Medieval Regensburg
Melk Abbey
The ornate interior of St Stephen’s Cathedral, Passau
A French Balcony Cabin
The Library
The Lobby
The Lounge
The Speciality Restaurant
The Dutch Café
Cultural Cities of the Danube with Budapest City Stay
The Danube
from
£2,496 per person
Save up to 25%
11 nights
Including optional travel insurance or a price reduction of £56 if not requiredHow our discounts work
Read moreHow our discounts work
On all cruises we set aside a number of cabins within each level at a discounted fare, with the highest discount of 35% for ocean cruises and 25% for river cruises available on selected levels. These cabins are sold on a first come, first served basis. As cabins are sold, the discount begins to reduce, and continues to reduce until those selected cabins are sold.
This means that the earlier you book, the higher the chance of securing a greater discount. Our price panels clearly show the full cruise price, along with the current discount fare.
Please note: During busy periods for holiday bookings, the early booking discount can reduce rapidly. We recommend that you book early to benefit from the best booking discounts and to secure your preferred cabin.
When promoting new cruises for the first time, we contact customers on our Advanced Registration list first, allowing then to secure the cabin of their choice and benefit from the best savings. Our brochures are then sent out to loyalty club members first, followed by past cruise goers and then everyone else.
Combine beautiful scenery with elegant cities
Enjoy a three-night stay at a locally rated 4-star hotel in Budapest before embarking on an eight night, all-inclusive river cruise in 2027 along the Danube. During your hotel stay a Saga Tour Manager will be on hand to help you make the most of your visit. Enjoy a visit to the Hungarian Parliament Building and explore the city independently using public transport and on foot. Perhaps visit the State Opera House, City Park and Vajdahunyad Castle. After boarding Spirit of the Lorelei, a coach tour will reveal both sides of Budapest. Then, cruise through the scenic Danube Bend to Esztergom, instantly recognisable by its large basilica. Venture inside Esztergom Basilica to see the altarpiece depicting the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by Girolamo Michelangelo Grigoletti. Sail overnight to spend a full day in Slovakia’s capital Bratislava, where the cobbled old town is easily explored on foot.
Another overnight sailing provides a full day in Vienna. Austria’s capital is home to the waltz, coffee houses, the Prater wheel and one of the world’s finest opera houses. See some of the highlights, including the Ringstrasse and Opera House, then spend a morning sailing through the vineyard-clad vistas of the Wachau Valley on route to Melk. This historic town features architectural styles from across the centuries and an included guided tour takes you to Melk Abbey, a famous Baroque building founded in 1089. Sail overnight to Passau, with its towers, spires and red-roofed houses. A walking tour here reveals some key highlights such as the Gothic Town Hall and the city’s landmark, St Stephen’s Cathedral. Finally, continue overnight to the medieval city of Regensburg, a religious centre since the 7th century. See many examples of fine Romanesque and Gothic architecture in the UNESCO-listed old area during a walking tour.
Included excursion in every port
Itinerary
Mamaison Andrassy Hotel
Travel to Budapest and stay three nights at the locally rated 4-star Mamaison Andrassy Hotel near the city centre. Dinner is included tonight and the rest of your stay is on a bed-and-breakfast basis.
Please note: Please note: holidays departing on August 23, September 27 and October 23, 2027 stay at the Mercure Budapest Korona Hotel.
This morning, visit the UNESCO-listed Hungarian Parliament Building on an included excursion. A return transfer service is available after your visit, or you can choose to remain on the banks of the Danube and explore further at leisure, making your own way back to your hotel later in the day.
Included excursion
Explore the Hungarian Parliament Building, one of the most important landmarks in Budapest. Set on the banks of the Danube River, its Neo-Gothic towers, golden interior and vast halls make it an architectural masterpiece.
Enjoy a day at leisure to discover more of this cultural city. Perhaps head to the Hungarian State Opera House, an elaborate Neo-Renaissance building, whose interior is equally as impressive as its exterior. Its rich decor displays elements of Baroque. The building features statues of composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Verdi, while inside Italian marble covers the Foyer, the red-carpeted Grand Staircase is overlooked by four huge marble statues, the Auditorium features gilded boxes and the monumental circular ceiling is decorated with a fresco by Károly Lotz.
