Join us aboard the wonderfully comfortable 100-passenger MS River Crown for this musical journey along the Danube.
With our friends at London Festival Opera and our elegant river vessel, we can promise you a marvellous experience. Our eight night journey between Regensburg and Budapest will be a celebration of Mozart’s life, and of the many great composers from this golden age of music. We will visit charming small towns and villages as well as the cities of Salzburg, Bratislava and Budapest, enjoying some of the finest works of music from the concertos of Mozart and the waltzes of Johann Strauss to opera and folk tunes in idyllic settings. We will also visit the city most celebrated for its musical heritage and Austria’s capital, Vienna, whose classical period was a golden age in Viennese musical life. Mozart lived here for the last decade of his life and exerted great influence on the musical life of the capital.
In addition to our excursions and music ashore, we will also enjoy exclusive gala performances by London Festival Opera on board the MS River Crown in the intimate atmosphere of the lounge. The life and times of Mozart as well as the music of this golden age will be brought vividly to life by our Guest Speaker who will accompany the trip.
River Crown
We are delighted to have chartered the elegant 100-passenger MS River Crown, a spacious and well-designed vessel which was built in 2008 and is undergoing a comprehensive upgrade in 2025. The atmosphere on board is friendly and informal and within days you will have made new friends in the open-seating restaurant, on the shore excursions or whilst relaxing in the comfortable public areas. You will find yourself amongst like-minded people in an English-speaking environment and for those who seek peace and quiet, there will always be the opportunity to find a secluded spot on the Sun Deck, in one of the relaxing public areas or to simply rest in your well-appointed cabin. Guest Speakers will provide a series of interesting talks and our Cruise Director will host informative port briefings. After a day exploring ashore, you will return to the comfort and peace of a well-run and exceedingly comfortable vessel.
June Itinerary
Day 1 London to Regensburg, Germany.
Fly by scheduled flight to Munich. On arrival transfer to the MS River Crown in Regensburg. Moor overnight.
Day 2 Regensburg.
After breakfast enjoy a guided stroll around Germany’s largest and best-preserved Medieval city, Regensburg. See the twin-spired Cathedral Dom St Peter, the tower houses followed by a visit to the Turn and Taxis Palace. Return to the MS River Crown for lunch and an afternoon at leisure.
Day 3 Passau.
Enjoy a morning walking tour of the ancient fairytale city of Passau, the meeting point of the Danube, Ilz and Inn Rivers. See the old town and cathedral that houses one of the largest pipe organs in the world. After a short organ recital return to the ship for lunch. Sail in the late afternoon, and in the early evening London Festival Opera will present an Opera Soirée of Handel, Verdi, Gounod, Bizet and Puccini on board the MS River Crown. Arrive in Linz this evening and moor overnight.
Day 4 Linz for Salzburg, Austria.
From our berth in Linz we depart for Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart and famous for its architectural treasures and music festival. Our guided excursion will concentrate on Mozart’s family and his musical contemporaries, including a visit to the house known as Geburtshaus where he was born. We also take a walk through the lovely gardens of the Mirabell Palace. Before we leave, we will enjoy a special concert of music by a string quartet at the Mozarteum Conservatory. Return to the ship and sail this evening.
Day 5 Melk & Durnstein.
Today we will see the great Baroque Abbey of Melk, situated high above the Danube. On a morning excursion we will visit this imposing abbey including the Imperial Staircase, the Marble Hall and the abbey church followed by a performance by London Festival Opera featuring arias and ensembles from The Marriage of Figaro, Cosi Fan Tutte, and Don Giovanni. We then sail on through the beautiful Wachau Valley and arrive later this afternoon in the pretty town of Durnstein, where King Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned. Enjoy some free time ashore to explore and perhaps sample some of the town’s delicious Marillenschnaps or strudel. Sail in the evening.
Day 6 Vienna.
After breakfast today depart for a guided city tour which will include the famous Ringstrasse, the Old Quarter and St Stephan’s Cathedral. Return to the ship for lunch and the afternoon will be at leisure to explore independently or you may like to join the included visit to the Mozarthaus, a three storey museum where Mozart lived from 1784-1787, during which time he wrote the world-famous opera ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ and three of the six Haydn Quartets. We will stand in the room where Mozart and Beethoven met and where Haydn told Mozart’s father “your son is the greatest composer I know in person or by name”. Return to the ship and enjoy a pre-dinner performance in the lounge by London Festival Opera of ‘A Night in Vienna’ including the works of Mozart, Johann Strauss and Lehár.
Day 7 Bratislava, Slovakia.
