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Best-Day Adventures
Danube River Cruise
For Jewish singles in their 40's, 50's & 60's
July 8-15,2018
Optional: Munich Pre-Tour and Budapest & Prague Post-Tour

Tour Rates & Dates:

There are no Departure Dates available for this Package.
*Please note that all rates displayed are based on standard room double occupancy.
Upgraded room categories may be available to book later in the booking process.
If Land & Air price is displayed, the air portion includes tax and fuel surcharges, which are subject to change until ticketed.
If your preferred cabin type is not listed during registration, it may be sold out. It might also mean that we only have SHARED cabins left available in that type.  If you wish to share a room, and your preferred cabin type is not listed, please contact Rebecca at 800-237-1517 ext. 342 to see if still available.

Tour Overview:

Experience an upscale intimate 7-night cruise down the beautiful Danube River exploring picturesque medieval towns, grand cities and charming villages. Aboard a Viking Longship, voted the #1 river cruise line in the world, you'll enjoy an indulgence of enriching discoveries while meandering along some of the world's most magnificent vistas. As an added bonus, we will be accompanied by Professor Natan Meir, a scholar of social and cultural European Jewish history. Professor Meir will provide exclusive discussions and insight throughout the tour. Along with a great group of single Jewish travelers and an attentive staff with luxury accommodations, this meaningful journey will capture your heart and touch your soul.

INCLUDED IN OUR LUXURY VIKING RIVER CRUISE EXPERIENCE:

7 nights Viking River Cruise - Viking Longship Jarl
Your choice of beautifully appointed stateroom 
All port taxes and fees
All shore excursions  
All meals and snacks on board ship
Complimentary wine, beer and soda at each meal 
Exclusive group events including icebreakers, private cocktail parties and daily social gatherings
Discussions with Professor Meir 
Complimentary specialty coffees, teas and bottled water throughout 
Fully escorted by Best-Day Adventures 
Gifts and prizes to all participants 
Travel assistance provided by Ayelet Tours
VIP treatment throughout

Our MUNICH PRE-TOUR includes:
2 nights Courtyard by Marriott Munich City Center, Munich
Breakfast daily
2 dinners
Tips

Our BUDAPEST & PRAGUE POST-TOUR includes:
2 nights Hotel Nemzeti MGallery by Sofitel, Budapest
2 nights Majestic Plaza Hotel, Prague
Internal flight - Budapest to Prague
Breakfast daily
2 dinners
Tips


TOUR LEADER BILL CARTIFF: For over 25 years, Bill has dedicated himself to leading travel, following his passion and living by the adage that “Not all who wander, are lost”. He has led thousands of single Jewish travelers to over 60 countries around the globe, and has partnered exclusively with Ayelet Tours since 2013. As “BDA” continues to grow, Bill never underestimates the meaning and power of helping people explore the world. He is committed to providing a carefree travel experience with personalized attention, action-packed itineraries, a warm & welcoming environment and meaningful memories meant to last a lifetime.

OUR SCHOLAR: Natan M. Meir is the Lorry I. Lokey Associate Professor of Judaic Studies at Portland State University. His research interest is modern Jewish history, focusing on the social and cultural history of East European Jewry in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. He is the author of Kiev, Jewish Metropolis: A History, 1859-1914 and the forthcoming Stepchildren of the Shtetl: The Jewish Destitute, Disabled, and Demented of Eastern Europe, 1800-1939, and co-editor of Anti-Jewish Violence: Rethinking the Pogrom in East European History. He served as an academic consultant for the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center of Moscow.

Tour Itinerary:

Day 1: Friday, July 6, 2018: ARRIVE IN MUNICH

• Morning arrivals. Meet at our hotel at 1 pm for an afternoon tour of Munich.
• Visit the White Rose Memorial, honoring students who resisted the Nazis.
• See the famed Glockenspeil at the New Town Hall.
• Next we view the Olympic Memorial commemorating the Israelis killed during the 1972 Olympics.
• Visit with members of the Munich Jewish Community at the Jewish Community Center complex, which includes the Munich Synagogue and a Jewish Museum all planned and built within the same square block in the heart of Munich. We'll join the locals for Kabbat Shabbat services.
• This evening we enjoy a Shabbat dinner together with members of the local community.