Optional excursion
Enjoy Hungarian cuisine, accompanied by local wine and traditional live music and dancing at the atmospheric Szeged Restaurant.
Spirit of the Lorelei
After breakfast, check out of your hotel and spend the morning and lunchtime at leisure in the city, before boarding Spirit of the Lorelei later this afternoon. Your all-inclusive cruise begins with dinner tonight.
Budapest is a city made up of two parts: Buda and Pest, built on opposite banks of the Danube. The cities have been officially united since 1873, but they are still very different in character. Buda is the older and more graceful, with its cobbled streets, medieval architecture and UNESCO-listed Buda Castle, while Pest is the administrative and commercial centre, with wide avenues and 19th-century public buildings.
Included excursion
Enjoy an included coach tour of the city with the opportunity to alight at Heroes Square and the St Stephen’s Basilica to explore briefly on foot.
Optional excursions
Explore the Buda Castle District or visit Gödöllő Palace.
Depart Budapest, 0500.
Scenic Cruise, Danube Bend.
Arrive Esztergom, Arrive 1300. Depart 1800.
Enjoy the scenery this morning as Spirit of the Lorelei glides through the picturesque Danube Bend towards Esztergom. This small town is home to Hungary’s largest basilica, the dome of which can be seen for miles. The first Hungarian king, St Stephen, was born and crowned in Esztergom. Sail overnight.
Included excursion
Visit Esztergom Basilica, the second largest church and tallest building in Hungary. Gaze up at its semi-sphere dome, along with the monument’s aqua blue entrance door and three roofing spheres. Inside, you can see the altarpiece depicting the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by Girolamo Michelangelo Grigoletti.
Arrive 0900. Depart 2200.
The old town of Slovakia’s capital is easily explored on foot. The ancient cobbled streets lead to Bratislava Castle, which offers a bird’s-eye view of the city. The Gothic-style Cathedral is where eleven Kings of Hungary were crowned while Turks occupied their own capital. Sail overnight.
Included excursion
Join a local guide to see Bratislava by Land Train, disembarking to explore the grounds of Bratislava Castle and the Old Town on foot.
Arrive 0800. Depart 2300.
Vienna is the capital of Austria: home to the waltz, coffee houses, the Prater wheel and one of the world’s finest opera houses. It is the city where Marie Antoinette grew up and where Mozart died, and for 600 years was the centre of the Hapsburg Empire. Sail overnight.
Included excursion
An included excursion will reveal some of the highlights, including the Ringstrasse and Opera House, with the option to explore solely by coach or by coach and on foot.
Optional excursion
Visit Schönbrunn Palace on an optional excursion.
Scenic Cruise, Wachau Valley.
Arrive Melk, Arrive 1200. Depart 1800.
Admire the picture-perfect scenery of the Wachau Valley this morning as you sail towards Melk. This historic town features architectural styles from across the centuries. Its jewel is the abbey which sits on a bluff above the town. This masterpiece of baroque architecture has been the spiritual and cultural centre of Austria for more than 1,000 years. Sail overnight.
Included excursion
Join an included guided tour of Melk Abbey, a famous Baroque building sitting on a rocky outcrop above the Danube. The abbey was founded in 1089 when Leopold II, Margrave of Austria gave one of his castles to Benedictine monks.
Arrive 1400. Depart 2000.
Passau is located at the confluence of the Danube, the Ilz and the Inn rivers. The surrounding wooded hills create a scenic backdrop to the city’s towers, spires and red-roofed houses. The wealthy past of this cultured city is reflected in its many fine buildings, including the baroque St Stephen’s Cathedral, and the old and new Bishop’s Palaces. Sail overnight towards Regensburg.
Included excursion
Enjoy a walking tour of Passau, exploring some key highlights such as the Gothic Town Hall and the city’s landmark, St Stephen’s Cathedral.
Arrive 1200.
The city of Regensburg has been a religious centre since the 7th century and has numerous medieval churches. Throughout the 12th and 13th centuries the city enjoyed great wealth thanks to its trade links in Europe and there are many examples of fine Romanesque and Gothic architecture still to be seen in the UNESCO-listed old part. The Stone Bridge, completed in 1146, influenced bridge-building elsewhere, including the Charles Bridge in Prague.
