The Danube from Germany to Romania with 2 Nights in Prague and 1 Night in Bucharest

Cairo, where five thousand years of civilization press upon the present with relentless intensity, is anchored by the Great Pyramid of Giza — the sole survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, already ancient when Cleopatra walked in its shadow. The Egyptian Museum's overwhelming treasure trove of pharaonic antiquities, including the golden mask of Tutankhamun, and the medieval labyrinth of Islamic Cairo, a UNESCO-listed district of a thousand mosques and medieval caravanserais, offer a lifetime of discovery in a city of twenty million souls. October through April brings the most tolerable temperatures. Luxor, with its Valley of the Kings, is a short domestic flight or overnight train journey south.

Cairo, where five thousand years of civilization press upon the present with relentless intensity, is anchored by the Great Pyramid of Giza — the sole survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, already ancient when Cleopatra walked in its shadow. The Egyptian Museum's overwhelming treasure trove of pharaonic antiquities, including the golden mask of Tutankhamun, and the medieval labyrinth of Islamic Cairo, a UNESCO-listed district of a thousand mosques and medieval caravanserais, offer a lifetime of discovery in a city of twenty million souls. October through April brings the most tolerable temperatures. Luxor, with its Valley of the Kings, is a short domestic flight or overnight train journey south.

Vilshofen an der Donau is a handsome Bavarian river town where three streams converge with the Danube, its medieval market charter and Gothic Stadtturm bearing witness to eight centuries of river trade prosperity — though its most joyful claim to fame is the boisterous Vilshofen Volksfest, Bavaria's second-largest folk festival after Oktoberfest, held each June. The pastel-painted baroque townhouses and arcaded courtyards of the compact old town make for an idyllic Danube-side stroll, while the surrounding farmland and rolling hills of Lower Bavaria offer cycling routes of pastoral serenity. Summer brings the festival season; spring and autumn lend the Danube Valley its most golden and peaceful character.

Luxor is the greatest open-air museum on earth — the modern city occupying the site of ancient Thebes, capital of Egypt during the New Kingdom's golden age when pharaohs such as Hatshepsut, Tutankhamun, and Ramesses II built temples of a scale and beauty that still stagger the imagination. The East Bank holds the incomparable complexes of Karnak and Luxor Temple; across the Nile, the West Bank conceals the Valley of the Kings, where sixty-three royal tombs were cut into the limestone beneath the pyramid-shaped peak of Al-Qurn. A felucca sunset sail on the Nile, with the cliffs of Thebes glowing amber, is among travel's most transcendent moments. October through April offers the ideal climate.

The Temple of Horus at Edfu is the most completely preserved pharaonic temple in Egypt — a colossus of golden sandstone rising above the Nile's western bank, its towering pylons, hypostyle halls, and sacred inner sanctum surviving almost intact after two millennia beneath the desert. Built between 237 and 57 BC under Ptolemaic rulers, it offers the clearest window into ancient Egyptian temple ritual that archaeology has preserved. The colossal granite statues of Horus at the entrance remain among the most striking sculptures of the ancient world. October through April brings ideal conditions: warm days, cool evenings, and the gentle rhythms of a Nile cruise.

Dürnstein is the jewel of the Wachau — that UNESCO-protected stretch of the Danube where medieval villages, baroque spires, and precipitous terraced vineyards create the most picturesque river landscape in Central Europe. The blue-and-white tower of the Augustinian monastery and the dramatic ruins of the castle where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned in 1192 define a skyline of romantic perfection. The surrounding vineyards produce some of Austria's greatest Grüner Veltliners and Rieslings; tasting rooms open directly onto the river path. May through October offers the finest conditions, with harvest season in September an especially memorable time to visit.

Aswan, Egypt's sunniest city and its ancient southern frontier, offers the Nile at its most scenic — wide, blue, and studded with felucca-dotted islands where temples emerge from the water's edge like visions from another age. The Temple of Philae, rescued from the rising waters of Lake Nasser and reassembled on a new island, is a jewel of Egyptian antiquity; Elephantine Island harbors ruins spanning predynastic times to the Roman era. For the full pharaonic experience, a sunset felucca ride to the Aga Khan Mausoleum rivals any luxury on the Nile. October through April offers the most comfortable temperatures; Abu Simbel is a short flight south.

Cairo, where five thousand years of civilization press upon the present with relentless intensity, is anchored by the Great Pyramid of Giza — the sole survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, already ancient when Cleopatra walked in its shadow. The Egyptian Museum's overwhelming treasure trove of pharaonic antiquities, including the golden mask of Tutankhamun, and the medieval labyrinth of Islamic Cairo, a UNESCO-listed district of a thousand mosques and medieval caravanserais, offer a lifetime of discovery in a city of twenty million souls. October through April brings the most tolerable temperatures. Luxor, with its Valley of the Kings, is a short domestic flight or overnight train journey south.

Vukovar, Croatia's largest river port, sits at the confluence of the Vuka and Danube rivers, offering a rich historical narrative and vibrant local culture. Must-do experiences include savoring traditional dishes like fiš paprikaš and exploring nearby attractions such as Trogir and Solin. The best time to visit is in late spring and early autumn when the weather is pleasant and the local events are in full swing.

Amman is Jordan's ancient-modern capital, where a ten-thousand-year history unfolds across hilltop citadels, Roman theatres, and Umayyad palaces, all fuelled by one of the Middle East's finest street food cultures. Must-do experiences include exploring the Citadel, eating mansaf communally, and using the city as a base for Petra and the Dead Sea. Spring and autumn offer the most comfortable temperatures for exploring.

The Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth, a mineral-rich body of water on the Jordan Rift Valley floor where the extreme salinity makes floating effortless and the therapeutic muds have been prized since antiquity. Must-dos include floating in the buoyant waters, bathing in the Ma'in hot springs' thermal waterfalls, and visiting the UNESCO-listed Baptism Site. October through April offers comfortable temperatures, with spring and autumn ideal for combining the Dead Sea with Petra and Amman.

Golubac is a medieval fortress village on Serbia's Danube, where a magnificently restored fourteenth-century stronghold guards the entrance to the Iron Gates gorge — Europe's deepest river canyon. Visitors should explore the nine-towered fortress and sample *riblja čorba*, the local paprika-laced fish soup, at a riverside *kafana*. Late spring through early autumn offers the most rewarding conditions, with warm days ideal for both fortress ramparts and the lush trails of Đerdap National Park.

Donji Milanovac is a tranquil Serbian town on the banks of Lake Đerdap, nestled within the dramatic Iron Gates gorge of the Danube and surrounded by pristine national parkland. Visitors should not miss the Lepenski Vir archaeological site, home to seven-thousand-year-old Mesolithic sculptures, and the restored medieval fortress at nearby Golubac. The ideal time to cruise through the Iron Gates is from late May through September, when long daylight hours illuminate the gorge walls and riverside terraces invite lingering over fresh riblja čorba and local šljivovica.

Vidin is a captivating port town on the Danube River known for its rich history, eclectic architecture, and vibrant local culture. Must-do experiences include exploring the Baba Vida Fortress and savoring local dishes like **kavarma** and **lutenitsa**. The best time to visit is during the spring and autumn months when the weather is pleasant and the local markets are bustling with activity.