Europe | Switzerland to Belgium

Basel to Antwerp|Antwerp to Basel

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Cruise Overview
15 Days
From $2597 per person
July 27 - December 29
Direction
Basel to Antwerp

Switzerland to BelgiumBasel to Antwerp

This 15-day voyage visits five countries along the legendary Rhine River. Start your journey in Switzerland’s fascinating Basel, and then discover Germany’s enchanting Black Forest region and France’s Strasbourg. In Germany, sail through castle-dotted landscapes as you explore the Rhine’s famous wine region. You stop in quaint Rüdesheim and jewel of the Rhine, Cologne. Then journey to The Netherlands, where you explore Amsterdam’s picturesque canals and fabulous museums. Continue to Belgium, and discover the medieval cities of Brugge and Antwerp. This cruise truly shows you the “Treasures of the Rhine.”

1

Basel

Welcome to Basel. We’ll meet you at the airport and transfer you to your ship.* After boarding, enjoy free time and get acquainted with the city. (D)
2

Basel

After breakfast, join a tour of this multicultural city. See its historic Middle Bridge, cathedral and steep winding streets. Then, tour one of the city’s many art museums. Enjoy afternoon free time. Lunch and dinner are served aboard. (B, L, D)
3

Basel & Breisach

This morning, arrive in Breisach, gateway to the Black Forest. After breakfast, enjoy a motorcoach excursion through the area’s mountain landscape, meadows and dense forests and see a cuckoo clock-making demonstration. You have free time this afternoon. Or, join our optional guided walking tour of Colmar, a quaint Alsatian town. Dine aboard and dock overnight. (B, L, D)
4

Strasbourg

After breakfast take a guided tour of Strasbourg. See the Place d’Austerlitz and European Parliament, and enjoy a guided visit inside the city’s famed cathedral. Free time allows you to further explore the old section of this French-German city. Dinner aboard; cruise through the night. (B, L, D)
5

Heidelberg & Rüdesheim

After breakfast, take a motorcoach to Heidelberg, home to Germany’s oldest university founded in 1386. Your guided tour features imposing Heidelberg Castle, a red sandstone ruin overlooking the Neckar River. Continue with a walking tour through the Old Town and marketplace. Return to your ship for afternoon cruising. Lunch and dinner aboard. Dock late in Rüdesheim. Enjoy free time to stroll along the Drosselgasse, a pedestrian-only street lined with restaurants, bars and shops. Dock overnight. (B, L, D)
6

Rüdesheim, Braubach & Koblenz

After breakfast, take a mini-train to tour Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Museum. Following free time, eat lunch aboard as you cruise through the afternoon past legendary Lorelei Rock. This afternoon, visit 700-year-old Marksburg Castle and tour its museum. Return to your ship in Koblenz, at the intersection of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers. You have free time before dinner aboard. Sail this evening to Cochem. (B, L, D)
7

Cochem

After breakfast, take a walking tour through this quaint village. See its medieval town gate and marketplace. Then, visit a winery and taste some local vintages. Return to your ship for lunch; cruise through the afternoon, arriving in Cologne tonight. Enjoy free time; remain docked overnight. (B, L, D)
8

Cologne

After breakfast, your walking tour takes you past St. Martin’s Church to Cologne’s Old Town. Your guided tour visits the magnificent Gothic cathedral. Then tour a local brewery and sample the beer. Lunch and dinner are served aboard, but dockside there are many taverns, cafés and shops for you to explore. Depart late tonight. (B, L, D)
9

Arnhem

Arrive during breakfast in Arnhem and join a motorcoach excursion to the Dutch Royal Family’s former summer residence, Paleis Het Loo.† Tour the palace’s lavish rooms; then stroll through the picture-perfect gardens fashioned after Versailles. (B, L, D)

†Closed on Mondays; battlefield visit or museum tour will be substituted.

10

Amsterdam

This morning, enjoy a glass-topped canal cruise past merchant houses and the famed “Skinny Bridge.” Visit the Van Gogh Museum and explore works by the famed artist and his contemporaries. Enjoy free time. Lunch and dinner are aboard. Dock overnight. (B, L, D)
11

Gouda & Rotterdam

After breakfast, take a motorcoach to Hoogerwaard Cheese Farm† for a guided tour and cheese-making demonstration. Continue to Gouda, world-renowned for its cheese. See the Gothic Town Hall and St. John’s Church. Return to your ship in Schoonhoven and eat lunch aboard. Enjoy afternoon free time. Sail through dinner to Rotterdam. (B, L, D)

†On Sundays, Cheese Farm will be replaced by a Kinderdijk Windmills tour.

12

Delft

From Rotterdam, take a motorcoach to Delft, famous for its blue-and-white pottery. Stop at one of the last Delftware factories for a pottery demonstration. Then, see the Nieuwe Kerk and the Prinsenhof on your guided tour. Return to your ship to cruise through the evening, arriving late in Ghent. Lunch and dinner aboard. (B, L, D)
13

Brugge

Take a motorcoach tour to Brugge. See the medieval Béguinage courtyard and gardens, the Church of Our Lady, Gruuthuuze Palace and Simon Stevin Square. Enjoy a Belgian meal in a local restaurant, followed by free time. After dinner aboard, your evening is at leisure. Depart this evening, arriving in Antwerp at midnight. (B, L, D)
14

Antwerp

This morning, you tour Antwerp. See Our Lady Cathedral, the Town Hall and Steen Castle. Then, visit the Rubens Museum, filled with works by Peter Paul Rubens. After lunch aboard, the rest of your day is free. Stay docked overnight. (B, L, D)
15

Antwerp

After breakfast, disembark and we will take you to the Brussels airport for your return flight.* (B)
Extend your journey with three unforgettable nights in Paris. Learn More
Please note: Air transfers are included in your extension price if you purchase your international airfare through Viking. Otherwise, an additional charge will apply, or you may arrange your own transportation.

View the 2009 Itinerary

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Fine Dining

This cruise includes 14 breakfasts, 13 lunches and 14 dinners, plus a welcome cocktail reception.

Inclusive Pricing

The price of this Viking River Cruises vacation includes all meals, shore excursions, 14 guided tours with tour headphones, entertainment and activities.

Paris

Paris
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