Follow the route of emperors and kings on a magnificent European journey along three great rivers through five fascinating countries. From Amsterdam, travel on the Rhine river to Cologne, with its breathtaking cathedral. Continue cruising along the beautiful Rhine Gorge and then through the Main-Danube Canal, an engineering masterpiece, as you traverse Europe’s Continental Divide. Discover the culture and traditions of such grand old capitals as Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest. Along the way, see perfectly preserved medieval towns and Europe’s loveliest countryside.
Highlights
Cruise the canals of Amsterdam on a guided boat tour
Enjoy optional excursions, such as wine tastings and bike tours
Tour Bamberg and sample its famous smoked beer
Explore Nuremberg's medieval highlights, including Nuremberg Castle
Sightsee in Budapest, including Heroes' Square and Castle Hill
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Welcome to Amsterdam, a modern city with a rich and fascinating history. Explore its unique architecture, vibrant cafés and markets. This evening, meet your fellow travelers on board at the Welcome Dinner.
After breakfast, admire the city’s beautiful centuries-old homes and picturesque churches on a guided canal boat tour. Later, enjoy a panoramic city tour of Amsterdam’s most iconic sights and a photo stop at a Dutch windmill before making your way to the ship, which departs early this afternoon and cruises overnight to Germany.
This morning, arrive in Cologne for a guided walking tour through the old part of the city and visit its medieval Gothic cathedral and surrounding square. After lunch the ship departs for Koblenz, one of Germany’s oldest and most beautiful towns, arriving this evening. Feel free to go ashore and enjoy an evening walk with your Cruise Manager. The ship moors overnight in Koblenz.
Cruise through the spectacular Rhine Gorge this morning, the most beautiful stretch of the river with vineyards, castles, fortresses and picturesque hamlets lining its banks. Look for the Lorelei Rock at the narrowest part of the river, the inspiration for many German legends. After lunch, arrive in the winemaking town of Rüdesheim and take a mini train to Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum to see its incredible collection. Explore the Drosselgasse, a narrow alley lined with shops and wine taverns, as well as other sights during your free time. Or, take a gondola ride above the town to see the Niederwalddenkmal Statue or join us for some Rüdesheimer Coffee. Late this afternoon, the ship departs for Miltenberg.
Arrive in Miltenberg in the late morning and head off on a walking tour of this delightful old town, with its narrow cobblestone streets and steeply gabled houses. During lunch today, the ship cruises to Freudenberg where a motor coach takes you to Wertheim for either a walking tour to see the historic city center or to a local bakery for a pretzel-making demonstration and tasting. Those seeking something more active may choose to join a guided bike ride from Freudenberg to Wertheim. Afterwards, rejoin the ship and cruise overnight en route to Würzburg.
This morning’s guided tour of Würzburg shows you all of the city’s major sights, or you may prefer to visit the Residenz Palace and gardens, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. The next stop is Kitzingen this afternoon where the town’s Historic Court Council and honorary Wine Queen escort you to one of Germany’s oldest wine cellar to sample regional wines. You may either cruise to Kitzingen, or get there via a guided bike ride through the Franconian countryside. Later tonight, the ship sails towards Bamberg.
Arrive this afternoon in enchanting Bamberg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where you have one of three ways to explore. The first is a guided walking tour of this medieval gem to see its cathedral, Old Town Hall and elegant old mansions, as well as sample some of Bamberg’s famous smoked beer. The second is a guided bike tour along the Main River, and the third is a Bamberg Specialties tasting where you can enjoy smoked beer, licorice root and Hornla, a local favorite whose recipe dates back to 1427. This evening, continue cruising towards Nuremberg.
This morning, you have a choice of two activities in Nuremberg. Take a tour of the city’s medieval highlights, including Nuremberg Castle, the 900-year-old ramparts surrounding the city, Town Hall, Notre Dame and the house of artist Albrecht Dürer, or join a WWII tour and see the Coliseum, Nazi Parade Ground and Justice Palace. Alternatively, savor traditional flavors on a Franconian Specialties tasting as you sample the famous Nuremburger Bratwurst, Rot bier and Lebkuchen. After lunch, the ship passes through the Main-Danube Canal and across Europe’s Continental Divide. Continue cruising overnight.
