We had a wonderful tour of the gorgeous interiors.
Then we got to enjoy a small performance by two wonderful singers. This was all topped off by a cool glass of local Hungarian sparkling wine.
City Tour
We then hopped back on the bus and drove through Budapest. We got to see several of the iconic areas of this beautiful city, including Heroes’ Square, some of the famous spas and thermal baths, and the Chain Bridge.
Castle District
Our drive ended in the Castle District, high on the hills of the Buda district. We had a brief walking tour of the area and then were given some free time to further explore on our own. The Castle District has 3 churches, including the stunning Matthias Church.
The Castle District is also the home of the infamous Fisherman’s Bastion. It is a beautiful monument and complex in its own right but is probably best known for having a jaw-droppingly gorgeous view of the Parliament Building across the river. The Fisherman’s Bastion was completed in 1851. Today it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Budapest. Indeed, I had to push and shove my way through the crowd just to get to the balcony to enjoy the gorgeous views!
A Room with a View
Our city tour ended and we headed back to the hotel. Since we had just dropped our bags off when we arrived earlier in the morning, we now had the chance to check in. I was pleasantly surprised to see just how beautiful the views from my room were. I had a picture-perfect view across the Danube to the Castle District. Not too shabby!
Hungarian Dinner and Wine Pairing
I ended the cruise with one last excursion this evening. Tonight, I enjoyed the optional “Tastes of Hungary Wine Paired Dinner” excursion. We took a short bus ride from our hotel to the Kempinski Hotel. Here we had a fabulous three-course meal. Along the way, we also tasted six different Hungarian wines…two whites, two reds, and two dessert wines. We also had a wonderful quartet of local musicians serenading us throughout the evening.
After a fabulous dinner with newfound friends made along the way, we headed back to our hotel. Once back at the hotel, we were treated to the beautiful lights of Budapest that were on display everywhere. Budapest is beautiful day and night!
Conclusion
These final two days were a wonderful conclusion to an absolutely fantastic cruise. Even though the plans had to be slightly altered due to water levels, I still had a great two days. I enjoyed the most active of the excursions I had on the entire cruise, paddling a canoe for eight long miles. The day in Budapest was also a great overview of the city, although it was not nearly enough time to fully explore and enjoy the city.
The cruise itself, my second on Avalon and my first of their Active & Discovery itineraries, was fabulous from start to finish. There was a great mix of small, quaint villages and large, bustling cities. The number of excursions offered, and the variety of choices that were available, was also wonderful. Honestly, on most days I was torn on which excursions to actually choose, as there were several that sounded fantastic each day!
I am glad that I pre-booked all of my excursions, both the included and the optional ones, on the Avalon website as soon as I could (at the time of this cruise, excursions were available 90 days prior to sailing). Many of the excursions had limited space, due to the nature of the excursions themselves. I found several fellow passengers who waited until they were onboard to book things, and they quickly learned that many of the popular excursions were already fully booked.
Links
Missed any of the journey so far? Click the button below to read the earlier posts in this series:
Click the buttons below for more information about Avalon, and to read about my other fabulous Avalon river cruises:
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