Day 1Paris
Welcome to Paris, the romantic capital of France. We will meet you at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport and transfer you to your hotel.* After check-in, enjoy free time to explore this vibrant city.
Day 2Paris
After breakfast, meet your guide for your half-day city tour. During your tour, see the Eiffel Tower, Latin Quarter and the Gothic Cathedral of Notre Dame. Your tour concludes with a drive along the Champs Elysées, past the Arc de Triomphe and to the world-famous Louvre. The remainder of the day is yours to further explore Paris—tour a museum, visit Montmartre or take a moonlit cruise along the Seine River. (B)
Day 3Paris & Trier
Embark on a motorcoach drive through France’s scenic countryside to the Meuse-Argonne Cemetery. Here, pay homage to the many Americans who lost their lives during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the final battle of World War I. Continue to Verdun to tour The Memorial, a museum dedicated to the Battle of Verdun in 1916. You have free time to explore and get lunch on your own before continuing to Trier to embark your ship. Dinner is served aboard; dock overnight. (B, D)
Day 4Trier & Bernkastel
Take a morning tour of Trier, Germany’s oldest city, set on the banks of the Moselle River. See the wonderfully preserved Roman Porta Nigra, Trier Cathedral and the Church of Our Lady. You have some free time to shop; return to your ship and sail to Bernkastel, arriving in the late afternoon. Walk Bernkastel’s cobbled streets to the Vinothek, the Wine Library of St. Nicholas Hospital. Learn about this important wine-producing region and sample some of the 160 wines they offer. Dine aboard and depart late tonight. (B, L, D)
Day 5Cochem & Koblenz
After breakfast, your walking tour takes you through the quaint Moselle town of Cochem. See the city’s medieval town gate, marketplace and churches. Then, visit imposing Reichsburg Castle. Eat lunch as you cruise the scenic Moselle to Koblenz, arriving in the late afternoon. You have free time to explore this town at the intersection of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers. You can sample wines from this famous region during our optional wine-tasting excursion. (B, L, D)
Day 6Rüdesheim
Cruise through the morning, arriving in Rüdesheim. Your afternoon tour features the Niederwald Monument, high above the Rhine River. You have free time to enjoy the restaurants, bars and shops that line Rüdesheim’s Drosselgasse. Enjoy dinner as you cruise. (B, L, D)
Day 7Wörth & Miltenberg
Arrive after lunch in Wörth. From here, you travel through the dense forests of the Odenwald region to Amorbach. Tour this former Benedictine monastery and be treated to a wonderful organ concert. Return to your ship in Miltenberg, where you have free time to walk this town’s quaint cobbled streets after dinner. Leave late tonight. (B, L, D)
Day 8Würzburg
Disembark in Karlstadt and board a motorcoach for a full-day excursion to the charming Franconian wine town of Würzburg where you will tour the Bishops’ Residenz, a beautiful baroque palace with many paintings and frescoes. After lunch in a local Franconian restaurant, your scenic drive passes quaint wine villages along the Main River with a stop at Church of St. Mary in the Vineyard for an afternoon wine-tasting. Join your ship in Würzburg. Dine and cruise through the night. (B, L, D)
Day 9Bamberg
After cruising through the Main-Danube Canal, arrive in Bamberg, founded in 902. This afternoon, take a walking tour along the cobbled streets of this wonderfully preserved medieval town and see its four-steepled cathedral. Enjoy free time and sample the town’s famous locally brewed smoky-tasting beer, Rauchbier. Dine aboard. Depart tonight. (B, L, D)
Day 10Nuremberg & Prague
Arrive in Nuremberg during breakfast and disembark for a tour of this Bavarian town. See Zeppelin Field and the Palace of Justice, site of the Nuremberg Trials. Then tour the castle grounds for a remarkable view of the city. After lunch on your own, board a motorcoach for your transfer to Prague. Stop in Pilsen for some free time before continuing to Prague. Arrive early evening and check in to your hotel; your evening is free. (B)
Day 11Prague
This morning, tour this “City of a Hundred Spires.” Your guided walk takes you through Old Town to the famed Charles Bridge. Then, take a motorcoach to Hradcany Castle for a guided tour highlighting St. Vitus Cathedral. Enjoy the rest of your day at leisure to explore on your own. You may see the Town Hall’s intricate 15th-century Astronomical Clock or explore the Josefov Quarter to discover the city’s vibrant Jewish heritage. (B)
Day 12Prague
After breakfast, check out of your hotel and we will take you to the airport for your return flight.* (B)