Overnight in Munich

Day 2: Saturday, July 7, 2018: NEUSCHWANSTEIN

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Visit to Fussen, site of the fairy-tale castle of Neuschwanstein, created by Bavaria's Mad King Ludwig II. The castle was the basis for Disney's Cinderella castle. Hear the story of the Mad King, and his mysterious demise before the castle's completion.
• Return to Munich.
• Tonight we enjoy dinner at Hofbrauhaus. The 400 year old beer hall has a storied history, having been visited by Mozart, JFK and many others - it was infamously the site of Hitler's first meeting of the National Socialists.

Overnight in Munich

Day 3: Sunday, July 8, 2018: DACHAU - NUREMBERG

• Breakfast at our hotel and check out.
• This morning we visit the former concentration camp at Dachau, which was liberated by the US Army led by Gen. George Patton. It was the first of the Nazi concentration camps, originally meant for political prisoners, including Jews, Catholic clergy, Protestant clergy and others fighting or opposed to Nazism. The memorial site today houses a museum, archive and library. Visit the Dachau Museum and the camp's Jewish Memorial Chapel.
• Continue to Nuremberg, where we meet our Viking Cruise Ship and begin our adventure down the Danube River!


Best-Day Adventures
7 Night Danube River Cruise
Featuring Scholar in Residence
Prof. Natan Meir
July 8 - 15, 2018
Hosted by Bill Cartiff


Day 1: Sunday, July 8, 2018: ALL ABOARD!

• Mid-day arrival in Nuremberg, Germany. Board our cruise ship and begin our adventure down the Danube River!
• Check in to our staterooms, with time to discover all that the ship has to offer.
• Later this afternoon, we gather together for an orientation program with Bill, followed by a welcome reception and dinner.
• Professor Meir will lecture this evening following dinner aboard the ship.

Overnight aboard our Viking Longship

Day 2: Monday, July 9, 2018: TOURING NUREMBERG

• Breakfast aboard ship.
• This morning, we take a tour of Nuremberg, including the Old Town, where we delve into Nuremberg's complex past. This medieval city is still surrounded by 13th-century walls, with many gates and watchtowers fully intact. After we see the grounds where Nazi rallies were staged and pass the Palace of Justice, we will admire the Imperial Palace, one of Europe's most formidable fortresses. Then, stroll down the castle hill past half-timbered houses and browse the stalls at the Market Square. There'll be time to explore on your own here. (Alternate optional shore excursion(s) available for additional cost).
• We return to the ship for lunch.
• Following lunch, we enjoy a lively discussion of the European Union as we sail through the locks that comprise the Main-Danube Canal, stretching 106 miles from Bamberg on the Main River to Kelheim on the Danube.
• Pre-dinner lecture with Professor Meir.
• We enjoy dinner aboard the ship together this evening, as we cruise through the night.
• Our exclusive evening group activities will provide you with options to enjoy time with friends or time on your own. Whatever you choose, it's your time to do as you please.

Overnight aboard our Viking Longship

Day 3: Tuesday, July 10, 2018: REGENSBERG, GERMANY

• Breakfast aboard ship.
• Our day begins as we meet our guide dockside for a walking tour through the scenic town of Regensburg, considered one of Europe's best-preserved medieval cities. See some of the Roman city walls erected by Marcus Aurelius upon its founding. We will walk past the Old Town Hall and see the 12th-century Old Stone Bridge, a 16-arch marvel of medieval engineering that still carries traffic today. See the famous Alte Wurstküche (Old Sausage Kitchen), Germany's oldest restaurant, and admire idyllic courtyards. At the Gothic St. Peter's Cathedral, gaze up at the Donkey Tower, a remnant of the old cathedral that was left to support this one. Enjoy free time to stroll through the streets or shop. Return to your ship at your leisure. (Alternate optional shore excursion(s) available for additional cost).
• Pre-dinner lecture with Professor Meir.
• Return to our ship this evening for dinner and cruise through the night.
• This evening, join us for the BEST cocktail party of the trip…so far!