This morning we will take a guided walking tour of the city, formerly known as Pressburg, a former capital of Hungary. See the old quarter, the ornate Baroque Palace and the ancient city gates. Finish your tour with a visit to St Martin’s Cathedral where a string quartet will perform a concert of music by Mozart and Dvorak. Return to the ship for lunch and enjoy a leisurely afternoon on board as we sail to Budapest.
Day 8 Budapest, Hungary.
We have the day to explore Hungary’s elegant capital city. Spend the morning on an excursion that will include the old quarter visiting the Matthias Church, the Fisherman’s Bastion and the Royal Palace (outside view). Return to the ship for lunch. This afternoon is at leisure to relax or sightsee independently or for those who wish there will be an included tour to the Liszt Ferenc Memorial Museum, located in the Old Academy of Music. Liszt spent a significant part of the last five years of his life here (from 1881 to 1886) and his furniture, portraits, books, pianos along with other personal belongings are on display.
Day 9 Budapest to London.
Disembark after breakfast and transfer to the airport for your return scheduled flight to London.
October Itinerary
Day 1 London to Budapest.
Fly by scheduled flight to Budapest. On arrival transfer to the MS River Crown. Moor overnight.
Day 2 Budapest, Hungary.
We have the day to explore Hungary’s elegant capital city. Spend the morning on an excursion that will include the old quarter visiting the Matthias Church, the Fisherman’s Bastion and the Royal Palace (outside view). Return to the ship for lunch. This afternoon is at leisure to relax or sightsee independently or for those who wish there will be an included tour to the Liszt Ferenc Memorial Museum, located in the Old Academy of Music. Liszt spent a significant part of the last five years of his life here (from 1881 to 1886) and his furniture, portraits, books, pianos along with other personal belongings are on display. After dinner this evening, join your fellow travellers on deck to enjoy the wonderful “Budapest by Night” sailing as we depart towards Bratislava.
Day 3 Bratislava, Slovakia.
This afternoon we will take a guided walking tour of the city, formerly known as Pressburg, a former capital of Hungary. See the old quarter, the ornate Baroque Palace and the ancient city gates. Finish your tour with a visit to St Martin’s Cathedral where a string quartet will perform a concert of music by Mozart and Dvorak. Return to the ship and, as we sail towards Vienna, enjoy a pre-dinner performance in the lounge by London Festival Opera of ‘A Night in Vienna’ including the works of Mozart, Johann Strauss and Lehár.
Day 4 Vienna.
After breakfast today depart for a guided city tour which will include the famous Ringstrasse, the Old Quarter and St Stephan’s Cathedral. Return to the ship for lunch and the afternoon will be at leisure to explore independently or you may like to join the included visit to the Mozarthaus, a three storey museum where Mozart lived from 1784-1787, during which time he wrote the world-famous opera ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ and three of the six Haydn Quartets. We will stand in the room where Mozart and Beethoven met and where Haydn told Mozart’s father “your son is the greatest composer I know in person or by name”. Sail in the late evening.
Day 5 Melk & Durnstein.
Arrive this morning in the pretty town of Durnstein, where King Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned. Enjoy some free time ashore to explore and perhaps sample some of the town’s delicious Marillenschnaps or strudel. We then continue our short sail on to Melk through the beautiful Wachau Valley. On arrival we will see the great Baroque Abbey of Melk situated high above the Danube, and after lunch on board, our afternoon excursion will take us to this imposing abbey including the Imperial Staircase, the Marble Hall and the abbey church followed by a performance by London Festival Opera featuring arias and ensembles from The Marriage of Figaro, Così fan tutte, and Don Giovanni. Return to the ship and sail this evening.
Day 6 Linz for Salzburg, Austria.
From our berth in Linz we depart for Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart and famous for its architectural treasures and music festival. Our guided excursion will concentrate on Mozart’s family and his musical contemporaries, including a visit to the house known as Geburtshaus where he was born. We also take a walk through the lovely gardens of the Mirabell Palace. Before we leave, we will enjoy a special concert of music by a string quartet at the Mozarteum Conservatory. Return to the ship and sail this evening.
Day 7 Passau, Germany.
Enjoy a morning walking tour of the ancient fairytale city of Passau, the meeting point of the Danube, Ilz and Inn Rivers. See the old town and cathedral that houses one of the largest pipe organs in the world. After a short organ recital return to the ship for lunch. Sail in the late afternoon, and in the early evening London Festival Opera will present an Opera Soirée of Handel, Verdi, Gounod, Bizet and Puccini on board the MS River Crown.
Day 8 Regensburg.
After breakfast enjoy a guided stroll around Germany’s largest and best-preserved Medieval city, Regensburg. See the twin-spired cathedral Dom St Peter, the tower houses followed by a visit to the Turn and Taxis Palace. Return to the MS River Crown for lunch and an afternoon at leisure.
Day 9 Regensburg to London.
Disembark after breakfast and transfer to Munich airport for your return scheduled flight to London.