Included excursion
Look forward to an included walking tour from the ship into the city.
Regensburg, Germany to UK. Disembark Spirit of the Lorelei after breakfast and begin the return journey.
Including...
Nationwide shared chauffeur service
1 night Half Board and 2 nights Bed and Breakfast in a hotel
8 nights All Inclusive† on board the ship
Saga Tour Manager at the hotel
Cruise Director
Plus…
- Drinks reception and Gala dinner
- Complimentary Wi-Fi on board
- All gratuities on board
- Return flights and transfers
Included excursion in every port
Find out more about when excursions are available to book.
†The included drinks are available on board from 9am to midnight and include non-branded alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Excludes branded spirits. This begins at 4pm on day 1 of your river cruise to the day before your cruise ends.
from
£2,496 per person
Save up to 25%
11 nights
Including optional travel insurance or a price reduction of £56 if not requiredHow our discounts work
Read moreHow our discounts work
On all cruises we set aside a number of cabins within each level at a discounted fare, with the highest discount of 35% for ocean cruises and 25% for river cruises available on selected levels. These cabins are sold on a first come, first served basis. As cabins are sold, the discount begins to reduce, and continues to reduce until those selected cabins are sold.
This means that the earlier you book, the higher the chance of securing a greater discount. Our price panels clearly show the full cruise price, along with the current discount fare.
Please note: During busy periods for holiday bookings, the early booking discount can reduce rapidly. We recommend that you book early to benefit from the best booking discounts and to secure your preferred cabin.
When promoting new cruises for the first time, we contact customers on our Advanced Registration list first, allowing then to secure the cabin of their choice and benefit from the best savings. Our brochures are then sent out to loyalty club members first, followed by past cruise goers and then everyone else.
Mamaison Andrassy Hotel
Find out more about your hotel.
Please note: holidays departing on August 23, September 27 and October 23, 2027 stay at the Mercure Budapest Korona Hotel.
Mamaison Andrassy Hotel
Stay at the locally rated 4-star Mamaison Andrassy Hotel has a central location in Budapest on Andrassy Boulevard, which leads to Heroes’ Square. Medieval Vajdahunyad Castle and the grand, Neo-Baroque style Szechenyi Thermal Baths are less than a mile away. While the Hungarian State Opera House, St Stephen’s Basilica and Hungarian Parliament Building are less than two miles away.
Accommodation
The boutique-style hotel features modern amenities in a Bauhaus-style building. There are 68 rooms of which the deluxe bedrooms are equipped for double or twin occupancy and include a private bathroom with a bath and an overhead shower, while the smaller classic bedrooms are equipped for double or single occupancy and include a private bathroom with a shower only. All rooms include complimentary Wi-Fi, flat screen television, minibar, tea and coffee-making facilities, air conditioning and a fridge. Bedroom views will be of Andrassy Avenue, a courtyard or side street.
Facilities
There is one restaurant, the Andrassy Garden Restaurant, which serves buffet breakfasts. An á la carte menu with modern Hungarian bistro dishes is available at dinner for an extra charge. There is a 24-hour reception, room service and a concierge. The hotel’s bar and restaurant is the ideal place to enjoy a relaxing drink after a day of exploring Budapest.
from
£2,496 per person
Save up to 25%
11 nights
Including optional travel insurance or a price reduction of £56 if not requiredHow our discounts work
Read moreHow our discounts work
On all cruises we set aside a number of cabins within each level at a discounted fare, with the highest discount of 35% for ocean cruises and 25% for river cruises available on selected levels. These cabins are sold on a first come, first served basis. As cabins are sold, the discount begins to reduce, and continues to reduce until those selected cabins are sold.
This means that the earlier you book, the higher the chance of securing a greater discount. Our price panels clearly show the full cruise price, along with the current discount fare.
Please note: During busy periods for holiday bookings, the early booking discount can reduce rapidly. We recommend that you book early to benefit from the best booking discounts and to secure your preferred cabin.
When promoting new cruises for the first time, we contact customers on our Advanced Registration list first, allowing then to secure the cabin of their choice and benefit from the best savings. Our brochures are then sent out to loyalty club members first, followed by past cruise goers and then everyone else.