You have your choice of one of three tours this morning. Your first option is a guided walking tour of the city’s architectural highlights, including the Old Town Hall and the Porta Praetoria, gates to an ancient Roman fort built in 179 A.D. Your second option is a guided bike tour from Regensburg to Walhalla through the spectacular scenery of the Danube Valley. Your third option is an opportunity to sample the city’s most renowned specialties – sausage, beer and pretzels. The ship departs this evening for Austria.
After breakfast, arrive in picturesque Passau. You have a choice of a walking tour of Passau’s Old Town, past the old city fortifications, Rathaus, Domplatz and Residenzplatz town squares, as well as St. Stephen’s Cathedral, or more active guests may join a guided bike tour from Passau to Erlau or a guided hike up to the Veste Oberhaus fortress overlooking Passau.
Reach the lovely Wachau Valley early this morning. You have a choice between a guided tour of Melk’s magnificent Benedictine Abbey, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Europe’s largest and most revered monasteries, or a guided bike tour along the Danube from Melk to Dürnstein. Later, you have the opportunity to explore the cobblestone streets of this charming town, where you can also enjoy a wine tasting. The ship moors in Dürnstein until the early hours of the morning.
This morning, you have a chance to savor the Baroque elegance of romantic Vienna through your choice of one of three different excursions. The first option is a panoramic tour of Vienna that guides you past the majestic Opera House, the former Imperial Palace of the Habsburg Emperors, Parliament, Town Hall and Vienna University. Afterwards, you can visit Vienna’s historic city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and see St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Graben and the world famous Spanish Riding School. The second option is a walking tour of Vienna’s hidden treasures that takes you to secret places and sights like Ankeruhr, a whimsical Art Nouveau clock. Your third option is a guided bike tour along the Danube and through the Donaupark. This afternoon, you can join a guided bike ride to Klosterneuburg Monastery, or explore at your leisure. Be sure to sample some Viennese coffee and pastries.
Enjoy a scenic morning cruise to Bratislava, where you have three choices of excursions. The first is a walking tour that includes the Old Town Hall, Mirbach Palace and St. Martin’s Cathedral. The second is a Slovakian Specialties tasting where you can enjoy a welcome glass of sparkling wine, sample a creamy soup made from sheep's cheese and learn how to prepare stuffed potato ravioli. Finally, you can also join a hike up to Bratislava Castle, which includes visits to the Castle Upper Terrace and Court of Honor. The remainder of the day is free to explore on your own.
Your morning excursion includes sightseeing in the cities of Buda and Pest spread over both banks of the river. You can see famed Heroes’ Square and Castle Hill, home to Fisherman’s Bastion, Matthias Church and spectacular views of the Danube. Alternatively, you may also opt to join a hike up to Castle Hill on which you can see Buda Castle, Fisherman’s Bastion and Parliament Square. After dinner, the ship sails a special Illuminations Cruise past the glittering riverfront of Budapest.
Day 15: Disembark | Depart Budapest
1 Breakfast
Your cruise comes to an end as you prepare for your homeward flight.
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Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
$6,999
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Piano deck, fixed windows
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C
Violin & Cello deck, French Balcony
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BB
Cello deck, French Balcony & Outside Balcony
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AB
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Violin deck, French Balcony & Outside Balcony
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Suite
Violin deck, French Balcony & Outside Balcony
Notes
Single supplement is 50%, except for Suites which are 100%.
This was our first trip to South America and we were a little nervous. But Adventure Life made things so easy! All our questions were answered before we left, and our guide, Vidal, was amazing! He gave us enough space to explore without rushing us along. He also knew where the best picture taking opportunities were, which was great.
Lindsay Gompf
TrustScore 4.8 | 175 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 175 reviews on
7 hours ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
2 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
3 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.