Day 1Basel
Welcome to Basel, Switzerland. We will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your ship.* After boarding, enjoy time on your own getting acquainted with the city—or join our “welcome walk” to stretch your legs and start getting oriented. Enjoy the Captain’s Welcome Cocktail and Dinner and a musical evening; we set sail late tonight. (D)
Day 2Strasbourg
Enjoy breakfast, lunch, scenic Rhine cruising and a Flammkuchen cooking demonstration as we sail. After lunch, disembark in Kehl for a tour of nearby multicultural Strasbourg. This historic capital of the Alsace region exhibits cultural influences of both Germany and France, and its city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See the European Parliament and tour the interior of the city’s famed cathedral. Free time allows you to further explore the old section of this French-German city. Dine aboard and hear some traditional French chansons this evening. (B, L, D)
Day 3Speyer, Heidelberg & Rüdesheim
During breakfast we reach Speyer, where you disembark for a tour. Choose Heidelberg to see Germany’s oldest university, founded in 1386, visit the beautiful sandstone ruins of imposing Heidelberg Castle, and take a walking tour from the Old Town to Heidelberg’s renowned gates. Or, choose Speyer and Worms—very old cities where human settlement dates back to the Stone Age—and see their beautiful cathedrals and town squares.
Rejoin your ship in Mannheim and enjoy afternoon cruising. Arrive in Rüdesheim after dinner and spend free time in the pedestrian-only Drosselgasse; sample a glass of locally produced wine in one of the area’s restaurants or wine bars. Or, take a mini-train up the hill to tour Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Museum, filled with self-playing instruments. Remain docked overnight. (B, L, D)
Day 4Rüdesheim & Koblenz
Spend some free time exploring Rüdesheim this morning. Or, you may choose to take an optional excursion to the spectacular Eberbach Abbey in Hesse, where key interior scenes from The Name of the Rose were filmed. Return aboard for lunch as we begin sailing along the most scenic stretch of the Rhine, where castles overlook the river from their hilltop locations. This part of the Middle Rhine Valley is so beautiful that it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Midafternoon, disembark for a tour of 700-year-old Marksburg Castle and its museum. Rejoin your ship in Koblenz; after dinner you may disembark for a guided walk through the town with your Program Director. (B, L, D)
Day 5Cologne
Cruise along the Rhine this morning, arriving just after breakfast in Cologne. Disembark for your walking tour of this gem of the Rhine. Stroll through Old Town past St. Martin’s Church and spend some time inside Cologne’s Dom, a remarkable Gothic cathedral. Then visit a local brewery and sample Kölsch, the hometown brew. The rest of your day is free to explore the dockside taverns, cafés and shops—as always, your Program Director can help you plan your free time. Or, choose an optional late-afternoon excursion to the very cosmopolitan city of Düsseldorf, capital of Germany’s Westphalia region. Return aboard for a traditional German dinner, music and dancing this evening. (B, L, D)
Day 6Arnhem
This morning we visit the beautiful 17th-century Paleis Het Loo, for three centuries the retreat of the Dutch royal family. Take a guided tour through the palace’s richly furnished rooms and manicured gardens. Return aboard for lunch; after lunch you can take a walk around Arnhem with your Program Director if you like. This afternoon, enjoy tasting cheese and jenever, a juniper-based distilled liquor, on board, and various other activities as we sail toward Amsterdam. (B, L, D)
Day 7Amsterdam
Awaken in Amsterdam. This morning, enjoy a cruise through this canal-laced city in a glass-topped canal boat. You will pass narrow merchant houses and the renowned Skinny Bridge and get a different perspective of this vibrant, multicultural city. We then take a guided tour of the Van Gogh Museum to see works by the famous artist and his contemporaries before lunch on board. This afternoon you have some free time to explore some of Amsterdam’s many sights and attractions, or you can take an optional excursion to Zaanse Schans, a Dutch neighborhood that features a collection of beautifully preserved wooden windmills. Enjoy the Captain’s Cocktail and Farewell Dinner aboard and a final free evening in Amsterdam. Remain docked overnight. (B, L, D)
Day 8Amsterdam
After breakfast, disembark and we will take you to the Amsterdam airport for your return flight.* (B)
The following meals are included:
B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; D = Dinner
*Airport meet & greet transfers included when air is purchased from Viking River Cruises. Please note, Viking can only offer air to guests traveling from the U.S. or Canada.