DAY 1: Frankfurt (embark)
Arrive at Frankfurt Airport where you’ll be transferred to the ship. (D)
DAY 2: Frankfurt
Featured Excursion: Frankfurt city tour
During your morning , tour dynamic Frankfurt, said to be the smallest metropolis in the world. The energy of its cosmopolitan citizens and soaring skyscrapers makes for a sophisticated city that has become one of the most important hubs in Europe. You will be taken on a scenic drive around this metropolis off the Main, dubbed “Mainhattan.” The skyline of Frankfurt is defined by 50 high-rise buildings, two of which are the tallest skyscrapers in the European Union. Visit the historical area around Römer Square, Old Town, the Golden Mile, and Frankfurt’s Times Square. You’ll pass Goethe-Haus, the childhood home of one of Europe’s greatest writers and philosophers, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe; Goethe University, birthplace of the Frankfurt school of philosophy; and the beautiful Botanical Gardens. (BB, L, Captain’s Welcome Gala)
DAY 3: Bacharach, cruising the romantic Rhine
Featured Excursion: Bacharach walking tour and wine tasting
You’ll arrive in Bacharach in the morning. Named for Baccus, the ancient Roman god of wine, this Medieval walled jewel epitomizes the traditional German small town. Its quaint half-timbered houses, cobblestone streets, and castle overlooking the legendary Rhine will make you feel like you are in the middle of a fairytale. While here you’ll enjoy sampling local Rieslings at the Weinstubes or wine rooms.
In the afternoon enjoy the area’s natural and cultural highlights from the perfect vantage point of your ship’s panoramic deck as your journey takes you along one of the most beautiful sections of the Rhine—the scenic 40 miles of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley towards Cologne. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this area features stunning landscapes and ancient castles that for many esteemed 19th-century poets, composers, and painters embodied a romantic spirit, later dubbed “Rhine Romanticism.” Along the way, you’ll pass the famous Lorelei Rock and, at the confluence of the Moselle and Rhine rivers, German Corner, with its famous monument to Emperor William II. (BB, L, D)
DAY 4: Cologne
Featured Excursion: Cologne walking tour and Roman-Germanic Museum
Stroll through the narrow streets of Old Town with your guide, passing by tiny squares, little churches, and the awe-inspiring Cologne Cathedral, the city’s most famous landmark and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. It took 632 years for Germany’s largest cathedral to be completed, and it is one of the most important Gothic churches in Europe. You’ll then tour the Roman-Germanic Museum, built on the walls of a Roman villa which was discovered in 1941 and which contained the world-famous Dionysos mosaic. Numerous finds illustrating everyday life in the Roman Empire will lead you into the heart of the Roman city of Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium (the Roman name of Cologne). (BB, L, D)
DAY 5: Arnhem
Featured Excursion: Guided tour of Kröller-Müller Museum
Arrive in Arnhem in the morning, your gateway to the Kröller-Müller Museum, which is home to a huge collection of Van Gogh’s paintings—278 to be exact, including Café Terrace at Night. There are also works by Picasso, Mondrian, and Rodin, as well as many modern European artists. Your guide will lead you on a one-hour tour through the museum. After the tour, you’ll have some free time to explore more of the museum; to go back to that painting you love looking at; or to venture outside and take in the beautiful sculpture garden, the largest in Europe, which features works by Rodin. (BB, L, D)
DAY 6: Volendam, Amsterdam
Featured Excursion: Keukenhof Gardens
Today, all of your senses will be in for a treat as you visit the Keukenhof Gardens, a 70-acre showcase of over seven million flowers, where spring bursts out in all of its colorful majesty. This is one of the most impressive public gardens in the entire world, and it is open for only a few weeks each year. Later in the day you’ll sail to Amsterdam. You’ll have an afternoon at leisure exploring this amazing city. (BB, D)
DAY 7: Amsterdam
Featured Excursion: Anne Frank House and canal cruise
Walk through the very house that served as a hiding place for the Frank family during WWII. This is also where Anne Frank wrote her diary, and the original manuscript is on display. After your visit, enjoy a canal tour through Holland’s largest city, Amsterdam, which boasts history, art, architecture, bicycles, cobblestone streets, museums, and countless canals. Even the simplest of shops has a distinct charm, and every street tells a story. (BB, L, Captain’s Farewell Dinner)
DAY 8: Amsterdam (disembark), transfer to the airport
Disembark the ship and transfer to the Amsterdam airport for your flight home. (CB or BB)
This perfectly paced trip provides ample daytime sailing down the romantic Rhine and through the complex network of canals that crisscross the Netherlands. Discover the springtime highlights of this beautiful country and enjoy four guided visits to the Netherlands’ and Germany’s top museums.
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The prices shown are U.S. dollars per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability.
Prices quoted for land/cruise arrangements are subject to increase without notice. Once we have received your
deposit, land/cruise prices are guaranteed. Whenever air-inclusive prices are displayed, these prices do
not include government taxes and fees, which are additional. Air prices are subject to increase and are
guaranteed only from the time that full payment is received. Air-inclusive prices include air from a major
U.S. gateway; air from other U.S. airports is available at an additional cost. Sorry, we are unable to
offer air from countries other than the U.S. However, for those international customers who are able to
arrange their own transportation to the origination city, we are able to offer the land/cruise portion of
the package, at the price quoted.
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