Day 1Budapest
Welcome to Budapest, capital of Hungary. We will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your ship.* After boarding, the afternoon is yours to explore the city on your own. (D)
Day 2Budapest
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. Enjoy lunch aboard with the rest of the day to explore on your own. Return to your ship for a traditional Hungarian dinner. (B, L, D)
Day 3Bratislava
After an afternoon arrival, you embark on a walking tour of the Slovak Republic’s charming capital to see attractions like the medieval fortifications at Michael’s Tower, baroque Trinity Church and Gothic St. Martin’s Cathedral. You also pass by several baroque palaces from the Habsburg Dynasty before you return to your ship and depart late tonight. (B, L, D)
Day 4Vienna
Ride along Vienna’s Ringstrasse, which replaced the city walls in the mid-19th century. 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. Return to your ship for lunch. The rest of the day is yours to further explore. After dinner, enjoy an optional classical concert. (B, L, D)
Day 5Melk
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. Rejoin your ship and cruise through dinner. (B, L, D)
Day 6Passau
Join your morning walking tour of Passau’s Old Town area and the Oberhaus Fortress, then listen to a concert on Europe’s largest pipe organ in St. Stephan’s Cathedral.† Enjoy free time and dinner aboard.
†Passau organ concert not available on Sundays or after November 1. (B, L, D)
Day 7Regensburg
Arrive in Regensburg after breakfast and tour this wonderfully preserved city. Discover many 13th- and 14th-century patrician houses and tour St. Peter’s Cathedral. During free time, visit the Alte Wurstküche (Old Sausage Kitchen), Germany’s oldest restaurant. Cruise through dinner. (B, L, D)
Day 8Nuremberg
After lunch aboard, dock in Nuremberg. Visit the ruins of Zeppelin Field and the Palace of Justice, site of the World War II Nuremberg Trials. Or, join an optional World War II history tour to the Documentation Center Museum. Enjoy free time before dinner, which is served aboard, and throughout the evening. Our ship departs in the wee hours of the morning. (B, L, D)
Day 9Bamberg
Enjoy a tour through Bamberg, a beautiful medieval city known for its specialty, Rauchbier, a smoky-tasting beer. Explore its many baroque patrician houses, the 11th-century Cathedral of Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich II, and see the Old Town Hall, built in 1386 in the middle of the Regnitz River, accessible by two bridges from either side. (B, L, D)
Day 10Würzburg & 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 lunch in a local restaurant. Dinner is served aboard; evening cruising. (B, L, D)
Day 11Wertheim
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 12Mainz & Rüdesheim
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. Late this afternoon take a mini-train ride in Rüdesheim to tour Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Museum, which houses elaborate music machines. The evening is then yours to explore Rüdesheim’s famed Drosselgasse—a pedestrian-only street lined with pubs, restaurants and wine shops. Dine aboard or you can stay in town to experience local nightlife. (B, L, D)
Day 13Cologne
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 14Amsterdam
Sail along the Rhine during the morning hours, enjoying scenic views. Arrive in Amsterdam during lunch. This afternoon, 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. After your canal cruise, visit the world-famous Van Gogh Museum, featuring works by the noted artist and his contemporaries. Return to your ship for dinner. (B, L, D)
Day 15Amsterdam
After breakfast, disembark and we will take you to the airport for your return flight.* (B)