Experience a unique and original way to discover the most beloved Christmas markets along the romantic Rhine River. Board the MS Amasonata in Amsterdam and cruise towards Basel, making stops to visit Heidelberg and Cologne's Cathedral and bustling Christmas markets. Enjoy a wine tasting in the medieval Rudesheim, tour the historic university town of Heidelberg, and explore Strasbourg's famous Christmas market - said to be the oldest and best in all France. Conclude your journey in Basel, home to 40 museums and considered the city of culture.
Highlights
Join a scenic canal cruise and see Amsterdam's narrow homes lining the water
Visit the renowned Christmas Market in Cologne's Cathedral Square
Admire the castles and fortress ruins along the picturesque Rhine Gorge
Visit Strasbourg’s Christmas Market– said to be the oldest in all of France
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
The famous canals of Amsterdam await discovery on your city tour. Begin with a scenic canal cruise and see the tall narrow homes lining the water, the Skinny Bridge, and the house where Anne Frank and her family lived in hiding during WWII. Next, walk to Begijnhof, known for its historic buildings dating back to the Middle Ages and have some free time to explore. Later, enjoy a panoramic city tour on which you can see the Royal Palace, Westerkerk, and stop for photos at a Dutch windmill before returning to the ship. This afternoon depart for Germany.
The ship arrives in Cologne around lunchtime. You have a guided tour of the city, strolling through the Old Town and Cathedral Square, and visiting the fabled Gothic cathedral. This evening, experience the elaborate Christmas Market in Cathedral Square, one of Europe’s largest and most renowned. The ship cruises overnight.
This morning, cruise through the picturesque Rhine Gorge, admiring its many castles and fortress ruins and the legendary Lorelei Rock. This afternoon arrive in the winemaking town of Rüdesheim where you have the option to take one of three excursions: wine tasting with a local vintner, a gondola ride above the town to see the Niederwalddenkmal Statue, or a guided bike tour along the Rhine River to one of Germany's best wine regions. Later you have free time to shop at the town’s Christmas Market and explore the Drosselgasse, the town’s most famous and charming street, a narrow passage lined with shops and taverns. This evening, visit Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum, home to a remarkable collection of old robotic and self-playing musical instruments, or enjoy some Rüdesheimer Coffee. The ship sails overnight.
Arrive in Speyer, where you have a choice between three excursions this afternoon. Your first option is a half-day excursion to the historic university town of Heidelberg, where you can visit the red-walled castle with its Great Vat (a 49,000-gallon wine cask) and enjoy beautiful views of the Neckar Valley and city below. You can also opt to enjoy Speyer, one of Germany’s oldest cities, known for its cathedral, numerous churches and the medieval Altpörtel (Old Gate), on either a city tour or biking tour. Later , have time to visit the local Christmas Markets. This evening, the ship continues onward to Strasbourg, France.
Capital city of France’s Alsace region, Strasbourg is situated on the Rhine at the German border. After arriving this morning, enjoy one of three excursions. The first option is a panoramic tour that takes you past the Orangery, the European Parliament, and the Place de Republique. Afterwards, explore on foot with a walking tour of the lovely “La Petite France” neighborhood, where you can see the Gothic cathedral with its famous astronomical clock, and have a chance to visit Strasbourg’s famous Christmas Market – said to be the oldest and best in all of France. Your other options are a bike tour to the Old Town, or a hike that starts at the Orangery and makes its way to the cathedral. The remainder of the day is yours to spend as you wish. The ship moors in Strasbourg overnight.
You have two exciting excursions to choose from today. The first is a walking tour of Riquewihr, a picturesque town renowned for its historic architecture and for its Riesling wines, followed by time at the town’s Christmas Market. A second option is a walking tour of the beautiful towns of Breisach and Freiburg, where you may visit the historical city center and Freiburg’s Münster, a Gothic cathedral constructed of red sandstone. You can also visit Christmas Markets here. Your third option is guided bike tour of Breisach that takes you through the Rheinau woods. Tonight, the ship cruises towards Switzerland.
Day 8: Basel, Switzerland | Disembark
1 Breakfast
Disembark your cruise in Basel and catch your independent flight home.
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Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
$2,899
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Cat. E
Piano Deck. Fixed Windows, 160 sq. ft.
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Cat. D
Piano Deck. Fixed Windows, 160 sq. ft.
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Cat. C
Violin & Cello Deck. French Balcony, 170 sq. ft.
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Cat. BB
Cello Deck. French Balcony & Outside Balcony, 210 sq. ft
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Cat BA
Violin Deck. French Balcony & Outside Balcony, 210 sq. ft.
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Cat AB
Cello Deck. French Balcony & Outside Balcony, 235 sq. ft
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Cat. AA
Violin Deck. French Balcony & Outside Balcony, 235 sq. ft.
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Cat. AA+
Violin Deck. French Balcony & Outside Balcony, 250 sq. ft.
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Suite
Violin Deck. French Balcony & Outside Balcony, 350 sq. ft.
Notes
Single supplement is 50%, except for Suites which are 100%.
Kate was great to work with in the planning stage. She was prompt, helpful, and efficient. Our tour guide, Edwin, was knowledgeable and passionate. We were very happy to have traveled with Adventure Life, it made the trip easy and a true pleasure. We could concentrate on enjoying the experience rather than the details of travel.
Lisa Bridge
TrustScore 4.8 | 147 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 147 reviews on
2 hours ago
A wonderful 9 day tour of beautiful Costa Rica taking in breath taking scenery including the active Arenal Volcano to the stunning beaches of Manuel Antonio.
Adventure Life made a fantastic itinerary for us(we were a group of 4) Would highly reccomend them for getting it right!
Lovely hotels with breakfast included, bespoke trips in mostly private transfers, zip-lining and white water rafting adventures! This really was an amazing trip & one we will cherish forever!
Dawn Howes
6 hours ago
Mary Curry is very responsive to my emails and sends me the information I request very quickly.
Donna Benson
8 hours ago
We book a tour to Peru with them in May. Viewing from their website we didn’t realize that they are private tour company but after quoting the price, it seems reasonable for a private tour, let’s see how’s their service after our tour. The process of booking went smoothly except the payment part which need a bit of work. Need to improve better payment method and options.
LP
1 day ago
We have used Adventure Life Travel before and we where impressed with the outcome of their handling of our travel arrangements. So we are using them again on this vacation. Tilly has been very helpful and we put our complete confidence in her! We feel very comfortable using Adventure Life.
Jerry Hatley
1 day ago
Erin was responsive, knowledgeable, helpful, and ran through a few different choices with us. She got us a fabulous price on a trip, and made everything easy to do. And QUICK!!