Discover Kievs rich heritage in the 1,000-year-old Ukrainian capital. Sail the Dnieper River, calling at Odessa, the Pearl of the Black Sea, and experience Ukraines enduring treasures. Admire riverside vistas from your ship as you explore charming cities steeped in tradition and follow an ancient trade route across the Black Sea. Cap your cruise with a stop in historic Bucharest, Romanias elegant capital, and immerse yourself in its old-world charm.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Kiev, Ukraine
Arrive in Kiev, capital of Ukraine, and transfer to your ship.* After boarding, take free time to relax before dinner, or join our welcome walk to stretch your legs and start getting oriented.
Day 2: Kiev, Ukraine
Tour Kiev, capital of Ukraine and one of Europes oldest cities. See its historic buildings and monuments, and take a guided tour of the lovely St. Sophia Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site crowned with 13 glimmering domes. Afterward, continue to the Monastery of the Caves, an extensive complex of domed churches and museums founded by monks in 1051. Its Ukrainian name, Pechersk, comes from the underground passages and chapels that have been dug into the rocks alongside it. You may spend the remainder of the day on your own or take an optional Jewish Kiev tour. In the evening, you may choose to enjoy a traditional Ukrainian dinner at a local restaurant, or dine on board.
Day 3: Kiev, Ukraine
Visit the fascinating Pirogovo Folk Museum today, a remarkable collection of more than 200 wooden structures relocated and rebuilt here from regions throughout Ukraine. Each building reflects a particular Ukrainian region, style and historical period, and is brought to life through exhibits of folkloric costumes, musical instruments and household articles. You may spend the remainder of the day on your own or join one of our optional tours.
Day 4: Cruise the Dnieper River
Enjoy a day of scenic cruising as you pass undulating hills and vast open landscapes, and traverse the Kremenchuk Reservoir as you sail toward your next destination, Zaporozhye.
Day 5: Zaporozhye, Ukraine
After breakfast, tour Zaporozhye, ancestral home of the Cossacks. Drive along the six-mile long Cathedral Prospect; see the dam and the citys massive hydroelectric plant, including its massive turbines that are visible through the windows. After lunch, visit the Cossack Museum of Khortitsa. Enjoy a special Cossack horsemanship show full of daring acrobatics accompanied by folkloric music and dance. Enjoy dinner on board as we depart.
Day 6: Kherson, Ukraine
Enjoy a morning of scenic cruising down the Dnieper River through a rich, fertile landscape of corn and watermelon fields before arriving in Kherson. Disembark for a tour of this small city, founded in 1778 by order of Catherine the Great and named after the ancient Greek colony of Chersonesos Taurica. Walk along the river embankment, see the monument to Prince Potemkin and the statue of Prince Alexander Suvorovthe citys founderand visit St. Catherines Cathedral, decidedly Mediterranean in design. Dinner is served as we depart and make our way into the wide-open waters of the Black Sea
Day 7: Odessa, Ukraine
Enjoy a half-day city tour of Odessa this morning, an elegant city of terraced hills and landscaped parks. Travel along Primorski Boulevard to the Italian-baroque Opera House and the Potemkin Steps, where one of the most famous scenes in cinema was shot by Sergei Eisenstein for his 1925 classic,Battleship Potemkin. In the afternoon, you may choose to join one of our optional tours; visit the Odessa Art Museum, savor the taste of Shustov cognac or discover Jewish Odessa. This evening, attend a performance at the Odessa Opera House, considered one of the worlds most beautiful venues. Alternatively, dine on board as we remain docked overnight.
Day 8: Odessa, Ukraine
This morning, you will explore one of the regions most strategically important fortressesthe 13th century Akkerman Fortress. From the heights of the fortress walls, admire sweeping vistas of the serene Dniester lagoon. Return to your ship for lunch on board. This evening, you may choose to enjoy a traditional Ukrainian dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 9: Odessa, Ukraine
After breakfast, tour the fascinating Odessa Catacombs. This maze of underground tunnels began as a sandstone mining operation but the abandoned mines were later used by smugglers and Soviet partisans fighting fascist invaders during World War II. This afternoon, admire the vistas from your ship as we set sail toward Tulcea
Day 10: Provincial Romania & Bucharest
Arrive in Tulcea and disembark your ship. Board your motor coach for a panoramic drive through the Romanian countryside, with a stop for lunch at the ancient city of Constana, the oldest in Romania. Proceed to Bucharest, check in to your superior First Class Hotel and enjoy dinner on your own.
Day 11: Bucharest, Romania
After breakfast, take a morning tour of the city. See the citys wide boulevards, the Romanian Athenaeum, the Arch of Triumph and the Peoples Palace. Enjoy photo stops at several historic buildings and a visit to the Stavropoleus Monastery. Built in 1724, it celebrates Byzantine music and houses the largest collection of Byzantine music books in Romania. In the afternoon, you can join an optional tour to see the Snagov Monastery and Mogooaia Palacetwo treasures of Romanian culture.
Day 12: Bucharest, Romania
After breakfast, check out of your hotel and proceed to the airport for your return flight. Alternatively, explore more of Romania with a stay in Transylvania or extend your stay with a 3-night extension in Vienna
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