Day 1Amsterdam
Welcome to Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands. We will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your ship.* After boarding, the afternoon is yours to explore the city. Your ship remains docked overnight, so you can experience some of Amsterdam’s nightlife on your own if you like. (D)
Day 2Amsterdam
This morning, you will receive an excellent overview of the city by taking a glass-topped canal boat cruise along some of Amsterdam’s hundreds of canals. You will pass by merchant houses and cruise under picturesque bridges to the Old Harbor, dating back to Holland’s Golden Age. Then visit the world-famous Van Gogh Museum, featuring works by the noted artist and his contemporaries. Return to your ship for lunch and cruise through the night. (B, L, D)
Day 3Cologne
Enjoy scenic cruising along the legendary Rhine. After lunch, tour Cologne and visit the Dom, Germany’s largest cathedral and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Afterwards, sample Kölsch, Cologne’s signature beer. Enjoy free time and dinner aboard. (B, L, D)
Day 4Rüdesheim
After morning free time in Koblenz, cruise past hilltop castles along the Rhine. Lunch aboard, then take a mini-train ride in Rüdesheim to Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Museum. Evening free to explore Rüdesheim’s famed Drosselgasse. Dine aboard or stay in town to experience local nightlife. (B, L, D)
Day 5Mainz
After breakfast tour Mainz and visit the Gutenberg Museum, chronicling the history of printing and featuring two of Johannes Gutenberg’s original Bibles on display. Enjoy free time followed by lunch aboard. Sail through the night to Wertheim. (B, L, D)
Day 6Wertheim
Wertheim is located at the confluence of the Main and Tauber Rivers. During your morning walking tour, see the medieval town center with its half-timbered houses and its 14th-century Gothic church, and learn about Wertheim’s glassblowing tradition. Enjoy free time to explore local shops and markets, and then return to your ship for lunch and an afternoon glassblowing demonstration. (B, L, D)
Day 7Würzburg & Rothenburg
After breakfast, tour the vast complex of Würzburg’s Bishops’ Residenz, one of Germany’s largest and most ornate baroque palaces and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then, journey along Germany’s “Romantic Road” to Rothenburg, stopping for a traditional German lunch in a local restaurant. After lunch, set off on a walking tour, admiring the medieval town’s charming half-timbered houses. You will have free time after the tour before returning to your ship. Dinner is served aboard; evening cruising. (B, L, D)
Day 8Main-Danube Canal & Nuremberg
Spend the morning cruising through the Main-Danube Canal. After lunch aboard, disembark for a tour of this medieval city surrounded by 13th-century walls. Today Nuremberg evokes the notorious post-World War II trials. But throughout its history, the city was known for its handicrafts, particularly toys and fancy metalwork. You will see where the trials were held and the grounds where Nazi rallies were staged, as well as the imposing Imperial Castle. See the city’s half-timbered houses and stroll through the Market Square. The ship sets sail in the late afternoon; dine and relax onboard as you cruise through the evening. (B, L, D)
Day 9Regensburg
Spend a relaxing morning cruising along the Danube. Arrive in Regensburg after lunch and tour this wonderfully preserved city. Discover many 13th- and 14th-century patrician houses and see St. Peter’s Cathedral. During free time, visit the Alte Wurstküche (Old Sausage Kitchen), Germany’s oldest restaurant. Dinner aboard coincides with your departure. Your ship cruises through the night. (B, L, D)
Day 10Passau & Linz
Morning walking tour of Passau, then listen to a concert on Europe’s largest pipe organ in St. Stephan’s Cathedral.† Lunch onboard as you cruise on to Linz, arriving in the early evening. Join your Cruise Manager for an evening stroll after dinner. The ship remains docked here until the early hours of the morning, so you can do a little exploring on your own. You may want to sample the city’s famed Linzer Torte.
†Passau organ concert not available on Sundays or after November 1. (B, L, D)
Day 11Melk & Dürnstein
This morning, the ship sails through a beautiful untouched stretch of the Danube called the Strudengau. After lunch, visit the baroque abbey at Melk, a 900-year-old Benedictine monastery featuring Austria’s finest Italian baroque architecture. See its wonderful frescoes and collection of medieval manuscripts.
Return to your ship in the afternoon and sail through the Wachau Valley, heart of Austria’s wine country. This area is filled with cultural and historic importance, and is of such unsurpassed beauty that it has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dock in Dürnstein in the early evening, and because your ship remains docked here until about midnight, you have some time to explore this charming medieval town on your own after dinner. A famous wine town, Dürnstein is home to many charming taverns. (B, L, D)
Day 12Vienna
Arrive in Vienna in the early morning. After breakfast aboard, set off on your half-day tour of one of Europe’s most elegant and romantic cities. Ride along Vienna’s Ringstrasse, which replaced the city walls in the mid-19th century and is lined with imposing palaces and grand residences. Then tour the baroque Belvedere Palace and view its collection of Austrian art. You will also see Vienna’s world-famous Opera House, St. Stephan’s Cathedral and Hofburg Palace. After lunch on board, enjoy an afternoon exploring on your own. Take a ride on a traditional horse-drawn fiaker, sample some mouthwatering Viennese pastry in a sidewalk café or visit the wonderful Art History Museum. You may choose to join us for an optional tour to Maria Theresa’s wonderful baroque Schönbrunn Palace, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See the palace’s opulent rooms and collection of period furniture, and admire the beautiful formal gardens. After dinner, you can attend an optional concert. Held in one of the city’s palaces, the concert features compositions by Mozart and Strauss performed by a Viennese orchestra. Your ship remains docked overnight. (B, L, D)
Day 13Bratislava
Your ship sails through the early morning, docking in Bratislava around breakfast time. Disembark for a mini-train and walking tour of Slovakia’s capital, set at the foot of the Little Carpathian Mountains. You see the beautiful St. Martin’s Cathedral, Michael’s Gate with its 15th-century tower, the Old Town Hall and the neoclassical Archbishop’s Palace, and also pass by several baroque palaces from the Habsburg Dynasty before you return to your ship for lunch and an afternoon of scenic cruising. Late tonight, arrive in Budapest. (B, L, D)
Day 14Budapest
The Danube River divides this Hungarian capital city into “Buda” and “Pest.” Explore both parts, starting with Pest’s National Opera House and historic Heroes’ Square. In Buda, stroll Fisherman’s Hill to Fishermen’s Bastion and Matthias Church. After lunch onboard, your afternoon is at leisure to explore more on your own. Perhaps you will stroll along Vaci Utca where you will find excellent Herend porcelain (produced in Hungary since 1839), the country’s renowned peasant embroidery, and other souvenirs of Hungary. Dinner onboard this evening features the varied cuisine of Hungary. After dinner, you may want to disembark for a romantic evening stroll. (B, L, D)
Day 15Budapest
After breakfast, disembark and we will take you to the airport for your return flight.* (B)