Romantic Austria Luxury Tour Down the Danube

Touch down in Bavaria and you will be greeted at the airport by a private driver, for a short transfer eastward to Vilshofen. Forests cover mountain pastures here and tiny villages evoke a faraway time. This is the old world of Europe, where empires flourished and royalty cruised along the Danube. Your standalone chalet is tucked away in a Bavarian forest, hiding from the rest of the world for a night. Dinner is delivered to your verandah and you have a night of solitude amid the trees.

This morning has been left completely free. On a romantic Austrian luxury tour you definitely don’t need an early wake-up call on day two. Around midday you will be transferred into Vilshofen, where a luxury small-group cruise will take you further into old Europe. Admire landscapes from your presidential suite before disembarking in Passau. Here you can wander hand in hand up to the castle, for more amorous throwbacks to history. Dinner is served on board as you cruise into Austria and the best bit of the Danube.

Wake up to green pastures as you slice through the Alps. Peaks rise high above the Danube and forested slopes make for a bucolic sight over breakfast. By midday you’ll reach Linz. From here you’ll take a romantic day trip to Salzburg, where a horse and carriage is the most authentic old-world way to explore the World Heritage city. Clip-clop for three hours from the castle to the Altstadt, checking off all the key sights and Sound of Music movie locations along the way. Then return to Linz where you have reservations at a very traditional Austrian restaurant.

Cruising through middle Austria you’ll watch the mountains shrink slightly. Valleys tumble away from the river, revealing a lattice of vineyards and cow-filled pastures. By afternoon you’ll be in Wachau, where you can cycle on quiet paths that line the Danube. Stop at a small farm for apricots and sweets tasting, indulge on Austria’s best white wine at an organic vineyard, and peddle your way to Durnstein Fortress. Tonight’s dinner is served at a winery and is accompanied by a complete selection of organic wines.

Cruising into Vienna is a magnificent feeling, the city rising along the banks and the boat passing under a series of iconic bridges. Step out here and you’ll set off on a royal tour of old Vienna. Enjoy exclusive access to Schonbrunn palace rooms, gaze in awe at baroque architecture, and sit back in a horse and carriage ride. This is the most regal of all Europe’s old cities and the seat of the Habsburgs for almost six centuries. On today’s tour you’ll absorb the romance of this historic time, including traditional Viennese pastries.

With a second day in Vienna, you can dive in to a series of couple’s activities. Start by learning the waltz in a private workshop. Then lounge in a chocolate spa, where you can smear and smother as much as you wish. A couple’s massage is included here and there will be some time for free exploration in the afternoon, so you can discover more of Vienna. End the day at the opera, listening to Mozart scores in a glorious old building. It’s the fitting finale to a royal Habsburg experience.

Most of today will be spent on the boat, as you continue downriver. Pass by Bratislava then travel further east. Here the landscapes flatten out. You’ve left the mountains and will now cross open steppes. It’s a nice day to lock yourselves in the suite and do nothing at all. Watch Europe pass by from your deck, order drinks and food to the room, and watch in awe as you enter Budapest before dusk. As the famous city rises on both sides of the banks, you will be enjoying a city tour without having to leave your suite.

This final full day can be tailored to your interests. Three romantic activities have been added to your itinerary to get you started. Budapest is famous for its thermal baths, although only a few are mixed and very few are private. Of course you’ll be lounging in a private bath, absorbing the therapeutic waters Budapest is built upon. A short city walking tour will show you the key sights. And when your legs are a little tired you’ll take a boat to a small island in the Danube, for a private picnic.

After breakfast and a quiet morning you will be transferred privately to the airport for your outbound flight.