Lower Danube River Cruise Map
Follow the river downstream from Budapest to the delta.
Get Free Lower Danube QuotesThis lower Danube river cruise map is written in words rather than drawn, stop by stop downstream from Budapest. Use it to picture the route, then check the exact ports on the itinerary you choose.
Hungary: Budapest to the Croatian Border
Leaving Budapest, the ship sails south across the Great Hungarian Plain. The river is broad and the banks are low and green. Kalocsa, a short drive from the river, is famous for paprika and embroidered folk costume. Near Mohács the Danube leaves Hungary; from here it forms part of the border between Croatia and Serbia.
Croatia and Serbia: Vukovar to Belgrade
Vukovar, on the Croatian bank, is a frequent stop and a base for visiting Osijek and the Slavonian countryside. Downstream, the river turns fully into Serbia. Novi Sad sits below the bastions of Petrovaradin Fortress, and a few hours later the ship reaches Belgrade, where the Sava flows in beside Kalemegdan Fortress and the old Habsburg town of Zemun faces the city center.
The Iron Gates: Serbia and Romania
Past Belgrade the Danube becomes the border between Serbia and Romania. Golubac Fortress marks the entrance to the gorge, then come the narrows, the Decebalus sculpture and the locks of the Iron Gate dam. This is the most scenic day on any lower Danube map, and it is covered in detail on our Iron Gates river cruise page.
Bulgaria and Romania: Vidin to the Delta
Below the gorge, the Danube forms the border between Bulgaria to the south and Romania to the north for much of the rest of its course. Vidin, with its riverside Baba Vida fortress, is the first Bulgarian stop on many itineraries. Further on, Ruse faces Giurgiu across the river; the two are linked by the Friendship Bridge, and Giurgiu is the usual landing for Bucharest. Beyond, the river swings north through Romania toward Cernavodă, where the Danube–Black Sea Canal leads east to Constanța, and onward to Brăila, Galați and Tulcea, gateway to the delta.
| Section | Countries | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Budapest to Mohács | Hungary | Wide river, plains, paprika towns |
| Vukovar to Belgrade | Croatia, Serbia | Fortresses, recent history, river confluences |
| Golubac to the dam | Serbia, Romania | Gorges, cliffs and locks |
| Vidin to Giurgiu | Bulgaria, Romania | Border river, Bulgarian hill towns, Bucharest |
| Cernavodă to Tulcea | Romania | Canal to the coast, or the delta wetlands |
Want a full European picture? European Riverboat Cruises maps every major river, and Danube Riverboat Cruises covers the upper Danube from Passau to Budapest.
From a Lower Danube River Cruise Map to an Itinerary
No single sailing stops everywhere on this map. A one-week Budapest–Bucharest voyage usually picks one Croatian stop, two in Serbia, one or two in Bulgaria and the Giurgiu landing for Bucharest, with the Iron Gates as a sailing day in between. Longer voyages add the Romanian stretch toward Cernavodă and the delta. When you compare itineraries, check three things: whether Belgrade includes an evening in port, whether the gorge is passed in daylight, and how far each coach excursion travels from the river. Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise read the fine print for you.
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