Dates and Prices
June Itinerary
Prices per person based on double occupancy9 to 17 June 2026 | ||
---|---|---|
Category | Brochure Price | Special Offer Price |
Premium with French Balcony Middle Deck | £4195 | £3895 |
Premium with French Balcony Upper Deck | £4395 | £4095 |
Deluxe with French Balcony Middle Deck | £4995 | £4695 |
Deluxe with French Balcony Upper Deck | £5295 | £4995 |
Queen Suite with Balcony Upper Deck | £5995 | £5695 |
Standard Single with porthole | £4195 | £3895 |
Premium with French Balcony Middle Deck for sole use | £5495 | £5195 |
October Itinerary
Prices per person based on double occupancy2 to 10 October 2026 | ||
---|---|---|
Category | Brochure Price | Special Offer Price |
Premium with French Balcony Middle Deck | £4195 | £3895 |
Premium with French Balcony Upper Deck | £4395 | £4095 |
Deluxe with French Balcony Middle Deck | £4995 | £4695 |
Deluxe with French Balcony Upper Deck | £5295 | £4995 |
Queen Suite with Balcony Upper Deck | £5995 | £5695 |
Standard Single with porthole | £4195 | £3895 |
Premium with French Balcony Middle Deck for sole use | £5495 | £5195 |
Tour Reference Code: RCRC090626/RCRC021026
PRICE INCLUDES: Economy class scheduled air travel • Eight nights aboard the MS River Crown on a full board basis • House wine, beer & soft drinks with lunch & dinner • Shore excursions & music events as described • Noble Caledonia onboard team including Guest Speaker • Performances by London Festival Opera • Gratuities • Transfers • Port & airport taxes.
Not Included: Travel insurance.
River Crown
We are delighted to have chartered the elegant 100-passenger MS River Crown, a spacious and well-designed vessel which was built in 2008 and is undergoing a comprehensive upgrade in 2025. The atmosphere on board is friendly and informal and within days you will have made new friends in the open-seating restaurant, on the shore excursions or whilst relaxing in the comfortable public areas. You will find yourself amongst like-minded people in an English-speaking environment and for those who seek peace and quiet, there will always be the opportunity to find a secluded spot on the Sun Deck, in one of the relaxing public areas or to simply rest in your well-appointed cabin. Guest Speakers will provide a series of interesting talks and our Cruise Director will host informative port briefings. After a day exploring ashore, you will return to the comfort and peace of a well-run and exceedingly comfortable vessel.
Travelling with You
London Festival Opera
We are delighted to announce that our long-time associates, London Festival Opera, will be joining us for three performances during the cruise. Bringing together established opera singers from major British opera companies, London Festival Opera has achieved a considerable reputation for presenting opera and music performances in a wide variety of worldwide venues. They will perform a Mozart Opera Celebration featuring arias and ensembles from The Marriage of Figaro, Cosi Fan Tutte and Don Giovanni, in period costume. Other opera concerts include ‘A Night in Vienna’ and an Opera Soirée on board the MS River Crown whilst we are moored in Passau and Vienna.
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David Pickard
David Pickard is one of the UK’s foremost and most respected arts practitioners. His 40-year career includes leading the BBC Proms, Glyndebourne and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, with roles at the Royal Opera House and the Regents Park Open Air Theatre among his earlier jobs. He combines an encyclopaedic knowledge of the classical music and operatic world with an engaging manner and a fund of stories about the highs and lows of live performance. David was educated at the King’s School, Ely, where he was a chorister, and then at St Alban’s School. He studied music at Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge, where he was awarded a Choral Exhibition. Although a keen amateur pianist and cellist, David realised early on that a performing career was best left to others, and on graduation embarked on the journey that would lead him to the Royal Albert Hall and ‘the best job in classical music.’
David Pickard will be on the following tour dates: 9 to 17 June 2026 -
Jamie Hayes
Jamie has directed many new opera productions, both at home and abroad. After training at RADA, he worked for Kent Opera, Glyndebourne Festival and Touring Opera, the BBC, the RSC and English National Opera. He has directed many opera productions for leading UK festivals as well as all our most distinguished musical conservatoires. His new opera productions overseas have appeared as far away as Reykjavik, Malta and Melbourne. Jamie was Associate Director on the original production of the hit musical Miss Saigon in the West End and on Broadway. He was Director of Productions for British Youth Opera for over a decade, a company devoted to promoting the talents of our finest young opera singers in the UK. Jamie is married to the opera singer Jean Rigby and they have three children. Jamie became an accredited lecturer with The Arts Society in 2022.
Jamie Hayes will be on the following tour dates: 2 to 10 October 2026
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Book with Confidence
Speak to one of our advisors on 020 7752 0000