TUI Expands 2026 River Excursions With Kladovo Tours
As TUI expands its river fleet, richer shore programming helps make smaller European ports part of the appeal rather than just stops along the route.
TUI River Cruises will add 10 excursions to its 2026 European river program, led by new shore options around Kladovo, the Serbian Danube port being added to its schedule. The port is featured on the seven-night East Danube Delights roundtrip from Budapest aboard TUI Maya, with fares listed from 1,610 per person.
The additions expand TUI’s shore program as the line brings TUI Aria into its European fleet this summer. Kladovo sits in eastern Serbia on the right bank of the Danube near the Iron Gates/Đerdap area, giving the operator a new base for tours tied to Roman, Ottoman and hydropower history.
“Customers travelling aboard our European fleet, TUI Aria, TUI Isla, TUI Maya and TUI Skyla, can now enjoy a wider range of cultural highlights,” said Katy Berzins, head of River Cruise at TUI River Cruises. She pointed to “a behind the scenes look at the iconic Iron Gates” and a walking tour in Kladovo as examples of the expanded summer 2026 program.
Kladovo leads the new shore excursions
The Kladovo program includes a walking tour beginning at the Djerdap Museum, which covers the archaeology and history of the Iron Gates region, before continuing to Fetislam Fortress, a 16th-century Ottoman site on the Danube.
A separate technical and scenic excursion visits HPP Djerdap I, a major Danube hydropower plant, before continuing through the Iron Gates Gorge. The itinerary also includes a photo stop at the remains of Trajan’s Bridge, the Roman crossing associated with Emperor Trajan’s campaigns in Dacia.
The additions are not limited to the lower Danube. In Cologne, TUI is adding a two-hour city tour pairing a guided walk through the historic center with the Time Ride virtual-reality attraction, where guests spend 45 minutes moving through different periods of the city’s history.
On the Rhine program from Basel, a six-hour excursion to Rhine Falls Neuhausen includes a coach route along the river, passage through Laufenburg and the Klettgau wine area, and time at the waterfall with the option to visit Schloss Laufen before returning to Basel.
Vienna programming built around the Eurovision final
TUI has also promoted Vienna shore options for guests in the city during the Eurovision Song Contest final, scheduled for May 16, 2026, at Wiener Stadthalle. TUI Skyla is scheduled to remain in Vienna overnight for the final, while the seven-night Magical Danube roundtrip from Budapest aboard TUI Maya is listed from 1,149 per person.
The Vienna tours include a classic city program by coach and on foot, a Museum of Illusions visit, an evening panoramic bus tour and a concert outing under the Sound of Vienna banner. Listed per-person prices are 39 for the city tour, 17 for the museum, 26 for the night tour and 95 for the concert program.
Excursion growth comes with fleet expansion
TUI Aria, a 96-cabin vessel with capacity for 190 guests, is scheduled to sail the Danube and Rhine for TUI for the first time this summer after refurbishment. The ship joins TUI Isla, TUI Maya and TUI Skyla in the European river fleet, alongside TUI’s Nile vessels, TUI Al Horeya and TUI Bahareya.
The operator is also moving ahead with a larger river fleet plan. At TUI Aria’s christening in Frankfurt, the company announced two 188-guest newbuild river ships, each designed with 94 cabins and prepared for future alternative-fuel use, particularly methanol.
Berzins said the newbuild order “signals our continued investment in the future of our fleet” and described the ships as purpose-built for TUI’s customers.
TUI River Cruises expects to grow from six ships in 2026 to 10 by 2028, operating across Europe, the Rhine, the Nile and the Douro. Before the two 2028 newbuilds arrive, TUI Elara is expected to operate on the Rhine in summer 2027, while TUI Luzia is planned for the Douro the same summer.