Overnight aboard our Viking Longship

Day 4: Wednesday, July 11, 2018: PASSAU, GERMANY

• Breakfast aboard ship.
• We arrive in Passau, Germany and set out for another day of adventure.
• Meet our local guide and begin our walking tour through delightful old-world streets, taking in a pastel rainbow of building facades as we stroll. We will see the impressive Bishops' Residenz from where powerful prince-bishops ruled secular and religious life for hundreds of years. Continue past the 14th-century Rathaus, or Town Hall, built on the site of a former fish market on the Danube. Conclude our walk at the magnificent 17th-century St. Stephen's Cathedral. This baroque wonder houses Europe's largest pipe organ, with more than 17,000 pipes, and inspired Liszt to write his Hungarian Coronation Mass. (Alternate optional shore excursion(s) available for additional cost).
• We return to our ship for lunch.
• This afternoon is at leisure to explore this city at your own pace!
• Dinner together aboard our ship this evening.

Overnight aboard our Viking Longship

Day 5: Thursday, July 12, 2018: KREMS, AUSTRIA

• Breakfast aboard ship. Welcome to Austria!
• We spend the morning cruising leisurely through the Wauchau Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Mid-morning lecture with Professor Meir.
• We enjoy the chance to taste some local Austrian specialties while taking in the riverside towns and castle ruins along the way.
• Lunch aboard the ship.
• After lunch, we arrive in Krems, with a chance to explore this time-honored town. We see the Steiner Tor, the last remaining city gate, as well as Göttweig, a working Benedictine abbey that owns several vineyards along the Danube. View the splendid ceiling fresco in the imperial stairwell and see the church's baroque architecture.
• Return to the ship to continue cruising while enjoying dinner.
• We arrive in Vienna and enjoy a relaxing evening or take in an optional concert in the “City of Waltzes”, or an optional Heurigen vineyard excursion.

Overnight aboard our Viking Longship

Day 6: Friday, July 13, 2018: A DAY IN VIENNA

• Breakfast aboard ship.
• This morning, we tour the Austrian capital of Vienna, the center of arts and intellect during the reign of the Hapsburgs and beyond. We will meet our guide and drive into the city for a half-day coach and walking tour, focusing on the splendid buildings on the remarkable Ringstrasse, the gracious boulevard laid out on the site of the old city walls in the mid-19th century. Imposing palaces, elegant public buildings and grand residences line this world-famous avenue. We see the magnificent Hofburg Palace, winter residence of the Hapsburgs and home of the Spanish Riding School with its Lipizzaner horses. Admire the great, Gothic St. Stephan's Cathedral, and view the beautiful Vienna State Opera concert hall, its facade adorned with elaborate frescoes depicting Mozart's opera The Magic Flute.
• Return to our ship for lunch.
• This afternoon, choose to join BDA on an exclusive visit to the excellent Jewish Museum and the Stadttempel, the only Vienna synagogue to survive Kristallnacht. (Alternate optional shore excursion(s) available for additional cost).
• Pre-dinner lecture with Professor Meir, followed by Shabbat services together!
• Dinner aboard the ship this evening.

