DAY 1 DEPART USA
Board your overnight transatlantic flight.
DAY 2 ARRIVE IN BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
Arrive in Budapest and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or begin exploring this beautiful city.
DAY 3 BUDAPEST
Morning sightseeing includes historic Buda Castle, where you have a splendid view of the twin cities of Buda and Pest spread over both banks of the river. Your tour also features 500 year old Matthias Church, St. Stephen's Basilica, distinctive Fisherman's Bastion, the marvelous Royal Palace and much more. The balance of the day is at your leisure. (B)
DAY 4 BUDAPEST / EMBARK SHIP
Enjoy a free morning in Budapest or join an optional Puszta excursion. This afternoon transfer to your luxurious river cruise ship. Gather on board for a Welcome Dinner. Your ship sets sail tonight. (B,D)
DAY 5 BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA
On a morning tour of the Slovakian capital, see the Old Town Hall, Mirbach Palace and St. Martin's Cathedral. The afternoon is free to explore on your own or browse in the shops. (B,L,D)
DAY 6 VIENNA, AUSTRIA
A wonderful day to savor the baroque elegance of Vienna. A guided sightseeing tour includes Hofburg Palace, Ringstrasse, awe-inspiring St. Stephen's Cathedral and a visit to the National Library. Your afternoon and evening are free to explore, shop, stroll along Kartnerstrasse or sample Vienna's famous pastries. Tonight, perhaps enjoy an optional Mozart and Strauss concert. (B,L,D)
DAY 7 DURNSTEIN / MELK
Early this morning, reach the Wachau Valley. Stop in Durnstein and marvel at the magnificent blue facade of the baroque Stiftskirche. Above town, you will spot the ruins of the castle where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned in 1192. Your walking tour through quaint cobblestone streets reveals 16th century town houses and wine taverns. At lunch-time, continue on a short cruise to Melk. A guided tour takes you to the town's Benedictine Abbey, one of Europe's largest baroque monasteries. This evening, a wine tasting highlights your visit to the Wachau Valley. (B,L,D)
DAY 8 LINZ / PASSAU, GERMANY
Your choice today. You might want to take an optional full-day excursion to facinating Salzburg and its popular Sound of Music sights. If you choose to remain on board, enjoy a cruise through Upper Austria to Passau in Germany. Here, a guided walking tour shows you the highlights of this fairy-tale city founded more than 2,000 years ago. (B,L,D)
DAY 9 REGENSBURG
Arrive this afternoon in Regensburg. A walking tour will show you the city's architectural highlights, including the Old Town Hall and the Porta Pretoria gates to an ancient Roman fort built in 179 A.D. (B,L,D)
DAY 10 NUREMBERG
This morning, enter the Main-Danube Canal and relax during a leisurely cruise through the Altmuhl Valley. In the afternoon, enjoy a guided tour of Nuremberg, capital of Franconia. See the storybook 900 year old ramparts that surround this historic city, the Imperial Castle and the Justice Palace where the War Crimes Tribunal sat in 1946. (B,L,D)
DAY 11 MUNICH EXCURSION
Today travel by train to Munich, the capital of Bavaria and one of Germany's largest cities. Enjoy an escorted day here including lunch in the world famous Hofbrauhaus. Return to the ship this afternoon. (B,L,D)
DAY 12 BAMBERG
The Main Danube Canal straddles the Franconian Alps via 16 locks, a true feat of modern engineering. Traverse the locks and arrive in Bamberg. Enjoy a walking tour of this medieval gem, with its uniquely intact townscape, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. There is free time here before you continue your scenic cruise, now on the Main River. (B,L,D)
DAY 13 WURZBURG
This morning, arrive in Wurzburg, the 'Pearl of the Romantic Road.' During your tour, see the major sights including the mag nifi cent Residential Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This afternoon, explore Wurzburg on your own or take an optional tour to medieval Rothenburg. (B,L,D)
DAY 14 WERTHEIM / MILTENBERG
Disembark in Wertheim and enjoy free time to browse in the shops. Then cruise to Miltenberg for a guided walking tour along narrow, cobblestoned streets where you will see the gabled, half timbered houses. Tonight, as the ship sails, leave the Main River behind. (B,L,D)
DAY 15 MAINZ / HEIDELBERG / RUDESHEIM / KOBLENZ
Today you have a choice of included sightseeing. You can disembark in Mainz and travel by motorcoach to Heidelberg. Here you will visit the red-walled castle, see the Great Vat, a 49,000 gallon 18th century wine cask and the Necker Valley and Heidelberg below. Then enjoy a walking tour of old Heidelberg and free time on your own. In the afternoon, drive to Frankfurt, where you rejoin your ship. Or, you can enjoy a leisurely walking tour of Mainz, hometown of the famous printer Gutenburg, and visit the Gutenberg Museum. Then take a lunchtime cruise to the wine village of Rudesheim. Tour the town by mini-train and visit Siegfried's Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum. Late this afternoon, everyone will cruise the most famous part of the Rhine River, passing wine towns and the Lorelei Rock. Arrive in Koblenz after dinner. (B,L,D)
DAY 16 COCHEM / ZELL
Enjoy a guided visit of Reichsburg Castle, situated above Cochem with spectacular views of the Moselle River. This afternoon, cruise past hillside vineyards to Zell, home of the famous 'Zeller Schwarze Katz' wine. (B,L,D)
DAY 17 BERNKASTEL / TRIER
Arrive in Bernkastel early this morning and explore this quaint little town on a walking tour. Strategically located in the middle of the Moselle wine producing region, Bernkastel boasts over 500 years of documented wine history. Then on to Trier, Germany's oldest city. Here a guided tour will introduce you to the city's rich ancient Roman past. (B,L,D)
DAY 18 DISEMBARK IN TRIER / LUXEMBOURG / PARIS, FRANCE
Bid farewell to your cruise ship and head to Luxembourg, the last of the independent duchies which once made up western and central Europe. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the smallest countries in the world. After a city tour, continue into France, traveling across the lovely countryside to Paris. The balance of the day is free in the 'City of Light.' (B)
DAY 19 PARIS
Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Enjoy the famous sights on this morning's guided tour. See Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Opera, Madeleine, Champs Elysees and more. The rest of the day is yours to shop, explore a museum, or relax in a cafe. (B)
DAY 20 PARIS
A full free day to explore the splendid French capital on your own. Stroll along the boutique-lined boulevards, visit the top of the Eiffel Tower, or chat with one of the many artists along the banks of the Seine River or at Montmartre. The spectacular city of Paris offers something for everyone. (B)
DAY 21 DEPART PARIS
Transfer to the airport for your homebound flight. (B) |
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