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Read More The Enchanting Rhine River
From Amsterdam to Switzerland
• Deluxe Riverboat Cruise from Amsterdam to Switzerland
• 2 nights Lucerne and 2 nights Zurich
• Many shore excursions included!
This enchanting holiday begins in Amsterdam, with its legendary canals, where we board our deluxe riverboat for a leisurely 7 night cruise through Holland, Germany, France, and Switzerland. Our cruise takes us to the legendary Black Forest region, Cologne with its majestic Cathedral, the historic university town of Heidelberg, and the Alsatian capital of Strasbourg.
We end our cruise in Switzerland with 2 night stays in both Lucerne and Zurich. In the midst of Switzerland’s stunning scenery and world famous cities, we will enjoy lake-side excursions and Alpine vistas.
Our riverboat, the new Amadeus Imperial (launched in 2020) is a modern ship specially built for cruising European rivers, combining the luxuries of a 5-star hotel with innovative design and First Class service.
You will enjoy superb dining throughout the cruise with special theme dinners. As a bonus, quality wines from Europe’s most famous wine regions are included with every dinner. The nightly entertainment features folkloric and musical performances and informative lectures on our destinations.
All cabins have a panoramic window, and the Sun Deck invites you to relax outdoors, while offering breathtaking views of the passing river landscapes. To round out your experience, many shore excursions are included and expertly conducted by English speaking guides.
* Those joining any of our tours to Europe must be able to walk fairly long distances and climb stairs easily.
Itinerary / Excursions
We depart for Amsterdam.
We arrive in Amsterdam and transfer to our luxurious cruise ship. Tonight is our Welcome Dinner.
Today you may choose between a number of included excursions and activities. Spend the morning exploring Amsterdam with a relaxing canal cruise and a visit to the flower market; take a trip to North Holland to the dreamy fishing town of Volendam and a typical cheese dairy, enjoy a city tour to Haarlem with its medieval city center; or visit Floriade Expo 2022, featuring stunning gardens, innovative gardening exhibits, live entertainment and food stalls.
Enjoy the scenery on deck as we sail to the beautiful city of Cologne. We will have a walking tour of Cologne’s historic Old Town, taking in the Old Market, the lively city squares and a visit of the famous twin-spired Cologne Cathedral. In the afternoon enjoy a visit to a Chocolate Museum, or an excursion to Siebengebirge National Park and the remains of Castle “Drachenfels”.
Today we sail down the romantic Moselle River, dominated by vineyards, and we’ll anchor at the old town of Cochem. Our walking tour of the narrow, winding streets will include a visit of Reichsburg Castle. Perched on a rock high above the city, this magnificent castle dominates the cityscape and offers an impressive view of the Moselle Valley with its forests, vineyards and the old town. Later we will enjoy a taste of local Mosel wines.
Koblenz is one of Germany’s oldest and most beautiful towns. On our guided walk through the romantic streets we’ll see the highlights: the famous St. Castor Basilica; Liebfrauenkirche; and the Emperor Wilhelm Memorial. This afternoon we arrive in the wine-making town of Rudesheim. Our tour takes us on the unique Winzerexpress train to the “Siegfried Mechanical Music Cabinet” for a musical adventure with historical self-playing instruments. Or, choose to visit a local vineyard for a tasting of the local wines and a walk through the famous Drosselgasse.
This morning we visit the well-preserved baroque Old Town of Heidelberg, which for centuries has been one of Germany’s foremost centres of literature, music and art. We will visit the ruins of the red sandstone castle overlooking the town, considered the most beautiful castle ruin in Germany. We continue with a stroll through the enchanting old town, to the Karl-Theodor Bridge, the gothic Church of the Holy Spirit and the town hall. This afternoon we enjoy a tour of Speyer, the emperor’s city with a turbulent past. Our tour includes a visit to the Romanesque Imperial Cathedral, with its striking twin tower portal, and visits to the Church of the Holy Spirit, the Old Gate and medieval Judenhof.
We arrive in the dynamic capital of Alsace for a walking tour through the lovely, historic old part of the town with its Gothic Cathedral and famous astronomical clock. We’ll take a boat cruise to see the famous quarter known as “Petite France” and see many of the beautiful, half-timbered houses on the banks of the river that are up to 500 years old.
We disembark our cruise ship and enjoy a walking tour of Basel. Long an important center for banking and commerce, Basel’s glorious past is still evident in its medieval Town Hall and 18th century homes. After our tour we’ll proceed to Lucerne, with a visit of the Lion Monument en-route.
We enjoy a walking tour of this medieval gem, with its lovely cobblestone streets, public squares, monuments, fountains, covered bridges and frescoed buildings. Afternoon at leisure to shop for watches, knives, and delicious Swiss chocolate.
We begin with a cruise across the tranquil waters of Lake Lucerne, surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery, disembarking at Viztnau. Then we proceed to Zurich where we’ll enjoy a city tour including St. Peter with the world’s largest church clock face, Grossmunster Abbey which offers exceptional views of Zurich, Old Town and Fraumunster Abbey.
We travel to Schaffhausen to visit the spectacular Rhine Falls - Europe’s largest waterfall, where we’ll enjoy a boat ride up to the rock at the foot of the falls. Then we proceed to Germany’s Black Forest via a scenic route in order to visit a Cuckoo Clocks outlet and stop at beautiful Lake Titisee.
We fly home from Zurich.
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