Overnight aboard our Viking Longship

Day 7: Saturday, July 14, 2018: SHABBAT IN BUDAPEST

• Breakfast aboard ship.
• Shabbat Shalom! This morning, we arrive in Budapest, Hungary's vibrant capital divided by the Danube River.
• Meet our guide at our ship for a panoramic tour, beginning in modern Pest. Along the elegant Andrássy Avenue, the Champs-Élysées of Budapest, admire the Hungarian State Opera House. Stop at Heroes' Square, a wide-open plaza of monuments and statues commemorating the Magyar state. Across the river, explore the more traditional Buda side of the city. Here we will visit the Castle District with its massive hilltop castle complex, the turreted Fishermen's Bastion and Matthias Church, named for the country's most popular medieval king. From the heights of Buda Hill, enjoy fantastic views of the famous Chain Bridge, the first span to ever connect the two halves of the city when it opened in 1849.
• Return to the ship for lunch.
• This afternoon, join us on a specially arranged exclusive BDA outing, as we head to the Gellert Hill Spa to enjoy the rejuvenating and relaxing traditional Turkish baths! General spa entrance to the baths are included - Private spa services may be booked directly with the spa. (Alternate optional shore excursion(s) available for additional cost).
• We enjoy a closing lecture with our scholar, Professor Natan Meir followed by Dinner together aboard the ship this evening.

Overnight aboard our Viking Longship

Day 8: Sunday, July 15, 2018: DEPARTURE

• Breakfast aboard ship.
• After breakfast, we disembark in Budapest and transfer to the airport for our flight home OR continue on the Post-tour to Budapest and Prague!


Best-Day Adventures
BUDAPEST & PRAGUE EXTENSION
July 15 - 19, 2018
Hosted by Bill Cartiff

Day 8: Sunday, July 15, 2018: BUDAPEST

• We spend our day visiting Jewish sites throughout this dynamic and historic city. Our first stop is at the statue of Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish architect, businessman and humanitarian who is celebrated for saving tens of thousands of Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary during the Holocaust.
• We see the moving Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial.
• Our next stop is at the impressive Dohány Street Synagogue, built between 1854 and 1859 in the Moorish Revival style. It is the largest synagogue in Europe and the second largest in the world.
• We continue to the Jewish Cemetery to pay our respects, followed by a visit to the adjacent Magyar Zsido Jewish Museum.
• Visit the Holocaust Memorial Center, where we see several exhibitions, including From Deprivation of Rights to Genocide, a tribute to the Hungarian victims of the Holocaust.
• We check in to our hotel and after time to refresh, we have dinner together at a local restaurant.

Overnight in Budapest

Day 9: Monday, July 16, 2018: EXPLORING BUDAPEST

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we take an insider's walking tour of Budapest. We'll finish our morning with a visit to the fascinating Great Market Hall, where we can sample some Hungarian delicacies! Time here for lunch on own.
• Free afternoon OR for something completely different…join Bill as we visit the awesome and very much hands-on Budapest Pinball Museum!
• We return to our hotel for relaxation and rest before heading out on the town. Optional “follow the leader” dinner (cost on own).

Overnight in Budapest

Day 10: Tuesday, July 17, 2018: TO PRAGUE

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• Transfer to the airport for our flight to Prague, the Czech capital, also known as "the City of One Thousand Spires", with its Baroque churches, promenades, parks and ancient city walls.
• Upon arrival, we see the 1,000 year-old Royal Castle of Hradcany, the Charles Bridge and the nearby John Lennon Wall, as well as the famous Astronomical Clock and St. Vitus Cathedral, the biggest and most important church in the Czech Republic.
• Check into our hotel.
• Dinner on own (“follow the leader” option will be available).

Overnight in Prague

Day 11: Wednesday, July 18, 2018: THE JOSEFOV AND (OPTIONAL) TEREZIN

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We enjoy a sightseeing tour of Jewish interest sites, with a visit to the Old City to view the Josefov, Prague's Jewish Town with its Old Town Hall, the Alt-Neu Synagogue, the Pinkas Synagogue, the Maisel Synagogue, the Jewish Cemetery and the State Jewish Museum.
• Free afternoon for last minute shopping and exploration on own OR continue for an optional (cost included) visit to Terezin, the former "model" Nazi concentration camp, just an hour outside of Prague. We visit the Fortress, Jewish Cemetery Museum, the hidden synagogue, and the Memorial Monument. • Return to our hotel for a chance to refresh before enjoying a farewell dinner together, recalling all that we have experienced together on this journey.

Overnight in Prague

DAY 12: Thursday, July 19, 2018: DEPARTURE

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Departure to the airport for your return flight home.

THE MEMORIES LAST FOREVER!
*itinerary subject to change