Luxury Cruises

Europe River Cruises 1

15 Days Amsterdam to Budapest by Riverboat - Southbound Tour Package
Duration: 15 Days / 14 Nights
Priced From: $4990 pp Dbl. Occ.
Dates: Apr, May, Jul, Sep
 

Travel aboard one of our luxury riverboats - ms Swiss Sapphire, ms Swiss Emerald or ms Swiss Jewel - on a two-week Danube, Main and Rhine cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest, gliding past grand cathedrals, medieval monasteries, castles and vineyards. Pass through five countries including the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary, and explore legendary cities such as Amsterdam, Vienna, Köln, Nürnberg, Bratislava and Budapest. This all-included private shore excursions take you to many UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the historic districts of Budapest, Vienna, and Bamberg, and the Wachau and Rhine valleys. In Vienna, take your choice of visits to Schönbrunn Palace or the Hofburg's Imperial Silver Room, and attend a grand Imperial Evening in a traditional palace. In Amsterdam, enjoy a luncheon cruise along the city's 17th-century canals and tour the famed Rijksmuseum. Visit Köln Cathedral, Melk Abbey, medieval towns like Regensburg and Dürnstein, Budapest's Heroes' Square and much more!

• Indicates cruise day

• Day 1 - Embark on your Rhine cruise in Amsterdam
Your Rhine cruise starts at 4:00 PM in Amsterdam, Netherlands.  A transfer is included from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport directly to ms Swiss Emerald, ms Swiss Sapphire or ms Swiss Jewel. Kick off your two-week Danube, Main and Rhine cruise with a traditional toast featuring Dutch gin, followed by dinner aboard the riverboat.
Meals:Dinner
LodgingCruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 2 - Great art, a canal cruise and more in Amsterdam
You'll be inspired by the acclaimed art by the Dutch Masters, including Rembrandt's The Night Watch, and many others you'll see on a guided tour of Amsterdam's renowned Rijksmuseum this morning. Then enjoy views of the city's remarkable architectural styles on a canal boat cruise along its network of 17th-century canals. The fun continues with a festive evening aboard the riverboat including the Captain's welcome reception, a special welcome dinner and a live musical performance.
Meals:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
LodgingCruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 3 - Köln, namesake of Eau de Cologne
Fascinating commentary by your Director (which you can listen to in your cabin if you choose) and lunch al fresco on the riverboat's sun deck enhance your morning's sail to the next stop on your Rhine cruise - Köln (Cologne), Germany's oldest city. Your guided walking tour includes the lofty, twin-spired Kölner Dom, elaborately decorated with pinnacles and buttresses; it is the tallest Gothic structure in the world, and took over 600 years to complete. Stroll through Köln's Hohe Strasse pedestrian area at your leisure in the afternoon.
Meals:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
LodgingCruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 4 - Koblenz or Marksburg Castle, and merry music machines
Dock in Koblenz, and choose either a walking tour of Old Town, or a trip to 13th-century Marksburg Castle, built high above the Rhine. Relax as your Director shares a tale or two during the afternoon's cruise through the scenic - and literally legendary - Lorelei Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A visit to Siegfrieds Mechanisches Musikkabinett, an eclectic collection of mechanical musical instruments housed in a 15th-century castle in Rüdesheim, precedes tonight's entertaining dinner in a local German restaurant with an old-world ambiance.
Meals:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
LodgingCruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 5 - Rhine Cruise to the Main River
Arrive in Miltenberg, a walled medieval city with Roman roots, for a look at its centuries-old market square, hilltop castle and half-timbered houses. Then enjoy the views as your Rhine cruise continues into the Main River, through scenic valleys studded with castles, cathedrals, and fortified towns. On-board activities may include informative lectures, cooking classes and demonstrations of such time-honored skills as glass-blowing. A Bavarian-themed dinner awaits aboard the riverboat tonight as you cruise to Worth.
Meals:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
LodgingCruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 6 - Discover Rothenburg and Würzburg
Today's shore excursion take you to medieval Rothenburg, on Germany's "Romantic Road," to see its Gothic cathedrals and gabled houses. Later, a visit to charming Würzburg reveals the town's 18th-century Residenz and the ornate Alte Mainbrücke, a bridge over the River Main. And you'll know you're cruising through Bavaria when an oompa band plays for you tonight!
Meals:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
LodgingCruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 7 - Bound for Bamberg
Continue along the Main to the Bavarian town of Bamberg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated atop seven hills. After discovering the town's lovely gardens, medieval architecture and 13th-century Gothic cathedral with its four imposing towers on a walking tour of Old Town, you'll have time to explore this charming town on your own.
