14 Days Europes Heartland Tour Package
Duration: 14 Days / 13 Nights
Priced From: $2,999 pp dbl. occ.
Dates: May - Nov
Highlights
- Two nights hotel accommodations in Prague and three in Paris
- Buffet breakfast daily in hotels
- Sightseeing tours of Prague and Paris
- Deluxe cruise accommodation in an outside stateroom
- All meals aboard ship with special theme dinners and local wines
- Special evening entertainments include folkloric dances and lectures
- Escorted walking tours around towns and villages
- Use of bicycles to explore local sights
- Explore medieval towns of Wertheim and Bamberg
- Cruise past famous Rhine castles
Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Depart USA
Board your overnight flight to Prague.
Day 2: Arrive Prague
Welcome to the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague. Transfer to your hotel and take the balance of the day to relax or explore on your own. If you have purchased air arrangements through us, complimentary transfers are included.
Day 3: Discovering Prague
 This morning's sightseeing reveals why Prague is considered one of Europe's most attractive cities. Visit the 1,000-year-old Hradcany Castle courtyard, St. Vitus, and then walk over the Charles Bridge to the Old Market Square. This afternoon, why not join the optional tour to Terezin, the infamous Nazi WWII labor camp, now a memorial to those who perished? The evening is free to mix with the locals at Wenceslas Square, shop for souvenirs or enjoy one of the charming cafés or restaurants. (B)
Day 4: Nuremberg & Embarkation
After breakfast, depart Prague and drive through the pastoral countryside to Nuremberg, the capital of Franconia. Enjoy some free time on your own before joining a guided tour of this imperial city. Step aboard for a welcome by your crew, who will help you prepare for an enchanting week of cruising. Settle into your cabin and explore the facilities of the compact river ship. Tonight gather with your fellow travelers for a gala welcome dinner. The ship departs in the late evening. (B, D)
Day 5: Bamberg
Enjoy your breakfast as you cruise along and marvel at the engineering feat of the Main-Danube canal which straddles the Franconian Alps via 16 locks. Arrive in Bamberg which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. Disembark for a guided tour of this medieval gem, with its almost completely intact town center. Marvel at the breathtaking cathedral, the Old Town Hall that straddles the river, and the city's serpentine streets with charming houses and 18th-century mansions. There is free time before you continue your cruise, now on the Main River. (B, L, D)
Day 6: Würzburg
 Würzburg, "the Pearl of the Romantic Road," is the capital of Lower Franconia, and a center of wine and trade. Visit major sights including the magnificent Residence Palace. This afternoon why not join an optional excursion to medieval Rothenburg? A walking tour helps you appreciate its ramparts and towers, cobble-stoned lanes and 16th-century houses. You will have free time to explore on your own before returning to Würzburg. (B, L, D)
Day 7: Wertheim & Miltenberg
After breakfast, spend some free time in Wertheim, perhaps browsing around the market square and its shops, before enjoying a glass-blowing demonstration. Then cruise to Miltenberg for a guided walking tour along narrow, cobble-stoned streets shows you the gabled, half-timbered houses. Tonight, the ship sails into the Rhine River leaving Bavaria, Franconia and the Main River behind. (B, L, D)
Day 8: Visit Heidelberg or Mainz
Today, again you have to choose - either disembark in Mainz and travel by motorcoach to Heidelberg, Germany's oldest university town of Student Prince fame. You will visit the red-walled Castle, seeing the Great Vat, a 49,000-gallon 18th-century wine cask and beautiful views of the Necker Valley and Heidelberg below. Then there is a walking tour of old Heidelberg and free time for lunch on your own. In the afternoon drive to Frankfurt, the bustling metropolis on the River Main, where you rejoin your ship. Or, you can enjoy a leisurely walking tour of charming Mainz, hometown of the famous printer Guttenburg and the Roman ship museum. When everyone is back on the ship, take a lunchtime cruise to the wine village of Rüdesheim. Here, tour the town by mini-train and visit Siegfried's Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum. Late this afternoon, everyone will cruise the most beautiful and famous part of the Rhine River, passing castle after castle and the infamous Lorelei Rock. Arrive in Koblenz, at the confluence of the Rhine and the Moselle, after dinner. (B, L, D)
Day 9: Cochem & Zell
Travel up the Moselle River, famous for its vineyards. After breakfast, enjoy a guided visit of Reichsburg Castle, situated above Cochem with spectacular views of the Moselle River. This afternoon, continue past hillside vineyards to Zell, home of the famous "Zeller Schwarze Katz" wine. A surprise awaits you this evening. (B, L, D)
Day 10: Bernkastel & Trier
This morning arrive in the charming village of Bernkastel. Strategically located in the middle of the Moselle wine-producing region, Bernkastel boasts over 500 years of documented wine history. Take a guided walking tour through the old town center with its many medieval and Renaissance buildings. Then onto Trier, Germany's oldest city, for a guided tour which will introduce you to the city's rich Roman past. (B, L, D)
Day 11: Luxembourg & Paris
This morning, bid farewell to your cruise ship and head to Luxembourg for a city tour of the Grand Duchy and some free time. Luxembourg is one of the last of hundreds of independent duchies which once made up western and central Europe. Today the Grand Duchy owes its importance to its role in international politics and banking. After lunch drive to Paris, where you arrive this afternoon. (B)
Day 12: Paris Tour
 Enjoy Paris' famous sights during this morning's guided tour. Visit Notre Dame Cathedral, see the unique Louvre Museum, the commemorative Arc de Triomphe, Opéra, Madeleine, Champs Elysées and much more. The remainder of the day is yours to explore the many museums, galleries and other attractions that the city has to offer. (B)
Day 13: Leisure Time in Paris
Enjoy a full free day to explore the amazing "City of Light" where romance fills the air. Stroll along the Champs Elysées, the boutique-lined boulevards, or visit the top of the Eiffel Tower, built for the World's Fair of 1889. Paris at night offers unlimited possibilities for everybody's taste, including many wonderful dining opportunities. (B)
Day 14: Depart Paris
Transfer to Charles de Gaulle Airport and your homebound flight arrives the same day. If you have purchased air arrangements through us, complimentary transfers are included. (B)
B=Breakfast, CB=Continental Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner
Accommodations
- President Hotel - Prague - 2 night(s)
- Amadagio Ship - European Rivers & Canals - 7 night(s)
Hilton Paris - Paris - 3 night(s)
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Phone: 1-800-330-8820 or 1-415-446-5252
11/09
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