Grand European Tour Budapest to Amsterdam

Enjoy a day of scenic cruising along the beautiful Danube towards Vienna. As we sail, you may choose to join a German language lesson or attend an afternoon presentation on Viennese coffee houses. We arrive in Vienna early in the evening. After dinner, you can relax on board or opt for an evening classical concert in the city.

Today, visit the historic Melk Abbey, a 900-year-old Benedictine monastery renowned for its stunning Italian baroque architecture. Explore its beautiful frescoes and admire the comprehensive collection of medieval manuscripts in its library. After the tour, rejoin your ship and enjoy a scenic cruise through dinner.

Arrive in Passau, a charming town located at the confluence of the Inn, Ilz, and Danube Rivers. Embark on a guided walk through the town's narrow streets, past traditional patrician houses, the New Bishop’s Residence, and the impressive baroque St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Inside the cathedral, enjoy a special concert played on Europe’s largest church organ. After lunch on board, you have the option to explore the town further or join a full-day optional tour of picturesque Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart and the setting of The Sound of Music.

Arrive in Regensburg, a beautifully preserved medieval city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discover the city's rich history, explore the 13th- and 14th-century patrician houses, and visit the splendid St. Peter’s Cathedral. During your free time, visit the Alte Würstküche, Germany's oldest restaurant. Alternatively, you may choose to join an optional full-day tour to Munich, rejoining your ship before our evening departure.

Arrive in Bamberg in the early afternoon. Enjoy a guided tour of this medieval city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the magnificent 11th-century cathedral and the picturesque city hall built on a tiny island in the middle of a river. After the tour, enjoy some free time to explore Bamberg and sample the town’s distinctive smoke-flavored beer before returning on board.

Today, enjoy an onboard lunch, then tour Würzburg’s Bishops’ Residenz, one of Germany’s largest and most ornate baroque palaces and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Alternatively, you may choose to disembark this morning to experience an optional full-day journey along Germany’s picturesque “Romantic Road” to Rothenburg. Upon returning to Würzburg, enjoy a tour of the Bishops’ Residenz before rejoining your ship for dinner and an evening glassblowing demonstration.

Today, experience life in a typical small German town, Wertheim. During your morning walking tour, stop in a bakery and a butcher shop, and learn about Wertheim’s glassblowing tradition. Enjoy free time to explore before returning to your ship for lunch. Alternatively, depart this morning on an all-day optional excursion that offers a rare glimpse into noble life, visiting two very different castles: Schloss Mespelbrunn and Schloss Löwenstein.

Today, we cruise past hilltop castles along the Rhine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Keep an eye out for the Lorelei Rock, marking the river’s narrowest point. In the afternoon, we stop to visit Marksburg Castle, the only Rhine fortress never destroyed. Rejoin your ship in Koblenz and dine on board.

Arrive in Cologne during breakfast, then disembark for a tour of Germany’s fourth largest city. Stroll through Old Town past St. Martin’s Church and visit the Dom, Germany’s largest cathedral and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Spend your free time enjoying Cologne’s atmospheric waterfront, or perhaps join an optional excursion to explore Cologne’s spirited beer culture, sampling Kölsch, a light, crisp beer brewed only in Cologne, and enjoying a brauhaus dinner. Afterward, return to your ship for a late-evening departure.

We sail along the Rhine during the morning hours, enjoying a morning of enjoyable Dutch diversions: sample Dutch cheeses and jenever, a distilled juniper liquor. This afternoon, your ship arrives in Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Disembark for an afternoon tour of this ingenious network of windmills and other flood management devices. Learn why the windmills were built and see how they work, plus enter a working windmill for a tour of its mechanisms and living quarters. Board your ship for departure and dinner. Arrive in Amsterdam around midnight.