Meals:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
LodgingCruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 8 - Main-Danube Canal & historic Nürnberg
Our Main, Danube and Rhine cruise negotiates the Main-Danube Canal today, which ultimately links the North Sea with the Black Sea - and which you'll learn all about from a local expert during your transit. The idea goes back as far as Charlemagne, but wasn't realized until this canal was completed in the 1990s; pass through 16 locks as the waterway traverses the mountains. Sail on to historic Nürnberg, where you'll view city sites associated with World War II and its aftermath. Enjoy lunch and entertainment at a local restaurant, then take a walking tour of the city's walled medieval center; dinner is aboard the riverboat this evening.
Meals:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
LodgingCruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 9 - Ancient Regensburg and on to Passau
Stop in the well-preserved medieval town of Regensburg, once a campsite for the Roman legions. On a walking tour with our local guide, you'll see the Steinerne Brücke, a medieval stone bridge over the Danube that's the oldest in Germany; Altes Rathaus, the 15th-century town hall that was once the seat of the Imperial Diet; and Dom St. Peter, the town's towering Gothic cathedral. After exploring Regensburg as you please this afternoon, cruise along the Danube to Passau.
Meals:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
LodgingCruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 10 - Explore Baroque Passau
The riverboat docks in the port city of Passau, dating way back to Roman times. Spend time exploring this lovely Bavarian town - well-known for its Baroque architecture including unique four-story homes, scores of churches and marvelous stained glass - on a walking tour. Listen to commentary from your Director, or perhaps take advantage of activities such as a galley tour, as you continue your Danube, Main and Rhine cruise in the afternoon, bound for Melk, Austria.
Meals:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
LodgingCruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 11 - Medieval Austrian abbeys and castles
Your next destination is the town of Melk, Austria, where you'll step back in time on a guided tour of its 900-year-old Benedictine Abbey, perched on a rocky outcrop above the river. Inside this Baroque masterpiece are fine frescoes, early manuscripts, and a high altar. Enjoy views of medieval castles while cruising through the Wachau Valley to picturesque Dürnstein; stroll along its twisting lanes on a walking tour, and, if you wish, walk up to the hilltop ruins of a castle where King Richard the Lionhearted was held for ransom during the Crusades - the vistas are simply spectacular! A wine-tasting in a local restaurant and dinner back on board cap a delightful day.
Meals:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
LodgingCruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 12 - Music and more in Imperial Vienna
Get an overview of Vienna, Austria's capital and one of Europe's greatest cities, with a morning sightseeing tour of this historic former capital of the Habsburg Empire. Take your choice of a tour of Schönbrunn Palace, built to rival Versailles, or a tour of the Imperial Silver Room inside the Hofburg, a former Imperial palace that today is the official residence of Austria's president. Tonight, an Exclusive - a private, gala Imperial Viennese Evening at a traditional palace, featuring a sumptuous dinner and live Viennese music - just might sweep you off your feet!
Meals:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
LodgingCruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 13 - A bit of Baroque in Bratislava
Wake up this morning in Bratislava, capital of Slovakia, where 17 centuries of history are chronicled on a walking tour led by a local guide. Highlights include Baroque palaces from the Habsburg era, along with St. Martin's Cathedral, the Opera House, Slovak Philharmonic Hall, and a visit to Old Town Hall. Please join the Captain and crew to celebrate the conclusion of your splendid Danube, Main and Rhine cruise with a special farewell cocktail reception, dinner and musical entertainment aboard your riverboat.
Meals:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
LodgingCruising aboard the Riverboat

• Day 14 - Discover Budapest on the Danube
This memorable Main, Danube and Rhine cruise arrives at your final destination - Budapest, Hungary's remarkable capital set on both sides of the Danube River. You'll explore both the Buda and Pest sections of the city on a sightseeing tour, viewing Heroes' Square, bounded by some of the finest architectural works in Hungary; the Parliament building, a Neo-Gothic masterpiece; and Fishermen's Bastion overlooking the Danube.
Meals:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
LodgingCruising aboard the Riverboat

Day 15 - Journey home
Your cruise ends in Budapest, Hungary. Disembark in Budapest; a transfer is included from the riverboat to Budapest's Ferihegy Airport. Allow 2 1/2 hours for departure flight check-in.
Meals:Breakfast

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