A Week On... the Rhine - Northbound

Tour begins: 4:00 PM, Basel. A transfer is included from EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg or Basel's SBB train station; guests can also transfer from Zürich Airport to your riverboat. Check-in time aboard ship is 4:00 PM for all guests. After a discovery briefing where you'll hear about your river travels ahead, please join us for a welcome reception followed by dinner aboard your riverboat to celebrate the start of your Rhine journey.

A choice of excursions awaits you today in Switzerland, commonly referred to as "the Playground of Europe." On one, you'll head out for the heights of Mt. Pilatus aboard a gondola, climbing from Kriens to the summit – nearly 7,000 ft. high. Take in sweeping Alpine views before descending the mountain and continuing to Lucerne, Switzerland's "City of Lights," where you'll have time to explore at leisure. Alternatively, you may prefer the pleasures of lunch and a wine tasting along the Alsatian Wine Route. If so, you'll head to Château Haut-Koenigsbourg, originally built in the 1200s. Burned, abandoned and later restored to its former glory, the castle presents a picture of a mountain fortress of the Middle Ages; after your visit, head to the French Alsatian town of Riquewihr for lunch and a wine tasting. Your final choice is a guided orientation walk through Basel. Join us this evening for dinner aboard the riverboat.

You'll wake this morning cruising along the Rhine, watching as the hills of southern Alsace, many checkered with vineyards, pass you by. Once docked, the day begins in the Alsatian cultural capital of Strasbourg, France, with a choice of excursions. Home to the charming canals and half-timbered houses of La Petite France, stately city residences, a Gothic cathedral, and plenty of winstubs, traditional Alsatian beer pubs, you'll have the option to explore Strasbourg on foot or by bicycle. After a morning of sightseeing, enjoy an afternoon at leisure to discover the city as you wish. Return to the ship for dinner in the Compass Rose and an evening of cruising. 

Your adventures today offer you a choice of exploring either Speyer or Germany's oldest university town, Heidelberg. If you choose Speyer, begin at the impressive Technik Museum – dedicated to every form of technology that moves, from vintage cars to the Russian BURAN space shuttle. Continue with an orientation walk through Speyer, including its cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site celebrated for its Romanesque architecture. Or choose an excursion to Heidelberg, where narrow lanes, shops and pubs housed in 17th-century structures in the Altstadt are kept lively by the cadence of student life. Visit the romantic ruins of Heidelberg Castle, of which Mark Twain wrote in A Tramp Abroad; the schloss is an imposing ensemble of buildings from different architectural periods. From its terrace and gardens, sweeping views impress along with the feel of 600 years of history. Enjoy lunch featuring traditional German cuisine before returning to your riverboat.

Spend the morning cruising through the storied Rhine River Valley, where small towns, ancient walls, vineyards and castles line the riverbanks. Your riverboat arrives in Koblenz late this morning. The city's roots go back to Roman times, when its location at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers made it an important center of trade. You may choose a scavenger hunt through Koblenz or a bicycling excursion. If you choose the scavenger hunt, explore a mix of delightful town squares, tucked-away corners, medieval churches, Baroque residences and cozy wine taverns. Should you choose to go bicycling (a countrywide passion in Germany), you'll follow riverside trails along the Rhine, taking in views of the passing pleasure boats and freighters. Return to the riverboat as your journey continues north toward Cologne.

This morning, explore Köln (Cologne), a city made the capital of a Roman province in 50 AD. Dominating the skyline is the immense twin-towered Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral), whose construction took a mere six centuries. Completed in 1880, UNESCO declared this Gothic "Dom" a World Heritage Site in 1996, recognizing its extraordinary architectural and cultural significance. Discover the city's historic streets and landmarks on your choice of guided walking tours – one at a leisurely pace and the other an extended walk at a faster pace. Enjoy free time to explore as you wish. Back onboard the riverboat, enjoy the chef's signature dinner in the Compass Rose as you sail toward Amsterdam.

Your day in Amsterdam begins with a choice of excursions. One takes you on a guided canal boat cruise, where you'll glide beneath curved bridges carrying walkers and cyclists – sometimes trams and cars – and past narrow merchant homes, whose goods were once pragmatically stored on the upper floors. Continue with a guided visit to the famed Rijksmuseum, home to works by Rembrandt and other Dutch Masters. Your other option is to get around as the locals do in this cycling capital on a three-hour bike ride outside Amsterdam, through the Waterland countryside to the villages of Zunderdorp and Ransdorp. Your final afternoon of the journey is yours to explore Amsterdam as you wish. Tonight, gather for a farewell reception and dinner.

Tour ends: Amsterdam.  Fly home anytime. Upon disembarking the riverboat (no later than 9:00 AM), transfers are included to Schiphol International Airport or Amsterdam Centraal Station. Please allow three hours for flight check-in.