Sunday, 20 Sep 2020 |
Land Tour: Bucharest, Romania
Arrive at the Bucharest airport and transfer to the superior first-class Sheraton Hotel Bucharest (or similar) in the heart of the city for a two-night stay. Spend the rest of the day relaxing or do some exploring on your own.
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Monday, 21 Sep 2020 |
Land Tour: Bucharest, Romania
After breakfast, take a morning tour of the city. See the city's wide boulevards, the Romanian Athenaeum, the Arch of Triumph, and the People's Palace. Enjoy photo stops at several historic buildings and a visit to the Stavropoleos 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 Mogoșoaia Palace—two treasures of Romanian culture. (B)
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Tuesday, 22 Sep 2020 |
Land Tour: Bucharest, Romania |
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Tuesday, 22 Sep 2020 |
Land Tour: Constanta, Romania |
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Tuesday, 22 Sep 2020 |
Tulcea, Romania
Check out of your hotel and board your motorcoach for a panoramic drive through the Romanian countryside, with a stop for lunch at the ancient city of Constanța, the oldest in Romania. Proceed to Tulcea to board your ship and enjoy a welcome dinner. (B,L,D)
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Wednesday, 23 Sep 2020 |
Odessa, Ukraine
Enjoy the vistas from your ship this morning as you sail the Black Sea. After lunch on board your ship, enjoy a half-day city tour of Odessa, 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 evening, you may choose to travel to a local restaurant for a traditional Ukrainian dinner. Or, enjoy dinner on board as we remain docked overnight. (B,L,D)
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Thursday, 24 Sep 2020 |
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. 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 world's most beautiful venues. Alternatively, dine on board as we remain docked overnight. (B,L,D)
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Friday, 25 Sep 2020 |
Odessa, Ukraine |
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Friday, 25 Sep 2020 |
Akkerman Fortress, Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Ukraine |
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Friday, 25 Sep 2020 |
Odessa, Ukraine
This morning, you will explore one of the region's most strategically important fortresses—the 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. This evening, enjoy dinner on board as we prepare to set sail across the wide-open waters of the Black Sea. (B,L,D)
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Saturday, 26 Sep 2020 |
Kherson, Ukraine
Rise early and 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 Suvorov—the city's founder—and visit St. Catherine's Cathedral, decidedly Mediterranean in design. (B,L,D)
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Sunday, 27 Sep 2020 |
Zaporozhye, Ukraine
After breakfast, tour Zaporozhye, ancestral home of the Cossacks. Drive along the six-mile long Cathedral Prospect; see the dam and the 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. (B,L,D)
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Monday, 28 Sep 2020 |
Dnieper
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.
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Tuesday, 29 Sep 2020 |
Kiev, Ukraine
Arrive in Kiev this morning. This afternoon, enjoy a tour of the Ukrainian capital, one of Europe's 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 Caves, an extensive complex of domed churches and museums founded by monks in 1051. Its Ukrainian name comes from the underground passages and chapels that have been dug into the rocks alongside it. This evening, you may choose to enjoy a traditional Ukrainian dinner at a local restaurant, or dine on board. (B,L,D)
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Wednesday, 30 Sep 2020 |
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. (B,L,D)
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Thursday, 01 Oct 2020 |
Kiev, Ukraine
After breakfast, disembark and proceed to the airport for your return flight. Or, continue your journey to Istanbul and enjoy three nights in Turkey's largest city. Ground transfers are included with Viking Air purchase. (B)
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