Day 1Vienna
Welcome to Vienna, capital of Austria. We will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your ship.* After boarding, use your free time to explore. (D)
Day 2Vienna
After breakfast, embark on a city tour to visit this “City of Waltzes,” where Mozart and Strauss composed many of their finest works. A motorcoach takes you along the Ringstrasse and you see the Opera House and beautiful Hofburg Palace. You then stop at St. Stephan’s Cathedral and enjoy a walking tour along Stephansplatz followed by free time. Return to your ship for lunch, but take the afternoon to shop along the Kärtnerstrasse, visit the city’s Christmas market† or people-watch at a quaint café. After dinner aboard, you may opt to see an evening classical concert. (B, L, D)
†IMPORTANT NOTE: Christmas markets are seasonal and scheduled to be open from the last week of November through December 23. In lieu of Christmas market shopping, enjoy time at leisure for additional exploration.
Day 3Melk
Arrive during lunch and enjoy spectacular views as you ride to the top of the hill where the abbey overlooks the river. Tour this 900-year-old Benedictine abbey and see its baroque splendor inside and out. A highlight of the lavish interior is its elaborate two-story library, filled with medieval manuscripts and vibrant ceiling frescoes by Paul Troger. Have lunch aboard and depart late afternoon, cruising through the night. (B, L, D)
Day 4Linz
Wake up in Linz where your after-breakfast walking tour takes you past the city’s baroque facades to the Hauptplatz. Continue through the medieval town and old market. From here, tour inside the cathedral and stroll other squares and markets before returning to your ship for lunch. Your afternoon is free to explore Linz’s stores or Christmas market.
Or instead of visiting Linz, you can choose to take an optional full-day tour to Salzburg, a jewel-like town famous as the setting for the film The Sound of Music. Tour the Alpine countryside, see the Old Town area—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—and visit the birthplace and home to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Dine aboard; remain docked overnight in Linz. (B, L, D)
Day 5Passau
Cruise the scenic Danube this morning and enjoy its quiet winter landscape and quaint riverside towns. Arrive during lunch in beautiful Passau, set at the confluence of the Inn, Ilz and Danube Rivers. Take a walking tour along narrow cobblestone streets and through graceful arcades to visit St. Stephan’s Cathedral. Enjoy afternoon free time to explore the Christmas market or stores. Depart during dinner. (B, L, D)
Day 6Regensburg
Cruise through breakfast and arrive midmorning in medieval Regensburg, whose history dates back more than 2,000 years to its founding by Marcus Aurelius. Take a walking tour through this well-preserved city and explore its historic splendor. You see the Old Town, St. Peter’s Cathedral and the 12th-century Old Stone Bridge. Eat lunch aboard or take free time to visit Germany’s oldest restaurant, the 800-year-old Alte Wurstküche (Old Sausage Kitchen). You have free time to visit the Christmas market or explore the city further. Dinner aboard is followed by an evening departure. (B, L, D)
Day 7Nuremberg
This morning’s cruise is highlighted by the engineering marvel of the Main-Danube Canal and its many locks. Arrive during lunch in Nuremberg, Bavaria’s second-largest city. Your afternoon tour begins with a motorcoach ride to see Zeppelin Field and the Palace of Justice, site of the historic Nuremberg Trials. Arrive at the walled section of downtown where you walk up to the grounds of the Imperial Castle for amazing views of the city below. Or, take our optional World War II history tour visiting the Documentation Center Museum. Then, descend into the Old Town, passing the Albrecht Dürer House and the Main Market Square.
You can stay in the city to enjoy free time or visit the city’s world-famous Christkindlmarkt (Christmas market). Dinner is served aboard and your ship stays docked overnight. (B, L, D)
Day 8Nuremberg
After breakfast, disembark and we will take you to the airport for your return flight.* (B)