Castles of Transylvania - Istanbul to Budapest

Istanbul

Arrive into Istanbul where you are met and transferred to a five-star hotel. This evening enjoy a Welcome Dinner and meet your fellow travellers. Your stay in Istanbul can be extended to explore more of the city.

Meals: dinner

Istanbul

A walking tour through the old central quarters of the fabled city that spans Asia and Europe, followed by a Freedom of Choice visit to either the Sultan Ahmet Mosque (the Blue Mosque) with its six minarets and more than 20,000 Iznik tiles, or Hagia Sophia, built in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian with its fine Byzantine mosaics. Early afternoon join the private Golden Eagle Danube Express to begin the rail journey through Bulgaria and Romania to Budapest.

Veliko Tarnovo

Climb over the Shipka Pass to Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria's ancient capital, its stone houses perched above the steep banks of the Yantra River. A tour includes the superbly preserved medieval Tsarevets Hill and Castle, with free time in the narrow alleyways of the ancient city. This evening relax in the Bar Lounge Car before dinner as the train crosses the Romanian border.

Meals: dinner

Sinaia & Brasov

Overnight the train climbs over the Carpathian Mountains. This morning arrive in Sinaia for a tour of Peles Castle, a masterpiece of German new-Renaissance architecture commissioned by King Carol I, its 160 rooms adorned with European art, Murano chandeliers and Cordoba leather walls. After lunch on board, continue to Brasov to visit 14th century Bran Castle, perched atop a 200-foot rock and famed through Bram Stoker's Dracula, followed by a gala dinner inside the castle walls.

Meals: lunch, dinner

Sighisoara & Sibiu

Arrive after breakfast into Sighisoara, a World Heritage site rumoured to be the birthplace of Dracula and one of the best-preserved fortified medieval towns in Europe, for a walking tour. Return to the train for lunch and continue to Sibiu, known for the Germanic architecture of its Old Town and the 13th-century Council Tower. Tonight a Farewell Dinner on board as the train crosses the Great Hungarian Plain.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Kecskemet & Lajosmizse

Explore Kecskemét at the geographical centre of Hungary, then on to Lajosmizse for a spectacular 'Puszta' horse show. Arrive late afternoon in Budapest for a one-night stay at the five-star Four Seasons Gresham Palace hotel (or similar), an art nouveau landmark, with a farewell dinner this evening.

Meals: dinner

Budapest

After an overnight stay at the Four Seasons Gresham Palace, enjoy the final breakfast of the tour. Your stay in Budapest can be extended to explore the Hungarian capital at leisure.

Meals: breakfast