Day 1Berlin
Welcome to Berlin, capital of Germany. We will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel.* After check-in, take free time to explore this historic city.
Day 2Berlin
Your city tour highlights Berlin including the City Hall, Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin Cathedral and Brandenburg Gate. Continue your tour to see the Reichstag (Parliament Building) and Berlin Wall remains. Return to your hotel, with the rest of your day on your own to visit Charlottenburg Palace or one of Berlin’s many museums. (B)
Day 3Berlin, Potsdam & Magdeburg
After breakfast, travel via motorcoach to Potsdam. Tour the 18th-century Sanssouci Palace,† a perfect example of German rococo architecture built by Prussian King Frederick the Great.
After lunch on your own, your motorcoach takes you to Magdeburg to embark your ship. With your free time this afternoon, see Magdeburg’s lovely cathedral and 13th-century Magdeburger Reiter, Germany’s oldest equestrian statue. Dinner is served aboard. Your ship departs late tonight. (B, D)
†On rare occasions when Sanssouci Palace is closed to the public, a tour of New Palace is substituted.
Day 4Dessau
Enjoy scenic cruising before lunchtime arrival in Dessau. Take a motorcoach to Wörlitz Park, Germany’s first landscaped park with English-style gardens. Tour inside Wörlitz Castle, fashioned after an English country home, and walk the grounds. Return to your ship for evening departure and dinner aboard. (B, L, D)
Day 5Wittenberg & Torgau
Wake up in Wittenberg, birthplace of the Reformation. After breakfast, follow in Martin Luther’s footsteps to view many of Wittenberg’s historic landmarks. Tour inside Luther’s House and St. Marien’s Church, where he preached. See the Castle Church where Luther posted his 95 Theses; then enjoy free time. Return to your ship and depart during lunch.
After dinner aboard, arrive in Torgau with its wonderful Renaissance houses. Join your Cruise Manager for an evening stroll to see fortified Hartenfels Castle, Market Square and the riverside monument commemorating the historic 1945 meeting between Russian and American troops. You remain docked overnight. (B, L, D)
Day 6Meissen
Today you cruise the Elbe and arrive after lunch in Meissen. Your tour visits the Meissenware factory, which has produced fine porcelain since the early 1700s. See firsthand how this trademark porcelain is created by hand and tour the museum. Your motorcoach then takes you to Castle Hill for a walking tour through the Old Town. Return to your ship for dinner and free time. (B, L, D)
Day 7Dresden
Arrive during breakfast in Dresden and embark on a tour of this city, nicknamed “Florence on the Elbe.” Drive through the 19th-century residence area with its baroque architecture and visit Residence Castle with a tour of the Green Vault and its collections of fine art and the Saxon monarchs’ crown jewels. Continue on foot to see Zwinger Palace, Semper Opera House and the Church of Our Lady. Return to your ship for lunch and free time. Or take an optional tour to Pillnitz Castle and its Asian-inspired gardens. Dinner is served during your evening departure. (B, L, D)
Day 8Saxon Switzerland & Decin
Cruise through the morning and dock at Bad Schandau. From here, ride through Saxon Switzerland, a stretch of the Elbe surrounded by rugged sandstone cliffs. Arrive at the Bastei to take in the panoramic views and enjoy a walking tour of the area. Return to your ship for dinner and evening cruising. Arrive late in Decin and take an evening stroll through this quaint Czech town. (B, L ,D)
Day 9Litomerice
Spend the morning cruising leisurely through the scenic area of Porta Bohemia, one of the nicest parts of the Elbe. Arrive midafternoon in Litomerice, one of the prettiest towns in the Czech Republic. During your tour, see St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Jesuit Church, historic Market Square and many residential buildings from the baroque, Renaissance and Gothic periods. Your tour ends with a tasting of wines from this Bohemian region. Dine aboard. (B, L, D)
Day 10Melnik & Prague
Wake up in Melnik and after breakfast depart from your ship for a motorcoach transfer to Prague. Upon arrival, you tour Prague, “City of a Hundred Spires.” Take a guided walk through Old Town with some free time to explore on your own. Then ride to Hradcany Castle for a guided tour through the castle interior. Return to the hotel for check-in and dinner on your own. (B)
Day 11Prague
Today, enjoy a full day in Prague at your own pace. See the Town Hall’s intricate 15th-century Astronomical Clock, visit the Josefov Quarter to discover the city’s vibrant Jewish heritage, walk along Charles Bridge or people-watch in Wenceslas Square. (B)
Day 12Prague
After breakfast, check out and we will take you to the airport for your return flight.* (B)